Could commercial property fund investors experience a repeat of the suspensions and price adjustments experienced following the 2016 EU Referendum result? Figures showing an increase in outflows from UK direct property funds towards the end of last year have raised investor tensions in this sector. The figures from fund research group Morningstar show investors withdrew […]

Time is running out to top-up your State Pension before a price rise being introduced in April. Paying voluntary National Insurance contributions can be a financially attractive way to boost your income in retirement. However, filling these gaps in your National Insurance contribution record, and receiving a higher State Pension in return, is set to […]

One of the principles we subscribe to here at Informed Choice is continuing professional development. It’s a regulatory requirement, sure, with the Financial Conduct Authority insisting that all approved persons carry out a minimum of 35 hours of CPD each year. But part of our culture is about lifelong learning and always looking for ways […]

The investment industry is remembering passive investing pioneer Jack Bogle following his death at the age of 89. As founder of Vanguard, one of the largest investment providers in the world, and creator of the first retail index mutual fund, Bogle has a profound impact on all investors. He started his investing career back in […]

If you were looking forward to some certainty over the direction of Brexit emerging from the House of Commons this evening, you will be sorely disappointed. Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal has been thoroughly rejected by parliament, after making it to the voting stage on its second attempt. The government lost this vote by […]

Market commentators were quick to link an inverted yield curve in the US towards the end of last year to a sharp equity market correction. The inverted yield curve – which describes an interest rate environment where long-term debt instruments attract a lower yield than short-term debt instruments of the same credit quality – is […]

A new law has come into force which makes it illegal for companies to cold call about pensions. The ban on unwanted, unsolicited phone calls to people about their pensions follows an industry campaign to make the practice illegal. Companies breaking the new law could face fines of up to half a million pounds. It’s […]

Death and taxes. The only two things said to be certain in life. As the country moves ever closer towards an exit from the European Union, and the economy shows little sign of sustained improvement, there’s a reasonably well founded fear of higher taxes ahead. Chancellor Philip Hammond explained in the Budget in October that […]

It’s been another busy year for the Informed Choice Radio podcast, with more than 80,000 downloads in 2018. Reviewing our statistics for the year, here are our top ten most popular episodes. #1 – Investing in the age of longevity, with Jim Mellon Billionaire investor Jim Mellon joined me on the podcast in February to […]

Market timing is an important issue when it comes to investor behaviour. Despite evidence to the contrary, there’s often a temptation to try and time the markets when they are volatile. The goal here is simple; sell before the markets finish falling, and then buy again before they finish their subsequent recovery. The trouble with […]