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Alan Oscroft

Alan is a freelance writer who began writing for The Motley Fool in the late 1990s. He has been a private investor for more 30 years, and has explored a number of strategies, settling on high-yielding blue-chip shares.

Recent Articles

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Investing Articles

Turning a £20K ISA into passive income worth £10K a year!

| Alan Oscroft

Stocks and Shares ISAs have returned 9.6% per year on average in the past decade. That could get me a…

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Investor looking at stock graph on a tablet with their finger hovering over the Buy button
Investing Articles

Why 2023 could be the best year to buy value shares ever

| Alan Oscroft

I reckon this year could offer some of the best value shares I've seen for ages. But I also think…

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Investing Articles

How I’d invest my Stocks and Shares ISA to target £1,500 in annual income

| Alan Oscroft

Can I achieve a 7.5% annual return from my Stocks and Shares ISA? With the big FTSE 100 dividends out…

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British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

3 penny shares I’d buy and hold for 10 years

| Alan Oscroft

Right now, I see a lot of penny shares I like the look of. But I need to be careful…

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Investing Articles

Should I buy 12,000 Vodafone shares for a £900 second income?

| Alan Oscroft

For a second income, I want to see reliable long-term dividends. I haven't seen that with Vodafone in recent years,…

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Investing Articles

No savings at 40? Here’s how I’d aim to get rich with FTSE 100 stocks

| Alan Oscroft

It's tempting to try to get rich by looking for the latest hot growth shares. But I reckon FTSE 100…

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Investing Articles

Here’s why National Grid shares could be the FTSE 100’s best buy right now

| Alan Oscroft

National Grid shares might just be the best dividend shares I've never bought. Should I finally add them to my…

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Investing Articles

After BT shares plunged on results day, is it time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

BT Group shares have been declining for years, as the firm struggles with margin pressure and debt. But the change…

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Investing Articles

Are Scottish Mortgage shares finally set to soar again?

| Alan Oscroft

Scottish Mortgage shares have been in the news this week after the investment trust's shareholders have endured a very testing…

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Investing Articles

I’d buy £4,000 of each of these dividend stocks, for £1,056 in annual income

| Alan Oscroft

When I'm aiming to build up my long-term cash prospects, I look for dividend stocks every time. These three are…

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Investor looking at stock graph on a tablet with their finger hovering over the Buy button
Investing Articles

Should I put £20,000 into Lloyds shares to aim for £1,040 in income?

| Alan Oscroft

Should I follow the Warren Buffett approach and go all in with Lloyds shares this year? Here's how I think…

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Investing Articles

How I’d invest £20,000 today to aim for £1,375 in passive income

| Alan Oscroft

Here's why I believe depressed financial and property stocks could be the best choices for a passive income portfolio in…

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Smart young brown businesswoman working from home on a laptop
Investing Articles

5 of the FTSE 100’s best value stocks to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

I'm seeing a lot of great value stocks on the UK market right now. With prices so low, I reckon…

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Investing Articles

Here’s why Vodafone shares could be ready to soar

| Alan Oscroft

Vodafone shares are down 50% over the past five years as performance has faltered. But with a new boss, things…

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Abstract bull climbing indicators on stock chart
Investing Articles

If I’d bought £5,000 in Rolls-Royce shares for New Year, I’d have this much now

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares have made a great start to 2023, and I missed a nice bit of profit. But is it…

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Investor looking at stock graph on a tablet with their finger hovering over the Buy button
Investing Articles

Should I buy Darktrace shares now they’ve fallen so low?

| Alan Oscroft

Darktrace shares are now back down near their IPO price, and down 70% from their early peak. It's time to…

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Modern suburban family houses with car on driveway
Investing Articles

Here’s what happened to the Purplebricks share price

| Alan Oscroft

The Purplebricks share price has been causing heartache for investors. The latest trading update shows the problems behind the fall.

