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

  • 11 September 2026

    Oil tops $100: what it means for stocks and your finances

    Brent crude oil prices have moved back through the $100 a barrel mark, suggesting that central banks may keep interest rates higher for longer or consider further rate rises if inflationary pressures intensify. This has major implications for personal finances, corporate profits and financial markets.

    Oil price trends have played a key role in...

    6 min read
    Oil price charts
  • 11 September 2026

    I'm close to retirement: do I need to change my portfolio?

    Approaching retirement is one of the biggest financial milestones you'll ever face. While many investors focus on growing their wealth during their working years, retirement brings a new set of priorities. Deciding whether to change your portfolio requires careful thought about income, risk and how long your money needs to last.

    The focus during...

    5 min read
    woman sits on sofa in living room
  • 11 September 2026

    How much should I take out of my pension?

    Having spent your career building up a pot of money for later in life, the last thing you want to do is run it down quickly in retirement. There is a balancing act between spending enough to enjoy life and not being too excessive.

    Withdrawing 4% a year uprated in line with inflation used to be a popular strategy, but that is now up for debate...

    5 min read
    Lady looking out of window
  • 10 September 2026

    New breed of income ETFs: higher yield with a catch

    The range of income-generating investments has expanded in recent years with the launch of new funds. Some investors may already know about funds labelled ‘income maximiser’, which aim to offer higher yields than standard equity income funds but potentially lower capital growth. Now, a variation of these products has arrived, and they’re all...

    5 min read
    Shares magazine
    Image of a chart
  • 9 September 2026

    Daily market update: Inditex, Goodwin, Gym Group

    Brent crude pushing above $100 a barrel has had a psychological effect on the market, pushing a hypothetical inflation worry gauge to ‘serious’ status and dragging down financial assets.

    The oil price has now jumped by 28% since early August. This type of ascent could leave businesses and consumers feeling sick at the thought of sharp cost...

    5 min read
    shell office building
  • 9 September 2026

    Are you saving enough to pay for your kids' university costs?

    As the latest intake of students head off to university, parents with younger children may be reminded that the clock is ticking before their own children reach the same milestone.

    Higher education doesn't come cheap, and new research from AJ Bell* has found that over half (54%) of parents with a child under 18 have saved or invested to help fund...

    7 min read
    Mother And Daughter Meeting With Male Teacher
  • 8 September 2026

    Daily market update: Computacenter, Dunelm

    Oil prices continued a slow creep towards the $100 per barrel mark on Tuesday.

    Brent crude is at a six-week high, with apparent moves toward a deal between Iran and Oman to manage the flow of some shipping through the Strait of Hormuz merely underlining Tehran’s control of the waterway.

    For now, government bond yields remained steady and that...

    4 min read
    Dunelm store entrance
  • 7 September 2026

    Daily market update: Anthropic IPO, BP, Shell

    Following mixed fortunes across the main Asian equity markets, UK stocks made a lacklustre start to the trading week.

    Many of the headlines from the dominant AI theme remain positive, and that supported gains for South Korean stocks, but investors are having to contend with the potential for an interest rate hike at the US Federal Reserve’s meeting...

    3 min read
    Stockmarket screen
  • 4 September 2026

    Daily market update: Volkswagen

    Constantly changing interest rate expectations have kept investors on their toes this week.

    Having spent several days in the worry zone amid fears of growing inflationary pressures, markets have ended the week on a calmer note.

    Wall Street pushed forward on Thursday after Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller hinted at a potential pause on...

    2 min read
    volkswagon building