How will the EU act after Brexit? February 21, 2019 | City Talk Britain's planned departure from the EU exposes many issues. A key one is the economic path the UK will choose. Less commonly asked is what will the rest of the EU do. Perhaps this should figure more in the debate. Last year, President Macron suggested the EU move towards a core, built on closer political [...]
Is DIY investing a cheap trick? December 6, 2018 | City Talk As passive investors, we sometimes get asked by clients and prospects: “Why don’t I just invest in passive funds and exchanged-traded funds (ETFs) directly myself?” And at first glance, DIY investing may seem like the cheapest way to invest. But some professional services can actually work out as a much more cost-effective means of investing, [...]
It’s time to go with the flow: The UK needs to accept global economic competition and come out on top November 4, 2018 | City Talk UK 1-1 Rest of the world. So reads the scoreboard from two recent corporate stories: Dyson’s decision to produce its electric cars in Singapore and Unilever’s to stay put in London. With Brexit beckoning, there is more focus than ever in Britain on its place in the world, and how that can be affected by [...]
Should you hold Bitcoin as part of a diversified portfolio? December 13, 2017 | City Talk Amid the hoopla over the recent meteoric Bitcoin price rise – from $968 at the end of 2016 to over $16,500 on 11 December 2017 – some are now questioning whether the cryptocurrency should be taken more seriously. While we don’t agree that you should hold Bitcoin as part of a diversified portfolio, we believe [...]
What if markets take a downturn? December 6, 2017 | City Talk Market conditions have been favourable this year. Volatility has been low and returns have generally been positive for investors. Throughout 2017 we have detailed our positive outlook for the global economy and asset markets alike. While we continue to maintain this stance, here we share our thoughts on being prepared, and what to do should [...]
How herd behaviour affects your money November 29, 2017 | City Talk We are not quite the independent thinkers we like to believe we are. People value safety in numbers. And while imitating the actions of others is sometimes a good thing, we should be aware of how making decisions without thoughtful analysis can have a negative impact on our finances. Animals regularly move together as a [...]
6 key Budget 2017 takeaways November 23, 2017 | City Talk Work in progress and still some way to go – that was my immediate take on the Budget. The good news was that the Chancellor recognised the need to position the UK for the great opportunities and significant challenges ahead. Despite this, far more needs to be done. First, the Chancellor and The Treasury are [...]
Thoughts ahead of the Budget November 20, 2017 | City Talk This coming week is the second Budget of the year, the first of the new Parliament and the penultimate one before the UK leaves the EU in March 2019. The UK may prolong its tenure in the EU through a yet-to-be-agreed transition deal, but even so we are just over half-way through the Article 50 [...]
Overcoming fear: why you need to take some risk November 14, 2017 | City Talk Most of us are programmed to be afraid of taking too much risk. Yet when it comes to our money, not taking an appropriate amount of risk can be damaging to our wealth. It’s logical to assume that leaving money in a savings account is the best risk-free way to look after our money. While [...]
Why cutting through noise is a sound investment strategy October 31, 2017 | City Talk Noise is the enemy of information – a premise that is especially true for investing. Cutting through the noise and listening to what matters is critical for those who want to invest with clarity and not be distracted by sounds which are irrelevant to their objective. Business TV channels, financial publications and online news and [...]
