Laura Pike - Director of the Pike Partnership Ltd

Today, I was delighted to join the Friends of Anchor Patient Choir at the Bon Accord Baths Open Day, where we had the opportunity to sing in this truly special building.

Bon Accord Baths holds a special place in my heart, as it’s where I learnt to swim and where so many memories were made over the years. There’s something quite incredible about being back inside the Baths and seeing the work that Bon Accord Heritage and its volunteers are doing to bring this iconic building back to life.

It’s not just a swimming pool - it’s a piece of Aberdeen’s history, and a place that has been part of so many people’s lives. I’m so excited to see what the future holds for this wonderful building and incredibly grateful to have played a small part in today’s open day. ❤️

Markets are now pricing in a 66.1% chance of a US rate hike this September.

Following Kevin Warsh’s speech at Jackson Hole, the Federal Reserve signaled that price stability remains paramount, with US inflation running above the 2% target for 65 months.

Here is what else shaped the week:

• Nvidia reported $96.2B in quarterly revenue, ahead of $92.2B forecasts, with ~70% growth projected through FY2028, reassuring markets on AI infrastructure demand.

• The FCA revealed 56% of investors aged 18 - 40 trust AI tools for financial decisions. Crucially, 44% wrongly believe AI-generated advice is regulated, and 32% wrongly assume FSCS protection applies.

• In the UK, PM Andy Burnham pledged to ease pressure on businesses ahead of the Autumn Budget, as firms prepare for an upcoming 4% energy price cap hike.

The full weekly breakdown and analysis is linked in the comments below.

https://partnership.sjp.co.uk/article/detail/sjpp/weekwatch-01-09-2026.html

A weekend in London, Ariana Grande and a little reminder that things change…

My daughter Hannah recently headed down to London for the weekend with an old friend to see Ariana Grande. 🎶

What made it feel particularly special was knowing that this was the final show of Ariana’s Eternal Sunshine tour - and, for now, her last scheduled public performance before she takes a step back from the spotlight.

It got me thinking about how quickly things change.

People change. Circumstances change. Priorities change. And sometimes the plans we make for ourselves five or ten years ago no longer look quite right when we get there.

That’s something we see in financial planning too.

It’s not simply about having a plan and sticking rigidly to it. It’s about regularly checking in, looking at where life has taken you, and making sure your plans still reflect what matters to you now - and what you might want in the future.

And sometimes, just like Ariana Grande, the right decision is to take a step back, reassess and make a change.

For my daughter, it was a weekend of music, friendship and making memories.

For me, it was a lovely reminder that the best plans leave room for life to happen too. ❤️

I had a conversation with a woman who’s going through a divorce for the first time in her life last week, and she told me she'd never made a financial decision on her own.

Not one.

Her dad handled things when she was younger. Then her husband took over. Now she's going through a divorce, and it's all on her.

She wasn't upset about the money. She was upset that nobody had ever included her in the conversation.

That's the bit that gets me.

It's not that women can't handle their finances. It's that somewhere along the way, a lot of women were quietly left out of the room where those decisions were made.

I sit with women like her every week. We start from wherever they are. No judgement. No jargon. Just honest conversation about what they have, what they need, and what they want their life to look like next.

You don't need permission to understand your own money. You just need someone in your corner.

The Pike Partnership Ltd is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James's Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority).

SJP Approved 05/08/2026

AI getting a body, US debt hitting $40 trillion, and mixed signals in the UK economy. Here's a snapshot of where things stand this week.

UK headline inflation rose to 2.9% in July, up from 2.6% the previous month, driven by a 13% increase in the energy price cap. Core inflation held steady at 2.6%. The Bank of England is in a difficult position, with high inflation potentially forcing its hand into hiking interest rates.

In the US, government debt has reached $40 trillion. That is $3.8 billion a day in interest payments alone, more than the country spends on defence. The Congressional Budget Office projects the federal deficit will rise to 6.7% of GDP by 2036, compared with a 50 year average of 3.8%.

Meanwhile, Chinese AI companies are closing the gap on US rivals by offering cheaper, open models. Some analysts see this as the same playbook China used with electric vehicles. Build good products, drive down costs, and prioritise market share over profitability.

And in one of the more eye-catching stories this week, Chinese robotics company Unitree listed in Shanghai with its share price rising 460% on day one. JP Morgan estimates global humanoid robot shipments will go from 18,000 units in 2025 to 1.75 million by 2030.

Plenty to keep an eye on.

You can read the full article here: https://partnership.sjp.co.uk/article/detail/sjpp/weekwatch-24-08-2026.html

Tonight, The Friends of Anchor Patient Choir will be performing at Fiona Kennedy’s Kitchen Concerts, and I couldn’t be more proud of this amazing group of people. ❤️ Watching their confidence, friendships and joy grow through music has been so incredibly special, and what they have achieved together is truly inspiring. They are a wonderful reminder of the strength, courage and positivity that can come from supporting one another. Wishing them the very best of luck tonight - go smash it!🎶❤️

We found some old photos recently from when I was taking part in musical theatre 🎭

Looking back at these photos made me realise that, although my job today looks very different, there’s actually something quite familiar about it.

Musical theatre involved a lot of talking to people, meeting new people, working as part of a team and, perhaps most importantly, getting comfortable putting yourself out there.

Fast forward a few years and I’m still doing a lot of the same things - just without the stage!

My day-to-day work involves speaking to different people, building relationships, helping at events and generally being around people all the time.

It’s funny to look back and realise that some of the things you enjoy when you’re younger can stay with you in ways you don't expect.

Maybe musical theatre was preparing me for my career after all… just with slightly less singing!

Such a lovely afternoon at Sugar Bird Wine's open day which was centered around Christmas! ✨🎄

It was so nice to be invited along to see the gorgeous space, enjoy some lovely food and get a little taste of what they have planned for the festive season.

It’s definitely got me feeling Christmassy already! 🥂🎄

A lovely evening at the SJP Aberdeen Summer Social ☀️

It was great to take some time away from the day-to-day, relax and catch up with everyone outside of work, while also raising funds for the SJP Charitable Foundation.

With lots to look forward to over the coming months, including continued growth and exciting opportunities ahead, it was the perfect chance to celebrate the team and everything we’re working towards together.

A great even with a brilliant group of people! 🥂

A lovely day at the Ballater Highland Games! ☀️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

We were delighted to be guests of Laurie & Co and enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of sunshine, Highland events and a brilliant atmosphere.

Thank you to Laurie & Co for having us - we had a great time! 👏