Category: Financial plan

Recovery in the equity markets is spurring hopes that the market for IPOs will pick up in the year ahead.  Read on to discover what that could mean for investors. November was a strong month in investment markets, with Europe recording its best growth since January (the Eurostoxx 600 was up 6.4%), and US markets … Continued

2022 was the worst year for bonds in decades, and the wait for a recovery has continued for most of 2023.  Now there are signs that’s changing. Stabilising inflation, more sensible pricing, and the prospect of interest rate cuts in 2024 makes the bond market look more interesting as the year draws to a close. … Continued

I have €20,000 in a current account but want to use it in a better way. My wife and I have ten years left on a 15-year credit union home loan of €120,000 at 6.5 per cent APR for a total repayment of €186,000. There is no penalty for early repayment of part or all … Continued

Powerful, long-term changes in the global economy and global politics are underway in the world right now. And these changes have implications for investments. Here are four megatrends that are shaping our future world. What’s a megatrend? BlackRock, the world’s largest fund manager, with some $9.5 trillion of assets under advice, describes megatrends as: powerful, … Continued

Moneycube.ie is offering people one per cent cashback on their pensions to encourage them to plan for their retirement. In a first for the pensions market in Ireland, Moneycube wants to put cash back in customers’ pockets, and incentivise people to take charge of their pension savings. Cashback offers are a successful feature of the … Continued

The long hot summer in much of Europe, the western US and China is a reminder that the climate has a major economic effect.  From the need to adapt infrastructure to changing consumer behaviour to population movement, climate change and the move to net zero is influencing investment decisions around the world. At the heart … Continued

There’s a clear chance the world is heading into recession, as higher interest rates put pressure on mortgage holders and debt-laden companies. That’s bad news for the economy. But the stock market is not the economy. No-one wants a recession. But they want inflation even less. If a recession is the price of getting on … Continued

The last six months have had their fair share of drama. There have been bank failures and price falls – but also asset price recoveries in some sectors, an improving inflation trend, and continued economic resilience in most of the developed world. As we approach the half-year mark, it’s time to look at what has … Continued

 The countdown continues.  Today US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen set a date of 5 June as the final date to raise the US debt ceiling. Failure to raise the limit by then will mean the US government would begin to default on its obligations. What is the US debt ceiling? The debt ceiling is the … Continued