News and Views

I don’t know about you but I get fed up with being offered worthless warranties, especially whenever I buy electronic items or household white goods.  I’ve always felt that the likelihood of a claim is so remote it’s not worth it. Even if an item were to need a...

At the time of writing this blog The CCM Intelligent Wealth Fund is just 13 months old.  We have already experienced a lot of changes during this time, so much so  we felt that a revamp of the fund’s 9 investment themes was overdue.  So what we have done is to...

The great Albert Einstein once said “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world.  He who understands it, earns it…..he who doesn’t…..pays it.” So what is compound interest?  It is essentially earning interest on your interest which occurs when you constantly...

Most people are aware of the three rules of property investing.  Wait for it. It’s dead easy to memorise.  Location, location, location!  It’s really that simple. I’ve always loved simple rules.  In fact, I love anything that is simplified, as do our clients.  This is...

A number of clients have approached me in recent years and asked me whether or not they should continue contributing into their pension after exceeding the Lifetime Allowance.  The answer isn’t straightforward because it very much depends on each individual’s personal...

If a final salary pension scheme member claims their pension early before the scheme retirement age, the pension and lump sum (where appropriate) is actuarially reduced to pay for this early payment.  The member may have the option to buy out this reduction and take...

I have always been sceptical about state pension deferment mainly because I, like many other people, fundamentally do not trust the government.  Why would the government offer to pay you more money to defer your state pension unless it saved the government money?...

In my personal experience female investors tend to be lower risk investors than their male counterparts.  I have lost count of the number of times a husband’s attitude to investment risk has scored higher than his wife’s.  I estimate that in 9 out of 10 cases this is...

The title of this week’s blog has no doubt intrigued our readers. Good Money Week is the campaign to help grow and raise awareness of sustainable, responsible and ethical finance. This year, it takes place between 5th -  11th October 2019. This organisation brings...

As most readers of my blogs are our clients they will be aware that we operate a system of asset allocation, or diversification of risk, by investing our clients’ money across the 4 main asset classes of equities, bonds, property and cash and reviewing it regularly....

Status Quo is an English rock band who plays boogie rock as many of our older clients know.  They have had a long list of hits over the years. Particularly memorable songs include Caroline, Rockin’ All Over The World, Down Down et al.  These hits were at the pinnacle...

  A year ago or so, I was being interviewed by Mike Barry on the radio show MK Today and was asked by Mike if investors should invest in London Capital & Finance mini bonds paying interest of up to 8.5% per annum. A quick internet search on my iPad during the show...

The world’s greatest investor, Warren Buffett, is famous for being what’s known as a “buy and hold” investor.  In other words, he finds great stocks with fantastic brands such as Coca Cola and American Express, then invests in the long term, sometimes for decades.  As...

  If you haven’t had your estate planning reviewed for more than four years it is highly likely it is out of date and not fit for purpose, unless yours is a very small estate.  For individuals or couples with estates worth £1 million or more, legislation has changed...

At the time of writing this blog a Brexit deal with the EU seems highly unlikely, thank goodness.  Two years ago there was a referendum. The result was a 52%:48% vote in favour of leaving the EU. There is nothing in EU legislation or rules that require a divorce...

For those of you in the know, the popular acronym of FAANGs stands for Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google.  Up until the last quarter of 2018 these shares were considered by most people to be virtually unstoppable. This resulted in many investors investing...

Back in the nineties there was a fund manager called Johnson Fry who specialised in innovative, exciting, high risk, tax efficient investments. It was led by Charles Fry who eventually sold it to Legg Mason in 2000. One of its most interesting funds was the M&G Worst...

The world of finance and numbers has been a lifetime passion and fascination to me. I can’t explain why. I guess I am just as passionate about figures as David Attenborough is about nature and wildlife. It’s simply in my blood. One of the most historically interesting...