Capital comment: Tracker funds aren’t the only way to trade the FTSE 100 July 23, 2013 HAVE you reached that point in life where your outgoings are still more than incomings, and you need to grow up a little? Join the club. With company pensions affording you little more than a year’s subscription to your local golf club upon retirement, it is obviously important to put money away for the future. [...]
Planning for the education of your little prince and princesses July 23, 2013 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL fees have risen by an average of 3.9 per cent in the past year according to research by the Independent Schools Council. While this is the lowest annual rise since 1994, paying for your children’s education remains costly. Educating a child born at the same time as the new prince, at one of [...]
Five holiday insurance mistakes to avoid July 16, 2013 Don’t get caught out by insufficient policies and rising premiums A S WE approach the summer holidays, travel insurance is hitting headlines again. Rising unemployment in southern Europe has led to higher crime rates, with tourists prime targets for petty theft. And the travel association ABTA has found that 24 per cent of holidaymakers now [...]
Capital Comment: China is in difficulty but it’s certainly cheap for investors July 16, 2013 ONE Chinese economist suggested on Monday that five straight quarters of growth at less than 8 per cent was “a clear sign of financial distress.” I would dare him to say the same to the Spanish Prime Minister. But the comment did come shortly after confirmation from the Chinese government that the country’s second quarter [...]
Travel money: the benefits of credit and prepaid currency cards July 16, 2013 THE PROLIFERATION of credit, debit, and prepaid currency card deals means changing holiday money is no longer a matter of simply comparing rates along the high street. While the majority still prefer to take cash with them – 60 per cent, according to research by Halifax – debit and credit card providers widely facilitate the [...]
How an Isa could earn you a million February 26, 2013 The route to tax-free prosperity is simple AS THE end of another tax year approaches, there is still time for investors to shelter up to £11,280 from taxation. But with most experts predicting cash Isas will undershoot inflation, it is surprising that, although close to half of the UK’s adult population holds an Isa, very [...]
High-yield debt is higher risk but can offer rewards February 26, 2013 Junk bonds may still be an attractive option for income investors INCOME investors have been hard hit by the financial crisis. The response of policymakers – injecting cheap money into the economy through monetary easing – has squashed yields to record lows. Now “safe” assets – like gilts or cash – return negative real yields. [...]
Italian results offer few reasons for market optimism February 26, 2013 CAPITAL COMMENT LAST week, my column considered what the Italian elections might mean for the financial markets. I noted that there was a broad feeling that we were only witnessing the quiet before the storm. And by the way the markets have reacted since, it’s clear that few were prepared for the actual outcome. We [...]
How to make the most of your Isa February 21, 2013 It is much easier to transfer your account than you may think MANY consumers are aware of the benefits that come with an individual savings account (Isa). You won’t pay capital gains tax on your Isa investments, nor will you pay income tax on your Isa savings, and you don’t have to mention Isas on [...]
Three opportunities for investors in 2013 February 21, 2013 THE prospects for the US economy, slower growth in China, and European summits all weighed on the minds of investors in 2012. And this led many to seek shelter in safe havens, like cash. But now “investment austerity” is set to characterise the investing landscape in 2013. The new normal – low yields, greater correlation [...]