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Cliff D'Arcy

My first loves were Maths and Physics. After studying Maths, Stats and Computer Science in the late 80s, I worked in the financial sector from 1987 to 2002. I then joined The Motley Fool's writing team in January 2003 and left in November 2005. Since then, I have been a freelance financial writer. My primary goal is to help people manage their money better by making sensible financial decisions!

Recent Articles

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Investing Articles

Does ChatGPT suggest selling this S&P 500 stock, down 30% in 2025?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The share price of this S&P 500 stalwart has crashed by over 30% in the last 12 months. Yes, I'm…

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Passive income text with pin graph chart on business table
Investing Articles

How to build passive income starting with just £3 a day

| Cliff D'Arcy

Starting with only £3 a day, it's possible to build a pot worth £200,000 over decades. But which investments does…

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UK coloured flags waving above large crowd on a stadium sport match.
Dividend Shares

Shock news: over 1 year, the FTSE 100 is beating the S&P 500!

| Cliff D'Arcy

For most of the last 15 years, the US S&P 500 index has thrashed the UK's FTSE 100. However, this…

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Dividend Shares

Check out this powerful passive income share for 2026

| Cliff D'Arcy

The great thing about passive income is that I don't have to work to earn it. Making money while I…

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Surprised Black girl holding teddy bear toy on Christmas
Dividend Shares

December is the best month for the FTSE 100 and UK shares!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Since the FTSE 100 was founded in 1984, December has been by far the best month to own UK shares.…

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Investing Articles

Down 94%, could the Ocado share price go to zero?

| Cliff D'Arcy

In autumn 2020, the Ocado share price leapt above £29. Now it's below £2 after plunging this year. Is there…

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Businessman with tablet, waiting at the train station platform
Dividend Shares

5 potential problems with building passive income

| Cliff D'Arcy

Passive income is my favourite form of earnings, as it doesn't require working for a living. But making extra money…

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Portrait of elderly man wearing white denim shirt and glasses looking up with hand on chin. Thoughtful senior entrepreneur, studio shot against grey background.
Dividend Shares

Down 49% in 2025, when will the Greggs share price stop plunging?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Greggs share price has almost halved in 2025, with no signs of braking this fall. However, I expect this…

Read more »

Portrait of elderly man wearing white denim shirt and glasses looking up with hand on chin. Thoughtful senior entrepreneur, studio shot against grey background.
Dividend Shares

Can Unilever shares break their 5-year curse?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Bad news for British investors: Unilever shares have gone nowhere for the past five years. However, their dividend yield looks…

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UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

How Diageo shares became the laughing stock of the FTSE 100

| Cliff D'Arcy

Diageo shares have lost 26% of their value in just 12 months. With sales slipping and no permanent CEO, this…

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Businessman with tablet, waiting at the train station platform
Investing Articles

7.5% dividend yield! But is this FTSE 250 share a value trap?

| Cliff D'Arcy

This well-known FTSE 250 share offers a juicy dividend yield of nearly 7.5% a year. But is this stock a…

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Dividend Shares

I gobbled up Greggs shares. Was I a silly sausage?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Due to slower sales growth and higher costs, Greggs shares have almost halved in 2025. So far, buying this FTSE…

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Investing Articles

Up 50% in 2025, this ‘dull’ FTSE 100 share is beating Tesla stock!

| Cliff D'Arcy

While Tesla is the #1 meme stock among many global investors, returns have cooled over the last five years. Even…

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Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

Will Rachel Reeves crash the Lloyds share price on 26 November?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Lloyds share price has had a fantastic run since 2020, soaring by 213% over five years. However, there may…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Dividend Shares

These 3 FTSE 100 super-shares pay £18.6bn a year in passive income!

| Cliff D'Arcy

These three mega-cap stocks are set to pay £18.6bn in share dividends for 2025. The only way to collect some…

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Investing Articles

US stocks look bubbly. Will the stock market crash in 2025?

| Cliff D'Arcy

After hitting 30+ new record highs in 2025, the US stock market looks pretty pricey. The risk of a crash…

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Two business people sitting at cafe working on new project using laptop. Young businesswoman taking notes and businessman working on laptop computer.
Investing Articles

Up to £1,711 a year in passive income from £20k and just 3 FTSE 100 shares? It’s possible

| Cliff D'Arcy

These three FTSE 100 shares offer some of the highest dividend yields around. Investing £20k in them produces a passive…

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UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

Here’s why the FTSE 100 is my #1 pick in global markets

| Cliff D'Arcy

Since the financial crisis of 2007/09, US stocks have thrashed UK shares. Though this trend has recently reversed, the FTSE…

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British flag, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and British flag composition
Investing Articles

Over 5 years, this ‘boring’ FTSE 100 share has thrashed Tesla stock!

| Cliff D'Arcy

In recent years, Tesla stock has been one of the wonders of the US stock market. However, this dull FTSE…

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Middle-aged white man wearing glasses, staring into space over the top of his laptop in a coffee shop
Dividend Shares

When will the Diageo share price stop diving?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Diageo share price has been a disaster for shareholders, plunging by 29% over one year and 30% over five…

