18 May 2026
How I invest: The personal finance geek chasing a comfortable early retirementThe phrase ‘it’s a marathon not a sprint’ was put to the test at this year’s London Marathon when two runners smashed the sub-two-hour barrier, with Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe taking home the ultimate prize. The 1:59:30 finishing time has changed expectations around the world of running forever and while his 4.33 per mile pace might challenge this slow...
15 May 2026
Why are US markets close to record levels when there’s so much uncertainty?Ask the experts. Russ Mould is on hand to answer your queries about the financial markets. If you'd like a question considered for a future edition, send it in now .
Or alternatively leave a rating for the article and include your question in the comment box.
Why are US equities making new highs when there is so much uncertainty in the world...
15 May 2026
Five pension pitfalls and how to avoid themYou’ve spent your working life building up your savings. Hopefully making the most of the tax incentives pensions have to offer and compound returns over the long term. But retirement is the point where the impact of financial decisions can actually start to compound in reverse, if you take a wrong turn.
Here are five common pension pitfalls that...
14 May 2026
How to manage your retirement money using the bucket strategyAfter working hard for years and saving money, retirement should be a time to relax and enjoy life. This is possible with a good financial plan.
Even though you might now be sitting on a nice pot of money, it is still important to manage your finances carefully during retirement. Luckily, there are effective ways to manage your money, and one of...
14 May 2026
The domestic-facing funds which outperformed during the UK’s wilderness yearsThe FTSE 100 has been enjoying a recent revival versus its S&P 500 counterpart in the first sustained rally since the 2007/8 financial crisis. Much to the joy of those looking around for some non-US equity options.
While US stocks have still largely outperformed their UK counterparts, the gap is much smaller than it was.
A mixture of global market...
14 May 2026
Can Novo Nordisk regain its place in the weight-loss race?Danish healthcare company Novo Nordisk remains one of Europe’s largest companies by market value despite the shares falling 70% over the last two years.
The fall from grace was preceded by a 540% advance in the shares following US regulatory approval for Novo’s diabetes treatment Ozempic in late 2017.
Novo launched the world’s first treatment for...
24 April 2026
I live overseas: how can I access my UK pension?Ask the experts. Rachel Vahey is here to answer questions on pensions. If you’d like a question considered for a future edition send it in now .
Or alternatively leave a rating for the article and include your question in the comment box.
I have a stakeholder defined contributions pension with a big provider built up when I was employed in the...
23 April 2026
Managing your money in retirementWe spend years thinking about accumulating the pot we need to sustain us in our retirement but sometimes less thought is given to how we plan to manage our money once we retire.
Every month in Shares, AJ Bell’s senior pensions and savings expert Charlene Young covers a range of topics relevant to those approaching or already in retirement. There’s...
23 April 2026
High‑yield bonds: are they safer or riskier than stocks for someone nearing retirement?Ask the experts. Paul Angell is on hand to answer your questions about investments. If you'd like a question considered for a future edition, send it in now.
Or alternatively leave a rating for the article and include your question in the comment box.
I’m approaching retirement and want to take some of my money out of equities. I was looking at...
22 April 2026
Big tech in focus as crunch quarterly numbers awaitedTowards the end of April, we will get quarterly earnings from Microsoft, Alphabet, Apple, Meta Platforms and Amazon, representing a combined $14 trillion of market value, or just over a quarter of the S&P 500 index.
The technology narrative has shifted from excitement around the potential of AI to a ‘show me the money’ story, to quote Wells Fargo...
22 April 2026
I’ve got some spare cash: should I overpay my mortgage or invest?Ask the experts. Laura Suter is here to answer your personal finance questions. If you’d like a question considered for a future edition send it in now .
Or alternatively leave a rating for the article and include your question in the comment box.
I’ve read a lot in the news about interest rates being on the up again, which means mortgage rates...
21 April 2026
How I invest: The NHS doctor giving their Lifetime ISA a second life after buying a houseSaving for your first home is often the first major financial goal a person sets and for Aaron, getting over his anxiety that investing wasn’t for someone like him was a key part of achieving that dream.
Back in 2016 when Aaron was 26 and studying to become an NHS doctor, he opened a Lifetime ISA with the explicit goal of saving up to buy his...
21 April 2026
What do events in the Middle East mean for the commodities market as a whole?Ask the experts. Russ Mould is on hand to answer your queries about the financial markets. If you'd like a question considered for a future edition, send it in now .
