The fiscal and monetary stimulus packages implemented by governments and central banks globally have helped markets rebound fairly strongly over the month of April. Central bank interventions and massive asset purchase programs, including high yield bonds and direct lending to companies, helped restore liquidity in the global financial system.
COVID-19 has continued to spread rapidly around the world and was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation. This has caused a severe shock to the global economy and financial markets have responded with sharp drops in share prices, a rise in credit spreads and a flight to defensive assets over March.
The advent of a global pandemic in COVID-19 has been a shocking event in many ways, more obviously from a health perspective. COVID-19 is clearly a highly dangerous virus for those over 70 and those with existing health conditions. Having said that there have also been cases of people who are both relatively young and…
Concerned about recent market volatility and the effect on your portfolio? Volatility is part of investing, and whilst we can avoid it, there’s typically a price to pay for doing so in the form of lower expected returns over the long term. This factsheet will give you some of the facts about taking a long-term…
Are you concerned about your Social Security (and Department of Veterans’ Affairs) pensions and other income support benefits due to the Coronavirus situation? Recent changes in the value of your investments due to market movements may increase your social security entitlements, or you may become eligible for a benefit.
Since the release of the Coronavirus stimulus package there has been some clarification of several measures and a number of further announcements which seek to extend assistance to more people who have been impacted.
Various income support for individuals measures have been introduced so as to provide a ‘safety net’ for individuals who are financially impacted by the Coronavirus.
Coronavirus fears drove losses across equity markets and sparked a flight to defensive assets over February. Global equity markets reached fresh highs in mid February, then sold off sharply alongside other risky assets shortly thereafter. The sell-off in markets stem from investor concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19, with an acceleration in reported cases outside mainland China, specifically in Italy, Iran and South Korea and the ramifications on global economic growth.
