Latest ML News
March 2025 Market Commentary
The FTSE 100 hit another record high in February, and both the UK and the Eurozone fared surprisingly well in the face of Trump’s tariff
February 2025 Newsletter
Welcome to the February edition of our e-newsletter which we hope you enjoy. With the new year well underway, February is a great time to
February 2025 Market Commentary
The FTSE 100 hit record highs in January, as Donald Trump took office for the second time. The announcement of US trade tariffs on Mexico,
Protected for Life: Helping Jack & Amara
Are you concerned about your family’s financial future? Learn how we helped a couple who had no longer had death in service and book your consultation here.
January 2025 Market Commentary
A New Year gives us the chance to look forward. We can expect more change in 2025 for personal finances, with a new Labour budget
December 2024 Newsletter
Hello and welcome to our latest e-newsletter and our final edition of 2024. Well, another year has flown by and December is here, which can
December 2024 Market Commentary
The US election provided another definitive moment in what has been a politically charged year. With many countries holding elections in 2024, analysts have been
How to start investing
Whether planning for your retirement, a life-change, or simply looking to strengthen your finances, an investment portfolio can be a fantastic asset to supplement your
November 2024 Market Commentary
Labour’s first budget for 14 years dominated the headlines, but with a US election in early November and constant attention paid to inflation figures, corporate
Do you want financial security in your future? Understand your pension.
Understanding pension planning can prepare you for a secure retirement. With so many financial considerations in the short to medium term, it can be hard
October 2024 Newsletter
Welcome to the October edition of our e-newsletter which we hope finds you well! As the leaves are truly turning red and brown then it’s
Retirement After Redundancy: Helping Martin Put His Best Foot Forward
Should I retire early following my redundancy? When you’ve been made redundant at a later age in life, it can be difficult to decide whether
Why you need the ML Second Opinion Service
Make sure your plans are built on best advice: get a second opinion on your financial strategy. In today’s economy, it is more important than
October 2024 Market Commentary
The Fed cut interest rates in September which, despite the Bank of England holding at 5%, is now expected to be the direction of travel
September 2024 Newsletter
Hello and welcome to our latest edition of our e-newsletter which we hope you enjoy. Well, August has been and gone and, as summer has
September 2024 Market Commentary
As inflation cools and interest rates look likely to come down over time, the world is expecting a gradual return to economic normality in the
August 2024 Market Commentary
July 2024 was a big month for politics with the UK election decided and some major twists and turns in both the US and France.
Planning Ahead: Finding Beth & Steve Their Dream Pensions
The best time to plan is yesterday; the next best is today. The earlier you start planning for your retirement, the stronger your situation will
July 2024 Market Commentary
June 2024 was a big month for global financial markets, marked by significant volatility and key economic developments. The interplay of geopolitical tensions, economic data
June 2024 Newsletter
I’m sure we all hope that the excessive rain we had in June doesn’t carry through to the summer months and that we can begin
June 2024 Market Commentary
The global financial markets continue to grapple with a complex mix of geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures, and evolving central bank policies. The past year has
May 2024 Market Commentary
For several months now, we’ve been noting that while growth remains slow across much of the globe, the worst of the inflation crisis seems to
April 2024 Newsletter
Hello and welcome to our latest edition of our e-newsletter which we hope you enjoy. What we are certain that you will enjoy, now that
April 2024 Market Commentary
Although many of the world’s major economies have struggled to achieve strong growth in recent months, there is a sense that some key markets are
March 2024 Market Commentary
It’s been a mixed picture across the globe in the last few weeks. Many of the world’s major economies have continued to see minimal growth
February 2024 Newsletter
Welcome to the February edition of our e-newsletter – our first of the year. We sincerely hope that you enjoyed a good festive break and
February 2024 Market Commentary
While growth has been stagnant across much of the globe in recent months, various sets of figures have suggested that the corner is finally being
Welcome Eleanor!
