Cost of living correspondent
Getty ImagesThe sweeping new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump have triggered ructions across financial markets, with global share prices seeing hefty falls.
It’s the latest example of big shifts in stock markets making the news, whether they are booms or falls.
As companies grow, they issue shares. The largest companies in the UK have shares which are bought and sold on the London Stock Exchange.
Their collective performance is often quoted amid a blizzard of numbers that may feel confusing and irrelevant. Rarely does anyone mention the FTSE 100 during a coffee with friends.
But there are good reasons why this performance affects your life and finances.
‘I don’t invest’ – actually, you probably do
Many people’s initial reaction to “the markets” is that they are not directly affected, because they do not invest money.
Yet there are millions of people with a pension – either private or…
