Books
How to Invest Without Being Ripped Off
The beginner’s step-by-step guide to how I would go about setting up investments under almost every possible scenario. Buy the paperback and I’ll give you the audiobook free.
Review of Investment Platforms
This is free to download and is taken from the book, How to Invest Without Being Ripped Off. Click the link in green to get a copy, which will also entitle you to updates on platforms/websites that I add to my review or updates on what they offer.
The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle*
John Bogle was the chap who started the first passive fund in the 1970s. While everyone around him derided him and sought to continue making hundreds of millions for themselves, he persisted and led a revolution that has benefited ordinary investors like you and me. Hats off and thank you to the late, great Mr. