What Investment articles from December 2004

What Investment archives from December 2004

Keeping the faith.(Comment)
December 1, 2004... 'It's that time of year when everyone starts looking backwards. Perhaps it's an attempt to work out where the year has gone; perhaps it's a search for reassurance that time hasn't been wasted. In the investment world, though, it may be a bid to...

Survival strategies.(December news)
December 1, 2004... The bubbles and busts that characterise stock markets and house prices have become a serious threat to the well being of investors, yet it is possible to spot a bubble and use this knowledge to protect yourself. That's the core argument of a...

Virtual changes.(December news)
December 1, 2004... Online stockbroker TD Waterhouse has upgraded its website for UK investors. The site, www.tdwaterhouse.co.uk, offers improved navigation and new links to prices, news stories and data. The trading area has been changed to allow trading in a...

Charges warning as new VCTs launch.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2004... Investors considering one of the new raft of venture capital trusts (VCTs) should make sure they read the small print. IFA Bestinvest has highlighted a crucial difference in charges that could easily be overlooked. When managers levy annual...

Savers seeking protection.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2004... Investors remain cautious about putting money into the stock market, according to recent research. In a survey by the Cooperative Bank, 45 per cent of those questioned said instability in the market in recent years had made them rethink the way...

Technology upswing 'on the horizon'.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2004... The technology market has not yet reached the bottom, but the end of the downturn is in sight, according to a leading fund manager in the sector. Brian Ashford Russell, manager of the Polar Capital Technology investment trust, believes the...

Manager moves: a round-up of the comings and goings in the fund management world.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2004... The process of integration between the fund management teams at F&C and ISIS has not been an entirely smooth one. Not only have there been the casualties that are inevitable when two large fund management operations merge, but other key figures...

Cut IT.(December news)
December 1, 2004... Gartmore has cut the dealing fee on a range of investment trusts until the end of the year. Investors who pay a lump sum into one of seven Gartmore trusts will pay only the 0.5 per cent stamp duty charge for doing so. Among the funds in the...

E-news and views.(December news)
December 1, 2004... Readers can now sign up free for our monthly e-mail newsletter, which highlights stories and features that have been added to our website. It is sent out around the 10th of each month. To register, visit www.whatinvestment.co.uk.

Closing the pension gap: how should investors be reacting to the findings of the Pension Commission's first report?(December news: pension focus)
December 1, 2004... The first report of the Pension Commission highlighted the yawning gap between the money needed to fund pensions and the provisions that are being made. Headlines screamed about a 57 [pounds sterling] billion pension gap, but the report also...

Top ten funds.(December news)
December 1, 2004... UNIT TRUSTS One year 1 Manulife Glbl Emg Eastn Euro A 137.55 2 Jupiter Emg Euro Opps Ace 134.31 3 Aviva Euro Con Equity P1 133.77 4 Saracen Growth Alpha Acc 131.20 5 Templeton Latin...

New offers: we examine what the latest savings and investment plans have to offer investors. Each product has been given a star rating, representing its overall value for money, based on cost, terms and conditions and investment opportunity.(December news)
December 1, 2004... * Barclays Global Investors Barclays Global Investors has added to its iShares range of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The new funds offer access to Europe and the Far East. An ETF is an index-tracking fund that is traded as a share on a...

AXA Investment Managers.(Also launching this month ...)
December 1, 2004... AXA Investment Managers has launched the AXA Capital Protected Fund Series 2, designed to offer access to stock market growth while protecting 100 per cent of the capital invested (less initial charges). During the fund's six-year lifespan...

Bradford & Bingley.(Also launching this month ...)
December 1, 2004... A new internet-only savings account has been launched by Bradford & Bingley. The instant-access account pays a rate of 5.25 per cent a year, plus a bonus of 0.25 per cent for the first six months. The interest rate is guaranteed at least to...

Scottish Friendly.(Also launching this month ...)
December 1, 2004... Scottish Friendly has launched a life assurance plan for the over-50s. The Guaranteed Protection Plan offers a guaranteed lump sum payable on death and a guaranteed fixed monthly premium. Premiums are 8 [pounds sterling]-50 [pounds sterling] a...

A change of focus: as one fund relocates its investment strategy, Keiron Root recalls other specialists that have been forced to adapt.(Lessons from history)
December 1, 2004... As many What Investment readers will have realised, these are 'interesting times' for investment trust managers as trust boards--their minds concentrated on a new code of practice for their corporate governance--become more active in looking...

