The internet can be a wonderful thing, and we think that the site at visualcapitalist.com has some interesting compilations of statistics. Here’s one that sticks out: if you’ve ever wondered if the French really are the work-shy-gilets-jaunes who retire as soon as they’ve learned to grow vines in the garden, well…

In this blog:

1. Client case studies

2. Our mission

In this blog:

1. When is a 3% return better for an investor than a 6% return?

2. Averages – simple, huh?

3. Like Helvellyn, investing seems quicker coming down than going up.

4. When is 3% more than 6%?

In this blog:

1. Metro Bank

2. Is he who he says he is?

In this blog:

1. What’s inside the grey box?

2. Probable v possible: the cost

3. Guarantees are contractual, dividends are discretionary

In this blog:

1. This is significant

2. We’ve got company

3. Retirement: got any plans?

In this blog:

1. We don’t use Lowand, but…

2. The question they all ask

In this blog:

1. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns

2. Consider two investments side by side, one with a return of 4% and one with 8% - which one is the more profitable?

3. High or low relative to what?

4. What the data says.

In this blog:

1. Investment trusts have two problems for IFAs

2. The data behind an income portfolio

3. Inflation – a key differentiator made transparent with data.

In this blog:

1. The storm elements in western France

2. The storm elements in the investment atmosphere

3. Data driven research.

Some guarantees cost more than others – is your money at risk? In this blog:

1. What’s in a rate?

2. Understanding preference shares

As a company we are probably unique in having a section in our website that outlines for you how to write and give a eulogy. In this blog:

1. “With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.”

2. “A billion here, a billion there …”

Here’s some good news (not in the headlines or Today on R4). And if someone runs $27bn, we’d like to hear what they think. In this blog:

1. A key part of inflation has gone negative

2. Here comes the bill

3. ‘The weirdest time in 40 years’

In 1992 Marc and Robert spun out a company from the MIT ‘leg lab’ that worked on developing robotics. In 2004 they demonstrated BigDog, which you’ll probably have seen. With the seed development already done at MIT it took the team twelve years to get to here – I don’t who was funding this, who the backers were/are, and surely in robotics there can be no certainty.

Interest rates are up, gilt yields are up, and the Sunday Times is covered in adverts and editorials talking about annuities; we look at the numbers, not the commentaries. In this blog:

1. t’s all in the maths

2. “Colin” the Client’s Story

In this blog:

1. Don’t retire until you want to

2. The sweet spot in retirement

3. A big list of things to do over the next 12 months while you’re in the sweet spot.

It’s important to get what you’ve already paid for throughout your life, including your full state pension. If you haven’t done so already, then you can follow the outline below from Ian, our project director, who has had spells working in both the US and Switzerland. Here’s his take on how to find out and fix any gaps.

Inflation: CPI vs RPI. Saving with banks whose names you can’t pronounce, and living on a budget

I came across the story in the New York Times last week; I can’t add anything to the explanation, so I’ve just quoted. You’ll agree that such Trumpian errors are scary…

Gas and water bills, council tax and house insurance – some expenses are utterly predictable and though not guaranteed to be charged to us, the rational expectation is that they will be. Technically speaking every company in the FTSE 100 could pay no dividends this year, however the rational expectation is that they will: ‘rational’ because…