Blog
First-principles thinking helps reverse-engineer complicated problems. The idea is to break something down to its base elements. We can then reassemble them from the ground up. This approach was used by the philosopher Aristotle. Elon Musk and Charlie Munger are among those who use it now. It allows them to cut through the fog of
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There are many benefits of turning using a financial planner. Financial planners have the expertise to advise on how best to achieve your goals. They can play a role in deciding where to invest your money to ensure it is working hard in pursuit of your ambitions. You are bound to think about how safe
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A report on the front page of Wednesday’s Financial Times has added weight to the possibility. It has highlighted a quirk of the calculation which could cost the Government dearly if no changes are made. To understand why we need to understand the fundamentals of the Triple Lock. The increase each April is the greater
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Deferring the state pension is the default option. If you do not claim it the Government will not pay it to you. For a lot of people, this might be a better option for them. Of course, you need to think about how long you defer for too. Factors to consider As with all pension
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Markets have continued to make progress in May, encouraged by further evidence in the developed world of an easing of both Covid-19 related deaths and new cases. There is strong evidence the lockdown measures put in place in Europe have delivered the desired results. Countries such as Denmark and Germany, where restrictions have eased more
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There is a growing unease about the economic fallout of COVID-19. Many businesses are laying off contractors and putting staff on extended leave. There is also the natural worry about contracting the disease. What this crisis has shown is being unable to work can turn our world upside down. No one likes to think something
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More than a fifth of UK households live in privately rented accommodation. The Government has introduced measures to protect renters affected by COVID-19. This radical package of measures protects renters and landlords affected by COVID 19. With these in force, no renter in either social or private accommodation will be forced out of their home.
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Although many spend a lot of time trying to, no one can accurately predict the future. If I could, I doubt the Governments of the world let me spend my time dealing with investment portfolios. Because we do not know which investments will outperform, we invest money into a wide variety of them. We know
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Something happened yesterday which has never happened before. The Debt Management Office (DMO), the Treasury arm charged with the task of selling government debt, sold £3.8bn worth of gilts at a negative yield. The stock concerned was 0¾% Treasury 2023 and the average yield was -0.003%. There was no shortage of market interest as they could have
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a Accumulation Units A type of fund where any income generated (dividends/savings interest) is used to purchase more units in the fund. An accumulation unit will have ‘Acc’ at the end of the fund name. This differs from Income Units. Allocation Rate The insurer may decide to allocate more or less than the contribution to
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