Interest rate rises: Investors should be nervous September 30, 2014 But also don’t forget the opportunities… It seems strange to be talking about interest rate rises when over half of all OECD countries have inflation of less than 1 per cent, and average earnings are as limp as you could imagine. But investors are rightly nervous about the impact of rising interest rates, which [...]
The Eurozone optimists are playing a dangerous game – Investment Comment September 23, 2014 Despite a continuing stream of woeful economic data from the Eurozone, a number of investors and fund managers have become more sanguine about the currency bloc in recent months. Writing in these pages in August, JP Morgan’s Blake Crawford argued that a combination of economic revival, continued low interest rates and supportive monetary policy should [...]
Peer-to peer can help you take control of investing September 16, 2014 But make sure you pay close attention to the possible risks OPPORTUNITIES for savers to take control of their investments are increasing. The liberalisation of pension rules, announced in this year’s Budget, marked a watershed in the freedom savers can have over their money. But reform hasn’t been limited to pensions. In December 2012, the [...]
Peer-to-peer can help you save up for a house deposit September 10, 2014 How could peer-to-peer (P2P) lending help you save for a house deposit? First-time buyers looking to live in the South East of England will need to stump up an average deposit of around £30,000 according to research released at the end of August by LSL Property Services, and the figure leaps to £62,253 in [...]
How to save up for a house deposit September 9, 2014 With property prices surging in recent years – by 19.3 per cent in London in the 12 months to June, according to ONS data – the amount needed for a house deposit has shot up. The latest figures from LSL Property Services show that the average first-time buyer put down just over £30,000 for a [...]
How to save for your child’s future September 2, 2014 In the first half of this year, peer-to-peer lending passed a fresh milestone in the UK. According to the Peer-to-Peer Finance Association, online platforms handled new loans worth £500m over the period, with over 66,000 individuals offering loans through them. While cash and stocks and shares still attract the vast bulk of investor money, those [...]
Peer-to-peer lending can help you save for your child’s future September 2, 2014 How could peer-to-peer (P2P) lending help you save for your child’s future? The cost of childcare, education, food, clothing and the like could total almost £230,000 by the time they’re 21, according to Liverpool Victoria. And while this includes university fees (which many will choose to fund through student loans), it doesn’t include private [...]
How to save for retirement August 26, 2014 The peer-to-peer lending industry is booming. Figures from the Peer-to-Peer Finance Association showed that over £500m of new money was lent in the first half of 2014, with over 66,000 retail investors offering loans to individuals and small business though online platforms like Zopa. Returns can be attractive, offering the chance for both long-term capital [...]
Latin America investing: Politics counts – Investment Comment August 20, 2014 This year has proven that, when it comes to emerging markets, politics matters. The recent wave of elections in India, Colombia, and Indonesia, alongside the 2012 vote in Mexico and the upcoming Brazilian general elections, have been (and will be) crucial for countries that need serious structural reform to lay the foundations for sustainable long-term [...]
Nest egg: How best to save for your children’s future August 20, 2014 As GCSE results come out today, and the dust settles on last week’s A-Level results, many parents will be thinking about how they can help their children through university. But while Fidelity calculations suggest that education is the costliest part of raising a child from birth to 21, at an estimated £71,780 in total, many [...]