Gareth Culpan Financial Planning

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

WeekWatchAfter weeks of speculation and growing pressure, Keir Starmer announced his resignation as prime minister on 22...
22/06/2026

WeekWatch

After weeks of speculation and growing pressure, Keir Starmer announced his resignation as prime minister on 22 June. It comes after just under two years in office and means the UK will soon have its fifth prime minister in as many years.

Immediately after the announcement, the UK market took Starmer’s resignation largely in its stride. The FTSE was very marginally down while gilts held steady in the hours after the news was released on Monday morning. However, a big question, not least for markets, will be who becomes the next chancellor if, as expected, Rachel Reeves is moved from her current position.

Elsewhere, it was a holiday-shortened week in the US, with markets ending higher. We also saw the tentative reopening of Strait of Hormuz, as well as the signing of a 60-day memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the US and Iran in advance of more substantive talks.

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Great afternoon at Driffield Golf Club supporting Agricultural Local Alliance Network and Farm Safety Foundation Pleased...
15/06/2026

Great afternoon at Driffield Golf Club supporting Agricultural Local Alliance Network and Farm Safety Foundation

Pleased to say I’m better at finance than I am at golf!

WeekWatchThe US and Iran have agreed on a framework peace agreement, announced late on Sunday and due to be signed later...
15/06/2026

WeekWatch

The US and Iran have agreed on a framework peace agreement, announced late on Sunday and due to be signed later this week. The memorandum of understanding, which sent markets soaring on Monday morning, should see the immediate toll-free opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices fell nearly 4% in early Asian trading, while equity markets jumped.

While the Iran deal will likely dominate headlines over the coming days, last week the big story was the record-breaking initial public offering (IPO) of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The IPO shattered previous records. Shares opened at $150 on Friday, rising to $160 by the end of the day, valuing the company at over $2 trillion.

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WeekWatchBoth shares and bonds pulled back toward the end of last week, in response to expected interest rate increases,...
08/06/2026

WeekWatch

Both shares and bonds pulled back toward the end of last week, in response to expected interest rate increases, with the tech-heavy US Nasdaq index closing -4.2% on Friday, while the broader S&P 500 ended -2.6%, only three days after reaching a record high.

Bond yields rose (and prices fell), as higher interest rates make existing bonds with lower coupons (interest rates on bonds) less attractive. Markets are now signalling the possibility of two US rate hikes by early 2027. Elsewhere, oil, gold and bitcoin also retreated.

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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.

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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.

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‘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.

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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.

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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.

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