Join me in saying adieu to Awful April

Greg Macvean Photography

At the start of the month – coinciding with the new tax year – household bills rose in a range of areas, including energy, water, broadband, TV and transport, putting increased pressure on people to make ends meet in what some are calling “Awful April”.

For example, the annual energy bill for a household using a typical amount of gas and electricity went up by £111 per annum to £1,849 from this month. But Scotsman Money is here to help guide you through.

On the following pages you can read sage words from experts on how to manage your personal finances in the face of events such as the market reaction to President Trump’s announcements on tariffs.

Tom Ham of Calton, reminds us “it’s time in the market, not timing the market”. Meaning you should aim to hold on to investments as you will benefit from market recovery by being there when the upswing begins.

Taking a similar approach is Graeme Brock of Waverton, who advises we “keep calm and carry on”, adding: “Investing and panic have never been a great combination… There is much to be said for keeping your head when all about you are losing theirs.”

And, in our Q&A feature, Wendy Morrison of Acumen Financial Planning goes down the same route when she responds to a query about what to do with an investment portfolio given the recent headlines and volatility. She says: “History shows that investors who keep a cool head in periods of volatility achieve better outcomes long-term, though this is easier said than done.”

It is reassuring that Scotsman Money’s trusted commentators are adopting such a consistent and measured attitude when it comes to considering how savers and investors should deal with the current “noise” in the wider financial world.

I’m not one to blow my own trumpet, but I’m pleased that this week I was named in the shortlist for the Headline Money Nations and Regions Journalist of the Year.

I won’t find out the result until July, but it’s lovely for me and my production team to get this recognition little more than a year after launching Scotsman Money.

And I’d personally like to thank our long-term partners Calton – which is our headline sponsor – as well as Waverton Wealth and Acumen Financial Planning for their ongoing support of The Scotsman’s monthly personal finance strand.

If you have a personal finance question you would like answered, please email [email protected] and you can sign up for our Scotsman Money newsletter online at www.scotsman.com/newsletter