What Investment articles from August 2003

What Investment archives from August 2003

Rolling-up for a higher rate of return: if you wish to invest tax efficiently then there are two obvious savings vehicles for you to choose from; an ISA or a Pensions plan. Yet there are other options you may not have heard of. Learn about the benefits of rolling up offshore. (RLAM: Advertisement Feature).
August 1, 2003... The PEP and then the ISA, were designed by the Government as general savings vehicles. They offer you an annual opportunity to complement your cash savings with investment savings and the tax-efficient wrapper (the ISA) acts as an incentive to...

Moan, moan, moan. (Comment).(complaints against financial firms increase)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... 'Ever felt let down by the financial services industry, ripped off by a product provider or been disappointed by a product's performance? You're not alone. Disputes between consumers and financial firms have rocketed over the past 12...

Swaps away.(Witan Investment Trust )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Witan Investment Trust is offering investors the chance to exchange their unwanted shares or units at a discount price through its Share Exchange Service. The promotion, which runs until 1 September, will give investors the chance to transfer...

Get active online.(ShareDealActive)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... ShareDealActive, the low-cost share dealing website of Jarvis Investment Management, is now live. Investors can trade online at www. sharedealactive.co.uk or over the telephone (01892 510515) at a flat rate of 9.50 [pounds sterling]. The site...

Free guide.(David Aaron Partnership)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... IFA The David Aaron Partnership is offering readers a free 45-page guide to annuities, covering both compulsory purchase pension annuities and purchase life annuities. Readers can get a free copy if they call 01908 281544 or visit...

Meet the manager. (News Round-up).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Private investors view the person managing their funds as the single most important factor when deciding which fund to buy, according to a new survey by Abbey National's online fund supermarket, FundsCentrel. More than a third (38 per...

Limited editions. (News Round-up).(Premier Fund Managers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Premier Fund Managers has launched Premier Limited Editions No 10, a six-year FTSE 100-based growth plan. The plan offers investors the potential of 8 per cent growth per year, if the FTSE 100 is at or above its start value at the end of the...

Questions with answers. (News Round-Up).(JP Morgan Fleming Asset Management)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... JPMorgan Fleming has launched a guide to pensions called Honest Answers to Your Biggest Pension Worries. With more than half of all people in the UK facing financial woes in retirement, the guide aims to offer practical tips for these planning,...

IHT opportunities. (News Round-Up).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The Inland Revenue has suffered a further setback in its court case challenging spousal interest settlements, according to IFA Chartwell. Under current law such settlements provide an inheritance tax planning opportunity for married...

Income & growth. (News Round-Up).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... NDF has launched the Higher Income & Growth Plan 5 offering investors two investment options. Option one pays 6 per cent per annum (0.46 per cent per month) for five years or 32 per cent growth over the term with 100 per cent capital repayment....

CFD service. (News Round-Up).(Contracts for Difference)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Charles Schwab Europe has launched a Contracts for Difference service on its website to allow investors to benefit from both upward and downward movements in share prices and indices. Equity CFD commissions will range from 0.15 per cent for UK...

Cut price deal. (News Round-Up).(Smile.co.uk)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Internet bank smile has cut the cost of its sharedealing service to 5 [pounds sterling] per trade. The offer is available until 15 August and applies to all equities bought or sold through the smile invest sharedealing platform. There is no...

Double guarantee. (News Round-Up).(Chelsea Building Society)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Chelsea Building Society has launched Double Guarantee 90, a branch-based savings account offering a best buy variable rate of interest (currently 4.45 per cent gross per annum) and the added guarantee that the rate will remain at least 0.5 per...

Taking issue: Nic Cicutti reports on the latest issues rocking the world of finance. (News).
August 1, 2003... Henry Ford once famously remarked, in answer to a question about ordering one of his Model T cars, that you could "have any colour you like, as long as it's black". One wonders what Henry Ford would have made of the 'choices' currently...

Top ten funds. (August News).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... top ten funds Unit trusts One year 1 AS Holly 128.40 2 Credit Suisse Eur Front Retail 120.41 3 Deutsche GlobSpec Eur Gov Bd B 119.27 4 JPMF New Europe Inc ...

Legal & General. (New offers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Legal & General is now offering Protected Index Plan 4, an index-linked investment, providing growth in the FTSE 100 up to a maximum of 55 per cent over the five-and-a-half-year term. The plan must be held for the whole of the term and offers...

New Star. (New offers).(New Star Asset Management Ltd.)
August 1, 2003... New Star has launched its institutional Global Financials fund into the retail market. The fund's investment universe will focus on all areas of financials, including insurance, life assurance, banking, investment banking and asset managers as...

Keydata. (New offers).
August 1, 2003... Keydata has launched the Protected Capital Plan offering 100 per cent capital protection, provided the plan is held to maturity, with returns linked to the FTSE 100. The plan has a three-year and a five-year option. Both options offer uncapped...

Fidelity. (Product of the month).(Fidelity Investments)
August 1, 2003... Fidelity Investments has launched the Fidelity Wealthbuilder Target funds, a series of three funds that continuously manage asset allocation on an investor's behalf. The funds are structured as funds-of-funds and will be able to invest across...

