Recent Articles

Emma Raducanu for Vodafone billboard animation at Piccadilly Circus, London
Investing Articles

Vodafone shares or BT? Which should I consider buying?

UK telecoms stocks are booming, with Vodafone's shares doing particularly well. James Beard compares the FTSE 100’s two largest in…

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Investing Articles

I don’t care if the stock market crashes. I’m still buying cheap UK shares

Some commentators are expecting a stock market crash. But should investors ignore these gloomy predictions and carry on investing?

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Investing Articles

Could Lloyds shares reach £1.50 in 2026?

Having smashed through the 100p barrier, could Lloyds shares rise another 50% in 2026? Or might they come back down…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

Down 28%, this FTSE 250 share offers a 9.5% dividend yield for investors

This FTSE 250 stock appears to be offering an outstanding passive income opportunity. But is its near-10% dividend yield too…

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Investing Articles

As Warren Buffett retires, what have been his best pieces of advice to investors?

After six decades in charge of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett stood down at the end of last year. But what…

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Investing Articles

Are these some of the best UK shares to buy now?

James Beard examines two UK shares that are among the FTSE 100’s worst performers. Might they be hidden gems ready…

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Investing Articles

If a 55-year-old puts £1,000 a month into a SIPP, here’s what they could have by retirement

A Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) is a brilliant way to build a nest egg for a more financially secure retirement.…

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Investing Articles

How many BP shares do I need to buy for £500 a month in passive income?

The UK stock market is stuffed full of dividend shares. But how many of this ever-present FTSE 100 legend are…

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Golden hand holding Number 2 foil balloon.
Investing Articles

2 magnificent investment trusts to consider for a Stocks and Shares ISA in 2026

At the start of the new year, James Beard takes a look at two (or maybe it should be 128)…

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Emma Raducanu for Vodafone billboard animation at Piccadilly Circus, London
Investing Articles

Buying 5,000 Vodafone shares generates a passive income of…

Vodafone has announced plans to increase its dividend in 2026. Is now the time to consider buying the telecoms group’s…

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Rolls-Royce Hydrogen Test Rig at Loughborough University
Investing Articles

At £12.87, are Rolls-Royce shares still a slam-dunk buy?

Rolls-Royce Holdings shares are flying high. Could the post-pandemic surge continue in 2026 or is there little value left in…

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ISA Individual Savings Account
Investing Articles

How much do you need in a Stocks and Shares ISA to aim for £766.60 of weekly passive income?

James Beard considers how much needs to be held in a Stocks and Shares ISA to generate a weekly income…

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Modern apartments on both side of river Irwell passing through Manchester city centre, UK.
Investing Articles

Buying 16 shares of this FTSE 100 stock each week could unlock £1,000 in passive income

The FTSE 100 is full of lucrative dividend-paying stocks that investors can consider to build a passive income stream. James…

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Investing Articles

Lloyds shares have risen 80% in a year. How many more do you now need to target £100 of monthly passive income?

Lloyds shares have historically been good for dividends. In light of the stock’s recent rally, James Beard considers whether this…

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Woman riding her old fashioned bicycle along the Beach Esplanade at Aberdeen, Scotland.
Investing Articles

How much do you need in a SIPP to target £5,000 a month of passive income in retirement?

An increasing number of people are using SIPPs to manage their own retirement funds. But how much is needed to…

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Investing Articles

How much do you need in an ISA to target £1,101 monthly passive income?

Our writer explains why he thinks a Stocks and Shares ISA is a great way of investing in passive income…

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Investing Articles

How much do you need in an ISA to target a £513.75 monthly passive income?

Our writer reckons a Stocks and Shares ISA is a great way of building a second income. But what an…

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Middle-aged white man pulling an aggrieved face while looking at a screen
Investing Articles

What can we learn from Elvis Presley and Albert Einstein about investing in the stock market?

In coming up with an article about the UK stock market, James Beard draws inspiration from two of the 20th…

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Investing Articles

The JD Sports share price has tanked after a broker downgrade. But I remain optimistic

On 6 January, a downgrade by the Bank of America sent the JD Sports Fashion share price sharply lower. But…

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Investing Articles

With an 8.7% forecast dividend yield, is this top FTSE 100 passive income stock an unmissable bargain?

This FTSE 100 income stock has a dividend yield higher than all others on the index. And its payout’s forecast…

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Investing Articles

3 reasons why the BP share price could outperform Shell’s in 2026

The last year in which the BP share price did better than that of its closest rival was 2022. But…

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Warren Buffett at a Berkshire Hathaway AGM
Investing Articles

Warren Buffett looks at a company’s balance sheet first. So what does BP’s tell us?

