Will writing and inheritance planning… Doing nothing is not an option
A friend of mine asked me about making a will at my 40th birthday last week! He asked me when I might be making a will as clearly time was ‘getting on’. I had made one some 19 years before and have changed it more than five times.
Multi Managers – A Good Idea?
Reader Writes:
I have a range of investment funds across a wide selection of companies and I have heard about multi managers and how they manage all my money for me. Is this a good idea?
Shaky Markets and the Reporting Season
Reader Writes:
What is your view on the market given the last bout of instability and the banking reporting season?
Can I invest in the stock market and reduce my risk?
Reader Writes:
I understand you can invest in the stock market but reduce your risk. A plan I saw advertised in the window said this was possible. Given the stock market volatility, is this a good idea?
Mad Markets… What Next?
Reader Writes:
The last few weeks have been pretty mad in the markets and I wondered what your views are for the coming months ahead?
Beware of False Promises
‘10% income and 100% capital protection’ – what an attention grabber in a volatile market.
A quote was wonderfully put by Mark Twain: ‘History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does sometimes rhyme’.
To fix or not to fix – Which mortgage type is best for me?
Reader Writes:
I was thinking of fixing my mortgage or just going for a flexible variable mortgage and wondered what your views were?
Return OF my money? Return ON my money?
Managing Director, Worldwide Financial Planning, Writes:
“The return of my money is more important than the return on my money” Mark Twain.
Should I stay invested?
Managing Director, Worldwide Financial Planning, writes:
The last few weeks have been anything but boring in the investment world. For the first time in a long time, investors are questioning whether or not they should stay invested.
Rosy Return for Commercial Property
Back in February I was asked about commercial property and if I would buy it and I said no. The reason for that was because I believed that REITs would outperform them. A REIT (real estate investment trust) in very simple terms buys real estate. Its main advantage (or disadvantage) is that it is effectively a share and that share can trade at a discount to the asset it holds.
Surviving spouses and Inheritance Tax – the nil rate band implications
Reader Writes:
Your recent column on inheritance tax (IHT) mentioned the change in the pre budget report and that IHT had just become much easier. I have just considered there may well be quite a gap between the first and second death so I was wondering what needs to happen on first death and what a surviving spouse should now do if their spouse has pre deceased them.
What is a Mirror Fund?
Managing Director, Worldwide Financial Planning, Writes:
Some of you my well remember my column six months back regarding ‘mirror’ investment funds. Whilst it caused a massive stir at the time it is continuing to create further debate in the financial services industry as it would appear that many had not fully grasped its impact on the investor.