Category: Financial plan

Silicon Valley is a storied part of the US economy, and even the American dream. It has been the birthplace of numerous world-beating businesses for decades, from Hewlett-Packard and Intel in the twentieth century to Nvidia and Apple today.  What’s made the San Francisco Bay Area so successful? Its success is built on a fertile … Continued

If you work for yourself, funding a self-employed pension is something that can get left behind.  There are plenty of competing demands on your cash, especially in the early years of trading.  Here’s how you can make a start on your pension if you’re in your 40s and self-employed. Some good news to begin with … Continued

My husband died recently, and for the first time in many years I am looking after my finances directly.  I am not under immediate pressure and have day-to-day income.  But our investment assets are now in my sole name, and longer-term, I want to have much better understanding of what is happening my money.  Where … Continued

Most people let retirement happen to them.  Typically, it happens following a big birthday. But it doesn’t have to be that way. These days, our jobs are often shorter in duration, and careers more flexible, with several iterations. There’s much more opportunity to control the time you’ll retire. So what would it take to be … Continued

Auto-enrolment – the practice of automatically signing up workers to pay into a pension – is coming to Ireland – likely next year. There’s no doubt it’s a positive development for the people of Ireland, and the affordability of pensions in the decades to come. Legislation to make it happen is inching through the Oireachtas, and … Continued

I have €300k in cash and want to put the money to work in the short term until I have a longer term plan. Clearly there is little interest to be had from the Irish banks.  I have heard about money markets and government bonds but don’t know access them.  What low-risk options are out … Continued

Investor interest in money market funds has exploded in the last 18 months.  In 2023, global value of funds in the money market increased 17% to US$ 9.9 trillion according to ratings agency Fitch.  So what’s a money market fund, why would you want to invest in one?  What are the advantages… and the risks? … Continued

Is the stock market getting more volatile?  Or does it just seem that way?  And what should you do about it? There’s no doubt the 2020s have been chock-full of shocks so far. We might have hoped for a roaring twenties… in fact we’ve had pandemics, war, and shortages driving inflation. For sure, the world … Continued

Zurich Prisma funds are one of the best-known multi-asset ranges in Ireland. Against comparable funds, they are consistently at or near the top of their peer group. In fact, around 100,000 people in Ireland have invest in Prisma. So what are Zurich Prisma funds, how do they perform, and should you invest in them? What … Continued