A Chancellor thinks in terms of the next Budget. A government thinks in terms of the next election. Financial advisers, meanwhile, are trying to construct plans that will survive both and potentially simultaneously solve short-term problems and multi-generational objectives, opines Andrew Aldridge
I have a friend who is convinced he can predict the future, and I am sure we all do. Not in a crystal-ball, lottery-numbers sort of way. He's not standing on a soap box wearing a purple cloak. He simply believes that if he reads enough newspapers, watches enough news programmes and spends sufficient time scrolling through the internet, he can work out what's going to happen next. Every year he's absolutely certain about something. It could be inflation, interest rates, house prices, the stock market, elections, tax rises, England losing another World Cup semi-final (although we could ...
To continue reading this article...
Join Professional Adviser for free
- Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
- Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
- Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
- Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
- Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
- Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes



