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Cliff D'Arcy

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

5 ideas for passive income while I sleep

| Cliff D'Arcy

Of the many forms of passive income, I'm considering these five options. But one of these possible routes to riches…

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

2 shares I’d avoid like the plague in this stock market!

| Cliff D'Arcy

The stock market can be a dangerous place, especially for unwary or inexperienced investors. Here are two stocks I'd never…

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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

Here’s why the Aviva share price suddenly dived

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Aviva share price suddenly dropped by over 6% the other day. But there's a simple explanation for this sudden…

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Investing Articles

Something wild just happened to the S&P 500 and FTSE 100

| Cliff D'Arcy

After years, even decades, of dominating global markets, something strange just happened to the S&P 500 index. But what was…

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Investing Articles

Down 31% in a year, the BT share price is due a rebound

| Cliff D'Arcy

The BT share price has dived almost a third in 12 months. It's also lost more than half of its…

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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

What next for Lloyds shares? 40p or 60p?

| Cliff D'Arcy

After bottoming out before Valentine's Day, Lloyds shares are among the FTSE 100's best performers in the past two months.…

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

Collapsing by up to 64% in a year, here are the FTSE 100’s dogs!

| Cliff D'Arcy

These five FTSE 100 firms have had a terrible 12 months, with their share prices crashing by as much as…

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

Best FTSE buy for April: Diageo or Unilever?

| Cliff D'Arcy

These two FTSE giants have seen their share prices hit by slowing sales growth since late 2022. But which stock…

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Investing Articles

£27bn of passive income from just 5 shares? Wow!

| Cliff D'Arcy

I'm looking to build a passive income of £100k a year and have spotted these five UK shares, which pay…

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Investing Articles

With the oil price rising, the BP share price is gushing again

| Cliff D'Arcy

Though the BP share price has surged since January, this FTSE 100 stock has lost value over one and five…

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Investing Articles

Up 20% in 11 weeks, the Shell share price is motoring

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Shell share price has leapt by almost a fifth in under three months. Despite this surge, shares in the…

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Investing Articles

Back below 70p, can the Vodafone share price clear £1?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Vodafone share price has dropped below 70p again and hasn't been near £1 for over a year. But recent…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Next stop £6 for the Aviva share price?

| Cliff D'Arcy

After hitting its 2023 low in September, the Aviva share price has leapt 34% in six months. It hasn't hit…

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Investing Articles

Down 22% from its 2024 high, what next for the Direct Line Insurance Group share price?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Direct Line Insurance Group share price exploded in February due to a takeover bid from a Belgian rival. With…

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Investing Articles

Down 46% from its 2023 high, is this my best chance to buy Tesla stock?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Tesla stock has crashed 46% since the highs of July 2023. It's also lost 61% of its value since the…

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Investing Articles

Up 38% since 13 February, the Barclays share price is flying!

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Barclays share price has beaten the FTSE 100 index over periods ranging from one month to five years. Yet…

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

The FTSE 100 is dirt cheap, but so what? Who cares?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The FTSE 100 has lagged behind the US S&P 500 and other major market indexes for far too long. But…

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Asian man looking concerned while studying paperwork at his desk in an office
Investing Articles

Down 60% from its 2023 high, the Ocado share price is on my radar

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Ocado share price has almost halved in 2024 so far. It has also crashed almost three-fifths from its 2023…

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Illustration of flames over a black background
Investing Articles

Up 31% since 13 February, Lloyds shares are on fire

| Cliff D'Arcy

To my surprise, Lloyds shares have beaten the FTSE 100 over periods ranging from one month to one year. But…

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Investing Articles

Up 37% in 6 months, this is my favourite FTSE 100 share

| Cliff D'Arcy

This 'secret' FTSE 100 share has beaten the market over one month, six months, a year and five years. But…

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Investing Articles

Which should I buy, the FTSE 250 or the FTSE 100?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Both the mid-cap FTSE 250 and the blue-chip FTSE 100 have lagged far behind the US stock market in recent…

