New to investing and not sure where to start? This beginner-friendly guide breaks down the fundamentals—from what shares and bonds are to how discounted cash flow works. Tailored for UK investors, we also explore risk, diversification, and how to use tax-efficient tools like ISAs and SIPPs. Learn how to build a solid financial foundation and make your money work harder, one step at a time.
Active fund management has long promised to beat the market—but does it deliver? This post explores the evidence behind active versus passive investing, unpacking costs, market efficiency, and the realities of stock selection. Backed by research and real-world data, it challenges the assumption that active managers can consistently outperform their benchmarks.
Factor investing is one of the most researched and effective frameworks for building diversified portfolios and enhancing long-term returns. This post offers an in-depth, evidence-based exploration of the key factors—such as value, size, momentum, and profitability—that have consistently delivered risk premia across decades and market regimes. Drawing on academic research and real-world implementation, we unpack how systematic strategies can outperform, why timing factors is difficult, and why diversification across factors remains essential.
Good financial decisions aren’t about predicting the future—they’re about following a sound process today.
In investing, outcomes are noisy. Short-term performance often reflects randomness, not skill. Yet fund managers continue to pitch five-year track records as if they prove anything. They don’t.
As Ken French puts it, a five-year chart ‘tells you nothing’. The real skill lies in filtering out the noise—evaluating strategy, incentives, costs, and behavioural fit.
Don’t chase what worked recently. Stick with what works reliably.