Or alternatively leave a rating for the article and include your question in the comment box.
There’s been plenty of news about rising oil and gas prices recently but I’m interested...
20 April 2026
Mounting geopolitical tensions have changed the game for BAE SystemsRising geopolitical tensions and expanding UK and European defence budgets following the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have created a substantial tailwind for BAE Systems, with the shares delivering nearly 400% in total shareholder returns over the last five years data.
The shares have comfortably outperformed the FTSE 100 and the global defence...
20 April 2026
Hunting for stocks with less valuation riskAs Fundsmith founder Terry Smith is fond of reminding investors, in the long run earnings drive share prices rather than the other way around.
Investing in stocks successfully is often about subtly shifting the odds in your favour. This can mean owning stocks which have lower valuation risk, or in other words aren’t being overvalued by the market...
17 April 2026
Why US small-caps have seen an uptick in fortunesUS large-caps have been the unparalleled leader in equity market returns and investor inflows to the detriment of its small cap peers. But as the global market order shifts US small caps are showing signs of a revival.
Globally, small caps have struggled over the past five years, with higher interest rates and inflation creating a headwind to this...
17 April 2026
How does your retirement income stack up?Ever wonder how your income compares to other people in retirement, or what you need to be aiming for? The Family Resources Survey data from the Department for Work and Pensions lets us take a deep dive into how much income pensioners get each week and where they get that income from.
As you approach retirement age, the data can still help you work...
16 April 2026
What next for oil and gas companies after the big energy price shock?At the end of 2025 oil and gas companies were staring down the barrel of declining energy prices and resulting pressure on profits and returns to shareholders.
Despite the fragile ceasefire deal recently brokered by Pakistan, the conflict in Iran has shifted the calculus significantly since the end of February and helped global energy firms to...
16 April 2026
Driving the conversation on money and the marketsWho do you talk to about investing?
Some people may be fortunate enough to have a friend or family member with some knowledge of the markets to help set them on the right path, However, for many of us, including our My Portfolio contributor Aaron, investing can be a lonely furrow to plough at times.
That’s where we come in. Not only through are...
16 April 2026
Move over FTSE 100: the UK’s dividend throne has a new rulerThe UK stock market has just hit a striking milestone – and income investors should take note. Mid-cap stocks are now paying more generous dividends than the blue chip giants, marking the longest stretch since 2001 where the FTSE 250 offers a bigger yield than the FTSE 100.
On average over the past 25 years, the FTSE 100 has yielded 3.6% and the...
16 April 2026
Vodafone is finally dialling up growth after years in the doldrumsAfter more than a decade in the doldrums Vodafone shares have shown a remarkable recovery, delivering more than 70% in total shareholder returns in just the last 12 months, making them one of the top 10 performing shares in the FTSE 100 index.
What has driven the strong performance?The UK’s biggest telecommunications group has cleaned up its once...
20 March 2026
Not panicking, sticking to the plan and thinking about opportunitiesDon’t panic. Stick to your plan. These are words to live by when markets get choppy as they have done since the beginning of March as simmering tensions in the Middle East escalated to armed conflict. There is absolutely no reason to lose faith in investing. It is important to remain optimistic and focus on the long-term potential for your money to...
20 March 2026
Why investment trusts are buying themselves more than everShare buybacks are a commonplace market phenomenon, but it’s a tool that’s used for widely different reasons.
The practice involves a listed firm buying back its own stock so that the total amount of its shares in issue is reduced. The overall aim is to enhance the value of the remaining shares and for standard public trading companies, this is...
19 March 2026
Should I pay off my student loan or invest instead?Ask the experts. Laura Suter is on hand to answer your personal finance questions. If you’d like a question considered for a future edition, send it in now .
I’ve seen lots of stuff in the news about student loans and how much interest some graduates are paying. I left university in 2020 and am still paying off my loan, am I affected by what’s...
19 March 2026
Markets braced for Nike earnings as tariffs weigh on turnaround hopesAhead of its latest earnings Nike is racing to reverse a two-thirds collapse in its market value over the last four-and-a-bit years.
CEO Elliot Hill is pivoting from a struggling direct-to-consumer model back to the brand’s performance roots to outrun mounting tariff pressures and cooling demand in China.
The company is scheduled to release its...
