How to position your portfolio for the coming base rate hike – Investment Comment August 12, 2014 Hamlet wasn’t talking about the next move for interest rates when he said, “if it be not now, yet it will come – the readiness is all.” But the advice is sound. Although today’s quarterly inflation report may reveal some clues, we still don’t know when the first hike in UK base rates will [...]
Investment Comment: European earnings could be set to come back with a bang August 5, 2014 There is a question mark looming over European equities – when will companies deliver on earnings? So far, underwhelming earnings growth has done little to support the market’s upward march. In our view, that is poised to change. The Eurozone has a real and sustainable economic recovery underway, following four consecutive quarters of positive [...]
Value stocks: A canny investor’s choice July 22, 2014 There is a long-running tug of war between two styles of investing: value and growth. The former sees investors select stocks with an intrinsic value. The definition varies, but tends to focus on companies with lower valuations and higher dividend yields. Growth investing is when investors tend to select stocks with growth potential, with valuation [...]
Investment Comment: How to spot the dog funds – and what to do if you own one July 22, 2014 When it comes to crowing about so-called “star” performing fund managers and handing out endless awards, the investment industry certainly doesn’t hold back. Yet the simple fact is that, over the long term, after the impact of charges, many fund managers fail to deliver a better return than the benchmarks for the markets they operate [...]
Holiday insurance pitfalls to avoid: From smartphones to stepchildren July 16, 2014 Don’t get caught out by your smartphone, stepchildren or because you’re taking multiple breaks. With the summer holidays fast approaching, many of us will be turning our minds to the exciting trips we’ve got planned – and, of course, the travel insurance they’ll require. According to numbers from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, [...]
Focus on fees: How investors can build a low-cost portfolio July 1, 2014 Index and exchange-traded funds are increasingly popular, but don’t forget about platform fees With the new Isa (Nisa) rules now in force, investors are looking at how to get the most bang for their buck out of the new £15,000 annual allowance. And while the performance of investments is key, and low-cost tracking options will [...]
The new Isa: Three things you need to know about it July 1, 2014 The new Isa (Nisa) is a day old and, despite speculation that a rush of investor funds could wobble providers’ systems, savers shouldn’t be deterred from making the most of the enhanced benefits of the liberalised tax wrapper. What has changed? Among several new rules, the amount of money an individual can shield within the [...]
The new Isa: How to make the most of your Nisa June 29, 2014 Despite dwindling interest rates, with the right approach, even sticking to cash can mean you are quids in Announced in the Budget, the new, enhanced and simplified Isa arrives tomorrow. Allowing investors to shield up to £15,000 a year away from the taxman – up from the current £11,880 limit for stocks and shares Isas [...]
The new Isa: Where to invest your beefed-up Nisa allowance June 29, 2014 The fund managers are tipping European equities and a focus on long-term capital growth through income With the new Isa (Nisa) annual allowance of £15,000 (up from £11,880 for stocks and shares Isas) due to come into force tomorrow, savers looking to top-up their investments are faced with a difficult choice. The popular play of [...]
The new Isa: How to become a Nisa millionaire in 26 years June 29, 2014 No one knows exactly how many Isa millionaires there are. Stockbroker Brewin Dolphin has in the past claimed that around 15 of its clients have over £1m of savings sheltered from the taxman in an Isa wrapper. But the number is sure to increase as the effect of the Nisa’s higher annual allowance takes [...]