Tag: risk
5 Qualities an IFA brings to your investment portfolio
Let’s assume for a moment that you’re in the happy position of having £100,000 to invest. What would you do? Play absolutely safe and put the money on deposit? Or go all out for capital growth and put your windfall into a fund that could give you a sky-high return – but that carries an [...]
Read moreBeware of the dog – the importance of monitoring funds regularly
If you watch the money programmes on TV or read the financial pages of the newspapers, you might have come across the term ‘dog fund.’ What does the term mean? And why is it so important to the ordinary investor? Put simply, a ‘dog’ is a poorly performing investment fund. Let me explain in more [...]
Read moreMarket Commentary – February ’12
On Monday February 27th the German Bundestag approved the Greek bailout by 496 votes to 90. A few days earlier consent had finally been wrung from the Greek politicians, and the €130bn bailout now looks to be in place. Is the Greek debt crisis – the constant theme running through this monthly review – over [...]
Read moreA bleak forecast: the UK in recession and base rates on hold until 2016
The Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) indicated in a recent report that the UK economy is probably already in recession, with negative GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. The CEBR has also revised down its forecast for growth for 2012 as a whole, from 0.7% [...]
Read moreFSA to raise consumer awareness of deposit protection
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is making it obligatory for all banks, building societies and credit unions in the UK to prominently display, in every branch and on every website, how much compensation savers could claim in the event of an institution failing. This is part of a continuing effort by the FSA and the [...]
Read moreMarket Commentary – January ’12
January got off to a predictably slow start, at least in Europe and it was January 9th before Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy met for talks. Unsurprisingly, they were worried about the credit crunch and – no surprise here either – Greek debt. Other countries greeted 2012 less sluggishly and China and India reported a [...]
Read moreTen New Year’s Resolutions for your Financial Planning
Around 50% of us make New Year’s Resolutions and ‘sort the finances out’ must be one of the most popular: but that’s a little vague – it’s more a wish than a firm commitment to take action. The main subject of many of our January appointments with both new and existing clients seem to have [...]
Read moreMarket Commentary – December ’11
December saw the death of North Korea’s ‘dear leader’ Kim Jong-il, with command of the country seemingly passing to his youngest son – the ‘great successor’ – Kim Jong-un. But with sundry generals peering over the younger Kim’s shoulder, tensions are likely to remain high, especially around the border with South Korea. 4,000 miles away [...]
Read moreWhich? Report highlights inappropriate investment advice by our trusted banks
According to a new Which? report, many high street banks and building societies are giving poor advice and recommending inappropriate investment products to elderly and potentially vulnerable consumers. Which? researchers, in an undercover investigation, found that only 5 out of 37 advisers in banks and building societies gave good advice about investments. Many of the [...]
Read moreAbolition of contracting out on a defined contribution basis
It is intended that from the 6th April 2012 people will no longer be able to contract out of the additional State Pension (also known as the State Second Pension) on a defined contribution (money purchase) basis. It is now intended that instead they will automatically be brought back into the additional State Pension and [...]
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