The new pension freedoms introduced on 6th April 2015 gave people more flexibility over how they access their retirement savings. One of the most popular options has been income drawdown, which is where you leave your money invested and take an income from the portfolio. Since the change in the rules more than 120,000 retirees…
My birthday lunch in Brussels last month was a jolly affair, with 21 people attending, including the editor of Master Investor. After the lunch, and after its effects had worn off, I turned to contemplation. No, I haven’t suddenly gone all “mindful”, but February 17th has always seemed a good day for internal reflection. And…
As the US presidential election hots up, the serious mud-slinging gets under way. It is staggering just what dirt – it is all palpably accurate – surrounds the lead candidates. To some, all this is old hat but to younger readers/viewers I suggest a visit to YouTube.com and inserting Hillary Clinton: A Career Criminal. It…
There is some debate about who said it, according to Wikipedia, but whether it was George Santayana or Edmund Burke, or even BBC1’s comedy schedulers, the quote “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” gives the impression that repeating it is a bad thing. As traders and investors the one…
Market Position: Pound/Dollar below $1.41 Risks $1.36 RBS (RBS): Fundamental Collapse It may be conceded that at the time of the financial crisis eight years ago it seemed like a good idea to bail out or merge UK High Street banks. After all, the credibility of the UK financial system as a world centre for…
Do you want to know the true probability of Brexit happening? Then forget about political polls and look at predictive markets instead. The odds offered at betting exchanges and bookmakers provide more accurate forecasts of future outcomes than polls can ever command. While the Brexit vote is now a tough call at newspaper and other…
Quite why Petroceltic (PCI) is 8p bid I have no idea. The bidder owns 30% already and has squared the banks. There is virtually no chance that anybody else can intrude. The price should be around 2.9p. ***** If you have not so far read Victor Hill’s excellent piece in yesterday’s Master Investor where he…
Market Position: Dax above 9,090 Targets 9,790 Lloyds Banking (LLOY): Buttering up Shareholders I am not sure whether after some seven years in the wilderness, shareholders of Lloyds Banking finally have a warm and fluffy feeling regarding the aftermath of the shotgun wedding between it and HBOS. This was clearly the work of the saviour…
When I was young the word “security” denoted that one had the wherewithal to buy a cosy retirement bungalow in the Home Counties. Today, the word has been appropriated by politicians with Orwellian intent to mean protection from foreign invasion and from terrorism. (Here at least, they’ve been more successful in the former than in…
Market Position: WTI Crude Oil below £$35 Still Targets $25 Barratt Developments (BDEV): Key Support Zone towards 550p It is always interesting to see the explanation of a surprise sharp move to the downside, which in the case of the FTSE 100 today was “global growth fears”, or alternatively, “the market is down, and we…
