Many Happy Returns

As interest rates have risen, more and more people are interested in buying bonds. Individual government bonds can be a useful tool to lock in a high rate. But do individual bonds really make more sense than bond funds? --- Get a FREE share 🎁 worth between £10 and £100, exclusively for Many Happy Return's listeners.  Ready to claim your FREE share?  1️⃣ Open a Freetrade account via&nbsp...

Designing a retirement portfolio is one of the thorniest problems in investing. The mix of assets you choose dramatically affects how much you can safely spend during retirement. Withdraw too much from your pot, and you risk running out of money. We’re joined by the creator of Portfolio Charts to examine optimal asset allocation. Tyler has modelled retirement scenarios around the world, identifyin...

With valuations stretched, American stocks need to deliver the goods this earnings season. Companies must grow their profits and defend their margins or risk the end of the S&P 500 bull market. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is a ‘blackout period’? --- Get a FREE share 🎁 worth between £10 and £100, exclusively for Many Happy Return's listeners.  Ready to claim your FREE s...

Many investors favour stocks that pay a high dividend, opting to live off the cash they generate. Even stingy US tech companies have started to pay dividends. But does a strategy focussed on income make sense? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is ‘Shareholder Yield’? --- Get a FREE share 🎁worth between £10 and £100, exclusively for Many Happy Return's listeners. Ready to claim your F...

A stock market crash early in retirement can leave you struggling to live off your investments. We discuss de-risking our portfolios and how to manage ‘sequence of returns’ risk. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Is a stock market crash good for long-term returns? Thanks to Freetrade for sponsoring this episode. Sign up at Freetrade.io/pensioncraft to get a free share worth between £10 and...

The Bank of England has been criticised for its failure to foresee high inflation. A damning new report takes aim at the central bank’s forecasting process and urges a major overhaul. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is 'quantitative tightening'? Thanks to Freetrade for sponsoring this episode. Sign up at Freetrade.io/pensioncraft to get a free share worth between £10 and £100. When...

Investing a lump sum is a big decision that comes with great responsibility. Should you be conservative with your newfound wealth? Should you pile into markets straight away or drip feed slowly over time? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What does FSCS protection cover? Thanks to Freetrade for sponsoring this episode. Sign up at Freetrade.io/pensioncraft to get a free share worth between...

Daniel Kahneman was the pioneer of behavioural economics and won a Nobel Prize for his work on cognitive biases. By explaining how a litany of psychological missteps skew our decisions, few people have had more influence on investing. We discuss how Kahneman improved our investing judgement and taught us to manage risk intelligently. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Are stock analysts’ pr...

US regulators have swung for the fences, accusing Apple of running an illegal smartphone monopoly. But will the legal cases facing big tech firms hurt stock prices? Thanks to Freetrade for sponsoring this episode. Get a free share worth between £100 and £2,100 when you open & top up, or transfer an ISA and/or SIPP. Head over to: Freetrade.io/transfer . New and existing customers. Min £10k tran...

Stock markets have hit all-time highs in recent weeks, with bitcoin and gold joining the party. Inevitably, people ask, “Is this a bubble?!” And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What’s the difference between investing and speculation? Thanks to Freetrade for sponsoring this episode. Get a free share worth between £100 and £2,100 when you open & top up, or transfer an ISA and/or SIPP. Head...

ESG funds lured investors with the promise of simultaneously saving the planet and achieving higher returns. But after years of inflows, investors are pulling their money. Is there a better approach to sustainable investment? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Why are there multiple oil prices? Thanks to Freetrade for sponsoring this episode.  Get a free share worth between £100 and £2...

With just one month until the end of the UK tax year, it’s time to review our family finances, make the most of our annual allowances and optimise our investments. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is 'bed and breakfasting’? Thanks to Freetrade for sponsoring this episode. Get a free share worth between £100 and £2,100 when you open & top up, or transfer an ISA and/or SIPP. Head o...

