[ad_1] A reader says, “Could you please consider writing or making a video on how investors can think about allocating across: (a) FD + Liquid Funds for near-term needs/emergency fund (1-2 Years), (b) Medium Duration Funds (2-3 years), and (c)Credit Risk Funds for medium-term goals (3–5 years), particularly for those in the 30% tax slab who are trying to generate slightly higher post-tax returns compared to FDs and liquid funds? Your framework for evaluating the risks and suitability of these categories would be extremely helpful”.Market-linked fixed-income or debt instruments are tricky instruments. They should not be evaluated solely on returns.…
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[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Thinking of starting a Stocks and Shares ISA? Maybe a New Year resolution to get one going in time for April’s new tax-free allowance? But why wait? Getting off the mark now could bring nice advantages. Firstly, there’s around four months left to use up some of the current £20,000 allowance — miss it and it’s gone. The Autumn Budget didn’t restrict Stocks and Shares ISA rules as it did with Cash ISAs. But the limit hasn’t risen since 2017 — and soaring inflation has reduced it significantly in real terms. And who knows what…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images For a long time it seemed as though the Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) share price just went up. But investors have started to become wary in the last month or so. The latest issue for the company is a competing product from Alphabet that outdoes its chips in terms of power. So has the stock finally reached its peak? Semiconductors There are two major forces that have been weighing on Nvidia’s share price recently. The first is concerns about data centre growth and the second is the emergence of competitors. In terms of AI growth, Nvidia has…
[ad_1] With tax rates on dividends going up again in April, the Stocks and Shares ISA has never been more important. It gives everyday investors a real chance of building an attractive future passive income stream — one that remains tax-free. Of course, what’s considered attractive depends on each person’s situation and lifestyle needs. But with median annual full-time pay in the UK at just over £39,000 in April 2025, I think £64,000 each year in tax-free dividends would count as attractive, even a couple decades down the line. That would average out at approximately £5,333 every month. So, how…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Investment trusts can transform an investor’s long-term returns from the mediocre from something spectacular. Trusts often provide wide diversfication, which gives some protection from localised issues that can destroy investor profits. Some of these financial vehicles also provide targeted exposure to hot themes (like artificial intelligence, or AI), regions (think emerging regions) and industries (such as renewable energy). Allianz Technology Trust (LSE:ATT), JPMorgan European Discovery Trust (LSE:JEDT), and Fidelity Special Values (LSE:FSV) are all great examples of high-performing investment trusts. Over the last half a decade, they’ve delivered an average annual return of 16.3%. Can…
[ad_1] Private ownership is gaining ground again across Europe as companies seek more control and relief from the pressures of public markets. Before delisting, however, managers often adjust reported earnings, sometimes to make the company appear less expensive or to smooth the path for a buyout. Yet once these plans become public, markets often respond favorably, viewing the move as a signal of future value. This shift toward going private began after the tech bubble burst in the early 2000s and accelerated following the 2008 financial crisis, as firms sought greater control and flexibility outside public markets. The expansion of…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images In my view, UK investors should pay more attention to small-cap stocks. Lower trading volumes mean more volatility, but they often have better growth prospects than their larger counterparts. In a number of cases, the companies are just too small for big institutional investors. But that’s not a problem for me and I’ve been looking for opportunities that might be going unnoticed. Judges Scientific Judges Scientific (LSE:JDG) is a collection of scientific equipment companies. It operates a strategy of buying smaller businesses and helping them grow via its existing network. Being small is an advantage…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Dividend stocks can be a great choice for investors looking to earn a second income. Unlike another job or a side hustle, there’s genuinely no work involved. For UK investors, there are some companies that come with outstanding track records of consistently returning cash to shareholders. And I think they’re well worth considering. Diageo Diageo (LSE:DGE) is a stock in transition. The company has faced some challenges recently, but the compensation for this is that investors who buy the stock today get a 4.5% dividend yield. That’s around the highest it’s been in the last…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Now’s still a great time to look for cheap shares to buy. The London stock market’s enjoyed huge gains in 2025 as value investors have piled in. But there’s still plenty of brilliant bargains to be had. FTSE 100-listed Vodafone (LSE:VOD) is one I’ve noted. And from the FTSE 250, Polar Capital Technology Trust (LSE:PCT) and QinetiQ (LSE:QQ.) are another two bargains that have caught my eye. Can investors afford to pass them up? Here’s why I think they’re top value stocks to consider. A cheap investment trust Fears of a potential ‘AI bubble’ have…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images This FTSE 250 growth share has been rocketing like no other lately — up 421% in the last six months. Astonishing growers like this one usually only grab attention after the main action, yet it still seems to have fuel in the tank after jumping 40% in November. That makes it the best performer on the whole FTSE 250. Again. The stock in question is Ceres Power Holdings (LSE: CWR). The question now is obvious – can it keep doing this? My own portfolio is built around FTSE 100 shares, but I’ve been on the lookout for a smaller,…