Gareth Culpan Financial Planning

Gareth Culpan Financial Planning A financial planning practice providing retirement, investment, tax and protection planning to individuals and business owners.

WeekWatchIncreasing hopes that a deal between the US and Iran might finally be reached and continued AI optimism helped ...
01/06/2026

WeekWatch

Increasing hopes that a deal between the US and Iran might finally be reached and continued AI optimism helped push US markets to new highs last week.

The S&P 500 has now risen for nine consecutive weeks; its longest streak since 2023. In fact, the S&P 500 is now trading at more than 10% above levels seen before the war with Iran.

While US equities seem relatively unaffected by the conflict, this doesn’t appear to be the case in all markets. Missile exchanges between the two sides on Thursday brought the FTSE 100 down, as the UK index finished the week slightly in the red. So far, the FTSE’s performance has been in marked contrast to the S&P 500. While the S&P 500 is up more than 10%, the FTSE 100 is down more than 4% over the same period.

Read more in the comments…

WeekWatchIn the US, markets delivered further gains. The S&P 500 rose for the eighth consecutive week. By style, small-c...
26/05/2026

WeekWatch

In the US, markets delivered further gains. The S&P 500 rose for the eighth consecutive week. By style, small-cap and value outperformed growth and large-cap. There’s also news on the SpaceX IPO and AI results.

Meanwhile, UK government bonds (gilts) also had an improved week. One reason was that “bad news is good”, with a rise in the domestic unemployment rate to 5% in March, from 4.9% the month before. Market indicators are now signalling that the Bank of England will make two 0.25% interest rate hikes this year, a reduction from the two to three that had recently been expected.

Read more in the comments…

‘15 million workers face inadequate retirement’The Pensions Commission has warned that 15 million people are on course f...
20/05/2026

‘15 million workers face inadequate retirement’

The Pensions Commission has warned that 15 million people are on course for inadequate retirement incomes, despite the success of automatic enrolment in boosting pension participation across the UK.

In its interim report, Pensions 2050: Evidence and Future Priorities, the commission said around 43% of the working-age population are currently undersaving for retirement against target income replacement rates.

It also raised concerns about the self-employed, of whom only 17% are currently saving into a pension.

Is your retirement planning on track?



Garethculpanfp.co.uk

WeekWatchUK government bond yields continued rising last week, as UK government leadership challenges and international ...
18/05/2026

WeekWatch

UK government bond yields continued rising last week, as UK government leadership challenges and international questions increasingly weighed on investor minds.

Starting with the UK, 10-year gilt yields spent most of the past few days above 5%, ending the week above 5.1%. To put that number into context, 10-year gilt yields haven’t breached 5% since 2008.

The irony of the current struggles is that the UK economy performed quite well in the first quarter. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that the UK economy (as measured by GDP) rose 0.6% in the first quarter of 2026 – the strongest of any G7 nation.

Read more in comments…

Inheritance taxCurrently, around 4% of UK deaths result in an inheritance tax charge. But frozen tax thresholds, rising ...
17/05/2026

Inheritance tax

Currently, around 4% of UK deaths result in an inheritance tax charge. But frozen tax thresholds, rising house prices and upcoming pension rule changes mean more estates will likely be drawn into the net.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates that the proportion of deaths subject to IT could rise to around 10% by 2030-31, with a £189,300 average bill.

Early financial planning can help mitigate the potential tax liability, but time is of the essence. Waiting too long can render your planning futile. If you're unsure whether you're likely to be caught, speak to your adviser.

WeekWatchFollowing bruising local election results, media reports have been awash with gossip around the prime minister ...
11/05/2026

WeekWatch

Following bruising local election results, media reports have been awash with gossip around the prime minister Keir Starmer’s future. Judging by the UK bond market, however, lenders appear to prefer the stability of continuity over the uncertainty of a leadership challenge – at least for now.

Over the past two weeks, a combination of high oil prices and local election predictions helped 10-year gilt yields spike to over 5% for the first time since 1998.

Read more in the comments…

Order taker or financial adviser?I’m currently working with a client to mitigate a substantial inheritance tax liability...
09/05/2026

Order taker or financial adviser?

I’m currently working with a client to mitigate a substantial inheritance tax liability.

The interesting part is that he previously had an adviser who didn’t mention the impending 6 figure tax bill. To me, that defeats the object of having an adviser.

Your financial adviser should work with you as a partner, navigating the hurdles as well as seeing the opportunities.

In other words, an adviser, not an order taker.

Garethculpanfp.co.uk

Let’s talk protection…Pet insurance ✅Car insurance ✅ Home insurance ✅Life insurance - “I’ll be fine”Income protection - ...
07/05/2026

Let’s talk protection…

Pet insurance ✅
Car insurance ✅
Home insurance ✅

Life insurance - “I’ll be fine”
Income protection - “I never get ill”
Business shareholder protection - “I’ll think about it later”

We insure our cats, dogs and cars, but not the one thing that keeps all that running - ourselves!

Sound familiar?

Garethculpanfp.co.uk

WeekWatchThe S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended last week at record highs. Despite a spike in energy prices, market sentiment rema...
06/05/2026

WeekWatch

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended last week at record highs. Despite a spike in energy prices, market sentiment remained upbeat, supported by a strong corporate earnings season and positive AI newsflow.

So far this quarter, US companies have reported annual earnings growth of almost 30%, more than four times the mid-single digit average growth recorded over the past five years.

Meanwhile, Brent crude reached a four-year high of $126 per barrel mid-week before falling back and finishing the week at just under $110 a barrel. By comparison, the price at the beginning of the year was $61 per barrel, and on the eve of war it was $73 per barrel.

Read more in the comments…

WeekWatchUpbeat sentiment towards technology and AI, together with another strong week of corporate earnings supported U...
27/04/2026

WeekWatch

Upbeat sentiment towards technology and AI, together with another strong week of corporate earnings supported US markets. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices rose to new highs. Almost one third of companies in the S&P 500 have so far reported first quarter earnings, with the proportion reporting positive earnings surprises higher than average.

However, Brent crude oil rose 17% over the week, its largest such move since the beginning of the war. With no progress on peace talks, and 10% of global oil supply bottled up in the Strait of Hormuz, demand continues to outstrip supply. A key beneficiary is the US, which produces about 16% of global oil output annually. The US government reported that exports of crude and petroleum products reached a record of almost 12.9 million barrels a day.

Full article in comments…

Address

Driffield

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447772667697

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Gareth Culpan Financial Planning posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category