Christmas stars: with the festive season fast approaching, Nick Sudbury unwraps some funds to tuck away for a prosperous New Year. But remember, a fund isn't just for Christmas ...(Favourite festive funds)
December 1, 2004... In spite of all the uncertainties confronting investors, the stock market has managed to make some headway over the last 12 months. Progress has not been smooth, though, and with the picture unlikely to change, it is managers who are best able...

What the money men read.(Investments books)
December 1, 2004... It seems that not a week goes by without a new investment book being published. To prevent you from being overwhelmed by the choice on offer, What Investment asked some industry figures to recommend their favourite finance title. Whether you're...

Safety in numbers: investors interested in putting money in property should look to collective funds.(Property)
December 1, 2004... It is difficult to switch on the television without being confronted with a programme about how to make money from investing in property. This is not surprising given that around 7 per cent of the mortgage market now comprises buy-to-let loans....

A shrewd move?(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
December 1, 2004... I started working for a new employer a few months ago. In my old job I was a member of a group personal pension scheme but I stopped making contributions when I switched jobs. Now I want to start investing again. I'm not sure if I should...

Ups and downs.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
December 1, 2004... I invested over 14,000 [pounds sterling] in Jupiter Income units in May 1999 at a price of 373.64p. The holding has seldom reached parity since. In March 2003 it had plunged by 29.8 per cent; by 9 October 2004 it had climbed back up to minus 2...

Friendly question.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
December 1, 2004... Is there a performance table for friendly society investments, or is there some benchmark that can be used to ascertain performance? Ron Gregory, By e-mail Gary Hexley replies: I am not aware of there being performance tables...

Finding a home for cash.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
December 1, 2004... I am a Canadian citizen married to a British army serviceman. I am considering selling the family home in Canada, which should result in a CAN$70,000 profit. I am concerned as to what to do with this money: what will offer the best investment...

Net savings: a survey suggests we'll all be banking online in 20 years' time--but, as Hilary Osborne discovers, there are good reasons not to wait.(Technology)
December 1, 2004... According to a new report by Datamonitor, 95 per cent of Britons will be using telephone or internet banking by 2020--that's four times the current figure. However, the move towards online banking has been gathering pace since the millennium as...

Global equities: mild reaction to Bush win: each month, What Investment speaks to fund managers focusing on five different asset classes and asks them to reveal the key issues currently driving their stock-selection decisions.(Asset Allocation)
December 1, 2004... Things are not as bad as they appear. That's the view of Andrew Milligan, head of global strategy at Standard Life Investments. "The pace of economic activity around the world is strong enough to ensure robust corporate profits growth,...

Bonds: investors warned to watch inflation.(Asset Allocation)
December 1, 2004... Inflation should be a consideration of bond investors, says Richard Batty, global investment strategist at Standard Life Investments, "Consumer price inflation has started to pick up in recent years, though by historical standards it remains...

Commodities: opportunity in volatility.(Asset Allocation)
December 1, 2004... The recent price volatility in the metals and mining sector has created an opportunity for investors, according to Evy Hambro, a fund manager on the natural resources team at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers. "As one of the largest investors...

Property: slowdown set to continue.(Asset Allocation)
December 1, 2004... Property investors are focusing on prospects for the residential market as this year's rises in UK interest rates start to take effect. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' (RICS) monthly survey of the UK housing market for...

Market insider: Austria: continuing our series providing a fundamental analysis of a region from an economic and political perspective. This month, Michael Wilson considers the outlook for Austria.(World Markets)
December 1, 2004... So you think continental Europe has been a disappointment for investors this year? With the euro dithering around the sterling exchange rate, and economic growth down to just 2 per cent, why should anyone even think of putting hard-earned...

Market view: Tom Winnifrith considers the outlook for UK shares.(UK Shares)
December 1, 2004... October is meant to be the month for stock market crashes. In 2004 those who based their predictions on history were proved wrong as UK equities managed gains across the board despite the uncertainties of the US presidential election, which for...

Retailers sector view.(UK Shares)
December 1, 2004... As it's Christmas, it was suggested that it might be the time to look at the non-food retailers. Immediately that conjured up images of long queues, trudging down Oxford Street in the rain and a horrific credit card bill in January. It is a...

