Author: Helen Barklam
Helen Barklam is Editor of Investment Guide. Helen is a journalist and writer with more than 25 years experience. Helen has worked in a wide range of different sectors, including health and wellness, sport, digital marketing, home design and finance. Helen aims to ensure our community have a wealth of quality content to read and enjoy.
Ground rent investment involves acquiring the freehold title of residential or commercial leasehold property. As ground rent investments are illiquid in nature, they are best suited to investors who do not require immediate access to their funds. Ground rent investments provide an opportunity for cautious investors to gain exposure to the UK property market with fewer risks than traditional buy-to-let property investments. However, finding appropriate ground rent investment opportunities can be more difficult than finding buy-to-let opportunities as (i) supply is limited, and (ii) close relationships with house-builders are often required to source the best deals. This article will focus…
The Scotch Whisky industry is incredibly important to Scotland. There are 133 Scotch Whisky distilleries in Scotland, with regulations dictating that the spirit must be allowed to mature in oak casks for a minimum of three years. The Scotch Whisky Association reports that 1.3 billion bottles of Scotch Whisky were exported in 2019 (42 bottles per second) with a total value of £4.9 billion. This investing in whisky guide will solely focus on the Scotch Whisky market, though it is also possible to invest in whisky produced in other regions such as American Whisky or Irish Whisky. Introduction to Scotch…
Getting started investing in UK domain names is easy but that doesn’t mean it’s a suitable investment for everyone. Before investing, the most important thing to understand is that domain names (even good ones) are illiquid assets and there are no guarantees that you will be able to find a willing buyer when required. This article will seek to teach you all of the basics of getting started in investing in UK domain names: Domain names – the basicsWhat gives a domain name value?Domain name researchHow to profit from UK domainsHow to invest in UK domain namesAcquiring domains from existing…
Capital gains tax (often referred to as ‘CGT’) is a tax payable by UK individuals who sell or dispose of an asset at a profit. Capital gains tax is applicable to the taxable gain (i.e. the difference between the sale price/disposal value and the purchase price) rather than the full sale price. Disposal value applies in the scenario where an asset is not sold, but rather it is gifted, swapped or transferred. For example, if you gave an asset to a friend for free, a capital gains liability would arise on the deemed value of the asset on transfer. Capital…
Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin is credited with starting the now infamous FIRE movement. The premise of the book is that in modern society, the majority of people trade their time for money. Think about this for a second. If someone were to hold a gun to your head and ask ‘Your Money or Your Life?’, you would almost certainly hand over your wallet without second thought. And yet every day, consciously or unconsciously, people all around the world trade their time/life for money and live consumerist lifestyles which prolong that reality. The book…
Silver prices have fluctuated considerably over the last 20 years. From the start of 2004 to 27 March 2011, investing in silver would have bagged you an impressive return of over 800% with silver prices rising from £110 per kg to £906 per kg. However, the market has since retracted significantly with silver reaching a low of £300 per kg in December 2015 before rallying to £390 per kg at the time of writing in April 2020. Silver is far cheaper than other precious metals such as gold or platinum, which are currently priced at £44,000 and £22,240 per kg…
In this buy to let investment guide, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of how investing in UK property using buy-to-let mortgages works and what you should consider before investing. What is buy-to-let property investment? A buy-to-let property investment typically involves acquiring a residential property to rent out to tenants. Buy-to-let property investors can profit through the receipt of rental payments and potential capital appreciation. Whilst property in the UK remains in demand, buy-to-let property is not considered a liquid investment and so investors should typically consider buy-to-let as a medium-long term investment. Buy-to-let property investment differs from other…
This article will explain the differences between income yield, redemption yield (also known as ‘yield to maturity’), yield to call and yield to worst. It will also teach you how to calculate bond yields in Excel. Income yieldRedemption yieldYield to callYield to worst In order to illustrate, lets imagine we are considering acquiring a 20-year bond with a 7% coupon rate (semi-annual payments), par value of £1,000 and current market price of £1,050. The bond was originally issued on 31/03/2010. Today’s date is 31/03/2020 and the bond is due to expire on 31/03/2020. Income yield The income yield calculates the…
Whereas silver and gold bullion coins and bars have illustrious pasts serving as legal tender across many economies, platinum has only ever been used within the monetary system of Russia. This is perhaps best explained by the fact that platinum was discovered by modern society far later and is much rarer than both gold and silver. As a result, the investment market for platinum is far less established than the markets for gold or silver. However, demand for investing in platinum has certainly grown over the last few years, reaching a peak of 1.1 million oz in 2019. Carry on…