Warren Buffett thinks investors should focus more on a company’s assets and liabilities. With this in mind, James Beard takes…

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Investing Articles

Will the FTSE 100’s top 10 performers in 2025 continue their success in 2026?

At the start of the new year, James Beard looks at the FTSE 100’s 2025 winners and considers their prospects…

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ISA Individual Savings Account
Investing Articles

How much do you need in a Stocks and Shares ISA to target £10,000 of passive income in 2026?

Our writer explains how a few dividend shares and a Stocks and Shares ISA could help someone aim for a…

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Workers at Whiting refinery, US
Investing Articles

Is now the time to consider BP shares for my SIPP?

One of the FTSE 100’s oil and gas giants has agreed to sell part of its stake in Castrol. James…

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

Could the 10% yield on this FTSE 250 dividend share go higher still in 2026?

Already one of the highest-yielding stocks on the FTSE 250, James Beard considers what a recent acquisition means for this…

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Black woman using loudspeaker to be heard
Investing Articles

Martin Lewis is talking about stocks and shares. Is it time to listen to the ‘most trusted man in Britain’?

James Beard reckons it’s worth listening to what Martin Lewis, the self-styled ‘Money Saving Expert’, recently said about investing in…

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UK supporters with flag
Investing Articles

The FTSE 100 beat the S&P 500 in 2025. 3 reasons why UK shares could do it again in 2026

Perhaps surprisingly, UK shares outperformed their American cousins in 2025. But James Beard reckons history could be repeated again this…

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Passive and Active: text from letters of the wooden alphabet on a green chalk board
Investing Articles

Why it doesn’t pay to be passive when it comes to income shares

Passive income has some high-profile supporters. But as James Beard explains, this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good idea to…

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Investing Articles

Both the Lloyds and Vodafone share prices have risen above 100p. But could they move higher still in 2026?

It was a close-run race but the Vodafone share price has beaten Lloyds’ to get back to £1. James Beard…

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Bus waiting in front of the London Stock Exchange on a sunny day.
Investing Articles

As the FTSE 100 hits 10,000 for the first time, is it time to consider buying the stock that manages the index?

On Friday (2 January), the FTSE 100 broke through the 10,000-barrier. James Beard considers the prospects for the company that’s…

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Portrait Of Senior Couple Climbing Hill On Hike Through Countryside In Lake District UK Together
Investing Articles

I’ve just added this under-the-radar FTSE 100 stock to my SIPP

James Beard explains why he’s put this relatively unknown share in his Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP). And so far, he…

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Emma Raducanu for Vodafone billboard animation at Piccadilly Circus, London
Investing Articles

Analysts reckon the Vodafone share price is on the money. But I’m not so sure

James Beard disagrees with the consensus view of analysts, which predicts little movement in the Vodafone share price over the…

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Rolls-Royce's Pearl 10X engine series
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in Rolls-Royce shares 5 Christmases ago is now worth…

James Beard reflects on the post-pandemic Rolls-Royce share price rally and whether the group could become the UK’s most valuable…

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Investing Articles

Will the UK stock market crash in 2026?

James Beard considers the prospects for the UK stock market in 2026. In doing so, he also mentions the ‘C-word’…

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Investing Articles

Will the Lloyds share price be the FTSE 100’s dark horse in 2026, or its black sheep?

The Lloyds Banking Group share price has outperformed the FTSE 100 in 2025. With this in mind, our writer takes…

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Percy Pig Ocado van outside distribution centre
Investing Articles

When it comes to the Ocado share price, is it a case of ‘bye bye’ or ‘buy buy’?

Since the online retailer and technology group listed in July 2010, Ocado’s share price has been a huge disappointment. But…

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Middle-aged white man pulling an aggrieved face while looking at a screen
Growth Shares

I asked ChatGPT how much £10,000 invested in Lloyds shares 5 years ago is worth today? But it wasn’t very helpful…

Although often impressive, artificial intelligence has its flaws. James Beard found this out when he used it to try and…

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Surprised Black girl holding teddy bear toy on Christmas
Investing Articles

Who will be next year’s FTSE 100 Christmas cracker?

As we approach Christmas 2025, our writer identifies the FTSE 100’s star performer this year. But who will be number…

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Tesla building with tesla logo and two teslas in front
Investing Articles

275 times earnings! Am I the only person who thinks Tesla’s stock price is over-inflated?

Using conventional measures, James Beard reckons the Tesla stock price is expensive. Here, he considers why so many people appear…

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