Retailers share view.(UK Shares)
December 1, 2004... AIM-listed ASOS has been the star-performing retailer of 2005. Its shares started January at 5p and trade at time of writing at 81p. The company is that rare commodity--a profitable e-tailer. Its product offering is a range of clothing and...

European sector review: Hilary Cook, director of investment strategy at Barclays Private Clients, examines the prospects for the European oil sector.(Stock Market Review)
December 1, 2004... With oil prices recently hitting historic highs it would be easy to believe that the energy sector is in a cyclical sweet-spot. However, the current oil price is being driven by potentially short-lived factors, such as geopolitical concerns,...

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)
December 1, 2004... CAUTIOUS OPTION Martyn Ingram, fund analyst at Investors Partnership, highlights the F&C Strategic Bond Fund as a good choice for cautious investors. This fund is ranked fifth out of 29 funds in the UK Other Bond sector over three years to...

Unit trust performance tables.(Unit Trusts OIECs)
December 1, 2004... Unit trust performance tables What the tables show The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 29 October 2004, on an offer bid-basis with net income reinvested. Funds are...

Finding income in fundamentals: Keiron Root meets Neil Woodford, whose success in managing income funds stems from his not worrying about finding high-yielding investments.(Fund Manager Profile)
December 1, 2004... If you see a list of star fund managers to follow, produced perhaps by a portfolio management team or the research department of a major financial adviser, it is a pretty safe bet that Neil Woodford's name will be on it. For Woodford has built...

Investment trust best buys: What Investment asks three investment trust specialists to recommend their favourite investment trust shares for a cautious, a balanced and an aggressive investment.(Investment Trusts Monitor)
December 1, 2004... CAUTIOUS OPTION Nick Greenwood, head of investment trusts at iimia, suggests shares issued by a trust reinventing itself after the splits crisis as a shrewd option for cautious investors. He picks the convertible shares of the Real Estate...

Investment trust performance tables.(Investment Trusts)
December 1, 2004... Investment trust performance tables What the tables show The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 29 October 2004, on a mid-markets basis with net income reinvested....

Best ways to save.(Reference)
December 1, 2004... Best ways to save Telephone Account Number/Website INSTANT-ACCESS BRANCH ACCOUNTS Manchester BS 0870 990 0810 Premier Access Lambeth BS ...

Personal pension annuity rates.(Reference)
December 1, 2004... 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)
December 1, 2004... Top-performing unit-linked pensions Five years to 31 Otober 2004. Results of 100 [pounds sterling] invested on an offer-to-bid basis with gross income reinvested. Name Value Rank ...

ISA directory.(Financial Contacts)
December 1, 2004... ISA Directory NAME OF NAME & ADDRESS SCHEME Abbey National[R] Investments ISA Tel: 0800 30 20 30 Safety Plus Growth Option * ...

Making the most of your retirement.(Retirement planning)
December 1, 2004... Retirement doesn't tend to come as a surprise. For most people it is something that looms on the horizon for a number of years before it finally arrives--for better or for worse, depending on your viewpoint. Yet despite the inevitability of the...

Boost your retirement earnings: make sure you maximise your income in retirement by choosing the right investment vehicles. Simon Hildrey looks at some high-earning products.(Retirement planning)
December 1, 2004... Reaching retirement should be a moment of celebration as you put nearly 50 years of working life behind you. But financial planning should not stop just because you have retired. You need to ensure that you have sufficient income to last...

Just one chance to get it right: Trevor Mitchell, head of retirement income at Prudential, explains how to run a cost/benefit analysis to help you choose the best annuity.(Retirement planning)
December 1, 2004... Nowadays, having a retirement income that is guaranteed to be paid for the rest of your life is more important than ever. This is because, on average, we are all living longer than ever before. The latest estimates show the life expectancy for...

Chase the sun: spending your retirement overseas is a viable option, but one that takes a certain amount of planning. Jeremy Davies, author of the Which? Guide to Buying Property Abroad, outlines the things you need to consider before packing your bags.(Retirement planning)
December 1, 2004... Most of us have at some point harboured dreams of spending a sun-kissed retirement abroad. But how can you turn the dream into reality without scrambling your nest-egg in the process? The answer is careful research into where to live and what...

Home help: your property may well be your biggest asset. If you want to tap into that value, there are a number of routes to consider.(Retirement planning)
December 1, 2004... When planning your retirement, spare a thought for where you live. You are likely to spend more time at home than ever before, so it's worth considering whether it's somewhere you want to be. It is also a good idea to consider what you want to...