Cost-of-living

CPI was 10.7% in November, down from 11.1% in October. The cost-of-living headlines this week. Inflation and wages. Susannah Streeter, Senior Investment and ...

With more money being taken out of the economy through tax increases and higher energy bills, consumers are likely to continue to rein in spending. However, with key tax thresholds frozen for the next few years, we’re also seeing the tax burden continuing to creep upwards. It’s also important to point out that this isn’t a slowing down of prices across the board – different areas are affected differently. However, it’s worth keeping an eye out for the property tracker survey, which shows whether people think now is a good time to buy. But this is starting to lose momentum – we’ve also seen an enthusiastic return to overseas travel as air passenger duty receipts take off after two years in the Covid-19 doldrums. If you choose to invest the value of your investment will rise and fall, so you could get back less than you put in. But as rates on a store card can be 30% or more, you could end up paying handsomely for it. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for food, which is up 16.4% in a year. It’ll also be noted on your credit score, so it could be harder to borrow in future. However, those with less money or failing health are more likely to do less and stay at home. The good news is they’ve fallen since, and should continue to do so. That’s partly why the rate of services inflation in November was pushed up slightly.