The first rule of compounding: Never interrupt it unnecessarily. Charlie Munger In Indian folklore, a minister and wiseman called Sessa, apparently invented chess for his King, and in return asked for payment in grains of wheat: one grain on the first square, two on the second and doubling each square thereafter. The…
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Almost four months after the Labour victory in the general election of early July, Chancellor Rachel Reeves finally delivered the new government’s first Budget on 30 October 2024. Since taking over the keys of 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his team had consistently telegraphed the likelihood of “painful” tax hikes. As well as the alleged £22 billion…
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By its very nature, the investing industry is full of differing views on how one ought to invest their hard-earned cash. One of the more polarising debates is whether an investment in gold, physically or synthetically via an investment fund, makes good sense. The debate tends to flare up each time gold experiences a rapid growth in value, such as…
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It is a simple statement that the decision to invest in the first place provides an opportunity to protect hard-earned savings from inflation, and perhaps grow further. It is not easy, however, to have the foresight, as well as the discipline to deny oneself spending today for the opportunity of a better tomorrow. It is also not easy to work…
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Most investors would probably like to forget the poor performance of both bonds and equities in 2022 and early 2023. For many investors, it was their first real experience of bonds falling in value, particularly at the same time as equities. Different investors would have experienced different outcomes in 2022 (and subsequently) depending on the type of bonds that they…
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In July, the markets were affected by general elections taking place in the UK and France, and the ongoing presidential campaign in the US. Read on to find out what else affected investment markets in July 2024. Uncertainty and numerous other factors may affect the value of your investment portfolio. However, for most investors, long-term trends…
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Building a nest egg for your child or grandchild could give them a head start when they reach adulthood. It might allow them to pursue further education, get on the property ladder, or even enjoy a gap year. While saving is one option you might want to consider, investing for children could yield higher returns. Investing…
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While we all like to think that we are capable of making rational decisions, it appears that when it comes to investing, a switch inside even the most sensible person seems to flick and rationality disappears in a cloud of emotion. Being an investor is not easy. We have to contend not only with the erratic and unpredictable nature of…
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The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund has become a leader in ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investing. Yet, the money initially came from an unlikely source – fossil fuels. Read on to find out how Norway’s “oil fund” embraces ESG issues, and how you could too. Norway’s sovereign wealth fund holds around 1.5% of…
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On the back of data showing some countries have exited recessions at the end of the first quarter of 2024 and inflation falling, several market indexes reached record highs in May. Read on to find out what else may have affected the markets and your investment portfolio. UK Dominating headlines towards the end of…
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