BLOG

News, views and analysis

The Evidence-Based Investor a proud partner with

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

Two people signing documents at a meeting table, illustrating the financial advice consolidation deals reshaping the UK advisory sector

Who really benefits when private equity buys your financial adviser?

Financial advice consolidation in the UK has put private equity in control of hundreds of firms. Here's what vertical integration and hidden conflicts mean for your money.

Robin Powell

May 57 min read

Woman reviewing utility bill statement, illustrating vigilance with household costs versus investment fees

You check your energy bill. Why not your investment fees?

You check your energy bill religiously. When your provider raised charges by £12, you noticed within days. You've compared broadband three times this year, saving £8 monthly. But when did you last calculate your all-in investment fees? That £3 broadband overcharge equals £36 yearly. A 1% overcharge on a £500,000 portfolio equals £5,000 annually—139 times more. Yet the smaller cost receives obsessive attention whilst the larger goes unexamined for decades. This article reveals

Robin Powell

Oct 27, 20259 min read