Top fund picks to spice up your Isa portfolio February 25, 2014 WITH the end of the tax year fast approaching (on 5 April), there is still time to invest up to £11,520 in a stocks and shares Isa. For higher or additional rate taxpayers, sheltering your money in the tax-free wrapper means avoiding income tax at 40 or 45 per cent on any interest. But while [...]
Where cost matters when investing through an Isa February 18, 2014 Price is only one part of the equation THE END of the tax year is approaching, and Unbiased research has found that UK savers are set to pay an unnecessary £1.1bn in tax in 2014 by failing to move their money into an Isa wrapper. Not only should you make the most of your tax [...]
Investment Comment: Five asset allocation strategies for long-term investors February 11, 2014 AS UNCERTAINTIES rumble on across financial markets in 2014, it can be difficult for investors to look beyond short-term market dynamics when assessing risk and returns. Yet strategic asset allocation (SAA), an investor’s long-term asset allocation with a five to seven year time horizon, is an integral aspect of overall portfolio returns. More than 80 [...]
How to find value in a volatile market February 4, 2014 A correction can be a good time to add on weakness – but capital protection should still be key OVER the course of last month, investors pulled around $12.2bn (£7.5bn) out of emerging market (EM) equity funds, according to EPFR data. And this month’s headlines have been no less dramatic, with the S&P 500 suffering [...]
Hedge your stocks with short-term bonds February 4, 2014 AFTER a volatile start to 2014 for equities, with the MSCI world index yesterday down more than 5 per cent year-to-date, investors will understandably be thinking about capital preservation. And while the prospect of monetary tightening in the West will be problematic for fixed-income, a careful selection of bonds could help to dampen portfolio volatility. [...]
How to profit from the fund price war January 28, 2014 Increased competition between platforms is welcome – but the overhaul of charges won’t be a game-changer @AnnabelPalmer1 IN WHAT some are calling a price war, yet another investment platform (Barclays Stockbrokers) has unveiled sweeping changes to its pricing structures. It all began on 15 January, when Hargreaves Lansdown announced that it would overhaul its charges. [...]
Sharp emerging market sell-off creates pockets of value for discerning investors January 28, 2014 The recent chaos in emerging markets has brought back uneasy memories of last summer’s sell-off. The MSCI emerging markets index fell from around 1,003 at the beginning of January to less than 932 on Monday, before stabilising in anticipation of the Federal Reserve meeting taking place today and tomorrow. But should investors be put off [...]
The funds that could see big gains this year January 14, 2014 But if you want your investments to do well, avoid 2013’s winners WITH the FTSE 100 nearing an all-time high and the S&P 500 rising by 29.6 per cent, 2013 was a bumper year for equity investors. Those who had backed a fund manager investing in small British companies or Japan – last year’s big [...]
Why 2014 could be the year to invest in Venture Capital Trusts January 14, 2014 ON AVERAGE, investments through Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) have returned 88.6 per cent over the last ten years (with dividends reinvested, assuming an annual 3.5 per cent fee), compared to around 65 per cent for the FTSE All–Share index. VCTs are not for everybody – they are designed to encourage indirect investment in a range [...]
Position your portfolio for a cautiously optimistic 2014 January 6, 2014 Large cap success, a stronger dollar, risky bonds, and volatility should be key themes DESPITE troubles in emerging economies, 2013 proved to be a strong year for developed economy equity markets. And while remaining cautious about the coming months, investors also have reason to be optimistic about 2014. With economic data improving, corporate earnings better-than-expected, [...]