A huge welcome to Eleanor Dowdall who joined us at the start of 2024 and is the latest addition to the ML Team. Eleanor joins
January 2024 Market Commentary
As the new year gets underway, there are positive signs that the inflation crisis around the world is finally starting to ease. But this doesn’t
December 2023
December Market Commentary Read More Holidays Remain Spending Priority, Despite Financial Pressures Read More ML News December Read More Would You Downsize To A Smaller
December 2023 Market Commentary
The ongoing crisis in the Middle East continues to dominate the headlines, although the temporary truce which saw many of the hostages in Gaza released
November 2023 Market Commentary
All eyes have been on the Middle East following Hamas’ terror attack on Israel on October 7th, which led to the deaths of more than
October 2023
October Market Commentary Read More Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Critical Illness Cover Read More ML News October Read More Why Money Shouldn’t Be A Taboo
October 2023 Market Commentary
Sluggish growth and high inflation have stubbornly persisted across much of the globe in recent months, and September was no different. But some major economies
September 2023 Market Commentary
Sluggish economic growth in major economies was again a common theme throughout August, as policymakers across the globe continue to battle against high inflation. As
August 2023
August Market Commentary Read More Don’t Sign Your Home Away Read More ML News August Read More Inheritance Tax Interest On The Rise Read More
August 2023 Market Commentary
It was a mixed picture across the globe in July, with many major economies beginning to see their efforts to tackle inflation pay off. But
July 2023 Market Commentary
Sluggish growth and high inflation were recurring themes in many major and emerging economies last month, as central banks across the globe sought to manage
June 2023
June Market Commentary Read More Non-Essential Spending On The Rise Read More ML News June Read More Keeping Up With The Joneses Is A Costly
June 2023 Market Commentary
Economic growth remained subdued at best in many major markets throughout May, as high inflation continued to affect households and businesses across the world and
May 2023 Market Commentary
High inflation continued to put the brakes on growth in many major economies throughout April, with the International Monetary Fund expecting global growth to fall
April 2023
April Market Commentary Read More Will Interest Rates Ever Start To Fall? Read More ML News April Read More What Would A Cashless Society Mean
April 2023 Market Commentary
The defining story of this month has been the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS. Not only has
March 2023 Market Commentary
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 had a huge impact on the global economy, pushing up commodity prices, inflation and living costs around the
ML-Keeping You Safe and Secure
We are delighted to share with you news that ML Financial Associates has been awarded the Cyber Essentials certification. Cyber Essentials is an effective Government backed ….
February 2023
February Market Commentary Read More Aegon Property Income Feeder Fund – Update Read More ML News February Read More Take A Long Term View Of
February 2023 Market Commentary
Savers and investors will not shed many tears for the end of 2022. A year that was beset by inflation and rising interest rates meant
January 2023 Market Commentary
As 2022 drew to a close, there was a mixed picture worldwide as major economies sought to respond to soaring energy prices, rising living costs
December 2022
Hello and welcome to our latest e-newsletter and our last edition of 2022. Well, another year has gone by in a flash and December is here, which can only mean one thing (in the words of Noddy Holder) – it’s Christmas..
Festive Opening Hours
Please be advised, both our Wymondham and Northampton offices will be closed from 12.00 noon on Friday 23rd December 2022 and will re-open at 9.00am on Tuesday 3rd January 2023. All at ML would like to wish…..
December 2022 Market Commentary
War? Soaring energy and food prices? Covid surging in China and people taking to the streets in protest? Worries about a prolonged recession ….
November 2022 Market Commentary
Where did we leave the soap opera that is British politics? At the end of September, Liz Truss was the Prime Minister, and Kwasi Kwarteng was her Chancellor ….
Welcome Paul!
A huge welcome to Paul Cannell who joined us earlier this month and is the latest addition to the ML Team.
Paul joins as Client Services Support at ML Financial Associates and is….
