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Malcolm Wheatley

Recent Articles

Aerial view of York downtown at night
Investing Articles

In adversity, lie opportunities

| Malcolm Wheatley

“Buy when there’s blood on the streets” is certainly one strategy — but opportunities are often more frequent.

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artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

Data-driven investing

| Malcolm Wheatley

You have an investment strategy of some sort. But is it succeeding — and how do you know? Even if…

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Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

Do plunging bond markets offer an opportunity?

| Malcolm Wheatley

The bond market is in free fall. Higher-than-usual yields, and possibly tax-free capital gains, are on offer for those prepared…

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Frustrated young white male looking disconsolate while sat on his sofa holding a beer
Investing Articles

Finance for the faint-hearted: disentangling financial ratios

| Malcolm Wheatley

You don’t ‘get’ all those numbers? You’re not alone: plenty of other investors don’t ‘get’ them either. Don’t be put…

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Long-term vs short-term investing concept on a staircase
Investing Articles

Diversify faster, with investment trusts

| Malcolm Wheatley

Tradable just like shares, investment trusts have long offered instant diversification and lower costs than funds. If trusts aren’t already…

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Young Black woman looking concerned while in front of her laptop
Investing Articles

The hidden downside to using investment platforms

| Malcolm Wheatley

Investment platforms have revolutionised investing, enabling millions to take the plunge. But in terms of enabling shareholder participation and monitoring,…

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Investing Articles

Shareholder perks: still out there, still worth having

| Malcolm Wheatley

Some companies offer shareholder benefits beyond the dividend. It varies from company to company, but such benefits can be well…

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Three signposts pointing in different directions, with 'Buy' 'Sell' and 'Hold' on
Investing Articles

When to sell, and when not

| Malcolm Wheatley

The evidence suggests that many investors get selling wrong. Disciplined when buying, they’re more impulsive when selling. It can be…

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Happy young female stock-picker in a cafe
Investing Articles

The value of a different perspective

| Malcolm Wheatley

Relying only on viewpoints that mesh with your own can be dangerous. Better by far to seek out different perspectives:…

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British union jack flag and Parliament house at city of Westminster in the background
Investing Articles

Fight your corner: investor taxation has gone too far

| Malcolm Wheatley

It’s not just dividend taxation that takes a bite out of investors’ returns — stamp duty does so, as well.

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Investing Articles

How well are your investments performing?

| Malcolm Wheatley

Are you beating the Footsie? • There’s now no shortage of portfolio-tracking tools, often available for free.

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photo of Union Jack flags bunting in local street party
Investing Articles

Bank of England to Britain: “Don’t ask us, we’re clueless”

| Malcolm Wheatley

The Bank of England’s rare talent for finding banana skins has struck again – twice. Accept that we’re poorer? No…

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Typical street lined with terraced houses and parked cars
Investing Articles

Royal Mail’s privatisation, 10 years on

| Malcolm Wheatley

It’s almost ten years since Royal Mail was privatised. The outcome has — so far — been a rare achievement:…

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

7 rules for investing success

| Malcolm Wheatley

It’s not that Buffett’s wrong — it’s that he’s not prescriptive enough... Seven rules guide investing success: follow them, and…

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Edinburgh Cityscape with fireworks over The Castle and Balmoral Clock Tower
Investing Articles

So is now the right time to invest?

| Malcolm Wheatley

Economic headwinds are easing. So should investors commit fresh funds to the stock market? Such calls are rarely straightforward. But…

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Calendar showing the date of 5th April on desk in a house
Investing Articles

3 investing resolutions for the new tax year

| Malcolm Wheatley

The UK ‘tax take’ is rocketing upwards — with investors being clobbered several ways. But things get even worse from…

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A Black father and daughter having breakfast at hotel restaurant
Collective

Can you really afford to retire seriously early?

| Malcolm Wheatley

Forget 66 or so: for the FIRE crowd, early retirement means retiring in your 40s or 50s. The problem: what…

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Young Black woman using a debit card at an ATM to withdraw money
Investing Articles

Teetering banks spook investors

| Malcolm Wheatley

Are we headed for 2007, 2008, or something else? No one knows. Banks may look cheap, but are probably bargepole…

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Mature couple at the beach
Investing Articles

How to spot a share price bargain

| Malcolm Wheatley

Finding cheap shares involves sieving through an awful lot of data, on an awful lot of companies. Focus on the…

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The Mall in Westminster, leading to Buckingham Palace
Investing Articles

The Footsie hits an all-time high — but don’t celebrate

| Malcolm Wheatley

The FTSE 100 has hit an all-time high of 7,902. But appearances are deceptive. The sagging pound does a lot…

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

If you don’t understand it, don’t invest in it

| Malcolm Wheatley

Simple and straightforward financial accounts are often associated with simple and straightforward business models — and with simple and straightforward…

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New year '2023' numbers on stacked wooden cubes
Collective

3 easy-to-keep investment New Year Resolutions

| Malcolm Wheatley

These resolutions won’t make you slimmer, fitter, or faster — but they should improve your investment performance.