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Young mixed-race woman looking out of the window with a look of consternation on her face
Investing Articles

The 6 big problems with dividend shares

| Cliff D'Arcy

In theory, buying high-yielding dividend shares can deliver superior investment returns over time. In practice, these six issues can get…

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Playful senior couple in aprons dancing and smiling while preparing healthy dinner at home
Investing Articles

How we’re building passive income of £100k a year

| Cliff D'Arcy

In my search for passive income, I'm always on the lookout for high-yielding shares. Even after rising 16.4% in a…

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Investing Articles

These 3 FTSE 100 shares pay 9.6%+ a year in cash!

| Cliff D'Arcy

These high-yielding FTSE 100 shares offer dividend yields as high as 11.6% a year. However, such hefty cash yields can…

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Young brown woman delighted with what she sees on her screen
Investing Articles

Up 23% in a month, this FTSE 250 share is flying

| Cliff D'Arcy

Since 28 February, this FTSE 250 share has soared by more than 30%. But even after this comeback, it still…

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Investing Articles

The Barclays share price soars 23% in a month. What next?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Barclays share price has leapt by more than a fifth in the last month. It's trading 38% above its…

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Investing Articles

This FTSE 100 super-share keeps on thrashing the stock market!

| Cliff D'Arcy

This little-known FTSE 100 share has absolutely trounced major stock markets in the past 12 months and over five years.…

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Investing Articles

These 3 stocks pay me huge passive income. But is there a catch?

| Cliff D'Arcy

I own these three cheap UK shares for their powerful passive income. Together, they pay out 9.9% a year. But…

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

Up 23% in a week, this FTSE 250 stock looks cheap to me

| Cliff D'Arcy

After two pieces of good news, this FTSE 250 has soared by almost a quarter since 28 February. Yet I…

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Happy parents playing with little kids riding in box
Investing Articles

I asked an AI about the Lloyds share price. Oh dear!

| Cliff D'Arcy

After leaping by almost 15% in a month, the Lloyds share price is showing strength. But check out the madness…

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Investing Articles

These were the FTSE 100’s dogs and stars in February

| Cliff D'Arcy

The FTSE 100 limped along last month, but some Footsie shares soared while others slumped. Here are February's winners and…

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Investing Articles

This £43bn of passive income is up for grabs today!

| Cliff D'Arcy

As a lover of passive income, I'm always on the lookout for extra cash. The good news is that these…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Direct Line shares soar 25% on takeover bid!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Direct Line shares surged by a quarter on Wednesday, after receiving a takeover bid from a Belgian rival. But the…

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

Could this FTSE 250 firm’s earnings fall by 70%?

| Cliff D'Arcy

This FTSE 250 stock has had a tough few years, falling by 10.3% over one year and 56.2% over five…

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Photo of a man going through financial problems
Investing Articles

These are the FTSE’s biggest dogs over the last year!

| Cliff D'Arcy

The FTSE 100 has fallen far behind other major market indices over the past 12 months. However, these three sliding…

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Young brown woman delighted with what she sees on her screen
Investing Articles

These 3 FTSE 100 stocks deliver massive dividend yields

| Cliff D'Arcy

These three FTSE 100 firms offer dividend yields of up to 11.6% a year. And while some high yields may…

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

These super shares pay passive income of £27bn a year!

| Cliff D'Arcy

In my relentless search for growing passive income, I've found five stocks paying bumper dividends. For example, one sends over…

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Investing Articles

2 FTSE 100 powerhouses for passive income

| Cliff D'Arcy

In my search to replace all of my earnings with passive income, I've found two FTSE 100 firms that are…

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Investing Articles

This unloved FTSE 250 stock is set to soar!

| Cliff D'Arcy

This FTSE 250 company's share price has fallen by almost two-thirds in the past five years. The firm is now…

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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

Barclays shares have been a disaster, but I’m not selling

| Cliff D'Arcy

Barclays shares have been a rubbish investment, losing almost 18% of their value in the past 12 months. But maybe…

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