This week in MoneyWeek magazine, Matthew Partridge takes a look at how advances in healthcare, science and public sanitation have led to everyone's life expectancy rising sharply, and pick the best ways to profit from that trend.
David C Stevenson expands on that and examines the concept of theme based investing, and how to get started with a handful of funds.
And one of our favourite fund managers gives us some insights about what makes him a successful investor simple advice that anyone can follow.
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The drugs do work
Matthew Partridge begins his cover story this week by outlining a few of the benefits of the modern age. A dramatic fall in infant mortality, better public sanitation and "the discovery of cures or vaccines for many once-deadly diseases" have all contributed to a big leap in average life expectancy around the globe.
But the trouble with people living longer than they used to is that they're now falling prey to a whole new batch of ailments. Comparatively few people die from the flu or TB these days, says Matthew; today's elderly "mainly die of cancer, heart disease or strokes, while dementia limits the quality of life of huge numbers of elderly people".
But new therapies are being developed that promise to give the elderly a new lease of life and big profits for investors. Matthew looks at the state of the industry and picks five of the best stocks to buy now. Find out what they are with a subscription to the magazine.
Plod your way to profits
There seems to be an endless stream of get rich quick schemes thrown at investors these days. You've probably already had at least one in your inbox today. If not, I imagine it won't be long before one turns up. But Nick Train interviewed by Merryn Somerset Webb this week doesn't believe in that sort of thing.
Nick is "an exceptional fund manager", says Merryn. He runs the Finsbury Growth and Income Trust a trust we like so much we put it in our model portfolio. His theory is ridiculously simple. He buys good stocks that he thinks will rise in value, and hey presto, that's what they do.
He lists some of the disciplines that he thinks sets himself apart. Not trading too much, for example, and not speculating on attractive-looking short-term punts. But his most important advice is to remain optimistic. "It is so easy for people to become pessimistic", he says, it seems "so smart" to "warn about problems and catastrophe". But history is on the side of the optimists. Right now, he says there are "truly extraordinary and thrilling opportunities" to be found.
It must be said, he does talk an awful lot of sense. Find out what else he has to say with a subscription to the magazine.
Ride the global "mega-trends" to wealth
Many of us invest in the FTSE 100, says our funds expert David C Stevenson. It's the UK's benchmark index, after all. But in truth it has very little to do with the UK it's an index crammed with big companies that make much of their money abroad. So why do we invest based on geography? "The world is increasingly driven by mega trends that don't respect national borders, or even tidy asset-allocation categories", says David.
Investing in these trends is the idea behind "the growth of theme-based funds, which invest in trends such as the demographic changes associated with ageing and the rise of robotics."
For David, these trends represent "the great investment stories of the next three decades". He outlines his strategy and picks five theme-based funds to get you started. Find out what they are with a subscription to the magazine.
The end of globalisation, no more QE, and all the tips you need
Among our regular features, Alex Rankine's investment briefing asks if stagnating world trade and the rise of protectionism and populist politics spell the end of globalisation, Matthew Lynn questions whether we really need any more quantitative easing, and we have our usual roundup of the financials press's share tips for the week.
All invaluable stuff for anyone wanting to make sense of the world economy today, and looking to invest their hard earned money to secure their financial future. Start by taking out a subscription to MoneyWeek magazine now.
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