October 2022
Hello and welcome to the October edition of our bi-monthly e-newsletter. Well, as we commented in a recent communication, someone once said “a week is a long time in politics” and this week has been no different…
October 2022 Market Commentary
Speaking to journalists at a lobby briefing in 1964 – when the sterling crisis was raging – Prime Minister Harold Wilson famously said ….
Welcome Beccy!
A huge welcome to Beccy Matthews who is the latest addition to the ML Team.
Beccy has joined us as Client Services Support here at ML Financial Associates and is based at our Wymondham office….
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
We continue to be deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen. During this period of reflection and gratitude we are extremely proud, grateful and full of admiration of …
Her Majesty The Queen
Having reflected on the events of the past 24 hours, it was with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Her Majesty, our Queen, Elizabeth II. Having reigned over Great Britain and the Commonwealth for over 70 years…
September 2022 Market Commentary
August started with US Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan. We comment on China’s reaction below – and we also describe….
August 2022
Hello and welcome to this, the August edition of our bi-monthly e-newsletter. We hope that this edition finds you and your family well and if you haven’t already enjoyed a summer holiday then we hope you have …
August 2022 Market Commentary
As many readers know, this Bulletin is written from notes we compile throughout the month. One of the most interesting aspects….
June 2022
Hello and welcome to the June 2022 edition of our regular e-newsletter! June saw the official start of summer, so I’m sure we’ll all be looking forward to some well-deserved sunshine as a little warmth from the sun…
June 2022 Market Commentary
The war in Ukraine, worries about food supplies, worries about the global economy… May was another month where all the themes we have….
May 2022 Market Commentary
April was not a good month for world stock markets. We report on a dozen major markets in the Bulletin: they were all down in the month,….
April 2022
Hello and welcome to this the April 2022 edition of our regular e-newsletter and my first of the year! Well, with over a quarter of the year gone already and we head into spring, April got off to a colder than expected…
April 2022 Market Commentary
Once again, the market commentary is dominated by events in Ukraine. As in March, we have included a special section on Ukraine and – as before….
ML Commits To Charter
To further evidence our ongoing support to you, whatever circumstance you might find yourself in, we are proud to have committed to the Financial Vulnerability Taskforce Charter, a newly created independent body for the personal…
March 2022 Market Commentary
Not the election of Donald Trump, not the US/China trade dispute. Not even Brexit. In all the time we have been writing this Monthly Bulletin….
February 2022
Hello and welcome to the February 2021 edition of our regular e-newsletter – our first of the new year! As we approach the first quarter of 2022 many of us will now be feeling more confident than we have for some time. …
February 2022 Market Commentary
January’s headlines were dominated not only by reports of lockdown parties in Downing Street, but also by growing tension on Ukraine’s border….
Business Awards Finalist….Again!
We were delighted to be notified recently that we have, once again, been selected as a finalist in the Broadland & South Norfolk Business Awards for 2022…..
January 2022 Market Commentary
Despite the pandemic, 2020 was a good year for the majority of stock markets we report on in the Bulletin. We wrote that a year ago and…
December 2021 Market Commentary
November was a month when supplies of both oil and gas – or the lack of them – dominated the news. You will read several comments below about…
November 2021 Market Commentary
October was the month which brought us Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s second Budget of the year. Normally that would make the headlines, but October was …
ML Awarded Gold
We are delighted to be able to share with you the fantastic news that ML Financial Associates have been awarded the Gold Accreditation for the Best Employers Eastern Region 2021.From its roots as an employee survey, it has grown to…
October 2021 Market Commentary
You will no doubt be aware that September was a month when shortages dominated the headlines. As we will see below, it was by no means…
September 2021 Market Commentary
The defining image of August 2021 had little to do with the stock market on the surface, it was, of course, the withdrawal of British and…
Well Done Jasmine!
Congratulations to Jasmine Avery, Client Services Support at ML who has passed the R01 Financial Services, Regulations and Ethics exam.
