It sounds like a breakfast cereal … but Granolas – not Granola – is becoming terribly, terribly, tasty to investors. We’ve had BRICS, FAANGs, and MANAAM in the seemingly endless acronyms that financial professionals have come up with for grouping...

For those of a certain age the Magnificent Seven meant a classic 1960 Western starring Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson. For investors, rather than film buffs, the Magnificent Seven are Mag 7, “hot stocks” which last year drove...

How much should you pay into your pension in order to enjoy a comfortable retirement? It is one of those questions that has no definitive answer because it depends on imponderables such as earnings, aspirations, and lifestyle. Worse, many people...

How are investors likely to be affected by the new Labour government under Sir Keir Starmer? After all, they didn’t give much away during the General Election campaign. As wealth manager AFH notes: “Investors have traditionally been wary of Labour...

Are smaller companies coming back into investors’ favour? The domination of big business, particularly Big Tech in the United States, has been the primary feature in the past decade, encouraged by the trend to index/passive trading. However, it was not...

Should investors ever show loyalty to ’home-grown’ stocks and shares? Evidence for flying the flag is sadly scant – the London Stock Exchange (LSE) is haemorrhaging companies while new flotations have been drying up. Even pension funds have just four per...

Tax-free pension cash, given the current financial climate. Is increasingly viewed as some sort of Shangri-La? A massive get-out-of-jail card for those maxed out. Grab it at the first opportunity and make hay while the sun shines. No regrets though...

Worth considering a modern take on the active versus passive approach to stocks and shares along with the benefits of genuine diversification when it comes to geographical sectors. It is a long-standing unresolvable agony aunt of mine. To remind you...

The Government’s ISA shakeup has received a mixed response – progress, but not overly exciting and something of a missed opportunity. There had been talk of a Great British ISA with an additional £5-10,000 allowance provided the monies were invested...

A signification proportion of higher-rate taxpayers are leaving thousands of pounds of pension tax relief unclaimed. They are missing out on ‘free money’ by failing to complete a self-assessment return or contacting HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) directly. The relief...