Having had more than a decade of steady (and at times spectacular) growth in the value of property and stock market investments, low interest rates, low (official) inflation, and low unemployment, 2021 has brought several nasty surprises. Inflation has made a dramatic return. Interest rates are rising. Access to mortgages is getting harder. Property investments […]
The stock market often appears to be a complex and risky place in which to invest money. The latter is of course correct: there is risk in almost any action, even inaction carries risk of some sort. Therefore a huge industry has been created over the past century, where experts (fund managers) offer to take […]
The shares mentioned in this blog are done so for illustrative purposes only, and comments made about them should not be used as a reason to buy, sell or hold the share. An Initial Public Offering (IPO) is where a company or Government raises capital from members of the public (and institutions) by offering the […]
DISCLAIMER: The author has no connection to Sharesies whatsoever. The firm was picked for the purposes of this blog simply on the basis of the number of times friends have mentioned the name. As normal, nothing within this blog should be construed as advice in any way whatsoever. Those interested in obtaining advice should contact […]
With concerns around climate change and human welfare growing, investors are increasingly looking for investment options that do not harm society or the planet. These investments are generally referred to as Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG). The managers of such investment funds seek to meet an investor’s desire to help by typically ensuring that they […]
If there is one asset class (type of investment) which seems to defy all price predictions, it is oil. Every time an expert publishes a seemingly rational article, events seem almost bound to turn out differently. Oil is not alone in this of course. Many try to predict the price of gold without success. However […]
Crypto currencies have made headlines from time to time and supporters offer a variety of reasons as to why they are important. Investment is just one of them. But is it valid? Bitcoin was among the first (if not the first) cryptocurrency and is by far the most famous version. A cryptocurrency is a “digital […]
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend.” That famous line by Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet would seem prudent advice in most ages. However in today’s world, we find our economy awash with debt as never before. The reasons for this are numerous. One could argue that it […]
Over the past century academics and practitioners have increasingly espoused theories that have become part of almost every investment doctrine one could name. Theories that have tested and refined over time but now essentially taken as simple fact. One of these relates to the construction of an investment portfolio, where the asset allocation is dependent […]