March 2020 will long be remembered as a month when information overload was tested beyond imagination. Embattled investors had to deal, not only with an imminent threat to life against themselves and their families, but also with violent liquidity and price collapses across asset classes, including even long bonds and gold. Diversification seemed momentarily to […]
The current COVID-19 crisis has wiped billions from the world’s financial markets. In the world of investing, such markets where share prices are falling are known as bear markets. Beating a bear isn’t easy, but you’ll be pleased to read that in all 10 prior occasions, the FTSE All-Share has completely made up the ground […]
Financial independence can seem like the holy grail. We may be striving towards it but feel bombarded by lots of conflicting messages on how best to attain it. These five points give an interesting perspective: Income is not the same thing as wealth Having a high salary can help you accumulate wealth but that’s no […]
Introduction In March, the coronavirus outbreak seemed to steal all the headlines, giving us almost hourly updates as it transformed our lives, and made the word ‘unprecedented’ feel like an understatement. Inevitably, there has been a serious impact on world stock markets, which have suffered their worst quarter since 1987. The figures that follow will […]
Introduction So was it the Coronavirus Budget, or the Infrastructure Budget? Or was it, as the Chancellor declared at the end of his speech, the ‘people’s Budget from a people’s government?’ It was certainly a Budget that was high on spending commitments and one that the Chancellor declared would ‘get things done.’ Now where have […]
You may have seen lots of literature already about the end of the tax year. But if you’ve not yet taken any action, now is the time to do so to protect your savings from tax. Here is a handy checklist of what to do and what not to do before 5th April. 1. Make […]
The daffodils and crocuses are beginning to appear, the trees are blossoming and the days are getting lighter. Spring is definitely on its way. Traditionally, this was the time to do the big annual household clean. Now that fewer homes are heated by coal fires, with all their soot and grime, this is no longer […]
Introduction Not the election of Donald Trump, not the US/China trade dispute. Not even Brexit. We cannot recall a single issue having so completely dominated a month’s news – or threatened to have such serious consequences – as the outbreak of Coronavirus in China. In February, the virus’ impact on the world stock markets was […]
Stock markets across the world have fallen sharply because of fears over the economic impact of the coronavirus as the number of cases continues to rise. The situation is changing rapidly all the time but at the time of writing (29th Feb), the virus that started in China has spread to more than 50 countries, […]
Market timing is an investing strategy where investors move their money in and out of the market to try and avoid losses before they happen and buy-in at the bottom after the market has crashed. It’s the well known tactic of ‘buy low and sell high’. It all sounds fine in theory, but timing the […]