This is Jasmine’s first financial…
Welcome David!
A huge welcome to David Grisedale who is the latest addition to the ML Team
David has joined us as a Paraplanner here at ML Financial Associates and is based at our Wymondham office….
August 2021 Market Commentary
As everyone expected, July saw the G20 endorse the plan from the G7 meeting in Cornwall to set a minimum global rate of corporation tax…
July 2021 Market Commentary
“Amazon made millions but paid no tax.” You can substitute Facebook or Google for Amazon and, these days, you can probably substitute…
June 2021 Market Commentary
In some ways, May was a relatively quiet month. Although, it did bring us the marriage of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the first PM to marry in…
May 2021 Market Commentary
Some of the numbers in this month’s Bulletin are simply staggering. Whether it’s Amazon’s profits or the ‘investment’ (which could alternatively …
The Chase is on…for Craig
Many of you may have already seen it but, if not, we wanted to let you know that our very own ML Director, Craig McClurg recently featured in an episode of the popular tea-time quiz show The Chase, hosted by Bradley Walsh…
April 2021 Market Commentary
This market commentary has been produced for some time now but March 2021 was the first month when a ship made the …
March 2021 Market Commentary
Welcome to the March Market Commentary: as you will see below, February was a good month for world stock markets with virtually …
February 2021 Market Commentary
It might be appropriate to start January 2021 by looking back at last year. At the start of January 2020, we were fairly sure what we …
Spotlight On Simon
Simon Lister, Managing Director at ML Financial Associates featured in the Round the Table magazine this month. Round the Table is the official publication of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) organisation….
January 2021 Market Commentary
2020 has been a year like no other, and yet – as we will see below – the majority of world stock markets have enjoyed a good year …
December 2020 Market Commentary
Is the end of November a time to celebrate? All the stock markets we cover in the Bulletin made significant gains in the month…
November 2020 Market Commentary
The end of October brought plenty of bad news for Western economies as scientists stood in front of graphs and talked of…
October 2020 Market Commentary
September was a difficult month for world stock markets. It was one of those rare months when none of the markets we report…
September 2020 Market Commentary
We are delighted to once again return to our monthly market updates and hope that you enjoy this months read below. August used…
Festive Opening Hours
Please be advised, both our Wymondham and Northampton offices will be closed from 12 noon on Thursday 24th December 2020 and will re-open at 9.00am on Monday 4th January 2021. All at ML would like to …
Ray Clemence
It was with great sadness that we heard the news of Ray’s passing at the weekend and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
As some of you may know…
ML MD In The News
Simon Lister, Managing Director, ML Financial Associates was recently approached by Voyant, a global leader in financial planning services to the financial advisory market, regards producing an article for….
Welcome Lewis!
We are delighted to introduce you to the latest addition to the ML Team – Lewis Fowler.
Lewis is a Paraplanner here at ML Financial Associates and is….
February 2020 Market Commentary
China grabbed the headlines again in January, but this time not for trade. On 31st December, the Chinese authorities had notified the…
January 2020 Market Commentary
The end of the decade saw the US/China trade dispute continue to make plenty of headlines. However with Donald Trump signing a long-awaited…
December 2019 Market Commentary
The beginning of November saw the World Trade Organisation authorise China to put $3.6bn (£2.8bn) of tariffs on US goods. The following week…
November 2019 Market Commentary
The beginning of October brought us the Conservative Party conference and a plethora of promises and fiery speeches. Meanwhile world stock markets were…
Business Awards Finalist
We were absolutely delighted to find out that we have been selected as a finalist in the Broadland & South Norfolk Business Awards 2020.
All 12,500 businesses that have….
Welcome Jasmine & Tracy
All at ML are delighted to welcome the two new latest additions to the team – Jasmine Taylor and Tracy Villiers.
Jasmine who will be based at our Wymondham office in Norfolk,….
