Sound Financial Group Blog

ah yes the dulcet tones of Ken Dodd. January 16th was ‘Blue Monday’ – identified as the most miserable day of the year in Britain due to factors such as a long cold month, post-Christmas debt levels, payday still two weeks away, divorces on the increase, etc...

A report by the free-market think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), has found that the most important indicator of happiness is wealth. Yes, its money that makes us happy apparently, although the great Spike Milligan quote may temper this assumption – “Money does not make you happy, but it gives you a more pleasant form of misery”.

But how we keep ourselves happy and upbeat with so much media-driven negativity around? There was another great example of this on Friday’s evening news that highlighted the downgrading of several European countries credit ratings, with words such as ‘devastating’ ‘Eurozone on the brink’ and the Inevitable ‘stock markets slide’. Anyone watching the news or reading the newspapers on Saturday morning would have feared the worst, but UK shares fell less than 0.5% - the FTSE 100 was down just 26 points.

OK, but much of this news will affect markets on Monday, they told us, as many markets were closing when the downgrade news broke. However as I write this blog at 11am on Monday morning the FTSE 100 is currently at the same level that it opened, so no big ‘market slide’ as predicted.

I have to say that I am sick to death of all the doom-mongers and depressants that seem to be continuously preaching to us at the moment. From the tales of our economic woes through to the geo-political arguments that rage around the world, all of this will no doubt be highlighted as 'breaking news' by our 24 hour gloom-seeking media. Now I am not in a state of denial that we have some very serious and major issues to address, but some of the reporting is negative in the extreme.

So as we move off into 2012 and await our next paydays, let’s remember that wealth can make us happy and to avoid Robert Peston and the other doom merchants at all costs.

Now where’s that old Ken Dodd album..?   

If you wish to discuss your own wealth (and happiness!) or would just like a second opinion on your current pension or investment arrangements, please contact us and take advantage of a no cost (good news) or obligation (further good news) meeting.   

Happy New Year!