Chapter 9 of 11 in the Personal Finance Curriculum.
Market Context
Case studies in how macro events affect your money - and why you should not panic.
What you'll learn
- How oil prices, geopolitics, and market mania interact with your portfolio
- Why long-term investors should stay the course through crises
Iran Crisis: Don't Time the Market
ArticleGeopolitical panic and your portfolio - why sitting tight beats reacting.
Oil Prices, Inflation and Interest Rates
ArticleWhat homeowners and investors need to know about the oil-inflation link.
What a recession means for your money
Short LessonUnderstand what a recession is, how it touches your finances, and why long-term investors usually sit tight.
Stagflation Explained
ArticleWhat stagflation means for your money and how to position your portfolio.
Bank of England Base Rate Explained
ArticleHow the MPC sets rates, why they matter, and how to position when they move.
Why trying to time the market usually fails
Short LessonUnderstand why market timing rarely works and how missing a handful of the best days can quietly wreck returns.
The Petrodollar System
ArticleBretton Woods, petrodollars, and what they mean for UK investors.
SpaceX IPO: How It Could Hit Your Pension
ArticleHow a marquee tech IPO could affect your pension - and why to be cautious.
Stock market bubbles: anatomy of a mania
Short LessonRecognise the repeating pattern behind financial bubbles so you can spot the warning signs.
Knowledge check
Test what you learned
1. When a frightening economic or geopolitical headline hits, long-term investors are usually best served by:
2. Stagflation describes an economy with:
3. The Bank of England's base rate mainly influences: