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How much passive investing is too much?

Warnings that index funds have broken the stock market all imply a threshold: a share of the market at which price discovery fails. Nobody making the argument names it. Owen Lamont, writing in the Financial Analysts Journal, argues that no such number exists short of complete passive ownership, and that what actually determines whether prices stay informative is who is left doing the trading. His case, the strongest peer-reviewed research against it, and what the performance

Robin Powell

Avoiding these investment mistakes is half the battle

The key to investing well may not be about finding big winners, but about cutting out avoidable errors. JOACHIM KLEMENT uses the analogy...

Robin Powell

Mar 31, 20253 min read

Rachel Reeves has bigger priorities than your returns

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced initiatives to stimulate UK economic growth in the Spring Statement. Although the details have yet...

Robin Powell

Mar 28, 20253 min read

Focus more on investment fees than past performance

When investing, many people focus on past performance, but fees and charges are far more important in the long run. LOUISE COOPER...

Robin Powell

Mar 24, 20253 min read

Top tips for young investors

Starting to invest early offers a powerful advantage because it gives your money more time to grow through compounding. ANDREW HALLAM...

Robin Powell

Mar 24, 20254 min read

The financial media can hinder investors as well as help

Investors often turn to the financial media for guidance on where to put their money. Headlines highlight market volatility and try to...

Robin Powell

Mar 17, 20254 min read

Is your fund's performance statistically significant?

Some funds seem to outperform the market, but appearances can be deceptive. Before trusting those results, investors should ask whether a...

Robin Powell

Mar 17, 20253 min read

What if equities spend decades in the doldrums?

Equities don’t cease to be risky investments because you hold them for a very long time. So what can you do to reduce your losses if...

Robin Powell

Mar 15, 20254 min read

Overpaying to invest is a huge mistake

Overpaying rarely makes sense, whether it's for groceries or financial services. In investing, paying too much can quietly erode your long-term returns. Some costs are worth it. But many investors pay far more than they need to, often without realising it. According to investment strategist JOACHIM KLEMENT, that money benefits others far more than it benefits you. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. High fees reduce your returns Klement warns that unnecessary fees often reward the product provi

Robin Powell

Mar 10, 20253 min read

Financial planning can boost our mental health

There may be some disagreement on the true extent of it, but the UK, like most other western countries, is in the grip of a mental health crisis. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has described it as an “epidemic”. Several interventions have been shown to improve mental health, particularly mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy. But there’s one approach that, in my view, deserves far more attention than it’s given, and that’s financial planning. Survey after survey shows

Robin Powell

Mar 7, 20254 min read

The fund industry is not your friend

Many people still believe that investment companies exist to help them. The reality is quite different. The fund management industry is extremely powerful, and its main priority is not your financial wellbeing. Instead of focusing on consumer outcomes, it tends to protect its profit margins. According to financial analyst LOUISE COOPER, the industry thrives on complexity and confusion. It has become skilled at making investing seem harder than it really is. Key takeaways 1. T

Robin Powell

Mar 3, 20253 min read

Is more choice in investing a good thing?

Greater choice doesn't necessarily mean better outcomes for investors. Learn why active ETFs, private credit, and option-based ETFs may not

Robin Powell

Feb 28, 20252 min read

Two people look at a laptop displaying "Insurance Plans" with a hand pointing at the screen.

How can you make optimal insurance decisions?

Insurance decisions can be tricky. Learn how expected utility can help you choose the right coverage while avoiding costly mistakes.

Robin Powell

Feb 24, 20252 min read

Doing this will give you an edge over most investors

If you're looking for an edge as an investor, you're not alone. Many people spend their time chasing the latest stock tip or trying to time the market. But what really sets successful investors apart is not secret information or complicated strategies. It is the ability to manage their own behaviour, especially in times of uncertainty. Your investment choices do matter. But the decisions you make about when to act, when to stay patient, and how to respond to market movements

Robin Powell

Feb 24, 20254 min read

Are you as good at investing as you think?

Overconfidence is one of the most common behavioural traps in investing. Just as most people think they’re better-than-average drivers, many assume they’re skilled investors but the numbers suggest otherwise. CONSTANTINOS ANTONIOU from Warwick Business School says this kind of overconfidence leads to poor decision-making, particularly in investing, where people tend to overreact to news or act on unreliable signals. Trading on rumour, reacting too quickly, or thinking you can

Robin Powell

Feb 24, 20254 min read

Trader holding his head in his hands as multiple screens show falling leveraged ETF charts

Leveraged ETFs: a high-risk gamble you shouldn't take

Leveraged ETFs promise double or triple the market's daily return. What they actually deliver, according to Morningstar's latest research, is high fees, high volatility and a strong tendency to lose money for the investors who hold them.

Robin Powell

Feb 21, 20254 min read

Exposure to emerging markets makes sense

We live in a global economy, yet many investors still have portfolios focused mainly on developed markets. A common blind spot is a lack...

Robin Powell

Feb 21, 20253 min read

Don't underestimate the risks of buy to let

Property investment is a popular strategy in many countries. One particular approach, buy to let, has gained widespread appeal because of rising house prices. But that popularity can mask some of the key dangers. Investors often overlook the risks of concentrating wealth in a single asset class like property. Professor JENS HAGENDORFF from King’s College London warns that many buy to let investors are underestimating the potential downside, especially compared to stock market

Robin Powell

Feb 17, 20253 min read