2021 is here!
31 December 2020First of all, we send our New Year greetings to all our clients, professional contacts and blog readers as we head into January 2021 and the start of the new year.
Reflecting on the past year, none could have predicted the tumultuous events of 2020, and I am sure many of us are hopeful for a more peaceful year ahead. Indeed, there is optimism that the various COVID-19 vaccines now in production can reach significant numbers by the summer and that some normality may return to the latter months of 2021. Perhaps the postponed Olympics will be a spectacle for us all to enjoy.
There are no US presidential elections, we hope no new Brexit posturing, and (we hope) no new surprises as to the way coronavirus can reach our communities. There are of course consequences of the pandemic that dominated 2020, and the deficit in the UK Government's fiscal position will have to be addressed. Therefore, it will be unsurprising if taxes in their many forms have to rise. The spring Budget, planned for March 2021, will be an interesting event.
From an investment perspective, the important topic of corporate environmental, social and governance criteria (ESG for short) will come to the fore this year, as an increasingly popular method for investors to assess companies and funds in which they might invest. Many investment providers now offer funds that take into account ESG criteria, and screening of investment funds to allow for an investor's views is also possible.
However 2021 turns out, we hope that the year runs well for you and the team at Chapters Financial look forward to helping you with your financial planning into the future.
Keith Churchouse FPFS
Director
Chartered Financial Planner
Chapters Financial Limited
Chapters Financial Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, number 402899
