Funerals

Our Finance & Legal

UnCertaInty aboUnDs –

It aLWays Does Siobhan Record Our Lifestyle’s Financial Expert

It feels like the world is in a very uncertain place at the moment. Russia has invaded Ukraine and the West continues to struggle with what is hopefully the back-end of the Covid crisis. Economically, the greatest challenge is soaring inflation, hitting levels not seen for several decades.

As a consequence, interest rates and yields on bonds have started to rise and global equity markets have started the year down. That can all feel both gloomy and unsettling but being shaken out of markets based on today’s news is about the worst mistake any long-term investor can make.

So, what is to be done? The short answer is ‘not much’. As ever, all the news that we see and worry about is already reflected in market prices. For sure, new news will have an influence on those prices, but by its very definition this is a random process that is hard to benefit from unless you own a crystal ball.

No-one has any real idea as to the wider impact of the news, but when it happens, and if markets fall, it helps to remember:

• Equity markets can go down – sometimes materially – as part of their journey to delivering positive longer-term returns after inflation. • High-quality bonds provide several valuable attributes providing more stable values and supporting a portfolio against equity market falls.

• Feeling uncertain about markets is not a valid reason for seeking to get out of markets. It is most unlikely that your financial and personal circumstances have changed to such an extent that you need immediate liquidity from your equity positions.

One piece of advice would be to try not to look at the news too much. It can feel unsettling and is increasingly full of sensationalist speculation and hyperbole. Instead, you could take a look at a news site that tries to balance out the regular news with positive news stories which tend to be underreported www. goodnewsnetwork.org/category/news/

In these times of uncertainty, Cre8 can help you navigate investments, avoid potentially costly mistakes and ensure you are comfortable with risk. Our systematic approach means our portfolios are low cost and well diversified. If you are interested in knowing more about how I work and you have investments of over £200,000 why not give Jo a ring on 01562 745730 to arrange a no obligation 30-minute free meeting in our offices.

The information in this article does not constitute investment advice; you must not rely on the content when making investment decisions without taking advice. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. The value investments and the income from them, may fall or rise and investors may get back less than they invested.

Our Finance & Legal

taLbots LaW embarKs on 100 Jobs DrIve WIth neW traInee appoIntments anD qUaLIfICatIons

One of the West Midlands fastest growing law firms has announced the next stage of a recruitment push that is creating more than 100 new jobs across its offices in Birmingham, the Black Country and Worcestershire.

Talbots Law, which became an Employee Owned Trust in 2021, is celebrating the qualification of two new solicitors and the start of five new training contracts as the company looks to execute its five-year plan to grow to £25m in annual fees.

Based in the Halesowen and Stourbridge property teams respectively, Terri Keenan and Ben Puplett have both come through the unique training programme that allows trainees to specialise in one area of law for the duration of their contract, as opposed to the traditional rotational model of working across different disciplines.

Hoping to emulate the duo are Amy Steventon, Ella Ward, Parris Williams, Parvinder Suraj and Shabina Khatoon, who all began their training contracts on April 1st.

Offering a significant number of training contracts is part of Talbots Law’s ‘Train to Retain’ initiative, which ensures that trainees

(l-r) Ben Puplett and Terri Keenan (both Talbots Law) Talbots Trainees: (back l-r) Ella Ward and Amy Steventon, (front l-r) Parris Williams, Parvinder Suraj and Shabina Khatoon

receive extensive experience in the specialism of their choice. This means they are ready to continue in more senior, full-time roles immediately on completion of their training.

Rachel Pardoe, HR director at Talbots Law, commented: “We’re very proud of all our employees and to have so many trainees both qualifying and starting their training contracts is testament to the hard work and quality of the people we have supporting them."

“We invest heavily to ensure employees are work-ready and a retention rate of 98% speaks for itself."

Talbots Law will be hosting a Careers Event later this month for students and careerchangers who are interested in learning more about the firm’s recruitment drive.

due to be held on April 27th at the company’s Waterfront offices in Brierley Hill, the open evening will provide an insight into the careers and job opportunities coming up, with existing members of staff on hand to talk about their own experiences and achievements.

www.talbotslaw.co.uk/careers