As we move closer to the mid-point of the year, we can look back on the period since 1st January with mixed emotions. On New Year’s night we were looking forward to a brand-new year with some optimism, and we all hoped that the year ahead could not be as difficult as the one just past. Those hopes were dealt a severe blow as we were forced to endure a prolonged period of Level 5 restrictions from the beginning of the year, but throughout the period of lockdown there was a greater sense of normality than during last year’s more stringent lockdown periods. The vaccination programme was being rolled out across the world, albeit at varying speeds, but at least they were being rolled out. We also saw a number of countries gradually relaxing restrictions, and here in Ireland, the COB-related health statistics were moving in the right direction.

OPTIMISTIC GLOBAL OUTLOOK
​Since the beginning of the year has been a steady upward revision to global economic forecasts by international forecasting agencies. The IMF now expects the global economy to expand by a strong 6 per cent in 2021. The upbeat assessment is based on the successful rollout of the vaccination programme, and the ongoing strong official fiscal and monetary policy response across the globe.

All changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty is born. With the recent announcements of both Ulster Bank and KBC exiting the Irish marketplace, you might be wondering where to turn and what options are available to your business.
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The Brexit and Covid-19 aftershocks are still being felt and there remains a tremendous amount of uncertainty for business owners.

There are so many choices when one searches the internet, that you are left none the wiser. This is where a strong advisor earns their fee for helping you navigate the various options and helping to determine the most appropriate funding solution for your business.
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The following is a comprehensive but not exhaustive list of options that may be suitable to your business and specific funding requirement.

Today we are living in VUCA world and have been for quite some time – volatility , uncertainty , complexity and ambiguity is the norm as a result of the pandemic.

​Everything in the financial markets is relative. Growth potential, rates of return and safety are all considerations which urge capital to flow to one region or asset class over another according to prevailing conditions in the markets. Given its ubiquity, the US Dollar often finds itself a bridge to these shifting winds - for better and worse. Through the opening quarter of 2021, there were significant changes in focus from an incredible charge in retail appetite to anticipation for reopening economies after mass vaccinations to burgeoning inflation expectations that have fed into central bank normalization hopes/fears.

There are several fundamental questions that need to be considered in the context of succession planning such as:

1. If I give assets away now, do I have sufficient funds to live on?
2. Are my children sufficiently mature to receive monies or assets?
3. If I have a business, are my children capable of successfully managing the business or should I consider an external management team?
4. How do I achieve the above in a tax efficient manner?