Investors and market participants can now access a single, real-time source of prices and trading activity across the UK bond market, following the launch of a new bond consolidated tape operated by ETS Connect UK.

The service brings together trading data from across the market into one central source, providing users with a comprehensive view of bond trading activity for the first time.

The World Cup Investor, Part 4: The Pressing Trap

Pressing high is simple in theory, writes Luke Randle, a junior investment associate at Succession Advisory Services.

Push players up the pitch, win the ball back near the opposition’s goal and turn pressure into goals. At World Cup level, it can look like complete control, until one clean pass exposes the risk left behind.

What looked like controlled pressure has become concentrated risk at the last line of defence. Portfolios can face the same problem when too much of the allocation sits in one place.

Quote Of The Day

The taxman carved himself a hefty slice of our cash in May, devouring £153.7bn in one month alone thanks to a combination of frozen thresholds and a hike in dividend tax

– Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at AJ Bell, comments on the income tax take in May, which has risen by 53% (or £8.1bn) since May 2021

Stat Attack

The latest ONS public opinions and social trends data for May 2026 suggests cost-of-living pressures remain a major concern for UK households.

Rising everyday expenses continue to weigh on consumers, with many worried about their finances and their ability to save.

66%

of adults said their cost of living had increased compared with one month ago.

89%

of adults said the cost of living was one of the most important issues facing the UK, up from 86% a year earlier.

69%

of adults aged 30 to 49 said they were very or somewhat worried about rising living costs, the highest of any age group.

64%

of adults aged 16 to 29 reported being worried about rising costs of living.

59%

of adults aged 50 to 69 said they were worried about rising living costs.

58%

of adults aged 70 and over said they were worried about rising living costs.

93%

of those experiencing higher living costs cited the price of food shopping as a contributing factor.

77%

of those experiencing higher living costs blamed rising fuel prices.

61%

of those experiencing higher living costs cited gas or electricity bills.

77%

of adults said they were very or somewhat worried about international conflict.

35%

of adults said they did not think they would be able to save any money over the next 12 months.

Source: Office for National Statistics

In Other News

The Business and Operations Management Network (BOMS) has named AdvisoryAI as an official sponsor of its Empowering Excellence Conference & Awards 2026, which takes place in London on 1 October.

The partnership brings together BOMS, a professional network for business and operations professionals in financial services, and AdvisoryAI, an AI platform used by more than 400 advisory firms and 2,500 users across the UK.

BOMS founder Michelle Hoskin said operational leaders play a vital role in running successful businesses and welcomed AdvisoryAI’s support for the event.

AdvisoryAI was co-founded by former financial adviser and paraplanner Alan Gurung and provides tools including suitability report generation, meeting notes and compliance support.

Gurung said operations teams are “the backbone of every advice firm” and argued that improving operational efficiency is key to expanding access to financial advice.

The conference will bring together professionals from across financial and professional services to discuss operational excellence, leadership and innovation.

The Paraplanner Club has partnered with Fundment to move its mentoring programme onto the PushFar platform as it looks to expand support for current and aspiring paraplanners.

Founded in 2021, The Paraplanner Club provides free mentoring to help professionals with areas including exam preparation, career progression, interview skills and building outsourced paraplanning businesses.

The organisation said Fundment’s sponsorship and the transition to PushFar will improve mentor-mentee matching and create a more structured and accessible mentoring experience.

Co-founder Sian Davies Cole said the partnership would help the organisation “reach more people, strengthen the mentoring experience, and continue raising standards across the paraplanning profession”.

Fundment chief executive Ola Abdul said structured development opportunities were not always easily accessible for paraplanners and that the initiative would help more professionals develop their skills and progress their careers.

Applications for mentors and mentees are now open.

From Elsewhere

Starmer expected to set out exit timetable as Burnham waits in the wings (Reuters)

Pound trades near 2026 low as UK political uncertainty builds (Bloomberg)

Ten years on, how the Brexit vote changed Britain (The Economist)

Did You See?

Beagle Street, part of the OneFamily Group, has today (19 June) announced its launch into the intermediary market.

The proposition is supported by adviser-focused underwriting, with continued investment in automation and technology to improve customer outcomes.

“As a mutual, our members are at the heart of everything we do and we understand the financial pressures facing households across the UK,” said OneFamily CEO Jim Islam.

“Helping people build a financial safety net for their families is crucial, and this launch allows us to reach more people.”

Tabitha Lambie has the full story

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