Investment Management & Advice

• Half empty or half full?
  
  04 Dec, 2008
  By Richard Hunter

  They say that it takes two views to make a market. As the usual December round of market forecasts begins to get published in anticipation of 2009 (including our own observations in...

• Revolution in financial advising
  
  01 Dec, 2008
  By Danny Cox

  Up front commissions on financial services products, arguably the source of many of the mis-selling scandals over the years, is set to be replaced in 2012, according to the latest...

• A week in advance 1st - 5th December 2008
  
  28 Nov, 2008
  By Keith Bowman

  This coming week sees the UK major corporate calendar remaining reasonably busy, with interest rate policy dominating the economic calendar. In the US, with the third quarter...

• Premium bonds - ERNIE isn't being so generous now
  
  25 Nov, 2008
  By Ben Yearsley

  One of the fallouts from the large interest rate cut last month that was designed to help borrowers is that savings rates are being slashed. Generally the safer savings institutions...

• A week in advance 24th - 28th November
  
  21 Nov, 2008
  By Keith Bowman

  This coming week sees the UK major corporate calendar remaining busy, although only one event looks likely to dominate the economic calendar. In the US, a relatively quiet week lies...

• Bonds good for care fees?
  
  21 Nov, 2008
  By Danny Cox

  Prompted by our recent Guide to Investment Bonds, a client queried the relationship between insurance bonds and care fees. When a local authority conducts a financial assessment to...

• Tough times at New Star
  
  18 Nov, 2008
  By Stuart Goodwin

  Security of capital has perhaps been the major concern of investors this year, even more so than falling stock markets. The perception that some UK banks were near failure earlier...

• A week in advance 17th - 21st November 2008
  
  14 Nov, 2008
  By Keith Bowman

  This coming week sees the UK major corporate and economic calendars remaining busy. In the US, a steady flow of economic announcements is scheduled, whilst the third quarter...

• Will China's latest stimulus package help?
  
  12 Nov, 2008
  By Meera Patel

  China has just announced a massive infrastructure programme as part of a new fiscal stimulus plan to help boost its slowing economy. Economic growth for the third quarter came in...

• A week in advance 10th - 14th November 2008
  
  07 Nov, 2008
  By Keith Bowman

  This coming week sees the UK major corporate and economic calendars remaining busy. In the US, Veterans Day on Tuesday may impact on overall business volumes, although markets remain...

• There's more to some funds than meets the eye
  
  03 Nov, 2008
  By Stuart Goodwin

  What does a sector’s name tell you about where its constituent funds are invested? It might appear obvious, but in fact the picture is not always clear. For example, did you...

• A week in advance 3rd - 7th November
  
  31 Oct, 2008
  By Keith Bowman

  This coming week sees the scheduled UK major corporate calendar remaining busy, whilst the schedule for major economic announcements also proves busier. In the US, the Presidential...

• Commercial property continues to flag
  
  30 Oct, 2008
  By Danny Cox

  As you can imagine the credit crunch has had some significant impacts across the commercial property sector. With lending drying up, new projects have been mothballed and transaction...

• The end of the world isn't nigh
  
  29 Oct, 2008
  By Mark Dampier

  All stock market investments have been punished, diversification has not helped especially. The trouble being that most asset classes rose at the same time and globalisation has...

• Market forces will now have to sort things out
  
  28 Oct, 2008
  By Stephen Lansdown

  It would be wrong to indicate that all the problems in the banking sector are now behind us but I do believe that governments have done all they can to restore confidence in the...

• A week in advance 27th - 31st October 2008
  
  24 Oct, 2008
  By Keith Bowman

  This coming week sees the scheduled UK major corporate calendar remaining busy, although scheduled major domestic economic announcements prove somewhat sparse. In the US, economic...

• Interest rates
  
  24 Oct, 2008
  By Danny Cox

  Recently the Bank of England base rate was cut by 0.5% to 4.5%. The last time we saw a 0.5% cut in interest rates was in October 2001 following the September 11th attacks. This...

• Capital losses can be useful
  
  22 Oct, 2008
  By Stephen Lansdown

  It is not very pleasant in the equity markets at the moment but there is always the opportunity to do some strategic financial planning. We have always highlighted the fact that...

• Interest Rate moves - what does this mean for financial planning?
  
  21 Oct, 2008
  By Tom McPhail

  Even after the Bank of England’s recent 0.5% cut in base rates to 4.5%, there is overwhelming support across the market for further interest rate cuts, so what does this mean...

• A week in advance 20th - 24th October 2008
  
  17 Oct, 2008
  By Keith Bowman

  This coming week sees the scheduled UK major corporate calendar turning somewhat busier, whilst major economic announcements are also likely to gain in importance. In the US,...