“My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.” – Mark Twain. Forgetting Mother’s Day is not recommended. I’ve never been able to work out when Mother’s day will appear in the calendar. So here it is. It is on the fourth Sunday of Lent, exactly three weeks … Continued
Suddenly my inbox is filled with financial predictions from the seers of the City. It takes me back to the years presenting our (Pru M&G’s) views for the year ahead. These are dangerous predictions to make, and seldom if ever correct. As Yogi Berra, the legendary baseball player and coach, famously said, “It’s tough to … Continued
“You can’t start a fire without a spark.” – Bruce Springsteen. In 1984 Bruce Springsteen released “Dancing in the Dark” one of his most famous songs. The lyrics include the line “You can’t start a fire without a spark.” He went on to release 21 studio albums and filled stadiums across the world for over … Continued
Voice message scams – don’t believe everything you hear. Starling Bank research found the average UK adult has been targeted by fraud five times in the past year. Recently their survey of 3000 people highlighted the growing danger of sophisticated voice messages using cloned voices. These frauds go well beyond the “Mum, I’ve lost my … Continued
“Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character.” Steven Covey. Some of us may have heard of Steven Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Most of us have heard of Dwight D Eisenhower, 34th US President, and … Continued
Index tracker fund popularity continues to grow principally because they provide access to a diverse range of investments at low cost. But how do index trackers work? First, what is an index? An index is a statistical measure that tracks the performance of a group of assets, such as stocks, bonds, or other financial instruments. … Continued
The UK election may have some investors looking to change their portfolios. They should think twice. Decades of returns over 17 prime minister’s tenures of 10 Downing Street suggest long-term investment values continue to rise regardless of who wins. Why? There are many factors that impact markets; the economy, interest rates, inflation, currencies, geopolitical tensions, … Continued
“Imposter syndrome doesn’t discriminate; it affects everyone from college students to CEOs. People from every demographic who are clever, driven, articulate, creative and successful have difficulty in acknowledging their achievements.” – Dr Jessamy Hibberd, Chartered Clinical Psychologist and author of The Imposter Cure, and How To Overcome Trauma And Find Yourself Again. What do … Continued
Torville and Dean achieved a perfect score in the 1984 Winter Olympics. Nadia Comaneci produced seven perfect 10s in Montreal’s Olympics in 1976. Perfection then, but now? In their book The Imperfectionists Charles Conn and Rob McLean, two McKinsey alumni, share observations on the challenges of a conventional approach to strategic planning. Imperfection may sound … Continued
Causality dilemma, better known as the chicken or egg paradox, characterises situations where it is difficult to determine what came first. I read an interesting article on the difference between advice and coaching which got me thinking. So, which comes first, advice or coaching? Let’s start with a couple of simplified definitions as a frame … Continued
