Over the weekend, I was fortunate to be invited to Ascot to watch the races with my company. It was an absolutely fantastic experience – made all the sweeter for being the first time I’d been to the races and being able to take my partner Verity along with me. As my company sponsors the […]
Once we get past the age of about ten, most of us start to see the importance of knowledge. Without it, we don’t see risks, understand how to get what we want or really understand the world around us. Most people that describe themselves as businessmen follow the stock markets, monitor local real estate develops,
The importance of developing a range of knowledge Read More »
Earlier this month, Aaron Petrou was jailed was three years and eight months after admitting conspiracy to defraud through a two scams involving land banking and carbon credits. Using the false name of Giles Beaumont to sell Carbon Credits (under the guise of ‘Green Investments’), Petrou netted a £1.7m from almost 70 people. According to
Several years ago, I was approached with a ‘niche’ investment opportunity promising great returns. The sales pitch was assembled and presented well, but something didn’t sit right with me – I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to get my money back if I needed it. At the time, a friend of mine was examining
Several years ago, I came to the conclusion that anyone with serious money was unlikely to have the majority of it tied up in bonds and savings accounts available on the high-street. After all, those with above average wealth are unlikely to be handling their wealth in the same manner as the average investor –
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 »
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
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
When the financial services sector (and most global economies) fell off a cliff in 2007/08, savings rates fell with them. Several years (and many interest cuts) later, I decided to take the plunge and invest some money with Zopa Loans. At the time, I wasn’t sure whether the company would survive or if I’d ever
Ever since my parents passed away, I’ve aspired to own my own property – not as an investment, but as a home. Consequently, I’ve spent many years squirreling money away to put towards a deposit and eagerly reading any information I could find on the financing of property deals. When I was younger, I assumed
For many people, achieving income from savings and investments has been a struggle for the better part of ten years. With interest rates at record lows of 0.25%, the interest from cash deposits is negligible and unlikely to improve soon. The search for income is becoming increasingly difficult in an environment of low-interest rates, but that
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