Excitement about AI is powering a new bull market. Nvidia smashed earnings expectations, catapulting the company towards a two-trillion dollar valuation and lifting stocks globally. Thanks to Freetrade for sponsoring this episode. Sign up at Freetrade.io/pensioncraft to get a free share worth between £10 and £100. When you invest, your capital is at risk. The probability is weighted, so more expen...

The UK and Japan slipped into recession at the end of 2023, and growth remains weak in Europe and China. While the US economy is booming, much of the world is struggling — does an economic downturn spell disaster for our investments? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What’s the difference between a recession and a depression? Thanks to Freetrade for sponsoring this episode. Sign up at Free...

Banks stocks have tumbled as losses mount on property loans, forcing them to set aside extra cash and slash dividends. Is the commercial real estate problem contained or is this just the tip of the iceberg? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is negative equity? Thanks to Freetrade for sponsoring this episode. Sign up at Freetrade.io/freesharepensioncraft to get a free share worth betwe...

UK stocks have lagged global markets in recent years. Unloved by investors and underweighted by institutions, is the UK really a bargain hiding in plain sight? We discuss what’s holding British equities back and if they’re about to turn a corner. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: When a company goes private, are you forced to sell your shares? Selected links The atrophying UK stock market...

There’s never been more information available to investors, but how do you avoid drowning in data? We’ve gathered our favourite investing tools from across the web to help. And what’s more, they’re free. Get ready for asset valuation, fund selection, and portfolio modelling made easy. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Do backtests really work? Tools discussed Fund screening JustETF VettaFI...

The "Weird Portfolio" seeks to sidestep market crashes while still achieving attractive long-term returns. We talk to its creator, Value Stock Geek. We also dig into value investing, and how to find wonderful companies at wonderful prices. Follow Value Stock Geek at securityanalysis.org --- Get in touch 📧 mhr@pensioncraft.com 🎧 many-happy-returns.captivate.fm --- Join PensionCraft 🌐 Become a me...

To succeed at investing, you need to get the big decisions right. But the details matter too. We explore ten under-appreciated aspects of stock markets that, while seemingly trivial, can greatly affect your returns. We look at everything from index construction to valuation measures to platform fees. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Why do global index funds use market-cap weighting rathe...

Since starting PensionCraft, I’ve spoken to more than a thousand people about their finances, helping with their investing goals, strategies, and fears. We discuss common challenges investors face and how they chart the right course. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Why is it so hard to talk about money? --- Get in touch 📧 mhr@pensioncraft.com 🎧 many-happy-returns.captivate.fm --- Join...

After a century of rapid population growth, the world is getting older. But with fewer workers to subsidise healthcare and pensions, some speculate that shifting demographics spell trouble for the economy and our investments. We debate whether the golden age of stock markets can survive the great Demographic Drag? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: How did old people survive before pensions...

Despite all the predictions of doom, the American economy has achieved a macro miracle. Inflation has been tamed without the insidious side-effects of higher unemployment or a recession. But how has the Fed pulled off a soft landing, and can we hope for the same in the UK? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Why do economists always get it wrong? Selected links How did the US achieve a soft...

12 tricky questions to test anyone's knowledge about money, markets and investing in 2023. Can you triumph in our Christmas pub quiz?! And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is the Santa Rally and is it real? --- Get in touch 📧 mhr@pensioncraft.com 🎧 many-happy-returns.captivate.fm --- Join PensionCraft 🌐 Become a member at pensioncraft.com ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube --- Disclaimer This po...

We celebrate the life of Charlie Munger and look to learn from his wisdom. Warren Buffett's long-time right-hand man helped build Berkshire Hathaway and was a brilliant investor in his own right. But perhaps he will be best remembered for his willingness to share his wisdom, wit and one-liners. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is the “Lollapalooza Effect”? --- Get in touch 📧 mhr@pen...

Markets are full of numbers. Big ones. Small ones. Nonsensical ones. But what is the most influential number in investing? Is it the oil price? Or the interest rate set by the Fed? Or perhaps the strength of the dollar? We debate seven different rates and prices in attempt to crown The World’s Most Important Number. And in the Dumb Question of the Week: Why does the Fed set its policy rate as a ta...