I wish I knew what a marginal tax rate was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what a marginal tax rate was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
Your marginal tax rate is simply the tax rate you pay on each extra pound of income you earn. Here's how that works.
14 Sep 2021
I wish I knew what stagflation was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what stagflation was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
Traditionally, economists and central bankers worry about inflation or recession. But there is one thing worse than both: stagflation. Here's what it …
7 Sep 2021
I wish I knew what a drawdown was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what a drawdown was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
Drawdowns are an unfortunate part of an investor’s life. But what exactly is a drawdown?
31 Aug 2021
I wish I knew what the metaverse was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what the metaverse was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
The term “metaverse” sounds like something out of a science fiction novel (and it is). But what does it actually mean?
24 Aug 2021
I wish I knew what the gold standard was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what the gold standard was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
These days, most currencies are "fiat" currencies backed by the economies of the countries that issue them. But in days gone by currencies were on the…
17 Aug 2021
I wish I knew what tapering was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what tapering was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
Tapering is the reduction in quantitative easing provided by a central bank. But how does it work?
11 Aug 2021
I wish I knew what a share buyback was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what a share buyback was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
A share buyback means just what it says – a company buys back its own shares. But why? And how does that benefit shareholders?
3 Aug 2021
I wish I knew what an index was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what an index was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
The FTSE 100 is probably the best-known stockmarket index in the UK. But what exactly is an index?
27 Jul 2021
I wish I knew what EBITDA was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what EBITDA was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
If you read the business pages for any length of time, you’re likely to come across a rather clunky acronym: Ebitda. What does it mean?
13 Jul 2021
I wish I knew what options were, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what options were, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
Rather than buy shares in a company, traders who want to profit from short-term moves in the market often prefer to use financial tools such as option…
6 Jul 2021
I wish I knew what a zombie company was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what a zombie company was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
A low interest-rate environment enables companies to reduce their interest payments, but it can also create "zombie companies". But what is a zombie c…
29 Jun 2021
What is private equity?
What is private equity?
Private equity investors have a mixed reputation – they’re either hands-on “turnaround” experts or rapacious asset strippers. But what exactly is priv…
22 Jun 2021
I wish I knew what a sovereign bond was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what a sovereign bond was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
Government spending is funded in two ways – taxation and borrowing. When a government borrows money, it issues an IOU called a sovereign bond.
15 Jun 2021
The MoneyWeek Podcast: Gillian Tett on how anthropology helps make sense of the world
The MoneyWeek Podcast: Gillian Tett on how anthropology helps make sense of the world
In a special video podcast, the FT's Gillian Tett tells Merryn Somerset Webb why what people aren't talking about is just as important as what they ar…
11 Jun 2021
I wish I knew what passive investing was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what passive investing was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
Passive investing is when you buy a fund that aims to track the performance of a particular index. Here's how it works.
8 Jun 2021
I wish I knew what a commodity supercycle was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what a commodity supercycle was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
A commodity supercycle may sound complicated, but it is a simply a prolonged period of rising prices for raw materials. Here is what it is and how it …
31 May 2021
I wish I knew what gearing was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what gearing was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
Gearing might sound complicated, but it is a simple concept that is very important in investing. Here’s what it is and how it works.
25 May 2021
I wish I knew what pound-cost averaging was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what pound-cost averaging was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
“Pound-cost averaging” might sound complicated, but it simply means investing into the market at regular intervals. Here's how it works.
18 May 2021
I wish I knew what hyperinflation was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what hyperinflation was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
Mention hyperinflation and many of us will think of wheelbarrows full of cash in Weimar Germany. Or, more recently, Zimbabwe or Venezuela. But what ex…
11 May 2021
I wish I knew what a central bank digital currency was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what a central bank digital currency was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
Governments around the world are considering creating their own digital currencies. But what are they and how do they compare to cryptocurrencies such…
4 May 2021
Too embarrassed to ask: what is a Ponzi scheme?
Too embarrassed to ask: what is a Ponzi scheme?
Probably the best-known type of financial fraud is the Ponzi scheme. Here’s how it works.
27 Apr 2021
Too embarrassed to ask: what is technical analysis?
Too embarrassed to ask: what is technical analysis?
Some investors don’t rely on a market or company’s fundamentals when assessing whether to buy or sell. They use “technical analysis” or “charting” ins…
27 Apr 2021
I wish I knew what dogecoin was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
I wish I knew what dogecoin was, but I’m too embarrassed to ask
In the first four months of 2021, the value of cryptocurrency dogecoin shot up by around 9,000%. But what is dogecoin and why has it gone up so much?
20 Apr 2021
Too embarrassed to ask: what’s the difference between producer price inflation and consumer price inflation?
Too embarrassed to ask: what’s the difference between producer price inflation and consumer price inflation?
Two of the most important indicators for the economy are “producer price inflation” and “consumer price inflation”. But what are they and what do they…
13 Apr 2021