Bare Necessities

It was a surprise to read the results of an Ipsos Mori poll suggesting that half of young British adults identify as naturists or nudists, and that one in seven of all Britons enjoy nudist activities in their spare time. However, it appears have been conducted during the hottest year in living memory when we were all sat around in our underpants…

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Sausage Sunday

There was a distinctly ‘sausagey’ Sunday in Suffolk this month. First was an attempt on The Guinness World Record for the number of animals on a sausage dog walk which stood at about a thousand (which was well and truly busted) but with a decided snag in the proceedings.

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Are "interesting times" a blessing or a curse?

I’m never sure whether the Chinese regard it as a curse or a blessing to live in interesting times, and I’m pretty sure anyone connected to the media in the UK is having a blast with our current shenanigans. Last week’s newsletter came to you a day early due to Kwasegate, and it happened that we pressed the button a mere five minutes before his disciplinary at the head mistress’s office.

And now again – as I write this on Thursday we’ll try to ensure we

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The Pensions Hangover Rap

This week I spoke at a Financial Services conference which was snappily entitled Empowering Pensions: From Products to Outcomes. Other speakers opined on the search for new products and services whilst some talked about digital wizardry, algorithms and financial engagement programmes. There was discussion about how to get younger people to understand pensions, how important they are in later life, and how to persuade them to commence or increase their contributions in troubled times.

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Stats and facts

I'm leaving this question in for you - it's rhetorical, but it is very important in setting the right frame of mind for income investing. A quick question to ponder on: are you more anxious about what your income will be in the next 12 months, or in 10 years time?

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The Decluttering Dilemma

My wife and I have to move out of our house for perhaps a year whilst it undergoes repair and refurbishment. This was not something we planned for but a decision thrust upon us by ‘an escape of water’ under the ground floor quietly causing severe damage. Ever the optimists we…

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The SafeMax 4% Theory

The 4% Rule was defined in America by Bill Bengen using US stocks and bonds records, along with US inflation. This is Bill's original essay and calculations. The study does not transpose to the UK because UK equity, fixed income and inflation levels are not the same; the principle is valid in the UK but not the calculation.

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Understanding inflation, by looking at inflation and deflation together

This is what’s called macro – it’s to do with wealth in a country, a continent, the world, and within that macro environment we all exist, earn and pay our bills. The macro measures big ticket items, like the price of everything at the factory gate

We draw on Irving Fischer’s book “Money Illusion” and examine what inflation and deflations means to us.

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Freedom and fun

“People are coming into this time of life not wishing they were still working and productive, but quite the opposite. They’re saying: ‘Finally, I can do what I want, when I want and on my own terms. That’s what I’ve been dreaming of my whole life.'”

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LIFESTYLEIan Manning
What's the point

The point is its not just about the money.

Arranging a reliable income is an enabler for people to do the things that financial security is intended to bring. The gift of time.

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LIFESTYLEIan Manning