Volatility is a normal part of investing. Stock market declines over a few days or months may lead investors to anticipate a down year. But the US stock market had positive returns in 17 of the past 20 years, despite some notable dips in many of those years.

We awoke on day 3 of the North Coast 500 in our tents at Gairloch to heavy rain and driving winds. Aside from the inclement weather, a mechanical problem with my bike was making completing the NC500 look like a much more significant challenge.

We set off early on day 2 of cycling the North Coast 500 to tackle the climb up Bealach na Ba, the historic mountain pass with a 20% gradient climb through the mountains of the Applecross peninsula. It’s reputation didn’t disappoint!

Day 1 of cycling the North Coast 500 dawned bright and clear. WeI departed from Inverness - bikes packed to the gunnels - heading West in the direction of the Isle of Skye, arriving at Lochcarron mid-afternoon.

Diversification, time in the market and a steady head can help investors achieve their long-term financial goals by avoiding the pitfalls of emotionally driven, badly timed mistakes. The reasons to stay invested (always).

The Bank of England has raised interest rates by 0.25% to 1 per cent, in a bid to curb soaring inflation. The monetary policy committee voted on 5th May 2022 to raise the Base Rate to tame inflation, which hit 7% in March 2022.

Pension credit is available to people over State Pension age on low incomes. With £1.7 bn going unclaimed by 850,000 pensioners, it's a valuable benefit that could help thousands handle the cost of living crisis.

In May 2022 Justin plans to cycle one of the world’s best and most beautiful road trips - the North Coast 500. The NC500, follows 516 miles of stunning coastal scenery wrapped around the Northern Highlands of Scotland.

The number one enemy of the long-term investor is the financial dragon called inflation (the silent but steady increase of prices over time).

When Wall Street or meme investors think they can capitalise on “mispricing,” they’re not betting against Wall Street so much as they are betting against human ingenuity.

Time marches on, and it waits for no one. We know that money has value, and wasting it seems silly. But we all throw away something far more valuable every day: time. One of the few truly finite resources, the amount of time we get is uncertain, but we know it's limited.

Justin explores Sir Isaac Newton’s financially disastrous moves during the South Sea Bubble of 1720. Swept up by the enthusiasm of the stock market, he lost a fortune buying and selling shares, by speculating instead of investing prudently.

Justin presented at the CISI South-West regional conference sharing his experience of working with clients. He discussed how to identify who you can add most value to and how to communicate best with them.

Active vs passive investing is a phrase we hear regularly, but the binary labels have become outdated. In this article Justin explains a more nuanced framework for assessing the active / passive distinction separately for an investment approach’s philosophy and its implementation. With information from Dimensional Fund Advisors.

Sarah Merker is author of the National Trust Book of Scones and of the National Trust Scone blog. She decided to travel to every National Trust place, record the most fascinating bits of its history and I reward herself with a scone.

Will inflation hurt stock market returns? History shows that stocks and shares tend to outpace inflation over time - a valuable reminder for investors concerned that today’s rising prices will make it harder to reach your long-term financial goals.

For the second time in two months, NS&I have announced an increase in interest rates to 0.5% on both their direct saver and income bonds products. NS&I savings plans have excellent protection from the Treasury.

Justin was the retirement planning specialist on the panel of Boring Money’s Investing webinar for their Over 40s Club, hosted by Holly Mackay.

From 1st January 2022, inheritance tax reporting requirements have been reduced for 90% of estates that require probate, but don’t have an IHT liability. These are known as excepted estates.

From 1st January 2022, inheritance tax reporting requirements have been reduced for 90% of estates that require probate, but don’t have an IHT liability. These are known as excepted estates.