ML On Tour
ML Directors Simon and Craig were invited to join fellow advisers and business owners from around the world to a MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table) event in Austin,Texas last month. This week-long event took place to discuss….
Exam Success For Rachael!
The team at ML just wanted to say a huge well done to Rachael Wharton, Client Services Support at ML Financial Associates, who last month passed the R04 Pensions and Retirement exam.
Aiming to obtain the Cll Certificate…
ML Summer Event 2019
In time honoured tradition the team at ML closed the office doors for a day in the summer to enjoy their annual summer outing which has in previous years seen the team partake in zorb football, a scavenger hunt and…
Welcome Charlotte!
We are thrilled to introduce you to the latest addition to the ML team – Charlotte Butcher.
Charlotte is Client Services Support at ML Financial….
Welcome Pat!
We are absolutely delighted to welcome the latest addition to the ML team – Pat McGee who joins us as a Chartered Financial Planner.
Pat joins the current advisory team…
ML’s Dementia Support
We were delighted to attend the official opening of a new kitchen at the Wymondham Dementia Support Group last month where we along with The Wymondham Rotary Satellite Group donated…
Finance & Football
There are many football supporters within the offices of ML so we were delighted to be approached by a local children’s team at our Norfolk office – Wymondham Town United Football Club Under 12’s Falcons – with regards to us supporting…
Congratulations Rachael!
The team at ML just wanted to say a huge well done to Rachael Wharton, Client Services Support at ML Financial Associates, who last month passed the R05 Financial Protection exam.
Aiming to obtain the Cll Certificate…
Welcome Nikki
All at ML are delighted to welcome the latest addition to the team – Nikki Fries.
Nikki, based at our Wymondham office in Norfolk, joins us as a Paraplanner, a role that sees her providing financial…
Hayley Planning For 2019
We start 2019 with some great news concerning one of our team members – Hayley Sutton.
Having studied extensively for the past 3 years, passing all her financial…
ML Stars On The Big Stage
ML Directors Simon Lister and Craig McClurg took ML stateside this summer, accepting an invite to the MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table) 2018 Annual Meeting which took place in Los Angeles, California.
Hello & Goodbye
The last month has seen a couple of changes within the offices of ML with two new team members joining us – welcome Andy Moss and Julia Pyke.
Julia joins us as an Office…
New Team Members
All at ML are delighted to welcome the two latest additions to the ML Team – Lorraine Devenny and Julie Fitches. Lorraine joins us on a permanent basis in the role of Client Services Support having worked on a short term …
Congratulations Hayley!
All at ML are delighted to let you know that Hayley has achieved the ‘Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning’ which is something that we are all extremely proud of. Following a busy 2017, that saw ML support Hayley in taking…
Local Charity Support
As some of you may know David Lister, Independent Financial Adviser at ML, is also the Chairman at the local Wymondham Rotary Satellite Group and the group were delighted to recently hand over the results of their latest…
Our New Website
We are pleased to announce the launch of our new look website which we hope you like and enjoy! With the business now in its 7th year we decided that now was the time to update and evolve certain elements of the business and…
Festive Opening Hours
Please be advised that our Christmas and New Year opening hours, for both the Wymondham and Northampton offices, are as follows; Normal office hours resume from Tuesday 2nd January 2018. Have a wonderful Christmas…
The Parliamentary Review
ML Shares Best Practice Alongside Prime Minister Theresa May in The Parliamentary Review All at ML were delighted to be invited to be part of
Well Done Hayley (again)!
Following Hayley’s recent exam success which we have celebrated in the last few e-newsletters we are delighted to share with you the news that Hayley
ML Office Opening Hours
You should have received a communication from us at the end of last month regards the above however we thought it would be good to
ML On Tour
Well, the Summer break almost over and the ML team have all been on their holidays with their families and are now all back at work relaxed and refreshed. We hope that you have had a good break too…
Well Done Hayley!
