Now here’s a double edged blessing; many moons ago I was at a drinks party hosted by my father and I joined his group swapping tails. He remarked to the eldest of the group that an upside of being older was that he no longer had school costs to pay, to which the reply was ‘Who do you think pays the grandchildren’s school fees?’ Quite…
Read MoreBabyboomers are finding themselves in great demand by their children – and it’s not just for their pearls of wisdom! Many of those lucky enough to have savings and investments and equity in their property have, slowly, inexorably and perhaps unwittingly, become a brand new institution - the Bank of Mum and Dad. A combination of soaring house prices, stricter lending criteria, and low wage inflation has seen thousands of our ‘young’ turn to their parents for help – particularly as they try to get a foothold on an increasingly out of reach property ladder.
Read MoreThe origins of giving gifts at Christmas began with The Three Wise Men bringing the infant Jesus presents, but what with the price of gold now touching fifteen hundred quid an ounce, frankincense 500 dollars a pound, and myrrh a massive four thousand, The Magi are a hard act to follow.
Read MoreDo you read the FT? Most readers here will say ‘no’, and that’s as it should be, we’ll show you why. Anxiety free investing? There’s a very real technique in doing this, backed up by a Nobel Prize, so I outline for you how that’s done, and what you definitely should not be doing.
Read MoreAn astute investor I know of in the US, Morgan Housel, is also a very, very accomplished communicator who is effective at distilling practices and experience into simple summaries. The simple litmus test of financial decisions he believes is the question ‘Does this help me sleep at night?’ What he is saying is…
Read MoreIt seems that the expression “political football’ has gathered more meaning as The World Cup starts this week. In fact, it’s not a cup at all, but a trophy, once stolen and found in a hedge by a dog called Pickles…
Read MoreAs we all tighten our belts this week, we still see a relentless assault on our pockets from this year’s seasonal TV ads. Soul-crushing, Mawkish or Downright Twee” suggests the headline of a review of this year’s crop by…
Read MoreFollowing on from last week’s note, maybe its only stuffy baby boomers who have noted the irony in the FTX crypto investors rushing to the exit to sell their crypto holdings for cash. Next up on the list of items proving cashflow is king, is Mike Ashley – he’s in the process of…
Read MoreIt's our turn to organise the annual New Year's Eve dinner party for local residents all of whom are in their 60s, 70s or 80s. We sent out invitations last week to around 30 people and asked them to confirm their place and let us know about any allergies or aversions they may have…
Read MoreAs people we know about ‘the law of unintended consequences’, and that rule applies throughout the arithmetic of investment. Some is unintended, some consequences are designed, some are simply natural. Interest rate rises have a…
Read MoreFeeling a little weary this week? Join the club. Your circadian rhythm has been mucked about with by order of the government, and half of us are struggling to make it to News at Ten, for no good reason. Let’s go back in time…
Read MoreLike borrowing money for a car or a house, government money also needs to be paid back, and that job belongs to Jeremy Hunt. His predecessor said he planned to ignore paying back what we owe so the lenders had him and his boss evicted. It’s interesting to note that…
Read MoreIt 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…
Read MoreHow to get rich slowly and avoid the puddles. The hullabaloo over gilts has had a knock-on effect with interest rates, and you’ll have noticed that interestingly large rates are now being advertised. We should probably repeat ‘if it looks too good to be true …’,
Read MoreThere 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.
Read MoreI’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
Read MoreThis 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.
Read MoreI'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?
Read MoreBaby boomers know about inflation, today’s 60 year old hit teenage years when the price of his Spirograph was shooting up in price by 24%. Spikes always occur, however from 1970 to 1980 the average of the annual inflation rates was 13.3%. Yikes.
Read MoreMy 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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