News and Views

Regular readers of my blogs will be aware that if you are financially comfortably off there are 3 major benefits to you: You live longer; You live healthier; You have less relationship breakdowns. Most of our clients are baby boomers aged 55 plus. Some are in their...

The world’s greatest investor and third richest man on the planet, Warren Buffett, once said “Keep all your eggs in one basket, but watch that basket closely”. He has also been quoted saying “Do not put all eggs in one basket”. So, which of these quotes by the great...

If you are like the vast majority of the British electorate, you will by now be fed up to the back teeth of the Brexit debacle. In a curious twist of fate, we have a leader, Theresa May, who is a Remainer and an opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who is a Brexiter. We...

A few years ago I had a meeting with long-standing clients, who had remained happily, but resolutely unmarried for 25 years and had 3 teenage boys. I was surprised to be told they had married after taking advice from me 2 years earlier! I was stumped. I truly didn’t...

I recently read a BlackRock research study on megatrends, which I found really interesting. What are megatrends? They are powerful, transformative forces that could change the global economy, business and society. These megatrends are longer term in nature and have...

At the time of writing, the world stock markets have fallen in value by 10%-15% over the last 3 months of 2018. This is the worst world stock markets performance since 2008 when we experienced the global financial crisis. Is this a stock market crash or a long-awaited...

I recently read a White Paper called The Efficient Investor by a US company called United Income. The company conducted a wide-ranging study into 62 different US retirement solutions and over 26,000 potential combinations of future market returns. Their 5 main...

A Happy New Year to all of my regular readers! Unashamedly I decided to repeat the following list based on the Nielsen research from the blog I wrote exactly a year ago. TOP 10 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS: Stay fit and healthy 37% Lose weight 32% Enjoy life to the fullest...

Having run SMEs, small and medium sized businesses, for more than 30 years I have found the help and assistance of strategic alliances and business associates invaluable. The reason why is simply the fact that a business of our size does not have the in-house...

  I have long been an advocate of high professional and ethical standards because it is important to have high standards for a number of reasons. Firstly, clients expect it. They pay us high fees and in return they expect high standards of advice. These days clients...

Ever since the successful academic studies of Professor Harry Markowitz it has been generally accepted that asset allocation or diversification of risk is the best way to achieve reasonable investment returns whilst at the same time minimising risk. Professor Harry...

Regular readers of this blog will be aware that we launched our first fund, The CCM Intelligent Wealth Fund, in April this year. The fund invests in 8 sectors of the future. We have recently decided to add a 9th sector - Longevity. We really can, and probably will,...

  The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR for short, is a major new European privacy law that went into effect on 25 May 2018. GDPR will radically reframe our relationship with the organisations that store and process our data. From Amazon to the NHS...

The importance of goal planning in all aspects of your life cannot be underestimated, especially since it is something that isn’t taught at school. The problem with lack of goals in your life is that you are directionless, a bit like a boat with no rudder. You could...

Do you have a number of accounts ranging from Bank and Building Society current and savings accounts to investments, pensions, mortgages, credit cards, loans etc? Do you find it time consuming managing a number of accounts? If so, then join the club! I used to find it...

Private medical insurance. One of those things you’re relieved you’ve got when you need it, and regularly re-consider when you don’t. I have had private medical insurance for the last 25 years but have only made a serious claim under a policy twice; once for a torn...

Last December when we had heavy snow, I managed to lose my entire set of keys. My car keys, my house keys, my post box key, my wife’s house keys, my car charging port key, and all of my store cards too. I inadvertently dropped them in the snow and didn’t hear them...

No blog on the subject of investments would be complete without mention of the Rule of 72. So what exactly is the Rule of 72? Albert Einstein is attributed with stating that “The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.” Whilst it is disputed that...