Sometimes as an investor, you wish your Prime Minister or President would keep their thoughts to themselves. Perhaps hold off on that keynote speech about Brexit? Brush over that State of the Union address? Why? You may ask. Because it plays havoc with your investment strategy, that’s why. And I don’t think the likes of
Depending on how your personal finances are, the new financial year either fills you with dread or joy. Rising living costs mean British people have been using overdrafts and credit cards more – and according to data from moneysupermarket.com, four million people have borrowed from friends and family. Whatever your financial situation, would you consider using
There is no doubt about it, getting a divorce is an expensive business. The average cost, according to Aviva’s Family Finances report, is £14,500 – which includes legal fees, child custody costs and changing homes. The report highlights how the cost of divorce has spiralled a further 17% since 2014 when divorces in the UK
London, along with other capital cities like Singapore, Hong Kong, Kyoto are thought to be one of the most expensive cities to live in the world. So is London Mayor Sadiq Khan, going too far by suggesting that every young Londoner should be entitled to a bank account? The simple logic should be: if you
As 2017 fades into the distance with its ongoing Brexit negotiations, a falling pound and a rising Bitcoin, will there be more of the same for investors in 2018? I think so. Perhaps another financial crisis, as the crypto-currencies topple the existing global banking infrastructure? Another rise in UK interest and a continued move away
Thinking about what to write this week, I suggested to my editor: ‘what about an article about a Santa Rally?’. I got an excited response of ‘How fun!’. The truth of the matter is that a Santa Rally can ‘be fun’ if you are an investor benefiting from a stock market rally at the end
Before Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States, his supporters claimed that he would be ‘good for US business’ and ‘good for the US economy’. He brought an impressive track record to the White House as a successful media personality and star of The Apprentice; a businessman and property investor worth
‘Adding value’ to your home has always been a staple manoeuvre for any astute homeowner – but it is proving more popular now than ever. This is due to a number of reasons: record numbers of homeowners staying put, the increasing costs of moving home and a general loss of confidence in the UK housing market (one
The ‘Great Hurricane’, Maggie Thatcher, Michael Jackson and shoulder pads – it must be the 30th anniversary of Black Monday. What was ‘Black Monday’? On 19 October 1987, global stock markets experience heavy falls. In the space of 24 hours, the Dow Jones Industrial Index (DJIA) fell 22.6%, destroying the previous record one-day fall of
‘We are all going to live longer, so why not invest in it?’ seems to be the premise of Jim Mellon and Al Chalabi’s new book, Juvenescence – Investing in the Age of Longevity. Mellon and Chalabi forecast that within the next 20 years, the average life expectancy in the developed world will rise to
Owning a property in Central London is a dream for some, but a burden for others – if you are an accidental landlord, that is. An accidental landlord? But that I mean you were lucky enough to buy a property 20 years ago, then decided to move out of London – and were left wondering what
Over half of individuals over the age of 50 have described themselves as ‘entrepreneurs’, shaking up the popular perception of start-up founders being twenty something tech whizz-kids or trendy millennials from Silicon Valley. The survey carried out by the Institute of Directors (IOD) and published in a new report, the ‘Age of the Older Entrepreneur’
Investing in the stock market can be a laborious task. Reading the latest research, calling up your broker, watching the latest trends on financial TV channels, subscribing to the Financial Times or reading Investment Week or Investors Chronicle. And once you have done all that, it turns out that the same old companies being touted.
It has been ten years since the start of the global financial crisis, and much has been written about whether the crisis of 2007 has changed the financial system… whether lessons have been learned, and so on. Frankly, lessons haven’t been learned and if the UK doesn’t play its cards right, there could be another
Like the splitting of the atom – but perhaps not as significant to the whole of mankind, the bitcoin split into two on August 1. We now have bitcoin cash. For the less knowledgeable investor, the bitcoin is a digital currency which was launched in the wake of the financial crisis in 2009, borne out
Much to the ire of many a financial institution, I am self-employed. Those two dirty words which mean it is near impossible to get a mortgage, earn a regular income, and save for retirement. On the upside, I have four private pensions accrued by working for various companies over the past 20 years. What is she
Winchester Cathedral, where Jane Austen was laid to rest 200 years ago this week, was the venue chosen for the unveiling of the new £10 bank note, which will feature a portrait of the English novelist. On a humid July day, tourists, pensioners, banknote geeks and a few noisy children packed the aisles. The atmosphere
