Should finances be taught in schools? Eh, yes!
SHOULD finances be taught in schools? How different would your life be if you were financially healthy because you had sound basic knowledge to make good financial decisions earlier on in your life? So far this year, I have spent the time with my columns listing as many ideas as possible, resolutions and tips to […]
Your 690 per cent new year resolution
WHAT’S your new year’s resolution going to be? Continuing deep into January with New Year resolutions, we arrive at that point where the first pay cheque appears for many with just enough to cover the bills from Christmas. You will have people around you in this situation. Be kind and point out there is a […]
Managing our finances – here’s financial resolutions – Part Two
MANAGING our finances is not the top of the list for many people. Last week, we covered the broad ‘why’ for New Year’s resolutions and why they simply fail (43% within the first month). Don’t worry if you haven’t made any this year, you can do them now. The timing is meaningless and not psychologically […]
New year’s financial resolutions 2024
FINANCIAL resolutions and understanding your ‘why’ is so important and a new year is as great a time to start planning as any. I’m told that 43 per cent of people give up on new year’s resolutions by the end of January. While ‘Dry January’ is becoming a bit damp isn’t a surprise, there are […]
UK House Prices… Part Three
LET’S look at UK house prices this week. In my final column on the UK housing market, I thought I would clarify all the final smaller points that are either a drag on the market, or support it. The previous two can be read online of course. There was a marked spike in UK house […]
Where is the housing market going?
There is a theoretical answer to ‘where is the housing market going?’, just as there is with the stock market, or any market for that matter. Understanding that, and the key drivers, will help you navigate emotional decisions around any purchase or sale. So, what are the key drivers of the housing market? Liquidity with […]
Applying for a mortgage? Here’s my list of mortgage tips
THERE are often some easy tweaks to your finances which can save you quite a bit of money, so I had a chat to my mortgage director about some of the easy, but common mistakes made when applying for a mortgage. When you apply for a mortgage, try to avoid making your way around lenders […]
Mortgage rates and the housing market
THIS week I delve into mortgage interest rates and the housing market following on from last week’s column where I covered the reality around interest rates and where they are going, as highlighted by the market makers, rather than what the Central Bank was saying. The impact of the headlines has many destabilising factors, most […]
How your mortgage rates are calculated – get our free review
MORE than 1.4 million people in the UK, including tens of thousands in Northern Ireland, will have had the joy of coming out of the security of a fixed rate mortgage into a tornado of hiked variable rates, often wondering if the weather was going to get worse. It is very stressful indeed. I get […]
Inheritance Tax planning – protecting estates in the event of a divorce
IN A previous column, I mentioned the benefit of making gifts to children during the parent/grandparent’s lifetime. One caller asked about how those gifts could be protected in the event of divorce. Here goes…… Divorces can more than often be a tricky, emotional time, and when it comes to a breakup, fairness doesn’t always apply. […]
Common investment mistakes and useful tips
THIS week I am writing about common investment mistakes and providing you with some useful tips. Whether it’s your pension, ISA or general investments, there can be some tough times when reading your investment reports each year. This can lead to an understandable response, and a biological hijack of your thoughts and subsequent decision-making with […]
Investment queue jumping – is your investment strategy correct?
I TYPE a similar column to this one perhaps once a year. It’s normal. Markets are crazy. They often are, and investors begin to think their age-old strategy of investing may be wrong. They jump from the food queue they have been in, only to see the new queue close for a break. The key […]