Recent Articles

House models and one with REIT - standing for real estate investment trust - written on it.
Investing Articles

Targeting passive income? Why every investor should consider REITs 

Mark Hartley explains how real estate investment trust rules provide big benefits to shareholders, making them attractive to income investors.

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Investing Articles

How investors can prepare as the FTSE 100 succumbs to market jitters

Mark Hartley explains how defensive rebalancing can help limit the risk of losses as the FTSE 100 continues to slide.

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Investing Articles

£20,000 in savings? Here’s 1 method to target an annual second income of £15,000 or more

Find out how UK dividend shares help investors generate a steady second income stream with consistency and careful diversification.

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DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

9.3% yield and P/E of just 8.6! Could this be the best value stock on the FTSE today?

While hunting for opportunities in value stocks, Mark Hartley uncovered one with a surprisingly high yield. What's the catch?

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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 an ISA to target a £3,333 monthly passive income?

Using dividend shares to target passive income can be a useful way to achieve a more comfortable retirement. Here’s one…

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Investing Articles

Down 20%! Has a stock market dip created a value opportunity in this UK growth share?

Mark Hartley investigates a potential value opportunity in 3i Group, after last month’s wobbly stock market sent it plunging 20%.

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Portsmouth, England, June 2018, Portsmouth port in the late evening
Investing Articles

What will happen to the UK stock market in 2026? Here’s what experts think

UK stocks have had one of the best years of the century, but can that momentum continue into 2026? Our…

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Friends and sisters exploring the outdoors together in Cornwall. They are standing with their arms around each other at the coast.
Investing Articles

I asked ChatGPT what dividend shares I should buy for retirement. Its answer was amusing

Mark Hartley isn't convinced by ChatGPT’s attempt at picking dividend shares for retirement. But the results were entertaining nonetheless.

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Aviva logo on glass meeting room door
Investing Articles

How many Aviva shares do we need to target £3,000 of passive income a year?

Aviva shares have been an outlier in the UK insurance sector in the past five years, achieving spectacular returns. Our…

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Red lorry on M1 motorway in motion near London
Investing Articles

With a 23% annual return, could this growth stock be too good to ignore?

Mark Hartley investigates the long-term prospects of a FTSE 250 growth stock that’s delivered average returns of 23% a year…

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Young mixed-race woman jumping for joy in a park with confetti falling around her
Investing Articles

Stock market crash? More like stock market cash!

Ever the optimist, Mark Hartley examines ways to turn a potential stock market crash into an opportunity to scoop up…

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Logo outside Admiral offices
Investing Articles

After an 86% dividend boost, I think Admiral Group’s one of the best income shares to consider buying now

Looking for dividend shares to buy in 2026? Our writer thinks Admiral Group's a top contender to think about after…

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Young Caucasian man making doubtful face at camera
Investing Articles

At a 5-year low, is it time to call it a day on my Greggs shares?

Mark Hartley considers biting the bullet and taking a loss as his Greggs shares are one of the worst-performing stocks…

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Mother At Home Getting Son Wearing Uniform Ready For First Day Of School
Investing Articles

Lloyds’ share price: with £1 in sight, is it time for cheer or fear?

As the Lloyds shares price continues to hit record highs, there could be trouble on the horizon. Mark Hartley considers…

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Fans of Warren Buffett taking his photo
Investing Articles

Warren Buffett’s written his final farewell. His lessons are his legacy

After 60 years at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett has written his final letter to shareholders. But how…

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Close-up as a woman counts out modern British banknotes.
Investing Articles

Got a spare £100 a month? If so, here’s a way to target £10k in passive income

Mark Hartley breaks down a simple dividend investment plan for a multi-year journey towards achieving a lucrative passive income stream.

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Chalkboard representation of risk versus reward on a pair of scales
Investing Articles

2 low-risk, high-yield FTSE 100 shares to consider for 2026

Investors aiming for long-term passive income should focus on dividend reliability. Our writer identifies two FTSE 100 stocks to consider.

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Light bulb with growing tree.
Investing Articles

Here’s how much £5k of FTSE shares 10 years ago would be worth now…

Mark Hartley calculates the combined 10-year return on FTSE shares and explains how investors can identify top growth stocks to…

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Investing Articles

At a 5-year high, are Barclays’ shares still good value among UK banks?

After taking a breather, Barclays' shares are back on their upward trajectory – but are they still a good buy?…

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Wall Street sign in New York City
Investing Articles

The S&P 500 keeps rising despite weak results. I’m buying this instead

The S&P 500 keeps rising even as the cracks start to show. As a risk-averse investor, Mark Hartley has his…

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Low angle close up color image depicting a man holding a shopping basked filled with essential fresh groceries like bread and milk in the supermarket.
Investing Articles

With a 7.6% yield, could this REIT be a passive income gem in 2026?

