May 2010

Weekend reading: Revolting taxes

May 29, 2010
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Tory economic liberals are up in arms about the Lib Dem inspired capital gains tax hike. Let’s hope they quash it!

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Invest in antique furniture

May 27, 2010
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Antique furniture looks good, can mix in well with contemporary living spaces, and most importantly holds its value.

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Getting an investment income from investment trusts

May 26, 2010
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Why buy some dubious investment bond thingy-me with a big initial fee when you can buy a 5% income from investment trusts?

19 comments

Ten things I don’t want to pay tax for anymore

May 25, 2010
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If you’re upset that the Liberals and the Conservatives are sharing power in the UK, just be grateful I didn’t get elected.

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Weekend reading: What matters and anti-matter

May 22, 2010
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The regular roundup of interesting articles to read, including two diversions into science.

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Video: The end of oil

May 21, 2010

Quit worrying about peak oil, it’s solvable. The world is much likelier to die a horrible death due to global warming or some other ecological catastrophe.

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Rich friends, poor friends

May 21, 2010
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Having rich friends may make you richer. But as ever, don’t count on that making you any happier.

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Naked short selling: All shout, no trousers

May 19, 2010
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What is naked short selling, and why is it so unpopular in Germany, the home of the nudist? (Oh I see! Not that kind of naked…)

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What first attracted me to the 9%-yielding Natwest preference shares

May 18, 2010
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I recycled some of my equity portfolio into Natwest preference shares. Out of the frying pan, into the microwave oven?

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Preference shares

May 18, 2010
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Preference shares offer a fixed income like corporate bonds, but with fewer of their safety features.

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Bank preference shares: A brief history

May 18, 2010
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Did you buy bank preference shares when the market was giving them away? Me neither. What an incredible opportunity it was.

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Weekend reading: Charlie Munger on banking regulation

May 15, 2010
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Charlie Munger is a genius, and you should read everything he write. Time leftover? Read me! Even more free time? Read these other great posts.

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The biggest threat to long-term wealth

May 14, 2010
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You can control what you earn, save and spend. You can make up for higher taxes or lower returns. But you can do nothing about a trashed planet.

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Snap thoughts on the Con Dem coalition from a private investor’s perspective

May 12, 2010
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Britain has a new coalition government that looks set to tackle the deficit. But how much will you have to pay for Labour’s previous largesse?

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Weekend reading: FTSE 100 more attractive now

May 8, 2010
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A few rioting Greeks haven’t changed the fact that world economy is on the mend. Not even UK political dithering can derail that.

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Cameron and Clegg must make a suicide pact

May 8, 2010
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There’s a tough job that needs doing, and Brown’s selfish obfuscation has made it even tougher for whoever comes next.

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Greeks gift us a buying opportunity

May 8, 2010
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Beware of Greeks bearing gifts, they say. But a UK stock market off 11% in the face of surging earnings and a growing global recovery looks tempting.

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Using a watchlist to improve your investing

May 7, 2010
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If you’re trying to beat the market, you need to buy good companies and you need buy them at the right price. A watchlist helps with both.

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Walter Schloss: His rules that beat the market

May 4, 2010
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If you’re going to try to beat the market, you’re better off learning from a wrinkly old guy with an incredible record than a 30-something on CNBC.

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Weekend reading: Opportunity knocks

May 1, 2010
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Should you regret not making and marketing the gizmo you invented? Plus the rest of the week’s best links.

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