164,000 miles high of debt
I WASN’T brought up on debt. It wasn’t an option I suppose, and the minute I borrowed my first pound, I felt regret. There was no greater moment than repaying that loan for the car that made me ‘cool’ and temporarily altered my cloudy opinion of myself. Today, you could argue that in a world […]
Watch the rain . . . not the jelly
THE housing market appears to be retreating slightly in light of many factors but what might it mean for borrowers and buyers alike? As always, it’s a case of seeing through the noise and being the canary – the live one, not the test one. Some startling statistics by the Council of Mortgage Lenders might […]
Passive investors in bubbles?
THERE are many plus points to investing into passive funds rather than active funds, and of course the opposite can also be said. My late father loved it when I quoted him “when everyone is running one way, I either stop and go to the side, or run the other way”. The similarities in investment […]
What is the antonym for strong and stable?
THIS election will probably be known for bringing the word ‘hubristic’ to the fore in the ultimate backfire in recent politics. As we mentioned in the last column, a hung parliament was a big possibility, so it was no surprise to us as Theresa May effectively avoided press questions with no comment of any substance […]
What impact will the election result have on my finances?
THERE has never, in my opinion, been a bigger election than this. Personally I see it as one of the first I can remember where we are looking at a stall or halt on neo liberalism, or at least the bad parts of it. The impact on the economy could be considerable. The UK elections […]
Our real spending power is falling
IN simple terms, it is fair to ask why governments might have an upward inflation target. Surely with the advent and simplicity of systems and computers, the world has become easier, and as such we shouldn’t have rising prices? Maybe the target should be to bring down the cost of living? Over simplification by me? […]
Should you really ‘sell in May and go away’?
SELL in May, buy again on St Leger’s day. This is an old saying that arose in the past, is derived from stock brokers avoiding the heat of the summer and going on holiday from May to September. Nice job if you can get it. The theory is that you should sell your stocks and […]
Frexit gone, Italexit a real threat to your investments?
STOCK markets, pension funds and investment ISAs didn’t breathe a sigh of relief last week after Marine Le Penn’s far right party was defeated, that sigh was enjoyed on the first round when it was clear Le Penn would not win. Avoiding a Le Penn victory avoids a referendum on leaving the EU in France […]
Long Walk To Freedom
The reality of freedom and revolution is always less enjoyable and straightforward than when the concept is first proposed. The pension world is proving no different as the reforms and freedoms, announced by the chancellor in 2014 and introduced this April, are not working as smoothly as many expected. Those, who expected to use their […]
Where There’s A Will
Why are we so reluctant to make a will? Is it purely down to the fact we always think there will be time to get everything straight before we depart? In some cases that might be correct. Statistics show that, on average, we are living longer than ever before – but there is always the […]
Taking Care To Save
There is a treasure trove of over £10 billion in the UK just sitting there waiting for us to claim it. That is the amount is in dormant bank accounts, forgotten pensions, unclaimed inheritances and investments and even over payments to energy companies. The unclaimed sums are quite staggering – £41m in premium bonds, £153m […]
Financial Safety Net
The dream for most investors, whether that hard-earned cash goes into property, equities, premium bonds or pensions, is to see that money grow and provide increasing financially security. The nightmare scenario is that the investment loses value over the years, perhaps disappearing altogether. For many investors, losses often figure larger in the decision-making process than […]