Hope you’re enjoying the break? It does seems to have been a good year for some strategic calendar leverage.
A friend tried to explain to me how with judicious timing and a couple of convenient office parties he was aiming to take three weeks off by using just two days annual leave. As a professional non-jobber I dozed off and don’t recall the details, but I admired the spirit.
For my part, I’m going for a week off Monevator, and hence I wrote this post last Saturday and set it to publish automatically.
Fingers crossed it’s not now wildly inappropriate. If the aliens have invaded or a Tsunami has washed away Norfolk then hey ho, stiff upper lip and all that.
Here are ten 14 of my favourite articles from Monevator in 2014.
I hope you missed one, or else you’re pleased to re-read another.
If not, well, 2015 is imminent, and that means you’ve got a brand new clutch of exciting articles about expense ratios and withholding taxes to look forward to.
Erm…
Happy new year!
(All titles in blue link to the article).
How to be a capitalist [1]
A very popular post, which is heartening given all the frappuccino communists around these days. If I pull my finger out and write a book, this’ll be it.
Warren Buffett’s most personal bet yet on index investing [2]
The mega stockpicker doesn’t trust anyone to do better for his wife after he’s gone than the market. I believe his declaration was a significant wake-up call.
The Warren Buffett passive portfolio [3]
Woken up by Warren? Here’s how to create your own Buffett-style passive portfolio using UK trackers.
How to construct your own asset allocation [4]
You could go to one of the many advisers who are now charge 0.25 to 1% a year to set you up with six ETFs. Or you could pour a cup of coffee and read this post.
Valuing growth stocks is hard [5]
For various reasons, I don’t write much about active investing on the blog these days – but in sharp contrast to my co-blogger I remain very much a stock picker.
The Accumulator’s confession booth [6]
One to read for the 60-plus confessions from Monevator readers, as well as the chance to hear The Accumulator admit to owning an active fund. (Gasp…)
Compound interest and its enemies [7]
This isn’t a post that will knock many of you over, but I quite like our occasional Investing for Beginners series. Must do more in 2015.
How to read a fund factsheet [8]
The kind of high octane journalism that Monevator is renowned for. Okay, I admit it’s pretty mundane but the devil charges for the details with investing.
When to buy insurance [9]
I’m very pleased to have former hedge fund manager Lars Kroijer writing for our blog. Here he turns his ultra-rational mindset to insurance.
Why you shouldn’t track your investment returns [10]
I admit that for me this is in the eat five pieces of fruit and run three times a week category of an aspiration rather than actuality. I’m getting better though!
The staggering way The City overcharges investors in active funds [11]
The first of a ten-part video series from Sensible Investing TV on the ins and outs of passive investing. Makes a great primer.
Not your father’s retirement [12]
Our newest regular contributor, The Greybeard, introduces himself and explains why he’s looking at retirement through a whole new lens.
Lump sum investing versus drip feeding [13]
You would not believe how many emails we get about this (which we can’t answer in terms of personal advice, anyway). As to which is best? It depends…
A landlord is someone who borrows money on your behalf [14]
In which I either continue to reveal the Matrix behind modern personal financial, or else I continue to try to justify bottling out of buying a London flat…
So that’s it from us in 2014. If you spot any good investing articles elsewhere on the Web this week, please do share them in the comments below. Otherwise see you on the other side!