In this blog:

1. The storm elements in western France

2. The storm elements in the investment atmosphere

3. Data driven research.

Some guarantees cost more than others – is your money at risk? In this blog:

1. What’s in a rate?

2. Understanding preference shares

As a company we are probably unique in having a section in our website that outlines for you how to write and give a eulogy. In this blog:

1. “With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.”

2. “A billion here, a billion there …”

Here’s some good news (not in the headlines or Today on R4). And if someone runs $27bn, we’d like to hear what they think. In this blog:

1. A key part of inflation has gone negative

2. Here comes the bill

3. ‘The weirdest time in 40 years’

In 1992 Marc and Robert spun out a company from the MIT ‘leg lab’ that worked on developing robotics. In 2004 they demonstrated BigDog, which you’ll probably have seen. With the seed development already done at MIT it took the team twelve years to get to here – I don’t who was funding this, who the backers were/are, and surely in robotics there can be no certainty.

Interest rates are up, gilt yields are up, and the Sunday Times is covered in adverts and editorials talking about annuities; we look at the numbers, not the commentaries. In this blog:

1. t’s all in the maths

2. “Colin” the Client’s Story

In this blog:

1. Don’t retire until you want to

2. The sweet spot in retirement

3. A big list of things to do over the next 12 months while you’re in the sweet spot.

It’s important to get what you’ve already paid for throughout your life, including your full state pension. If you haven’t done so already, then you can follow the outline below from Ian, our project director, who has had spells working in both the US and Switzerland. Here’s his take on how to find out and fix any gaps.

Inflation: CPI vs RPI. Saving with banks whose names you can’t pronounce, and living on a budget

I came across the story in the New York Times last week; I can’t add anything to the explanation, so I’ve just quoted. You’ll agree that such Trumpian errors are scary…

Gas and water bills, council tax and house insurance – some expenses are utterly predictable and though not guaranteed to be charged to us, the rational expectation is that they will be. Technically speaking every company in the FTSE 100 could pay no dividends this year, however the rational expectation is that they will: ‘rational’ because…

When King Charles was a prince there was a long-running tale that he never carried money; that was probably correct as he has always had people to do that for him. I suspect, however, that he has probably never…

Since its founding, Black Hills has paid a dividend to its shareholders every year, for 81 consecutive years. This endows Black Hills with a place in the US’s Dividend Kings, though the longest run of increases belongs to American States Water at 67 years. Looking across the pond at dividends we see that

Financial advice from my Cypriot barber (credit card machine out of order again…), and how to walk like a duck called Warren Buffett.

If you looked at the UK charts only in February ’74, you’d be excused for believing the quality of music in that year was – hmmm – odd. If you viewed 1974’s music by the best-selling albums for the whole year you’d have a completely different view. How does that relate to your investments?

Everything is relative, including wealth, yours and theirs. This week I talk about… You - a perspective. And a type of calendar that I can’t imagine being a worse item to have in your house.

Death and Taxes: financial planning can help with both of them.

And the difference between cost and value: only concern yourself with the areas that make a difference.

The Investors’ Chronicle is a virtual bible for DIY investors and we were recently asked to comment on and critique one reader’s portfolio and planning – he was seeking ideas and reassurance as he steps confidently to his impending retirement.

Dying more quickly - the bad news and the good news. Be careful what you wish for, it might bite. And what happened when I was asked by a journalist from the Times to “mark” financial advice provided by ChatGPT (artificial intelligence).

Legal & General is at 8.18%, Aviva is at 7.38%, Phoenix is at 9.51%: if you held all four of these insurers equally in your ISA those income yields average at 8.99% per year. Two obvious questions arise – why, and should you?