The recent pension landscape has been dominated by the controversy surrounding the proposed changes to public sector pensions. Whilst it is understandable that public sector workers and public sector unions should be concerned, this has only served to distract public attention from a forthcoming pension reform that will affect a greater proportion of the working [...]

Sentiment when it comes to the stock market is like a disease. Once fear sets in the contagion spreads very quickly as we have seen over the past couple of weeks. I could not pick up a paper over the weekend without reading about how much of a mess we are in particularly from some [...]

I recently completed a client review in which I was able to give the client the good news that their bespoke equity portfolio which targets “high growth small cap companies” had returned a staggering 70% growth in the last 12 months. I have to stress that the aim of this type of portfolio is to [...]

Last week, I read extracts from a report by Saga that apparently some lawyers and financial advisers may be exploiting bereaved families by overcharging for probate.

Scene four of the Euro tragedy is now playing out with great drama on the financial stage in Italy. Against a back drop of massive debt and plummeting share price, industrialists and workers are now in revolt over the recent austerity measures announced by the country’s finance minister. The show is certainly over. Despite rumblings [...]

Peter Botham is chief investment officer at Brown Shipley and has extensive investment knowledge. We have invited Peter again to give us his update on the economic outlook. “A lot of effort for little return” is doubtless a conclusion that many investors will have arrived at. Since the start of this year markets of all [...]

Last week saw thousands of teachers and other public sector workers participate in a one day strike over proposed changes to public sector pension schemes.

I was not surprised to read about the Financial Services Authority (FSA) latest concerns that wealth management businesses are not always investing clients’ money appropriately.

During my weekly cricket match on a Saturday, I bumped into the father of an old friend. The chap who I have known for a number of years is an IFA and has been for some considerable time. I often enjoy our conversations because it gives me an insight into the dark ages of financial [...]

Two recent surveys, one by HSBC and the other by Scottish Widows, have highlighted that the ostrich generation (the generation immediately following the baby boomers) faces a difficult retirement because it has not understood and adapted to the changing nature of retirement provision in the UK. Many of the 30 to 50 year olds surveyed [...]