Cheaper Investments
The retail world – making thousands from your investments. How often do we come back from holiday and complain about the quality of customer service we receive when we return? Fascinating. Yet somehow we continue to experience this customer service and accept it. None is more true than the financial services industry and our ability […]
Gender Bias For Insurance
Gender bias for insurance ban – Some of you win and some of you lose. The European court of Justice has created a ruling which effectively bans the use of gender bias for insurance products from December 2012. Yes, it seems peculiar and another opportunity to have a swing at interference, but the reality is […]
Equity Release – The Risks and Guarantees.
Releasing equity from your property has its risks: many homeowners are often marketed this option as an easy way to put cash in their bank account, yet for many, it is the most expensive way to do that. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is also worried about products that are marketed as no cost or […]
Equity Release From Property
I have had an adviser telling me to release equity from my property but I am concerned about it as the salesman was pretty pushy. I also know that David Blunkett was telling people to release equity and thinks it’s a good idea. I did read the report and I have to say I nearly […]
Cheap investments – get back to bed
Just how inefficiently can someone invest money? I’ve always been told to make columns meaningful. Talk about the sizzle not the sausage, talk about how fast the car goes, not how many piston things it has! I have assessed how most people are currently investing via the calls from the column so this is pretty […]
Past investment performance
My financial adviser is telling me to invest into a range of funds based on their investment performance last year. Is there any relationship between last year’s investment performance and the future performance? A turkey sits all year with the belief everyone cares about it. As each day goes past, it believes it can’t get […]
Independent Mortgage Broker
Is an independent mortgage broker the best person to help me get my mortgage, or am I better using the high street banks? There are a few ‘varieties’ of an independent mortgage broker and over the last few years their advantages and uses have altered considerably. An independent mortgage broker should look at all the […]
Investment Bonds
7 things you don’t know about investment bonds but should. They are perhaps the most sold investment in the market yet many investors seem to be unaware of the potential traps included within investment bonds. So, here are the seven key things you didn’t know about investment bonds, but never even knew to ask when […]
ISA Advice
It’s called an ISA season but I don’t know why, as we have all year to invest in our ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts). I assume, as we have a sell by date of the 5th April, most people seeking ISA advice have the ‘use it or lose it approach.’ But what are the key bits […]
With Profits Exodus
With profit bonds! Now there is the world’s greatest enigma. Not only were they never a good idea, but it is now over ten years since they were really shown to never be a good idea. Yet, today there is over £330bn sitting in such arrangements, fermenting at the expense of the unaware investor. Today […]
Creative use of social media puts Cornish finance firm in line for award
Hot on the heels of two recent nominations a firm of independent financial advisers in Cornwall is in the running for success in another trio of awards. Peter McGahan, managing director of Truro and Wadebridge based Worldwide Financial Planning has been shortlisted in three categories at the Media IFA of the Year Awards. Peter, a […]
Attraction of 6.5% dividends
The news that BP is to reinstate its dividend is a welcome one, and investors with all but zero interest rates may well be flocking back to the stock. Investors are being subjected to top end building society interest rates of around 3%, whereas inflation is currently outstripping that. It’s a very difficult position for […]