The world of pensions can be a minefield. There is a wide range of options available to individuals, with different tax implications and flexibility in the long run. However, two of the most common investment vehicles for retirement are ISAs and pensions. Which one will help you reach retirement the fastest? Tax advantages One of…
Dividend growth has become a much more important issue for many investors now that inflation has risen from 0.5% to 2.6% in the last year. The problem, though, is finding companies with high and reliable dividend growth rates. UK-focused companies come with additional uncertainty surrounding Brexit, for example, which means international stocks may be a…
The UK retail sector faces a highly uncertain future. A weaker pound has pushed inflation gradually higher over the last year. It is now 60 basis points higher than the rate of wage growth. Therefore, consumer spending is likely to come under a degree of pressure. Alongside this, the scope for an interest rate rise…
The quad play sector has thus far been a mixed bag for TMT operators. While it was seen as a means of diversifying into new product areas and generating additional sales from cross-selling opportunities, for BT (LON:BT.A) and Talktalk (LON:TALK) it has been a different story. Both companies have lagged the FTSE 100 over the…
For many people, investing in property may seem prohibitively expensive at the moment. After all, the price to earnings ratio of residential property in London is 12.9. This makes engaging in buy-to-let investments which have the aim of beating inflation rather difficult. It’s a similar story in commercial property. It remains relatively expensive, and this…
Recovery stocks can be among the most profitable investments. One reason for this is that the market usually expects disappointing financial performance from them, which generally means low valuations. If the companies in question are able to beat market forecasts and deliver a sustained turnaround, it can lead to above-average valuations. The end result is…
The housing market has been a profitable place to invest in the last few decades. A fundamental imbalance between supply and demand, as well as a loose monetary policy in recent years, have contributed to a purple patch for the industry. It has provided an alternative to dividends, bond coupon payments and interest on cash…
One of the major challenges facing investors is how to generate an income return which beats inflation. This has been a problem since interest rates declined to historic lows following the financial crisis, but is now even tougher because of the rise in inflation. While interest rates could realistically edge upwards in future years, higher-yielding…
Gold may not have a practical value as an alternative currency. It’s not possible to enter a shop and pay for any product or service in gold. However, the precious metal may have value as an alternative to cash or other assets due to its scope to help protect against rising inflation. Inflation potential In…
Since the EU referendum on 23 June 2016, the pound has weakened significantly versus a basket of major currencies. For example, it is down 15% versus the dollar, and by 14% versus the euro. Much of this is due to the increased political risk facing the UK from Brexit, with many investors now more cautious…
