Moneycube’s midyear market review 2023

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

Auto-enrolment in Ireland: how will it affect you?

Auto-enrolment in Ireland: if you’re serious about your pension, Ireland’s auto-enrolment solution won’t get you there Moneycube’s calculations indicate a regular person can hope for a retirement income of just under €12,000 per year using Ireland’s promised auto-enrolment programme.   On 29 March the government announced auto-enrolment really is coming to Ireland – in 2024. … Continued

US debt ceiling negotiations: should you react?

 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

How much can I afford to put in my pension?

If you’re asking ‘How much can I afford to put in my pension?’ when there’s a cost of living crisis, challenging market conditions, and rising housing costs, you’re not alone. Fact is, there is too much guilt around pensions. We’re always being told we should save more.  But deciding how much depends on what you … Continued

Investing in artificial intelligence

Forget bitcoin and the metaverse… even tech firms more generally have had a tough time of it over the last 18 months. But 2023 is surely the year where AI, artificial intelligence, has got real attention.  So should you be investing in artificial intelligence, and if so, how? ChatGPT is just a start What seems … Continued

Question of the month: should I buy shares in BP?

I have a portfolio of shares (€35k). It is balanced through different sectors. I like receiving dividends, especially from my BP shares, which I bought after the Deepwater Horizon tragedy. I have a cash lump sum (€40k) sitting on a low/no interest PTSB bank account, for the last five years. Every year I say I’ll … Continued

What does the Silicon Valley Bank collapse mean for investors?

For most people in Ireland, memories of bank collapses are still raw.  So it’s no surprise the Irish government and others are paying special attention to news of the collapse of US-headquartered technology lender, Silicon Valley Bank. Here’s our briefing on what happened, and five likely implications for investors. Before we start: it’s less than a week since … Continued