Christows. (New offers).
August 1, 2003... Christows has launched a range of flexible investment funds--the Christows Investment Funds--that will invest primarily in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The Investment Funds OEIC has four sub-funds, three of which--Worldwide Growth, Overseas...

Keydata. (Also launching this month ...).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Keydata has launched the FTSE Growth builder plan offering investors either a 'Maximum Growth' option providing 20 per cent growth locked in for every 20 per cent rise in the FTSE from its start value to a maximum of 100 per cent over the...

West Bromwich Building Society. (Also launching this month ...).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... West Bromwich Building Society has launched the Escalator Bond, a three-year bond offering fixed rates of interest over this term. The bond will pay 3.75 per cent gross in year one, 4.25 per cent in year two and 5 per cent in year three. The...

JP Morgan Fleming. (Also launching this month ...).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... JP Morgan Fleming is offering a 2 per cent discount off the initial charge of the JPMF UK Strategic Value fund until 15 August 2003. This applies to investments of 7,000 [pounds sterling] or more and to ISA investments, PEP transfers and direct...

Managers on the move: should you stay or should you go? What Investment looks into the reasons behind recent fund manager moves. (Departure: Arrival).
August 1, 2003... One of the more significant announcements within the fund management sector over the past month did not concern an individual fund manager but an entire group. After considerable speculation within the industry, Zurich Financial Services Group...

Spice things up: you've deliberated, cogitated and diversified--now it's time to look at your satellite holdings. Simon Hildrey looks at the use of sector funds within a balanced portfolio. (Focus: sector funds)(Cover Story).(Cover Story)
August 1, 2003... If the words 'sector funds' send a shiver down your spine, the chances are that you were one of thousands of investors who lost their--shirts--and much more--in the technology crash of 2000. The strong bull market of the late 1990s prompted a...

All about annuities: Harvey Jones reviews the current annuity market and examines the alternatives. (Annuity alternatives).
August 1, 2003... Annuity rates are at an all-time low, and those approaching retirement understandably fear they will get a rotten deal. Returns have been hit by a double whammy of falling interest rates and the slump in global stock markets. A single male...

Have your cake an eat it? Whilst CFDs can undoubtedly produce impressive returns, they still rely on the correctness of your initial investment judgement--as David Harris explains. (CFDs).
August 1, 2003... If a salesman were to try to persuade you that they could show you a system so safe and precise that it only needed tiny rises or falls of around 5 per cent in the price of shares to produce constant returns of 50 per cent or more in just a few...

Pass on the benefits: the world of second-hand investments is both highly complex and ethically challenging, as Charles Ansdell explains. (Second-hand investments).
August 1, 2003... I always suffered from being a second child. As the younger sibling, I rarely had new things. Instead, I faced a constant train of outgrown and unloved clothes and toys. I was the final destination for generations of chattels--the family...

Tax clinic: we put your taxation queries to our panel of experts. (Q & A).
August 1, 2003... While you should never let the tax tail wag the investment dog, being a little bit savvy with your taxes can pay dividends in the long run. Here are a few hints and tips from the experts in the world of taxation to help you on your way... ...

Web essentials. (Technology).
August 1, 2003... There's a lot of financial information available on the internet. Just about every product provider has its own website giving, at the very least, details of its products and telling you how to invest in them online. But unless you've already...

United Kingdom: the time is right. (World Markets).
August 1, 2003... Cost-cutting processes have left UK companies in a strong position in preparation for a market pick-up It is not often that a fund manager argues against investing in his own portfolios, but that is what James Foster, director of credit at...

United States: positive surprises. (World Markets).
August 1, 2003... Consumer spending and disposable income have remained strong, while housing turnover and construction have also been impressive "The most exciting development since the resolution of the Iraqi conflict has been the strong performance of...

Europe: lagging behind. (World Markets).
August 1, 2003... European unemployment is at three-year highs and the post-war recovery in consumer confidence has been surprisingly feeble "Continental European markets have performed extremely well since the lows reached on 12 March as investors' aversion...

Far East: pacesetter. (World Markets).
August 1, 2003... Domestic spending increases as investor confidence grows while corporate restructuring efforts begin to reap the benefits "The Asia Pacific region is one of the most rapidly developing areas of the world, is home to a diverse range of...

Japan: liquidity improves. (World Markets).
August 1, 2003... With dividend payments and buybacks increasing, the shareholder continues to rise in the list of corporate priorities There is a feeling abroad that the Japanese stock market might at last be showing some sort of meaningful recovery, on the...

Emerging markets: continued strength. (World Markets).
August 1, 2003... Latin America leads the way with the Brazilian and Mexican stock markets trouncing those in the developed world "While the capital markets and currency movements of Latin American countries are volatile, the rewards for investors capable of...

Market insider: Ireland: continuing our series providing a fundamental analysis of a region from an economic and political perspective. This month, Michael Wilson considers the outlook for Ireland. (World Markets).
August 1, 2003... At a time when continental Europe is struggling to make any headway at all with its economic performance, it's good to be able to report on one part of the eurozone that is simply storming ahead. And it seems a strange kind of oddity that this...

Market view.
August 1, 2003... The three months to the end of June was one of the best quarters enjoyed by the stock market for many years but in June itself the market did a bit of a Henman: it promised much but delivered very little when it really mattered. The FTSE...

FTSE 100 index. (UK Shares).
August 1, 2003... FTSE 100 INDEX Stock 1 month Rank 1 year Rank 3i Group Inv Tr 97.41 65 83.68 66 Abbey National 93.17 89 63.58 92 Alliance &...

Index constituent rankings FTSE 100. (UK Shares).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... INDEX CONSTITUENT RANKINGS FTSE 100 Rank Stock Price Dividend Yield (%) 1 BP 420.25 3.70% 2...

General retailers sector view. (UK Shares).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... So far this year the FTSE General Retailers sector--at 1829--is up by 15.7 per cent, meaning that it has outperformed the FTSE All-Share by 12 per cent. In doing so it continues a three-year winning streak. The sector was sold off excessively...

General retailers share view. (UK Shares).
August 1, 2003... Arguably some element of consumer slowdown (although by no means a collapse) is already priced in to many stocks. Marks & Spencer is, at 320p, capitalised at 7.3 billion [pounds sterling] and is one of the leading blue chips within the sector....

European sector review: Hilary Cook, director of investment strategy at Barclays Private Clients, examines the prospects for the European airline sector. (Stock Market Review).
August 1, 2003... As global stock markets are starting to show signs of a more bullish trend, some investors are beginning to regain a sense of optimism that we haven't seen in several years. Although most investors are only cautiously optimistic, some are...

Unit trust best buys: What Investment asks three independent financial advisers to recommend their favourite unit trusts for a cautious, a balanced and an aggressive investment. (Unit Trusts Monitor).
August 1, 2003... CAUTIOUS OPTION Sue Whitbread, director of discretionary portfolio management at Chartwell Investments, suggests the M&G High Yield Corporate Bond fund for cautious investors. It is ranked seventh out of 28 funds in the UK Other Bond...

Unit trust performance tables. (Unit Trusts OEICs).(Open Ended Investment Company)(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... Unit trust performance tables What the tables show The figures show the value of 100 [pound sterling] over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 30 June 2003, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are...

Eighty plays around the world: Keiron Root charts the development of the First State Global Emerging Markets team under the leadership of Angus Tulloch.
August 1, 2003... Destinations where you may quite happily go on holiday but may be less keen to invest your money, emerging markets--such as Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and, increasingly, Africa and the Middle East--have been showing the developed world...

The manager. (Fund Manager Profile).(Angus Tulloch, Cazenove Fund Management)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Name: Angus Tulloch Joined fund management: Began his career with Cazenove in 1980. Initially worked as an Asian market analyst based in Hong Kong before returning to London to heed up Cazenove's Australasian desk. Background: Moved...

Investment trust best buys: What Investment asks three independent financial advisers to recommend their favourite investment trusts for a cautious, a balanced and an aggressive investment. (Investment Trust Monitor).
August 1, 2003... CAUTIOUS OPTION Tony Lanning, investment director at Advisory & Brokerage Services, chooses the zeros issued by M&G High Income Trust as his option for cautious investors. These shares are ranked sixth out of 51 in the Split Capital: Zero...

Investment trust performance tables. (Investment Trusts).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... Investment trust performance tables What the tables show The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] invested over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 30 June 2003, on a mid-market basis with net income reinvested....

A splitting headache. (Money Clinic.
August 1, 2003... I have seen a number of split capital investment trusts recommended in What Investment and other financial publications and I am forever reading about them being good value at the moment after all the troubles in this sector. However, my...

Look to the future. (Money Clinic).
August 1, 2003... You recently (May 2003) published advice by Anthony Clement regarding tenancy in common. In that particular example the husband's share of the house was willed to pass to the wife and on her death to two daughters. As our house is of...

Pension fury. (Money Clinic).
August 1, 2003... I have an old-style personal retirement pension plan taken out with Friends Provident prior to 1988 under the old rules (33 per cent tax-free cash sum) and have contributed to this under those regulations regularly, saving 60 [pounds sterling]...

Best ways to save. (Reference).
August 1, 2003... NO-NOTICE ACCOUNTS Company Account Gross Name Rate Balance of 500 [pounds sterling] Northern Rock Tracker Online...

Personal pension annuity rates. (Reference).
August 1, 2003... An annuity is a financial product that converts capital into income. You can buy one with any lump sum of money or you can buy one with accrued pension funds. Currently,. for money purchase pension funds, you must buy an annuity by the time you...

Top-performing unit-linked pensions. (Reference).
August 1, 2003... Top-performing unit-linked pensions Five years to 30 June 2003. Results of 100 [pounds sterling] invested on an offer-to-bid basis with gross income reinvested. Name Value Rank ...

Financial contacts: ISA directory.(Directory)(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... Financial Contacts ISA Directory NAME & ADDRESS NAME OF SCHEME Abbey National[R] Investments ISA Tel: 0800 30 20 30 Safety Plus Growth...