Before the internet went mainstream, it could be extremely difficult for smaller-scale investors to access international markets at all, especially ones at the greatest distance from their country of domicile. There were numerous practical barriers in the way, such as the lack of availability of key data and the cumbersome (and expensive) nature of international […]
News and Articles
Understanding the value of a pension
There are many ways of saving for retirement, but the option of saving through a pension scheme remains a firm favourite. There are many reasons for this but two stand out in particular. Firstly, pension saving is very heavily promoted by the government. Arguably the most notable example of this was the introduction of the […]
Are you coming to the end of your deal?
Special introductory deals can be very helpful, but they run out eventually. Similarly, fixed-rate mortgages also have a finite run-time, after which you are typically switched onto your lender’s standard product. Remember that when a financial product comes to the end of its life, you don’t necessarily just have to take what your lender gives […]
Getting help to buy
Getting “on the property ladder” is notoriously difficult and moving up it can also be quite a struggle. (In fact, even downsizing can bring its challenges, especially if you are moving to a more expensive part of the country). The good news is that there are some government-backed schemes which can make the challenge a […]
Everything you need to know about ISAs (in 2019-2020)
ISA stands for Individual Savings Account and the basic idea behind them has remained largely the same since they were introduced. Essentially, they’re a tax-efficient way of saving and/or investing. For adults, there are currently five types of ISAs. These are: Cash ISAs, Stocks & Shares ISAs, Innovative Finance ISAs, Help to Buy ISAs, and […]
How a financial professional can help you protect yourself and your family
SWOT analysis is a hugely useful business tool. The acronym stands for “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats”. Strengths and weaknesses are internal to the organisation, while opportunities and threats are external. In principle, the concept can work just as well in the private world, in practice, it can be quite a challenge for a person […]