Logic Financial Consultants

This is just a quick note to update you on the recent market volatility caused by the dreaded Coronavirus, and to also provide an overview of the situation which will hopefully bring some peace of mind. It is quite understandable to feel a certain level of fear or anxiousness in such volatile and uncertain market times, especially when you see significant falls in investments or fund values. Below we have provided an overview of what has happened with markets on the back of the Coronavirus outbreak and will explain the rationale as to why in times like this it is often better to remain invested (despite this sounding entirely illogical). Overview When the outbreak of the Coronavirus in Wuhan first hit the headlines, the effect on markets was fairly tame, especially in developed countries in the west. However, over the last 3 weeks or so, new cases have emerged across Europe which have had a much more devastating impact on markets. We´ve seen a huge investor sell-off on the back

It's probably not news to you that - with interest rates and inflation/cost of living at their current levels - you're actually losing money by leaving it sitting in a UK or Spanish bank account. To get it working for you the obvious answer is investments. That next step though can strike fear and apprehension into many people, especially those that are less adventurous or unfamiliar with the markets. At Logic, whenever we're talking to new clients we make sure we fully understand their attitude to risk...something that is sadly sometimes overlooked by many firms. Whatever your approach to investing, one of the most basic and effective risk management techniques is diversification... and it doesn’t have to be complicated. The key is to build a diverse portfolio with a mix of different investments that makes sense for your age and attitude to risk, and to protect yourself in the case of a market crash. A balanced investment portfolio will contain a mix of: Equiti

General Market News - Brexit With Halloween just gone it is perhaps fitting that we should continue to feel some sort of unease this week. However, many individuals were hoping that, after 31st October, matters would somewhat settle down and our new non-EU citizenship lives would begin. Unfortunately for those people, Boris Johnson´s plan to leave the EU “do or die” has not come to fruition at this point, with the EU granting Britain a further 3 months flexi-extension for Brexit. This has led us to a general election, which the government sees as the only way to end the continuous circle of disagreement. Announced yesterday in the Commons, the vote is due to take place on December 12th. There are a number of different outcomes that could arise from this vote, with many experts split in their opinions. Perhaps the three most likely outcomes could be summarised as follows; Boris and the Tories get a majority. This would be the ideal scenario for the government and would essentially all

General News Once again, there has been no shortage of talking points over the last 3 months where politics and markets are concerned. The UK has a new Prime Minister, with Boris Johnson (or “BoJo”) taking Theresa May´s place at the head of the Conservative party. Boris went head-to-head with other frontrunner Jeremy Hunt, although in truth, this never seemed to be a fair fight, and Mr Johnson inevitably took the vast majority of votes – causing no great surprise. What this change in Prime Minister means for the UK is anyone´s guess. Almost immediately after Boris was confirmed as the new PM, there was speculation that he might suspend parliament in the weeks leading up to the October BREXIT deadline. This would have meant Parliament being unable to “block” a hard Brexit and leaving without some sort of deal. This, however, was swiftly seen to by Parliament who blocked the potential suspension in advance. Boris remains fairly bullish when speaking about Brexit and the need

Malta remains as one of the world´s leading jurisdiction for pension business and the jurisdiction, its policy makers and industry, are determined to maintain that position by offering well regulated, compliant and prudent pension products. There have, however, been a number of legislative changes to Maltese pensions since the start of 2019, ranging from tighter investment due diligence to full disclosure of commission. For advisers and clients, one of the most important measures introduced is the requirement for advisers to have greater regulation than ever before. Investment advisers, in addition to having to be licensed/authorised to provide investment advice in the country where the adviser firm is established, must also be duly authorised and regulated to provide the investment advice being given to the member, in the member´s respective jurisdiction. For European based investment advisers and members, the rules require that the adviser will need to be duly regulated to gi

General News Over the last 3 months, we have seen the strong performance of equities continue from the start of the calendar year. The first quarter of 2019 was a great period for investors, with all major indices posting significant gains. The US market, rebounding off December lows, experienced their best start to a year since 1987. Market volatility came down sharply as robust US jobs data, the possibility of a trade truce between the world´s two largest economies and the Fed´s signal of a slower path of rate rises, contributed to the bounce back in global stocks. The reason behind the December lows and the subsequent recovery in Q1 of 2019, not just in the US, but also in many global markets worldwide, was down to valuations. Based on expected earnings over the coming year, in the last quarter of 2018, stock valuations dropped down to the lowest level we have seen since 2013. As such, stocks become for want of a better word, “cheap”. There was also a tailwind from int