Balance Briefing: July 2025
Investment reforms, FTSE highs & inflation
From record market highs to new investment reforms, the message is clear: the UK is changing how it thinks about saving, investing, and planning for the future.
In this month’s Balance Briefing, Chartered Financial Planner Sarah Coulson breaks down what’s new and what it could mean for you if you're thinking about retirement, lifestyle planning, or simply making smarter use of your wealth.
Our latest update
Making sense of shifting markets and what they mean for you
This short 4-minute video helps you make sense of recent developments and what they could mean for your future.
We explore how moments like these can create new planning windows, whether you’re thinking about retirement timing, rising inflation to record-breaking markets and what Rachel Reeves’ Mansion House speech means for pensions, ISAs, and investment opportunities.
What’s influencing strategy right now
FTSE 100 at a record high
Markets are climbing, and investor confidence is strong. This could be a good time to ask: is your strategy positioned to benefit, or is your money sitting still?
Inflation at 3.6% – interest rate cuts pushed back
Higher-than-expected inflation has paused interest rate cuts. These shifts can impact lending, saving, and spending, but with the right plan, you can stay focused on your goals.
Reeves’ Mansion House speech – long-term investing in focus
Reforms were announced to improve pensions, review the ISA system, and encourage more people to move from saving to investing.
The hidden cost of holding cash
While cash has an important place in every plan, holding too much over a long period can have a lasting impact on your overall wealth.
In her recent Mansion House speech, Chancellor Rachel Reeves highlighted this in a simple example:
"If someone invested £2,000 today, they could have £12,000 in 20 years — compared to just £2,700 in cash. That’s over £9,000 better off.”
— Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Of course, returns aren’t guaranteed, (and Reeves’ projections may be on the optimistic side), and markets don’t always behave in a straight line, but the principle stands: for long-term goals, investing has historically offered better outcomes than saving.
We wrote about this recently in our blog:
Looking ahead with clarity
You’ve worked hard to build your wealth. Now’s the time to put it to work in a way that supports the life you want to live.
If you’re thinking about retirement and want to make smarter use of your money, we’d love to help. Talk to one of our Chartered Financial Planners.
Please note: This update is not financial advice and is provided for information only. You should not take any action before speaking to a Financial Planner, who will confirm what suits you. Past performance is no guarantee of what will happen in the future.