BREXIT PROOFING

I’m not sure I want to be on anyone’s side in this increasingly shabby debacle. The only thing they all seem to agree upon is that the economic waters may well be choppy.

It certainly has been a difficult year for investors, with many struggling to achieve growth rates above inflation, which is a particular concern if income is a priority. However, there are some things that investors can do to mitigate potential losses. Here are a few ideas, however, please remember, none of them should be acted upon without consulting us first:

• If you need income in the next 1-2 years, put that money into cash now;
• If you are carrying cash now that you don’t need for income or planned expenditure, consider investing some of it when/if there is a major correction;
• If you are accumulating, consider feeding cash into equities over the next two years;
• Don’t be tempted to move out of markets if there is a major fall in prices;
• Use automated regular rebalancing to a pre-agreed mix of assets;
• The ‘safety’ of cash is not a long term option with inflation at 2.5% and interest rates   at 0.5%;
• Don’t be swayed too much in your longer term thinking as many scenarios have been factored into current prices;
• Above all, communicate, review and be prepared.

The penultimate point is worth expanding on. It’s sobering to realise that the UK stock market is well below the high it reached 19 years ago, at the end of the last century.

Equities are not expensive. So, if you have a horizon beyond five years and are thinking about combating inflation, then you may wish to be proactive now. Rising above the current melee and having your own “strong and stable” plan (!) might be the best plan of all – stay in touch. Oh, and, book a holiday for late March!

Will Harris