Read more »

Google office headquarters
Investing Articles

Are the fears about Alphabet stock finally over?

| Cliff D'Arcy

As the US stock market hits fresh all-time highs, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite look pretty pricey. Meanwhile, Alphabet…

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Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Dividend Shares

Is this S&P 500 stock far too cheap to ignore?

| Cliff D'Arcy

After hitting record high after record high in 2025, the S&P 500 looks very pricey indeed. However, there are still…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

The FTSE 100 is paying out £130bn this year. Where’s your share?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Analysts predict that FTSE 100 shareholders will collect £130.4bn in cash dividends and share buybacks in 2025. Here's how we…

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Investing Articles

Legal & General wasted £500m on its own shares. Or did it?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Legal & General spent £500m of shareholders' money to buy shares now worth just £488m. Was this a big mistake,…

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Google office headquarters
Investing Articles

Is Alphabet stock worth buying at its all-time high?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Alphabet stock has skyrocketed since the lows of November 2022, when I bought the shares. But after rebounding from April's…

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Two business people sitting at cafe working on new project using laptop. Young businesswoman taking notes and businessman working on laptop computer.
Investing Articles

How to claim your share of £80bn in passive income from FTSE 100 shares

| Cliff D'Arcy

Analysts expect FTSE 100 shares to pay out £80.4bn in dividends this year. Here's how my family grabs our share…

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Fans of Warren Buffett taking his photo
Investing Articles

Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway are selling more Apple stock

| Cliff D'Arcy

After building a massive stake in Apple stock, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has been selling down its holding. What's the…

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Investing Articles

The world’s largest investor loves this FTSE 250 share!

| Cliff D'Arcy

The world's largest investor controls a vast fund worth £1.42trn ($1.92trn). This fund invests heavily in UK shares, especially this…

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The flag of the United States of America flying in front of the Capitol building
Investing Articles

This is nuts. When’s the stock-market crash?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Share prices keep hitting record highs in 2025. The bad news for investors is that asset prices look inflated, which…

Read more »

Portrait of elderly man wearing white denim shirt and glasses looking up with hand on chin. Thoughtful senior entrepreneur, studio shot against grey background.
Investing Articles

After surging 72% in a year, are Barclays shares worth buying?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Barclays shares have staged a remarkable recovery since October 2023. And, over five years, they have beaten Tesla stock! But…

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Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

Is it better to invest in the FTSE 100 or S&P 500?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Over periods ranging from one year to 20 years, the S&P 500 index has thrashed the UK's FTSE 100. But…

Read more »

Young woman working at modern office. Technical price graph and indicator, red and green candlestick chart and stock trading computer screen background.
Investing Articles

Will Rachel Reeves rescue the Lloyds share price?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Chancellor Rachel Reeves and other lawmakers are worried about this compensation scheme harming banks. Might this be a boost for…

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Two business people sitting at cafe working on new project using laptop. Young businesswoman taking notes and businessman working on laptop computer.
Investing Articles

This passive income of 8.4% a year looks delicious to me!

| Cliff D'Arcy

My key goal is to retire early to travel and enjoy life after work. Hence, I'll need heaps of passive…

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Investing Articles

Down 51% from its high, the Diageo share price bounces back!

| Cliff D'Arcy

It's been steeply downhill for the Diageo share price since the all-time highs of late-2021. But maybe, just maybe, this…

Read more »

Passive income text with pin graph chart on business table
Dividend Shares

How £100 a week can turn into £47,065 a year in passive income

| Cliff D'Arcy

Could I really turn £400 a month into an income of over £47,000 a year? The secret involves mixing some…

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Mindful young woman breathing out with closed eyes, calming down in stressful situation, working on computer in modern kitchen.
Investing Articles

These 3 FTSE 100 shares have crashed over 1 year!

| Cliff D'Arcy

These three FTSE 100 flops have had a torrid 12 months, with their share prices collapsing as much as 43%.…

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Happy woman commuting on a train and checking her mobile phone while using headphones
Investing Articles

It’s been a great 5 years for Lloyds shares. What next?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Lloyds shares have had a fantastic half-decade, easily beating the FTSE 100 index over this period. But are these good…

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Stack of British pound coins falling on list of share prices
Investing Articles

Is ‘SIMAGA’ the secret to avoiding stock market crashes?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Is there any way for investors to avoid stock market crashes? This method worked for centuries, but is now breaking…

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Middle-aged white man wearing glasses, staring into space over the top of his laptop in a coffee shop
Investing Articles

Greggs shares slump again, but could go on a (sausage) roll

| Cliff D'Arcy

After sales growth fell during the heatwave, Greggs shares were battered. But I suspect the bad news is fully baked…

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Front view of a young couple walking down terraced Street in Whitley Bay in the north-east of England they are heading into the town centre and deciding which shops to go to they are also holding hands and carrying bags over their shoulders.
Investing Articles

What is passive income, anyway? And why do I love it so much?

| Cliff D'Arcy

A Russian proverb states, "Those who take no risks, drink no Champagne". So that's why I use these simple investments…

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