The increase in average life expectancy is great news for all of us, but the main challenge is that it makes funding our retirement considerably more expensive. Unfortunately the problem is compounded by the low annuity rates that are the traditional way of generating a pension, with a fund of £100,000 only buying a 65-year-old…
Real-Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) can provide a valuable source of income and a useful hedge against inflation as the underlying property values rise over time, but the share prices of many of these funds have been bid up to dangerous levels. One potential pocket of value is the new M7 Multi-Let REIT that is planning…
There was an interesting piece in the Telegraph recently that looked at whether momentum investing in funds can generate higher returns. The article considered a strategy that was devised and tracked by the investment platform FundExpert. This involved investing in the best performing fund over the previous six months and then repeating the process and…
We all know how important it is to have a diversified portfolio, but even if you invest in relatively uncorrelated funds it does not mean that they are without risk. In the last few weeks there has been a series of completely unconnected events that have had a negative impact on a number of income…
The easiest way to improve your investment returns is to invest in a tax efficient account like a pension or ISA. These allow you to minimise your tax liabilities so that you get to keep more of the income and capital gains for yourself. If you are saving for retirement the best option is normally…
One of the best options for long-term investors looking for higher risk/return opportunities is the Emerging Markets. The region offers huge potential upside as the various countries develop, although there are many challenges for them to overcome along the way. A well-diversified regional fund offers the safest way for people to profit from this area,…
Commodity-related stocks have had a difficult time of it in recent years with the main sector indices still trading well below their pre financial crisis levels. Funds that specialise in this area can provide a useful source of diversification and protection against inflation. They also offer huge upside potential if you can get the timing…
The high valuations of many equities and bonds mean that the financial markets could easily experience a major correction. There are lots of potential catalysts that could trigger a large scale sell-off with one of the biggest concerns being the level of global debt that is significantly higher now than it was before the financial…
Investing in turnaround plays can be a great way to generate market beating returns, as long as you can successfully identify which companies will be able to get themselves out of trouble. If you prefer a more hands off approach you could take advantage of the skills of the turnaround specialist, Alex Wright, by buying…
Neil Woodford is one of the country’s best known and most successful fund managers, but in the last few weeks a number of his largest holdings have suffered dramatic price falls. The most spectacular of these was the doorstep lender, Provident Financial (LON:PFG), which Simon Cawkwell had highlighted as a short at 2,100p in his…
