Latest articles by Tim Bennett
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Direct Line: Avoid this tempting flotation
Features At first glance, shares in Direct Line look cheap ahead of the insurer's initial public offering (IPO). But they're not cheap enough, says Tim Bennett. Here's why.
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Britain’s big house-price dip
Tips Tim Bennett on September's house price fall, plus a roundup this week’s personal finance news.
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Alpha, beta...it’s all Greek, but don’t fall for it
Tutorials While 'beta' is a useful guage of investmnet risk, 'alpha' is no more than City art dressed up as science, says Tim Bennett. Here, he explains why you shouldn't be taken in.
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Beginner's guide to mortgages
Videos A property mortgage is the biggest debt most of us will ever take on. So choosing the right one is vital. Tim Bennett explains the basics of mortgages and highlights the main pitfalls to avoid.
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Lloyds wins banking's wooden spoon
Features Tim Bennett rounds up the week's personal finance news, inculding how Lloyds topped the list of customer complaints.
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Fees reform comes with sting in the tail
Features The demise of the performance fee is welcome, says Tim Bennett. But make sure you are clear on how it will be clawed back before buying a managed fund.
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Why you can’t rely on the p/e ratio alone
Beginners' Guides The price/earnings ratio is a useful tool when it comes to deciding whether you should buy a particular stock or not. But it does have its weaknesses. Tim Bennett explains.
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How to find strong dividend-payers
Tutorials With traditional sources of income delivering below the rate of inflation, it's no surprise investors are turning to stocks that pay generous dividends. Tim Bennett explains what to look out for.
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What is 'alpha'?
Videos Fund managers claim to have it. Performance fees are often based on it. But what is alpha, and does it really exist? Tim Bennett explains.
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What is beta?
Videos How risky is the share you are about to buy? Fans claim stock 'betas' give you an instant snapshot. Tim Bennett explains how they work and whether they can be trusted.
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Seeing through the mist of GDP figures
Tutorials It might seem obvious that a country with strong GDP growth will offer the best stockmarket growth potential. But in fact, the opposite is true. Tim Bennett explains why.
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The lessons to be learned from Polly Peck
Tutorials Polly Peck’s financial troubles were not just caused by fraud and theft. They were also rooted in a very simple accounting trick that investors at the time should have spotted – something we can all still learn from today, says Tim Bennett.
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The accounting trick that fooled Polly Peck's investors
Videos Asil Nadir brought Polly Peck to its knees using a simple accounting trick that could still work today. Tim Bennett explains how you can avoid being caught out.
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Why long-term winners have big 'moats'
Tutorials 'Economic moats' are what defend companies from attack. The bigger the moat, the better. And the best way to measure a moat is to look for these five main strengths, says Tim Bennett.
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Absolute return funds: too good to be true?
Features Absolute return funds promise to maintain a positive return in all market conditions. But while the idea is sound, investors who bought have been mostly disappointed. Tim Bennett explains why.
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Why you can’t rely on auditors
Tutorials Powerful conflicts of interest mean that you can't always take a company's annual report at face value. So, what are the solutions? Tim Bennett investigates.
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How to play falling house prices
Features In theory it should be easy to spread bet on house prices, since you can bet on them rising or falling. But don’t be tempted, says Tim Bennett. There's a much better way to play falling house prices.
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What is the gold standard?
Videos Tim Bennett explains in simple terms how a gold standard works, why the last one was abandoned, and whether we should return to one today.
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How to fund a university education
Features With university fees increasing enormously from September, how do you spare your child from years of back-breaking debt? Tim Bennett examines the options.
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House prices have further to fall
Features Tim Bennett rounds up this week’s personal finance news, including sliding house prices, the best deals on enhanced annuities and why execution-only traders should watch out.
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Should you fear the 'death cross'?
Tutorials The dreaded 'death cross' is looming over America's main index - the S&P 500. So, what is the most feared signal in trading telling you to do? Tim Bennett explains.
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What is the Vix?
Videos The Vix indicator is a fast way to spot fear in equity markets. Tim Bennett explains how it works, and how it can help investors.
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What is the Libor/OIS spread?
Videos Tim Bennett looks at a red flag that can warn of trouble in the banking sector - and potentially the wider economy - and how to interpret what it's telling you.
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A bank worth backing
Features Bank shares are well and truly out of favour. But there is one dark horse that's doing very nicely, says Tim Bennett.
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