Read the latest news and articles from the Gem & Co team
As a parent, your child facing an illness could affect your finances just as much as becoming ill yourself. Appropriate financial protection could offer you a safety net when you need it most, including if you need to take a long period off work to care for your child. Read on to find out how
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Embarking on a holiday is about more than simply sightseeing – it’s also your chance to experience new and tantalising local dishes from around the world. An increasing number of people worldwide enjoy exploring exotic flavours during their time abroad. Acorn Tourism Consulting states that food tourism is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing
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While inflation continues to be a challenge for many economies, there are positive signs in the UK and around the world. Read on to find out what may have affected stock markets and your investment portfolio in March 2024. Remember, volatility is part of investing and most people should invest with a long-term outlook. If
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As the old saying goes, investing is simple but not easy. It is simple to look back at market data today and wish that we had, for example, owned more US equities and less UK and emerging market equities over the past ten years, given their annualised returns of around 14.5%, 5.0% and 6.5%, respectively.
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Most investors – at some time – will be either tempted to time when to be in or out of equity markets – or wish they had when markets fall. It would be great to be able to capture the upsides and avoid the downsides, but that is wishful thinking. Investors may well underestimate the
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Whatever your politics, one has to feel a bit of sympathy (maybe) for the new Chancellor. It has been a very tough first week in a new job; lambasted by the media, accused by the Labour leader of ‘crashing’ the pound and causing higher inflation and interest rates; and a bad report from the IMF.
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The fear of losing money is a very real emotion and the marketing promises of absolute return funds – no losses and high returns – may be appealing to some. Most absolute return funds aim, as a minimum, for a positive return over a specified time horizon, with a return target of cash plus something,
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At times like this, when it can feel like there is much doom and gloom in the news, it is worth taking a step back to gain a little perspective. For most investors the accumulation of wealth is a slow process as money is put aside month-on-month into pensions and ISAs, inheritances are invested, or
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Uncertainty abounds – it always does. Today, it certainly feels like the world is in a very uncertain place. Authoritarian states are flexing their muscles, with Russia violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and China’s ongoing subjugation of Hong Kong with the new National Security Law alongside its apparent support for Russia, being cases in point. The West
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A new variant of Covid-19, dubbed “Omicron”, is affecting some countries around the world, and it could lead to further restrictions in the coming months. The variant comes as supply chain issues caused by the pandemic continue to affect businesses and households. UK The UK’s latest GDP figures suggest the economy is lagging behind other
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While economies continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic, there are signs that the pace of growth is beginning to slow. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the recovery of the world’s major economies is losing momentum. The organisation said consumers remain reluctant to eat out, visit attractions, and
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A year after lockdowns around the world began, Covid-19 continues to affect economies and investment markets. While the volatility experienced almost 12 months ago may have calmed, uncertainty remains and it’s important for investors to focus on their long-term plan. In February, Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), called on leaders
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2020 was an eventful year. The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns around the world had a huge impact on life, which inevitably affected stock markets and investment portfolios. The stock market volatility experienced a year ago will be fresh in the mind of investors, but the crash wasn’t unique. Investors have experienced ups and down for
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