World stock markets fell in ‘Q1’ by 21%, ours by 30%. Investors in balanced, medium risk funds, though, are down around 12% which isn’t great, but does show that the balancing bit of ‘balanced’, not having everything in shares, can work. And that having your money spread around different markets helps as the US and Japan have fared better than us so far. Also, notice I said ‘are down’, not ‘have lost’; because the latter is only true if you sell. You could always invest more. Many have. This, too, shall pass.
“Rachel Reeves may be forced to raise taxes”
Why did she/they (in the old sense) think that tinkering around with IHT and CGT would be enough to sort out the NHS; and the potholes; and…and the list goes on. My guess is that they asked the Treasury for a list of anything not involving income tax that they could get away with lightly, although they should already have learned from the winter fuel stuff that all publicity is not good publicity.