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Investing Articles

10 FTSE 100 dividend shares to buy today, with yields up to 10%?

| Alan Oscroft

I reckon there's rarely been a better time to build a portfolio of cheap UK dividend shares than right now.…

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Investing Articles

These 3 cheap FTSE 100 stocks offer dividends up to 9% right now

| Alan Oscroft

I'm always on the lookout for FTSE 100 stocks to buy for long-term passive income. This sector has caught my…

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

After a 20% fall, how much lower can the ASOS share price go?

| Alan Oscroft

The ASOS share price just fell, again. This time it's in response to disappointing H1 results. Might it finally have…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

I’d invest a £20k ISA in Lloyds shares, to try and earn £1,000 per year

| Alan Oscroft

Lloyds shares are having a tough time, and might fall further in 2023. I think that can help us beat…

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Abstract bull climbing indicators on stock chart
Investing Articles

The Barclays share price looks super cheap. Should I buy for my ISA?

| Alan Oscroft

The Barclays share price has regained some ground since falling in March. But I think the bank is one of…

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

What do Stocks and Shares ISA millionaires know that we don’t?

| Alan Oscroft

The one big secret to making a million in a Stocks and Shares ISA is... there's no big secret. Here's…

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Person holding magnifying glass over important document, reading the small print
Investing Articles

3 key events that could drive UK stocks this week!

| Alan Oscroft

AJ Bell investing experts Russ Mould and Danni Hewson have picked three things that could drive UK stocks over the…

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

A stock market crash in 2023? Here’s what I’d do about it

| Alan Oscroft

Could we face a new stock market crash this year? If we do, I'll remember that something the last one…

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Electric cars charging in station
Investing Articles

Does the Premier African Minerals (PREM) share price make it a no-brainer buy?

| Alan Oscroft

There aren't many penny stocks already up 450% in five years. But that's what's happened to the Premier African Minerals…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

I’d buy 1,100 Shell shares for £1,000 a year in passive income

| Alan Oscroft

I think FTSE 100 stocks paying good dividends are the best way to build up a long-term passive income. Shell…

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

Just how much cheaper can Lloyds shares get?

| Alan Oscroft

Even after the first quarter beat market expectations with a 46% profits rise, Lloyds shares still fell in the face…

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

Just how much cheaper can Scottish Mortgage shares get?

| Alan Oscroft

Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust shares keep looking like they're at rock bottom. And then they fall some more. But are…

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Concept of two young professional men looking at a screen in a technological data centre
Investing Articles

Will investors ‘sell in May and go away’? Here’s what they could miss

| Alan Oscroft

Could this be one of the worst years ever to 'Sell in May and Go Away'? Here are some reasons…

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

These are the most popular Stocks and Shares ISA picks for 2023

| Alan Oscroft

Not got started with the new Stocks and Shares ISA allowance yet? A look at the most popular share picks…

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Smart young brown businesswoman working from home on a laptop
Investing Articles

3 key stock market events to watch this week!

| Alan Oscroft

Investing experts Russ Mould and Danni Hewson of AJ Bell expect these stock market events to guide UK investors in…

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

The 3 best FTSE 100 shares to buy in May?

| Alan Oscroft

Sell in May and go away? If we do that, we could be missing some top FTSE 100 shares with…

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British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

3 cheap penny shares to buy before it’s too late?

| Alan Oscroft

Quite a few penny shares seem to be picking up in 2023. So is confidence returning to the small-cap growth…

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

My 3 top reasons to buy BT shares in 2023

| Alan Oscroft

BT Group shares have had an erratic few years, with the dividend halted after the pandemic. But I see good…

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Smart young brown businesswoman working from home on a laptop
Investing Articles

Here’s why the NatWest share price could be too low to ignore

| Alan Oscroft

The NatWest share price is unmoved, despite the bank beating market expectations with its first-quarter results. I think it's cheap.

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Young happy white woman loading groceries into the back of her car
Investing Articles

Up 50% in six months, are J Sainsbury shares still a buy?

| Alan Oscroft

J Sainsbury shares are off to a strong start in 2023, with full-year results just released. And the dividend looks…

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Man putting his card into an ATM machine while his son sits in a stroller beside him.
Investing Articles

Will it soon be too late to buy cheap Barclays shares?

| Alan Oscroft

Barclays shares are on a low valuation right now. But dividends are rising, and we just saw a big jump…

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Investing Articles

Will it soon be too late to buy cheap easyJet shares?

| Alan Oscroft

easyJet shares have made a strong start to 2023. But might a real price surge just be holding off until…

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Smart young brown businesswoman working from home on a laptop
Investing Articles

3 cheap FTSE 100 shares to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

Associated British Foods might be an overlooked bargain among FTSE 100 shares these days. Here are some more I think…

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