Category: Investing

I’m investing a lump sum over the next few months, and want to keep things fairly simple.  At the same time, I’m aware there’s a need to avoid putting all my eggs in one basket, and to spread my risk instead.  Is one investment fund enough?  Or how many investment funds should I hold? – TM, … Continued

Traditionally seen as a safer bet, bonds have been a loss-maker for Irish investors so far in 2022. Stock markets might grab the headlines. But the bond market is bigger, and has been experiencing tough times of its own. One major bond index, the Bloomberg Global Aggregate, is down nearly 9% for Euro investors over … Continued

My father recently sold the family home and moved into a much smaller place. By doing so, he managed to free up about €150,000, which he has sitting in his current account. He is 78 years old and in good health; he has a decent income from his pensions, good health insurance and so on. … Continued

The metaverse entered the real world in a big way in late 2021. Facebook rebranded itself as Meta Platforms, and announced it was investing $10 billion a year there, effectively staking the future of its business on the metaverse. So what is it, and how do I invest in the metaverse? What’s the metaverse? Trying … Continued

Inflation in Ireland is hard to ignore right now – a trend we identified a year ago. If you dig into the data, however, inflation is still confined to a small number of sectors.  Others are experiencing little in the way of cost increases, and at times even deflation.  Digging into the causes of inflation … Continued

Some funds just capture the imagination.  QQQ’s one of them.  Formed in 2002, this technology-focused fund has grown by over 1,300% (yes, one thousand three hundred per cent) since that time. And the good news is that there are several ways to access it depending on the size and shape of your investment. Of course, … Continued

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the wider world has shown notable unity and decisiveness in placing sanctions and asset freezes upon oligarchs close to the Russian regime, Russian companies, and restricting global payments systems. There’s been an immediate knock-on effect in the investment industry.  One major index provider has described Russian market … Continued

Going for gold is the 3,000-year-old investment strategy.  So is now the time for people in Ireland to invest in gold? Gold has some characteristics that investors just can’t ignore.  When governments print money, countries fight wars, or political uncertainty increases, share prices can come under pressure. But demand for gold grows. This is the … Continued

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is above all a humanitarian tragedy, with several chapters yet to unfold.  The reactions of the financial markets today – and over recent weeks – have reflected the fast-moving nature of the crisis.  What are the implications for investors? Today’s events in the markets carry an important lesson.  At the start … Continued