With, what seems to be a regular theme, all at ML are again delighted to congratulate Hayley Sutton, Technical Administrator at ML Financial Associates, for
ML Team Building Event
On Friday 7th July the whole ML team were treated to a day out in Cambridge taking part in various events throughout the day. We took part in a scavenger hunt, went punting and also we took part in a cocktail making exercise…
ML In The News
ML featured in the EDP, the best-selling regional morning newspaper in England, earlier last month when it featured Helen Winslow in their EDP Business supplement
Welcome New Staff
All at ML are delighted to welcome Rachael Wharton and Suzannah Geraghty to the ML Team. Rachael joins us as Client Services Support from another financial services company and Suzannah joins us as a…
We Have Moved!
We are delighted to inform you that we have moved out Northampton office with immediate effect from: 29 Caxton House Northampton Science Park Kings Park Road Northampton NN3 6LG to Suite One, Newton House…
ML Team Building Event
On Friday 7th April the ML team took part in a Team Building event at Goals Soccer Centre in Norwich – the event was Zorb Football – where you take part in a number of different team events, including…
Congratulations Hayley!
All at ML are delighted to congratulate Hayley Sutton, Technical Administrator at ML Financial Associates for passing another financial exam, the R03 – Personal Taxation, which she passed earlier this month…
Welcome Helen
All at ML are delighted to welcome Helen Winslow to the team at ML Financial Associates. Helen who started earlier this month joins us as Operations & HR Manager, having held a similar role at another financial based company…
ML Client Day 2016
Thursday 17th November saw ML’s annual Client Day event once again take place at Dunston Hall in Norwich. Almost 150 clients of the company attended
We Have Moved!
As you will all probably be aware by now through our recent communications with you we have moved from our Norfolk office in Wymondham. Don’t
Congratulations Hayley!
The team at ML just wanted to say a huge well done to Hayley Sutton, Client Relationship Manager at ML Financial Associates who has now
ML Supports EACH
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) is challenging local businesses and organisations to make as much money as they can from an initial stake of just £50. The challenge is sponsored by local company ML Financial Associates…
ML Supports EACH
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) is challenging local businesses and organisations to make as much money as they can from an initial stake of just £50. The challenge is sponsored by local company ML Financial Associates…
ML Awards Shortlist
Earlier this month ML Financial were delighted to be informed that we had been successful in reaching the finals of the SME Northamptonshire Business Awards in the ‘Northampton Business of the Year 2016’ category…
ML Financial Sponsors
We at ML Financial Associates are delighted to announce that we are sponsoring the EACH £50 Challenge in Norfolk for the next year! East Anglia’s
Finding The Right Expert
On Sunday 10th April the Sunday Times published their first supplement listing the Top 250 IFAs in the UK based on reviews on the independent consumer ratings website VouchedFor.co.uk. We are proud, but not at all surprised…
Well Done Craig!
On Sunday 10th April the Sunday Times published their first supplement, listing the Top 250 IFAs in the UK based on reviews in the independent
ML New Recruits
ML Financial Associates, with offices in Northampton Science Park, Kings Park Road, Northampton and Wymondham, Norfolk have started 2016 in a positive way by increasing their staff numbers by over 20%…
People Moves
Paul Reed has been appointed as financial controller at Norwich Research Partners LLP. He joins from the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, and said: “It is wonderful to be at the centre of such a forwarding-thinking…
Craig McClurg
Craig McClurg set up Norfolk-based ML Financial Associates in 2011 with fellow business partners after their departure from a larger firm. The firm is on course to more than double its assets under advice since 2012 this year…
Jet Setting Directors
The introduction of Dutch-style collective pension schemes last week shows that Britain is no island when it comes to financial services. In fact, many of the features of our regulatory regime began life overseas, such as…
Investec’s Fee Cut Reaction
Investec Asset Management has waived the initial charge across its entire UK Oeic fund range. Last week, the asset manager scrapped the initial charge on its risk-rated Managed Solutions range, which holds Alastair Mundy’s Investec…
