Michael Browne

Senior Manager at Advantage Solutions

Michael Browne is Senior Manager, Corporate Communications at Advantage Solutions.

Articles

Could Rachel Reeves be a ‘lucky general’?

Feb 25, 2025 | trustnet.com | Michael Browne |Martin Currie

As the effects of the Autumn Budget ripple through the economy, the government may be forced to renege on election pledges. But now that bad news is good news again, fortune may favour the chancellor – and investors in the UK. The Budget, bonds and employer costsThree months on from the Autumn Budget and we’d struggle to say it has been a success. We’ve seen turmoil in the bond markets, with yields spiking on long-dated UK gilts.
Could Rachel Reeves be a ‘lucky general’?

Feb 4, 2025 | martincurrie.com | Michael Browne

As the effects of the Autumn Budget ripple through the economy, the government may be forced to renege on election pledges. But now that bad news is good news again, fortune may favour the Chancellor – and investors in the UK. The trouble with quotations is that they’re often misattributed or even made up. Napoleon is a case in point. According to legend (and the internet), the Corsican commander said, “Give me lucky generals”. Alas, there’s no evidence of any such utterance.
Advisers can play key role in helping investors avoid 'emotional rollercoaster'

Jan 23, 2025 | moneymarketing.co.uk | Dan Cooper |Momodou Musa Touray |Michael Browne |Darius McQuaid

Financial advisers and wealth managers can play a significant role in helping investors avoid an “emotional rollercoaster” in the year ahead as stock market volatility surges. That is the message from behavioural finance experts, Oxford Risk. However, it has warned that advisers need better technology to deliver more personalised support for clients.
Ros Altmann: The disaster of removing IHT exemptions for unused pension funds

Jan 21, 2025 | moneymarketing.co.uk | Ros Altmann |Michael Browne |Roderic Rennison

There has been surprisingly little fuss about the shock Budget announcement to remove inheritance tax (IHT) exemptions for unused pension funds. But the changes – due to start in 2027 – could be disastrous for Defined Contribution (DC) pensions. The lack of opposition to this potentially damaging decision is horribly reminiscent of 1997, when Gordon Brown’s removal of dividend tax credits from UK pension funds attracted little industry criticism.
Trevor Greetham: Bond yields are rising for economic reasons

Jan 20, 2025 | moneymarketing.co.uk | Trevor Greetham |Momodou Musa Touray |Darius McQuaid |Michael Browne

Government bonds underperformed other asset classes last year, posting a negative return versus another double-digit year for equity markets, rising property prices and strength in commodities. The negative trend has continued into the new year, with US 10-year yields up 1.2% in the last four months and UK yields at their highest level since the 2008 financial crisis. It’s unusual for bond yields to rise when central banks are cutting rates.
Paul Muir: Don’t go tepid on pensions dashboards

Jan 16, 2025 | moneymarketing.co.uk | Paul Muir |Michael Browne |Sneha Shah |Robin Powell

When phrases such as pensions dashboards become part of your everyday vocabulary at work, it’s easy to forget those words may mean very little to non-industry people. To test this, I asked some members at my local running club to tell me what they think about the idea behind pensions dashboards. I was met with a fair few blank faces looking back at me. In fact, no one knew what I was referring to. I imagine this would be a representative response from much of the general public.
7IM appoints appoints Glossop as head of Microsoft Platform

Jan 14, 2025 | moneymarketing.co.uk | Darius McQuaid |Michael Browne |Momodou Musa Touray |Darius McDermott

7IM has appointed Tom Glossop as head of Microsoft Platform as it looks to accelerate its digital transformation journey. The expansion of its transformation team forms part of a multimillion-pound and multi-year investment into its proprietary platform. 7IM said the investment “underpins a key pillar of its strategic growth plans to provide unrivalled service to advisers and clients”.
Michael Browne: Reasons to be cheerful in 2025

Jan 14, 2025 | moneymarketing.co.uk | Michael Browne |Momodou Musa Touray |Robin Powell |Darius McQuaid

There’s a fair bit of 90s nostalgia in the air. Although the world faces many uncertainties, there are good reasons for investors to take heart as we enter 2025. Last autumn, millions of people applied for tickets to see the Oasis reunion concerts, which will take place this summer. As a result of the controversial ‘dynamic pricing’, which allowed prices to surge in response to demand, some tickets went for as much as £355.
Definitely, Maybe - 2025 Global Outlook

Dec 11, 2024 | martincurrie.com | Michael Browne

As we look forward to a new year, there’s a fair bit of 90s nostalgia in the air. Although the world faces many uncertainties, there are good reasons for investors to take heart as we enter 2025. So could nostalgia for an exuberant era signal a renewed period of confidence? This autumn, millions of people applied for tickets to see the Oasis reunion concerts, which will take place across the UK and Ireland in the summer of 2025.
What will the US election mean for global markets?

Nov 5, 2024 | trustnet.com | Michael Browne |Martin Currie

Mid-cap stocks and emerging market equities could outperform once the dust from the US presidential race settles. The US presidential election campaign, which culminates today, has been extraordinary – marked by Joe Biden’s withdrawal as a candidate, the assassination attempts on Donald Trump and the abandonment of various electoral norms. For all the drama, the election remains finely balanced – especially in the crucial swing states.