12 July 2024
What are shares?Learn all you need to know about the stock market, including what shares are, how they work and how to invest in shares for your portfolio.
About the expert
Dan Coatsworth is AJ Bell's Head of Markets. Dan has been with the company since December 2012 and has more than 18 years' experience in the industry, following the markets and all things investing. He has a degree in Corporate Communications from Southampton Solent University.
Dan is involved in a lot of the content published by AJ Bell, which includes; providing market commentary, starring in our educational videos, writing for Shares Magazine and co-presenting our Money and Markets podcast, as well as hosting and presenting at events for customers – both in person and online.
Dan’s passion lies with educating customers all about investing and staying informed about market events. He previously worked for Teletext on the business and personal finance desks which taught him the importance of telling a story in as few words as possible. He has also appeared as a business commentator on Times Radio and LBC News and written investment-related articles for The Telegraph, Evening Standard, Mail on Sunday and The Week.
A fun fact Dan learned about investing early on was to not get caught up on the hype around certain stocks. He found this out himself when the first share he bought was a company trying to recover copper from a shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean… this sounded exciting but sadly didn’t make him any money! Outside of work, Dan enjoys swimming and going to live gigs.
Latest articles from Dan Coatsworth
5 July 2024
How the market reaction to a new prime minister compares to historyThe UK stock market barely moved the last time the country switched from a Conservative to Labour government but the opposite happened when Keir Starmer’s party was declared victorious in the 2024 general election.
In recent months, markets had taken the prospect of a Labour government with equanimity, given the party’s manifesto promises not to...
2 July 2024
What were the key themes behind best and worst performing US and UK shares in the first half of 2024?There are five clear trends to explain the big movements on the UK and US stock market in the first half of the year. They involve takeovers, AI, interest rates staying higher for longer, shifting fortunes in the fashion sector and lingering concerns around growth for certain companies.
Overall, it’s been a good six months for investors as all the...
1 July 2024
What are investment trusts?Investment trusts are a type of collective investment with some unique features. Learn how they work and how to invest in investment trusts.
1 July 2024
Are you a business owner or company secretary? Here are your investing optionsMore companies are investing spare cash in the hope of building their wealth to support future business growth. In the same way that individuals might choose to put their money into shares, funds or other asset classes, companies can also open an investment account and put their money to work in the markets.
A Limited Company Dealing account is a...
26 June 2024
Lifetime ISA (LISA) bonusA Lifetime ISA (LISA) bonus is a 25% government bonus, which can be up to £1,000 annually, added on top of what you save. Learn more about monthly LISA bonus payments here.
21 June 2024
Picking the right platform for youDiscover six key areas where investment platforms can differ, and six important questions you can ask yourself to help you pick the platform that’s right for you.
21 June 2024
Cash ISA vs Stocks and shares ISAExplore the differences between a Cash ISA and an investment ISA, including tax, returns and interest rates, to help you decide which is right for you.
12 June 2024
How to build your first pension or expand an existing oneCreating a plan for your retirement savings now could put you in a better position later in life. You will thank yourself for getting your finances in order – it should not take long and could bring peace of mind knowing that you have a pension strategy in place.
The first step is to find out if you have existing pension assets. Certain people...
6 June 2024
Potential stock market winners and losers if Labour wins the general electionThere have been plenty of hints as to what might appear in Labour’s general election manifesto. The formal document may still be a few days away but you don’t need to wait to find out how various industries might be affected if Keir Starmer secures the keys to Number 10 on 4 July.
Here is a look at some of the key sectors which could be winners or...
