We are on track for Roaring 20s

Now’s the time to invest in a bright financial future How would you feel if I were to ask you about the future? Are you optimistic, excited, worried or simply unsure?

In a conversation with a client last week, I expressed how excited I am about the future and what I feel will happen.

Many have struggled financially during the pandemic and they will need to bring their financial house back in line.

Others have thrived on working from home and may never return to their offices, saving thousands each year in travel, food and office outfits.

At the same time, we’ve all not been able to spend as we would have otherwise done; holidays have been cancelled or postponed, socialising has been put on ice and some have had to delay their home improvement plans.

But all that spending has not gone away – it has simply been delayed.

I appreciate we can’t take last year’s holiday along with this year’s, but we’re all longing for a break in the sun and to meet up with our friends and family for drinks and a meal.

That’s a lot of pent-up demand for life as we knew it. And in our economic wheel, one person’s spending is another person’s income so I believe our future purchasing power will help make the next decade the ‘Roaring 20s’.

It’s never been easier to invest in the growth of the world’s economy

Tech-led revival

Impressive technology is no longer a novelty, it’s expected by us all. My 80-year-old mother uses FaceTime and my 95-year-old father loved trying out Oculus VR, where he took a virtual reality trip to the Alps. This is just the start of a brighter, easier and healthier future.

Electric cars, Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality… the tech that’s in development now makes me excited about what we’re likely to see over the next decade.

And that’s before you even consider the green revolution, strengthened by the new US president signing his country back up to the Paris Agreement on climate change.

As we’ve seen to an incredible extent during the last 12 months, the tech companies have been winning since this decade started. From Ocado to Netflix, the forced move to life online has seen them boom.

This is all well and good, but how can you benefit from this boost in the economy and ride the wave into the next decade? Well, it’s never been easier for investors to participate in the growth of the world economy.

When I started investing in 1995, my account was handled over the phone and I had no online access.

Today, for less than 1% a year in fees, you can own a slice of some of the world’s best-known companies, from Apple and Google to Tesla, Johnson & Johnson and Visa.

These are just some of the giants that make up the MSCI World Index, which includes stocks from almost 1,600 companies across the developed world’s economies.

So if you’re thinking long-term ( five years or more) and are looking for a straightforward investment strategy, don’t bet on Bitcoin, Brexit or any single one company – bet on the world. It’s all we’ve got.

To learn more about investing, search for my Money Planner podcast