Exploring personal finance and investing
If I asked you “What is the most important organ in investing?” what would you say? The brain? According to the famed investor, mutual fund manager, author and philanthropist, Peter Lynch, who ran Fidelity’s Magellan Fund (which had an average 29.2% annual return from 1977 to 1990): “In the stock market, the most important organ … Read More “What Is The Most Important Organ in Investing?” »
When it comes to investing, are women investors more risk-averse than men? What Is Risk? Risk is the possibility that something adverse will happen. In the case of investing, this usually means losing money. Research on the Gender Gap in Attitudes To Risk There have been multiple studies in the area of behavioural finance which … Read More “Are Women Investors More Risk Averse?” »
NATO has been in the news lately when Sweden joined the allies as the 32nd member of NATO. Do you know about the funding of NATO i.e. who funds it and how? Let’s dive in. What Is NATO? The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was founded in 1949 when the North Atlantic Treaty was signed … Read More “How NATO is Funded – Breaking it down” »
NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. It is a political and military alliance that was founded in 1949 and it aims to guarantee the freedom and security of its members. The Signing of the Washington Treaty On 4th April 1949 the following countries, the founding members, signed the North Atlantic Treaty a.k.a. the … Read More “Sweden is the 32nd Member of NATO” »
You have $5k to invest and you’re not sure whether you should be dollar cost averaging your money or investing the entire lump sum all at once. Which is the best option? What Is Dollar Cost Averaging? Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA) is where you invest a fixed amount at regular intervals (e.g. monthly) regardless of … Read More “Is Lump Sum Investing Better Than Dollar Cost Averaging?” »
In the USA, you usually look to the stock market as a barometer of how the economy is doing. The S&P 500 index is considered one of the most reliable indicators of the performance of major American stocks and the stock market as a whole. In this post, I’ll examine how the S&P 500 is … Read More “How the S&P 500 Performed Under Biden vs. Trump” »
Are you feeling the stress of struggling to make your mortgage payments each month or worried that you might? You’re not alone. According to UKFinance.org: So, the trajectory of homeowners in mortgage distress is going in the wrong direction, it’s on the up. This is tied in with the rise in the cost of living … Read More “Are You Under Stress Struggling to Repay Your Mortgage?” »
According to the Office of National Statistics, the median UK salary in 2023 was £34,963. Could you afford a mortgage to buy a home if you are on a salary of £35k per year? Let’s find out! You’ve Decided to Buy Your First Home…in London! So, you’ve decided to buy your first home. As you’ve … Read More “How To Buy A Home in London On £35k A Year” »
You are contributing to a SIPP for yourself but have you thought about opening a Junior SIPP for your child? You may be saying to yourself ‘a pension account……. for my toddler?!’. And, ‘I’ve better things to do with my money right now’. A pension account for your toddler….well, yes! The advantage is that your … Read More “Is Opening a Junior SIPP a Good Idea?” »
NEST is a workplace pension scheme which was set up to facilitate Automatic Enrolment (AE) as part of the British Government’s workplace pension reforms per the Pensions Act 2008. As at September 2023, it had £33bn in assets under management (AUM) and 12.5m members. What Is NEST? NEST stands for National Employment Savings Trust. It … Read More “How To Invest in a NEST Pension” »
Most of you who have a mortgage probably dream about how great it would be to pay it off. You think about the relief you would feel having that heavy debt burden removed. You also think about the security. No matter what happens, you’ll always have a roof over your head. No-one can take your … Read More “12 Ways to Pay Off Your Mortgage Faster” »
Keeping up with the Joneses is an age-old disease that inflicts neighbourhoods across the world. This is where you try, at any cost, to keep up with neighbours, by matching or even outdoing what they buy, where they go on holiday or whatever hobbies they have. You think that if you don’t, they will look … Read More “How to Avoid Keeping Up with the Joneses” »
When you’re young and in your 20s, the current pension age of 66 seems light years away, like you’ll almost never reach it, it’s SO far away. For the average 20-year-old, 66 seems SO old (!). I had this conversation with a friend’s 20-year-old son, let’s call him Tim, a few years ago when he … Read More “But Pensions Are for Old People!” »
As 2023 comes to a close, here are 10 things to consider concerning your finances, for 2024. 10 Things to Consider To Improve Your Finances and Wealth in 2024 Review your income and expenses for 2023. This will help you see where your money went. It will also help you see where you are haemorrhaging … Read More “10 Things to Consider for the New Year” »
When you think of menopause or as it’s colloquially called ‘the change’, you don’t automatically associate the words ‘work’ or ‘finance’ with it, do you? However, menopause can have a detrimental effect on a woman’s career and finances. And it’s not like menopause is something you can avoid, is it? It happens to all of … Read More “Menopause, What You Need to Know to Manage Your Career and Finances” »