Mark Hartley takes a closer look at the recovering UK property market and how it could make 2026 a great…

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Black father holding daughter in a field of cows
Investing Articles

Up 120% this year! How is this dividend share still undervalued?

Most stocks fit into one of three categories: growth, income or value. It isn’t often an investor gets all three.…

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Petrochemical engineer working at night with digital tablet inside oil and gas refinery plant
Investing Articles

Should I buy this fastest-growing stock on the FTSE 250?

Why is Ceres Power up 50% this month and will it keep growing? Mark Hartley takes a closer look at…

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Female Tesco employee holding produce crate
Investing Articles

My Tesco shares are near an all-time high — here’s why I’m still buying more

Mark Hartley explains why he plans to keep buying more Tesco shares even as they trade near record highs. And…

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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

9%+ yields! These high-payout income shares look too good to be true

High yields are the goal when it comes to passive income shares, but not all are reliable. Mark Hartley considers…

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British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

2 super-cheap dividend shares to consider while they’re still penny stocks

Our writer considers the prospects of two cheap dividend shares that may not be considered penny stocks for much longer.…

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US Tariffs street sign
Investing Articles

Will a US stock market crash hit the UK? Here’s what experts think

Mark Hartley considers the benefits of weighting a portfolio towards defensive UK shares as the US stock market looks increasingly…

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Road 2025 to 2032 new year direction concept
Investing Articles

Hunting cheap AI shares to buy? Consider these 2 promising start-ups

Mark Hartley details why he believes investors keen on the AI boom may want to consider these two shares to…

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BUY AND HOLD spelled in letters on top of a pile of books. Alongside is a piggy bank in glasses. Buy and hold is a popular long term stock and shares strategy.
Investing Articles

This is how I pick dividend shares for my passive income portfolio

Mark Hartley breaks down his tried-and-tested method of picking reliable dividend stocks to target long-term passive income well into retirement.

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A young black man makes the symbol of a peace sign with two fingers
Investing Articles

2 of my favourite FTSE 100 stocks are looking great in November

Mark Hartley is looking forward to a great month leading into the festive season, with two of his top FTSE…

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Businessman using pen drawing line for increasing arrow from 2024 to 2025
Investing Articles

Lloyds continues share buybacks despite a 36% profit plunge. Risk or opportunity?

Despite ongoing challenges, the Lloyds share price continues to hit new highs. Mark Hartley looks into the reasons behind the…

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Portrait of pensive bearded senior looking on screen of laptop sitting at table with coffee cup.
Investing Articles

At a 27-year low, will this once-grand FTSE 100 giant be relegated to the FTSE 250 soon?

After a tough year, WPP’s share price has plummeted. But with AI adoption and new leadership, could the advertising giant…

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estate agent welcoming a couple to house viewing
Investing Articles

With 118% earnings growth, analysts think this value share could soar 70% in the coming 12 months!

Mark Hartley takes a closer look at a small-cap British value share that's been tipped to rally in the coming…

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Happy young plus size woman sitting at kitchen table and watching tv series on tablet computer
Investing Articles

Is ITV still a good dividend shares pick after today’s trading update?

ITV has long been a firm favourite among UK investors hunting for top dividend shares. But is it still a…

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Family in protective face masks in airport
Investing Articles

2 UK shares to consider ahead of next week’s trading updates

Mark Hartley looks at two UK shares with trading updates scheduled for next week. Could new guidance provide an opportunity…

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Businessman hand stacking money coins with virtual percentage icons
Investing Articles

50,000 shares of this 12%-yielding small-cap could deliver this much second income…

With an above-average yield and a cheap share price, this micro-cap stock could deliver a decent second income. But is…

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

I can’t believe ChatGPT picked these 3 growth stocks as its top choices…

While hunting growth stocks, our writer decided to test various AI chatbots. The results were a bit surprising, to say…

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Exterior of BT head office - One Braham, London
Investing Articles

What can investors expect from the BT dividend yield ahead of this week’s results?

Mark Hartley looks at analyst forecasts to get a better idea how this week’s results could affect BT’s dividend yield…

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Young woman holding up three fingers
Investing Articles

3 FTSE shares that could rally this week if earnings updates impress 

Mark Hartley takes a closer look at the forecasts for three massive blue-chip FTSE shares ahead of this week’s busy…

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Young black colleagues high-fiving each other at work
Investing Articles

50,000 shares of this 44p penny stock could deliver £1,650 in passive income

A cheap penny stock with a 7.5% dividend yield is a rare find on the UK stock market. Mark Hartley…

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