Investing

Weekend reading: Good and bad news travels fast online

May 19, 2012
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Online needs to be at the forefront of the financial services industry, because that’s where its customers are.

4 comments

UPDATED: Vanguard funds are NOT on iii

May 17, 2012

The cheapest index funds in the UK are now available through one of the cheapest brokers, offering a great deal for small investors.

20 comments

A quick guide to asset classes

May 15, 2012
Slow and steady

The pros and cons of the main asset classes neatly arrayed for your investing convenience.

11 comments

Where to invest in 2012 when you have too many shares

May 10, 2012
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I wondered what I’d do if shares kept going higher, but luckily they didn’t. Here are some of the alternatives if you’re in the same boat.

13 comments

I, Robot

May 8, 2012
Passive investing

Investing is a soap opera that provokes return-wrecking emotions. So reduce your emotional involvement to that of a car factory robot via automatic investing.

18 comments

The cyclically-adjusted P/E ratio (PE10 or Shiller PE)

May 3, 2012
Weighing the market: Are shares cheap?

Contrary to what some of its adherents imply, PE10 will not see you dive effortlessly in and out of the market like a seagull stealing chips. But it’s a useful tool nonetheless.

7 comments

Should I dump my government bond funds?

May 1, 2012
Passive investing

After a storming year, gilt funds must surely fall as interest rates rise. Should passive investors adjust their asset allocation to avoid losses?

28 comments

Valuing the market by P/E ratio

April 27, 2012
Weighing the market: Are shares cheap?

Analysts, journalists and private investors often talk about the market being cheap or expensive on a P/E basis. What do they mean?

10 comments

Valuing the market: Are shares cheap?

April 24, 2012
Weighing the market: Are shares cheap?

Are shares cheap, you ask? “Compared to what?” is my first reply.

13 comments

Spring cleaning our passive investing HQ

April 17, 2012
Our passive investing HQ gets a makeover.

Our passive investing HQ is the UK’s ultimate guide to the best investment strategy for the majority of ordinary investors.

6 comments

Lazy investing with HSBC’s World Index Portfolio

April 11, 2012
Passive investing

HSBC’s World Index Portfolio fund of funds makes life easy for passive investors, but is saddled with some flaws.

10 comments

How to protect your portfolio from share price falls

April 4, 2012
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If you’re panicking about falling share prices, the main thing to do may be to re-read your financial goals and then turn off the financial news. If you do want to take cover, though, here are some ideas.

14 comments

The Slow and Steady passive portfolio update: Q1 2012

April 3, 2012
Slow and steady

Our model passive portfolio continues its journey tossed on fortune’s fickle waves. This quarter we’re up as the European crisis abates.

6 comments

Why a short ETF won’t protect your portfolio in a bear market

March 23, 2012
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The mathematics of compounding means short ETFs are strictly for day traders, and anyone else who doesn’t particularly like profitable investing.

12 comments

Not saving enough for your old age? Try a dirt cheap stakeholder pension

March 13, 2012
Slow and steady

£20 is all you need to start saving into this bargain of a stakeholder pension. There’s more to pensions than SIPPs!

10 comments

What’s the cheapest pension for DIY investors?

March 6, 2012
Slow and steady

A low cost SIPP deal that enables you to get saving for your pension even with meagre sums.

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Benchmarking Our High Yield Portfolio

March 1, 2012
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As our demonstration HYP approaches its first birthday, it’s time to think about how to track how well it’s doing (or not, as the case may disappointingly be!)

25 comments

Tracking error: How to measure it and what it tells us

February 28, 2012
Passive investing

Use financial tools to work out the tracking error of your index trackers and decide if they are worth the expense once you know their true cost.

12 comments

World stock markets: How historic returns have varied by country

February 23, 2012
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World stock market returns data shows big variations between countries. Here’s an 111-year digest to whet your appetite for investing abroad.

36 comments

How to use tracking error to uncover the true cost of an index tracker

February 21, 2012
Passive investing

Tracking error shows you the true cost of an index tracker not deceptive old TER. See for yourself with this practical comparison of FTSE index funds.

27 comments

Weekend reading: Iceland comes in from the cold

February 18, 2012
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Iceland’s bonds are back from the brink, as today’s headlines are tomorrow’s fish and chips wrapping. (Though don’t try wrapping your scampi in this roundup!)

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Reduce risk by investing in foreign shares

February 16, 2012
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Spreading your money overseas as liberally as any colonial power ever did means you reduce all sorts of risks when investing in shares, provided you’ve a long-term horizon.

20 comments

Unlocking hidden treasure in accumulation funds

February 14, 2012
Passive investing

Accumulation fund investors generally have no idea how much they’ve earned in dividends. But discovering this hidden flow of cash is easy…

14 comments

Spread betting tax avoidance strategies

February 9, 2012
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Tax is not payable on capital gains with spread bets. While it’s certainly a risky form of pseudo-investing, it might be useful in some circumstances.

24 comments

How will Facebook affect index trackers?

February 7, 2012
Passive investing

Facebook is set to be the largest internet IPO in history. How will the entry of this behemoth affect your index trackers?

5 comments

The case for Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust

January 27, 2012
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Here’s a way for UK investors to get exposure to value-based smaller companies. The Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust currently looks good value, to boot.

21 comments

The family BlackRock and the mysterious case of the elusive TERs

January 24, 2012
Passive investing

BlackRock index funds offer keen TERs, and some rare emerging market and property asset allocation options, so why are they so little known?

13 comments

Will Halifax take spread betting mainstream?

January 19, 2012
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Halifax is offering spread betting alongside its traditional share dealing service.

11 comments

How to invest on a (weeny) budget

January 17, 2012
Passive investing

Money too tight to mention? What’s the minimum amount you need to invest?

34 comments

Historical UK house prices

January 5, 2012
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A good way to get depressed is to never buy your own home and then to take a peek at a graph of house price appreciation. Let’s see what we could have won!

27 comments

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