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

Do optimists generate superior returns?

| Malcolm Wheatley

Many investors are biased towards the negative. But, believe it or not, things are getting better.

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White middle-aged woman in wheelchair shopping for food in delicatessen
Investing Articles

A better place to hunt for bargains in the FTSE indices

| Malcolm Wheatley

Right now, the UK's two leading indices’ performances have markedly diverged. For real bargains, look in the FTSE 250.

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Asian Indian male white collar worker on wheelchair having video conference with his business partners
Investing Articles

Markets are nervous. Why wait for shares to get expensive?

| Malcolm Wheatley

While the economics newsflow is improving, markets — rightly — remain nervous. Should you worry? I’d argue not: sit it…

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Elevated view over city of London skyline
Investing Articles

Navigating choppy waters

| Malcolm Wheatley

We've seen this movie before. There will be undoubted bargains — but also, very likely, basket cases.

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Gilt yields rocket to crazy levels

| Malcolm Wheatley

In the market turmoil, gilt yields have rocketed skywards. For my money, equities remain the better bet.

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Senior woman wearing glasses using laptop at home
Investing Articles

1.5 million pensioners are working. Convinced you want to join them?

| Malcolm Wheatley

The over-65s are heading back to the workforce — in droves. No one knows why, but the cost-of-living crisis is…

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Investing Articles

Why ignoring investment fads can boost your wealth

| Malcolm Wheatley

A year ago, investors couldn’t unload fossil fuel stocks fast enough. Now, they’re buying them back. The moral: beware investment…

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Shot of a senior man drinking coffee and looking thoughtfully out of a window
Investing Articles

Tempted to cut back on your pension investments? Don’t!

| Malcolm Wheatley

Evidence is emerging that people are cutting back on pension saving and investing. Doing so may be tempting, but the…

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Investing Articles

Go global for growth

| Malcolm Wheatley

The Bank of England’s latest forecasts make grim reading: hello, recession. Other countries look set to fare better. But are…

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Investing Articles

Are you sleepwalking your way to poverty?

| Malcolm Wheatley

At first glance, the capital required to fund a comfortable retirement can look out of reach. But run the figures,…

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Investing Articles

Might falling inflation see these preference shares’ trajectories suddenly reverse?

| Malcolm Wheatley

On inflationary worries, prices of preference shares have been beaten down — and even-higher inflation will drive them still lower.

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estate agent welcoming a couple to house viewing
Investing Articles

Are you missing out on Real Estate Investment Trusts?

| Malcolm Wheatley

Many investors overlook Real Estate Investment Trusts. Which is a shame, as it’s a decent way to get exposure to…

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Shot of a senior man drinking coffee and looking thoughtfully out of a window
Investing Articles

Markets are slumping. Should you worry?

| Malcolm Wheatley

Yes, markets are nervous. Yes, the economic news is darkening. But look at the facts, and the supposed gloom seems…

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Investing Articles

Just because it’s plausible, doesn’t mean it’s right

| Malcolm Wheatley

Investing manias didn’t stop with tulips, or the South Sea Bubble — or the dotcom era and subsequent dubious investment…

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Investing Articles

The dangers of chasing yield

| Malcolm Wheatley

Most sources of market data quote dividend yields. But how accurate are they? Sometimes, not very — potentially significantly misleading…

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Investing Articles

3 ways to beat volatile stock markets

| Malcolm Wheatley

Volatile stock markets can be painful markets, sapping investors’ confidence. Yet simple steps can go a long way towards protecting…

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Investing Articles

Bond markets are tanking. Why?

| Malcolm Wheatley

Bond markets are sinking, with bond yields climbing rapidly. But equity markets are nervous, too - breaking the inverse correlation…

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Happy diverse people together in the park
Investing Articles

A flock of Black Swans could soon eat your profits

| Malcolm Wheatley

Is it me? Or are ‘Black Swan’ events become more frequent? The answer? Diversification. But many investors’ approach to diversification…

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