Coronavirus Impact On The Global Economy – May 2020

The Government has brought forward legislation to allow small and medium-sized businesses and employers to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) paid for sickness absence due to COVID-19.

During this difficult time, fear and worry are understandable, particularly as the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak led to the biggest daily drop in the FTSE 100 since the financial crisis of 1987. Trying to second-guess the impact of events such as the coronavirus or the recent stock market volatility – or even attempting to make a bet on them – rarely pays off. Instead, investors who focus on long-term horizons – at least five to ten years – have historically fared much better.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) is having a widespread impact across all aspects of financial life, including retirement plans. The current global stock market turbulence, as a consequence of COVID-19, will no doubt be concerning for individuals whose pension savings are invested partly or fully during these volatile market conditions.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is first and foremost a human tragedy, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. It is also having a growing impact on the global economy. The markets have been extremely volatile as investors weigh the effect of the coronavirus against measures aimed at easing its economic impact. Therefore, it’s hard to say how this will affect investments in the short term.

Fraudsters are exploiting fears over the COVID-19 pandemic to target pension savers and investors. The Pensions Regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Money and Pensions Service have issued a joint statement urging people not to make rash pension decisions in the wake of the global pandemic, as criminals try to exploit public fears over the market turmoil to dupe victims out of their cash.

Given the current situation during this difficult and unsettling time with coronavirus (COVID-19), it’s important to think about how secure the future of your family or business would be in the event that you were no longer around.

The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) has understandably been dominating the news headlines. Market fear over the escalating global spread of coronavirus has seen a sell-off across many asset classes. This period of market stress further emphasises the importance of diversification within portfolios. Investors’ objectives can rarely be met by investing in a single asset class.

Mortgage borrowers who have been adversely affected financially by coronavirus (COVID-19) may want to consider requesting to take a mortgage payment holiday on their residential or buy-to-let mortgage for up to three months to help their financial situation. The Government’s policy is aimed at easing the stress some borrowers will be facing during the pandemic outbreak.

There is a growing unease about the economic fallout of coronavirus (COVID-19), with many businesses laying off contractors and putting staff on extended leave, as well as natural worries about contacting the disease.

More than a fifth of UK households live in privately rented accommodation. The Government has introduced measures to protect renters affected by coronavirus (COVID-19). This radical package of measures protects renters and landlords affected by coronavirus – and with these in force, no renter in either social or private accommodation will be forced out of their home.

Fraudsters are getting more sophisticated, particularly with investment scams. They can be articulate and financially knowledgeable, with credible websites, testimonials and materials that are hard to distinguish from the real thing. However, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

For those people moving closer to retirement who may have been impacted by the recent market volatility, an option to consider is deferring your private pension.

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said he will ‘strengthen the safety net for those who work for themselves’ with a package of measures to support the self-employed and freelancers, offering improved benefits and tax deferrals.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak unveiled unprecedented government aid for the self-employed. There are around five million people who are self-employed and freelance across the UK, and many will be relieved to hear that financial support is on the way to help those impacted by coronavirus.

If you are not eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) – for example, if you are self-employed or earning below the Lower Earnings Limit of £118 per week – and you have COVID-19 or are advised to self-isolate, you can now more easily make a claim for Universal Credit or New Style Employment and Support Allowance.

Around the country, many employers have implemented lay-offs due to reduced revenues and the closure of their business premises due to coronavirus. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been set up to support those employers and help them continue to pay wages of staff who would otherwise have been let go.

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is a loan scheme that was announced by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, during the 2020 Budget and has been set up to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are struggling with cash flow because of revenues that have been deferred or lost due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak. The loans are being offered on generous terms to support SMEs.

Since the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), the number of people seeking to write new Wills has risen by over 30%, according to The Law Society.

Understandably, the current situation is causing angst among people, particularly elderly and vulnerable clients who have been self-isolating. It’s estimated that more than half of British adults have not made a Will.

Originally announced in the Budget on 11 March, the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant (RHLG) will be delivered by local authorities in England.