News Tag: Investment News
May 19, 2010
People seeking financial advice should work out what they want to achieve with their money before visiting an advisor, a financial expert has claimed.
Mike Fosberry, president of the Personal Finance Society, said people can have all sorts of objectives for their money, such as building up their pension, paying off debt, or making a positive difference to the world with ...
Know what you want from your money
by David Masters
March 17, 2010
ISA investors are "disillusioned" with the returns they are receiving on their savings, Barclays claimed this week.
The bank blamed the frustration on historically low interest rates.
The 0.5% base rate has caused many investors to rethink their approach to the financial marketplace, Barclays said.
Research by the bank found more than two-thirds (72%) of investors have changed their outlook because of the low interest rate environment.
A similar number (72%) ...
Savers “disillusioned” with ISA returns
by David Masters
January 5, 2010
HSBC has jumped on the bandwagon of January sales by launching cut-priced mortgages, savings accounts, and insurance products.
"All over the world, people are making New Year resolutions and sorting out their finances is often high on that list," said Brendan Cook, HSBC spokesperson.
"This year, we want to make it easier for our customers to keep that resolution.
"We are providing a wide range ...
HSBC announces January sale
by David Masters
November 17, 2009
Berkshire Hathaway, the investment group controlled by respected US billionaire investor Warren Buffett, has revealed its latest investments.
Seventy-nine year old Buffett is often referred to as the ‘Oracle of Omaha’ and is one of the most successful investors in history and therefore any investments made by his company are closely monitored.
The investment vehicle said it held 3.4 million American depositary ...
Berkshire Hathaway’s investments revealed in SEC filing
by Kay Murchie
November 5, 2009
Investment in ethical funds has recovered to pre-credit crunch levels, new research has discovered.
During the third quarter, investments in ethical funds reached more than double the total of ethical investments in the same period last year.
Net sales of ethical funds between July and September were £59 million, compared to £21 million in the same three month period for 2008.
The statistics were ...
Ethical investments return to pre-crunch levels
by David Masters
September 26, 2009
Carmarthenshire Council has been slammed for profiting from cancer, disease and death by investing £12 million in cigarette company British American Tobacco (BAT).
The money is from Dyfed Pensions Fund, which pays for the pensions of council workers and councillors in the Welsh counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
Church leaders in Carmarthen lambasted the council for investing in tobacco at the same ...
Anti-smoking council invests £12m in tobacco
by David Masters
September 17, 2009
Nearly half of UK consumers believe that buying property is the best way to invest money.
In a study by Scottish Widows, 48% of those polled said investing in property is the best way to maximise returns on hard earned cash.
This figure is a significant increase on 12 months ago, when just 28% of those surveyed cited property as the best choice ...
Brits back property as best investment
by David Masters
September 10, 2009
Investors are increasingly concerned about the impact their investments have on society and the environment, an ethical investment expert claimed this week.
Robin Keyte, chair of the Ethical Investment Association (EIA), said the credit crunch and the recession have transformed the way investors think about money.
“Following the events of the last two years, an increasing range of investment clients are concluding that ...
Social responsibility rising up investment agenda
by David Masters
September 9, 2009
The Nottingham has announced plans to provide pensions, investments, and insurance products in its 32 branches across the East Midlands.
Branch-based financial advisers will advise customers on the best products to meet their needs.
The building society said the new products are part of its plans to expand and evolve, and will help it to counter a "personal finance black hole" in the ...
The Nottingham launches financial planning arm
by David Masters
September 3, 2009
Flats and apartments are now more popular than houses in the high-end property market, it emerged this week.
London-based property consultancy firm Black Brick said whereas 12 months ago people were looking for big houses to live in as a home or second home, the focus now is on buying flats and apartments as an investment.
"We've noticed a real demand for apartments as ...
Apartments popular for high-end investors
by David Masters
August 17, 2009
A new bond from Leeds Building Society paying 4% interest can be opened with as little as £100.
The four-year fixed-rate bond was launched alongside a two-year bond paying 3.5% interest.
Both bonds can be opened with a minimum investment of £100 and a maximum of £1,000,000.
Furthermore, both allow savers to withdraw up to 10% of the initial amount invested without ...
Open a 4% bond with £100 at Leeds
by David Masters
May 15, 2009
Female investors prefer to put their money in property rather than a savings account.
A survey by the National Landlord's Association (NLA) found that 74% of the 500 female property investors polled believe bricks and mortar offers a better return than putting their money in a bank.
Seventy percent said they plan to expand their property portfolio in the next year, whilst more ...
Women investors prefer property to saving
by David Masters
May 7, 2009
HSBC has launched a new personal pension plan that enables customers to tap into its worldwide investments.
The World Selection Personal Pension is based on the bank's multi-manager, multi-asset World Selection portfolios.
Benefits of the plan include a tax-efficient wrapper, and a more stable investment, HSBC said.
"Customers have consistently told us they don't want the rollercoaster ride of volatile investments, but they do ...
HSBC launches World Selection pension plan
by David Masters
April 24, 2009
From April next year, savers will be able to earn tax-free interest on up to £10,200 of savings following an increase to the ISA allowance. Chancellor Alistair Darling announced the change this week in his Budget speech, increasing both the cash savings and the investments limit from £3,600 to £5,100. Financial experts and high street banks welcomed the move, although some commentators sneered at the measure as far too cautious and unlikely ...
ISA limit increased to £10,200
by David MastersFrom April next year, savers will be able to earn tax-free interest on up to £10,200 of savings following an increase to the ISA allowance. Chancellor Alistair Darling announced the change this week in his Budget speech, increasing both the cash savings and the investments limit from £3,600 to £5,100. Financial experts and high street banks welcomed the move, although some commentators sneered at the measure as far too cautious and unlikely ...
March 30, 2009
Five trillion dollars that has been allocated to sustainable investing strategies could form the core of an economic recovery, two financial experts have predicted in a book released this week.
Cary Krosinsky, vice president of Trucost Plc, and Nick Robins, head of the HSBC Climate Change Centre for Excellence, estimate that sustainable investing funds - focused on helping the environment and ...
Sustainable investments ‘the answer’ to global downturn
by David Masters
Investors choose property as cash becomes a ‘liability’
by David Masters
February 17, 2009
As bank shares continue to plummet, the price of gold continues to soar, with prices last week hitting a seven month high of $953.30 per ounce.
Former editor of The Times, Lord William Rees-Mogg, expects this trend to continue as investors seek to protect themselves against future shocks in the stock market.
"People buy gold when they are nervous about the economy, ...
Gold provides ‘essential insurance’ against financial crises
by David Masters
June 17, 2008
Research by marketing agency, Millennium, has revealed that the majority of over 50s are concerned about the impact the credit crunch will have on their pensions and investments.
The organisation discovered that over 75% of people in this mature age group believe that the credit squeeze will affect their investments, while almost 60% are concerned about their pensions.
However, the survey ...
Over-50s worried about credit crunch affecting their investments
by Kay Murchie