“Increasing your financial muscle doesn’t require the superpowers of the mighty Thor, as played by Chris Hemsworth in the Marvel film series” Conventional wisdom, though often possessing a kernel of truth, can be an unreliable guide, rooted in outdated beliefs that don’t necessarily make sense in today’s world. This is as true in personal finance….read more
That old chestnut — if your money is neither invested nor earning interest then it is losing value — is sometimes a little hard to digest. It would be a lot easier if the figure you saw on your bank balance reflected your money’s purchasing power, because then we would all have more clarity. But….read more
“Matthew McConaughey’s broker in The Wolf of Wall Street, right, tells Leonardo DiCaprio that all he cares about is taking money from his clients” The financial advice sector is a bit of a smorgasbord. There are financial advisers, there are financial planners and there are brokers, all of whom provide financial guidance in one form….read more
Q: ‘The rent from a flat I let no longer covers my mortgage. Must I sell?’ I have a two-bed apartment in Dublin that I bought during the Celtic Tiger with a tracker mortgage that’s 1pc over the ECB rate. The property is in a Rent Pressure Zone and the monthly rental income is €1,500…..read more
Q: I’m 55 and I’ve had a significant portion of my pension savings invested in an equity portfolio for the last 15 years. This year, with volatility across the markets, my annual return has been negative. I had hoped to retire in ten years, so I am worried I will lose more of the savings….read more
Whether you want to make the most of the money you already have or look at ways of reducing what you’re spending — including your tax liability — doing a small amount of research and any necessary follow up could be just the ticket for maintaining, or even improving, your financial health. This week, in….read more
Q: I’m 55 and I’ve had a significant portion of my pension savings invested in an equity portfolio for the last 15 years. This year, with volatility across the markets, my annual return has been negative. I had hoped to retire in ten years, so I am worried I will lose more of the savings….read more
Q I am working in the private sector on a modest salary but have always been careful with my money and able to manage quite well. However, I am starting to feel the pinch each month and can see my weekly shop going up all the time. Some experts are warning inflation could be more….read more
Q The cost-of-living crisis has me really struggling to make ends meet. I’m on a reasonably good wage but my commute into work is now costing me considerably more. I’m in danger of falling behind on my mortgage or car loan if things continue as they are. I’m currently paying 5pc of my salary into….read more
Splitting up the family home can be hell for couples who are going their separate ways, but ‘fresh start’ lending rules can help, writes Eithne Dunne. It was not just weddings that were put on the long finger during the pandemic: the finalisations of divorces and separations were also stalled. “People had a lot of….read more
