I once used to work with a chap who was a consummate salesman. Everyone’s best friend, he knew people all over the country; all over the world in fact. No matter what the problem was, he ‘knew a guy’ who could help fix it. This colleague would come out of the boss’s office with an […]
Those of you that follow me on social media might have noticed a few patterns over the last twelve months as I tried various tactics to grow my following. Some of these have been more successful than others, so I decided to carry out a quick review of the plan to determine whether I’m likely
Reading a lot of personal finance and investing material, I get the distinct impression that there are a class of investors out there who are looking for the ‘secret’ to investing success. These are the people who might not be earning a fortune. The ones who might save £100 a month. The ones who watch
When I first started renting, I was asked to provide a ‘guarantor’ of security before my landlord would take me on as a tenant. Being young and lacking experience, I called a relative, got their agreement to use them and then thought no more about it. Essentially, I was offering a ‘guarantee’ that if I
I’m a big advocate of investing in entrepreneurs. I’ve written time and time again that when done well, private investments can produce returns which far outperform regular market instruments. In my mind; it’s a no brainer. Banks, advisers, accountants, financiers; they all want their cut – but dealing directly with an entrepreneur removes these added
A few weeks ago, I was engaged in an email chain with one of my readers who asked me whether I thought he should be using his paycheque to pay down debts or to invest in income-producing assets. This sort of sent alarm bells ringing for me, as I’m clearly not a financial advisor, so
Reader Question: Should I pay down debts or should I invest my money? Read More »
Once again, Greece is back in the news following a fallout between European governments and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over how to handle the on-going bailout of the country. According to the IMF, Greece needs to be cut a bit of slack on its punitive debt repayment schedule before more funds are released. According
Earlier this year, I published an article on this blog about Donald Trump and his election to the American Presidency. A few weeks have gone by and, rather predictably, the world seems to have gotten ever more hysterical about his election. The first week of his Presidency saw global protests, the firing of the Attorney
I’ve been responsible for multiple freelancers in my career. Some were engaged directly by me, others were engaged by the company I worked for, but all reported directly to me. I’ve often heard people singing the virtues of hiring freelancers – they’re cheaper, they’re experts, they’re dedicated. In some situations, hiring freelancers makes total sense,
I’ve often had friends tell me that their approach to buying is to find something they like and then find the cheapest place that sells it. Whilst this might initially seem quite sensible, I believe it represents a false economy. Cheaper might save you money initially, but you’ll usually find that what you’re buying is
I’ve written before about the importance of seeking feedback, but what about providing it? Thanks to my work with Toastmasters International and the projects I’ve run with freelancers, I’ve recognised the importance of being able to provide good quality, useful feedback. There are countless ways to provide feedback, but it all starts with being clear
When I graduated from Oxford Brookes University in 2013, I was enthusiastic about gaining experience and building my financial assets, but like many my age had more debt on my credit cards than in in my bank account. I wasn’t struggling to pay the bills or feed myself; I certainly never went on debt-fuelled spending
Moving properties is a stressful experience. From viewing endless unsuitable properties, handling snooty estate agents and keeping an eye on your approaching deadline to move out of your current property, tensions run high. Alongside this, tenants also have the stress of trying to find somewhere they can afford. Knowing how difficult negotiating rent can be, I’ve
At a recent dinner with a friend, we were talking about my blog when my friend asked me a pretty simple question; I’ve always had the view that savings and investments are a good way to protect myself from the uncertainties of life. Given that you lost your parents early on, how do you view
Reader question: How much money should I be saving in my 20s? Read More »
Anyone that’s been reading this blog for a while will have noticed that a significant proportion of my articles are about investments; the ones I love, the ones I hate and how my readers can help to improve their finances through strategies like building a passive income. Consequently, when I talk about investments, most
