How to maximise pension benefits from your employer
Under auto enrolment virtually all employers have to offer pension scheme membership to most, if not all, of their staff. There are large penalties for those employers who a) do not offer an auto enrolment pension to their staff and b) who break the rules…
Are challenger banks the way forward?
The new wave of startup companies on the banking scene can’t be found on the high-street – they’re in your pocket. Buoyed by relaxed regulation and the growing shift of people using their phones to do their banking, these branchless, mobile-only banks are seeking to win…
Make getting your finances in order your New Year’s Resolution
Now that a New Year is upon us, the making of a New Year’s resolution to get your finances in order could be very timely indeed. Of course not only is it a new year but also the start of a new decade. The twenties…
Why digital advice might be right for you
I first became aware of the potential of digital advice, better known as robo advice, about 5 years ago when attending an investment conference on ETFs in Amsterdam about 5 years ago. Jon Stein, the founder of US robo advice company, Betterment, was a main…
How to invest your spare change without even noticing it
There has been a pretty nifty app available since 2016 called Moneybox. It isn’t exclusively available for Millennials but it will be particularly of interest to people in this age demographic. So, what is Moneybox? Moneybox is a savings and investing app that…
Compound interest the eighth wonder of the world
Albert Einstein once famously said that compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe. He said, “Compound interest is the 8th wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it.” Einstein suggested that compound interest can work…
The Magic Formular
When I was on holiday recently I took the opportunity to read a book called The Little Book That Still Beats the Market by Joel Greenblatt. It was a fascinating read. Basically, Joel Greenblatt discovered that companies that met certain criteria produced returns that were…
How to get on the property ladder at an early age
I keep hearing and reading stories that young people are no longer able to buy properties, yet all around me I know a number of young people who have bought, or are about to buy properties over the last 12 months. So how have they…
The accumulation effect
I recently read the book The Accumulation Effect, which was written by a friend of mine, Stephen Oliver, who runs a successful company called The Will Company in Northampton. The basic principle of the book is that whatever you do, good or bad, the repetition…
The benefits of open banking for you
Open banking was first introduced in the UK on the 13th of January 2018. You’ve been able to let third-party providers such as budgeting apps access your bank account data since then and you are protected when you do so – as long as the…
Why debt is good for you
It is a commonly held view that debt is bad for you but there are certain circumstances in which debt can be good for you. Take for example mortgages. Most people need a mortgage to buy a property. Without the ability to borrow money most …
The bonkers strategy that produced returns of 5,662% over 22 years
I recently read a story about a company called Fund Expert whose investment strategy involves putting all of your money into a single fund every 6 months. It sounds like a recipe for disaster but the returns this strategy have achieved between 1 September 1995…