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Broker News

A round up of the latest news, views, commentary and analysis on the insurance, pensions and investment industry.

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On Friday, the S&P 500 completed its comeback, notching a new all-time high. The index has grown approximately 27% in local terms from its lowest point in early April.

In May, markets continued their recovery from April’s lows as consumer sentiment improved and trade tensions eased.

Both US and European equity markets opened on a positive note on Monday after reports emerged that Iran wanted to de-escalate conflicts with Israel. However, this sentiment soured throughout the week, and European stocks would ultimately finish in negative territory.

Markets opened the week on a positive note as US and Chinese representatives met in London on Monday to negotiate a trade deal.

In a period of uncertainty, with central banks continue their rate cutting measures, geopolitical tensions influencing market movements and evolving trade dynamics shaping the investment landscape, it's more important to stay informed. This podcast will discuss what's happened in the markets up until the date of this recording, how this has affected the different asset classes and what this might mean for you as an investor.

As a Financial Broker, staying informed about the latest changes to taxation and pensions is crucial for providing advice to your clients. 
The Governing Council of the ECB issued its eighth rate cut in a year last week, bringing the main deposit rate down to 2.0%.
The latest Financial Broker newsletter has been published. 

Advising clients about retirement planning when they have multiple incomes can be more complex. There are age-related limits on how much an individual can contribute to a pension, with additional restrictions based on the types of incomes they receive.

In this issue of TechTalk, we look at the treatment of Approved Retirement Funds (ARFs) and Vested Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs) on death and examine the tax consequences on payments made as a result.

Revenue have provided confirmation that a BIK (Benefit in Kind) for employees arising from an employer PRSA (Personal Retirement Savings Account) contribution is not calculated and applied in the weekly/monthly payroll period in which the employer contribution is paid. Instead, the potential for a BIK is calculated in the last payroll period for the employment in that year.

We review the first 100 days of Trump's second term of US presidency, including the record-breaking number of executive orders and its impact on markets across the world.