Buying an index can make you feel like your money is well diversified. The S&P 500 has 500 companies and a global tracker can hold thousands. But that does not mean your money is spread evenly across all of them. Most indices are weighted towards the biggest companies, so a large chunk of your investment can still sit in just a few stocks.
The US may dominate the financial headlines, but neither the UK nor the US makes this list of 2026’s strongest-performing major stock markets. Both the FTSE 100 and S&P 500 have delivered positive returns, but several Asian and European markets have performed considerably better.
On 30th July the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee will announce its next interest rate decision. With rates currently held at 3.75% and the economic picture shifting almost weekly, a lot of people are asking the same question — should I be doing anything with my money before then?
With Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister and Andy Burnham widely expected to step into Downing Street, attention is already turning to what a Burnham economic agenda might look like. One idea that has caught my eye comes directly from his economic adviser Andy Haldane, who has gone on record advocating for war bonds — government-backed defence bonds available to retail investors — as a way to fund the UK's increasing defence commitments. It's an idea I think deserves serious attention.
Bank switching season is well and truly back. UK banks are once again offering generous incentives—£150 to £500—to tempt customers to move their current account using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).
If you’ve been meaning to “sort your finances out,” this is your gentle nudge — the tax year is about to wrap up, and you’ve basically got a week left to make the most of your ISA allowance before it resets.
Buying an index can make you feel like your money is well diversified. The S&P 500 has 500 companies and a global tracker can hold thousands. But that does not mean your money is spread evenly across all of them. Most indices are weighted towards the biggest companies, so a large chunk of your investment can still sit in just a few stocks.
The US may dominate the financial headlines, but neither the UK nor the US makes this list of 2026’s strongest-performing major stock markets. Both the FTSE 100 and S&P 500 have delivered positive returns, but several Asian and European markets have performed considerably better.
On 30th July the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee will announce its next interest rate decision. With rates currently held at 3.75% and the economic picture shifting almost weekly, a lot of people are asking the same question — should I be doing anything with my money before then?
With Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister and Andy Burnham widely expected to step into Downing Street, attention is already turning to what a Burnham economic agenda might look like. One idea that has caught my eye comes directly from his economic adviser Andy Haldane, who has gone on record advocating for war bonds — government-backed defence bonds available to retail investors — as a way to fund the UK's increasing defence commitments. It's an idea I think deserves serious attention.
Bank switching season is well and truly back. UK banks are once again offering generous incentives—£150 to £500—to tempt customers to move their current account using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).
If you’ve been meaning to “sort your finances out,” this is your gentle nudge — the tax year is about to wrap up, and you’ve basically got a week left to make the most of your ISA allowance before it resets.