Finance and Investments

Are you a DIY investor? If so how are you feeling now? Pretty stressed I imagine and your emotions will swing between denial, fear and blame which is probably resulting in portfolio paralysis. This response is not rational, this is the time to do something and that thing would be to seek advice. If you think you don't need an advisor ask yourself the following questions;1. What return do I expect over the next 12 months?2. What was my return for...

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Womenomics

The world of womenomics can be quite confusing. Two reports one from the UK and one from the USA caught my eye.In Britain it appears that the average earnings of black women are now 6% higher than that of their white counterparts. This is a reversal of last years figures when white women earned more than 7% more. The Equality and Human Rights Commission said that one explanation for these results was that 50% of black women live in central London...

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Musings and Amusings

In some books and websites of late there has been a common theme of anger - anger displayed by single young males (SYM's). They are angry at women who they say turn marriage into a raw deal for men. Apparently women see men as a conduit to money as well as being dishonest, self centred, slutty, manipulative, shallow and controlling. The men who complain seem to think this view of women is a new phenomenon. I can only say they must be poorly educated...

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Who's Counting?

Niall Ferguson is in his recent book entitled "Survival of the Fittest" subtitled "The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World."The financial world is all about counting - counting the risk, counting the money, counting the debits and credits.Without mathematics there wouldn't be a financial world and we would not enjoy the sophisticated advanced economics of the 21st century.In his book Ferguson discusses the evolution of "money" and what...

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Why?

Well actually I would say why not? Why not invest in equities? Yes, in hindsight the best place you could have kept your money over the last year is in the bank, and the volatility of the markets combined with the media reports of the worst financial crisis ever make you feel intimidated, fearful. You want to wait until "everything is stabilised." That is sheer foolishness. There is one certainty that has stood the test of time. By leaving all your...

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Everyday Money

10 Places to Find Money1. Stop spending coins. Collect them. Only pay with notes.2. Supermarket coupons (don’t spend the $1 that you have just saved!)3. Cancel SKY TV.4. Take lunch to work.5. Limit magazine subscriptions.6. Increase your insurance deductibles.7. Lower your thermostat.8. Set up automatic bill paying (saves money on stamps) and timely payment can give you discounts.9. Reduce or eliminate ATM and fee-charging credit cards.10. Buy less...

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