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WITH THE imperfect political solution arrived at in the US over the contentious debt ceiling averting the threat of default and the resultant turmoil, it has recently been the turn of the Europeans to provide all the drama in the ongoing soap opera that we call the financial markets. For reasons that are largely irrelevant [...]

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HAVING an adviser to keep a check on your portfolio is ideal – you have someone who will keep track of what is happening, make decisions on your behalf, if that is what you agree, or explain to you why you should make the decision he or she is recommending. The one thing that it [...]

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Commodities are sometimes seen as some of the more glamorous investments you can make, with gold, platinum and other precious metals sitting alongside wheat, oil and pork bellies – OK, maybe that is not so glamorous. But investing in commodities – whether directly if you have the means and the knowledge, or more likely through [...]

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Cycling is one of those pastimes that allows you to admire the beauty of the country you are in,  while getting fitter at the  same time, and there are  few places that are better  to do this than Cambodia. The country’s stunning landscapes can be accessed more readily in some areas by bike, and you know [...]

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Infinity is continuing its expansion throughout Asia with its latest office opening in one of the region’s financial jewels in the crown – Hong Kong. As part of its expansion, Infinity’s managing director Trevor Keidan has become chief executive of Infinity Financial Solutions Ltd (Hong Kong) and is relocating to the city to live with his [...]

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The word pension has a strange effect on people – often at the very mention of pensions, they start to glaze over and decide that there is something, or someone, more interesting they should be dealing with. The thing is, if you think pensions are boring, how interesting do you think a retirement in penury [...]

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So, tell me, do you have all of your affairs in order? Honestly? Or do you just think that you are organised and have planned ahead to ensure that everything you need to protect yourself and your family is in place? It is hard to keep up with all of the areas of our finances [...]

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Some years ago several friends of Dave Stamboulis returned from a beach holiday claiming they had found one of the last unspoiled paradises in Asia. Here, he explains why now is the time to visit the unspoilt Phu Quoc. I did some research on the place, Phu Quoc, the largest island in Vietnam, lying just [...]

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World markets are continuing to rise and fall like yoyos, but in recent weeks the trend has been downwards. Yes, there have been times when markets have rallied, but the rallies have not been sustained. There is just too much bad news in the wider economic community for any significant rises to stick. The unflatteringly [...]

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Ethical investing used to be a very niche area of investment that was reserved for the brave few who would rather their money ‘did good’ than ‘did well’. But things are starting to change as the sector becomes more mainstream, and the performance of ethical funds is now competing with more traditional, non-ethical sectors. Alison Steed looks [...]

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Whether you are into sport or not, most of us feel like we could do with losing our love handles and shaping up a bit. But finding the best way to do this is not easy, especially if you loath the idea of being incarcerated in a gym with around 20 other people, yet want the camaraderie [...]

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The joy that children can bring us is immense – I should know, I have recently had my first child. So I can appreciate the fact that many parents will not want to think about how much their child or children are going to cost them to bring up. But when you do, my goodness [...]

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Building a portfolio is just one part of making a strong financial future for yourself, but if you leave that portfolio to its own devices for too long without any scrutiny, it will eventually stop working for you, and could work against you. In the current economic climate, with difficulties in the European economies being [...]

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Protecting our loved ones is a vital part of financial planning, and there are plenty of ways you can do this, but there are a number of things to consider. If you have dependants, whether that is a spouse who relies on your income, and/or children who will need to be cared for after you [...]

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One of the most amazing things about life is that you never know what is going to happen from day to day. The variety of experiences, the people you meet, the challenges you will face all provide the rich fabric that makes our lives fulfilling. The flip side of this is that, unfortunately, you will [...]

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Most of us have heard the phrase that ‘a chain is only as strong as its weakest link’ at some point, but when it comes to your finances, it is more correct than you might imagine. When you think about your own financial affairs, you will generally be looking at one aspect of them at [...]

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The name is Bond, Corporate Bond…or Savings Bond, or Gilt-Edged Bond, or Junk Bond – OK, this is getting silly now. When we think about the best way to get an income from our hard-earned cash, many of us will think about bonds. This makes sense – a bond is simply a product that you [...]

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Finding someone you trust to help you with advice for your portfolio is not easy. Plenty of people will tell you they can provide the services you need, and to be fair in many cases, that will be the case. But is that really enough? Unfortunately, the time you will find out is at a [...]

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Getting older. Yes, it is happening to all of us, but some will accept the inevitable more gracefully than others. Thing is, as we go through life and age – whether gracefully or disgracefully – it is not just the colour of our hair or how many wrinkles we are gaining that we have to [...]

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Any good builder knows that you will never build a house on sand. Well, let me rephrase that a little. You would not build a house on sand if you wanted it to stand up to the elements and remain steadfast for years to come – sand simply will not support the structure for you. [...]

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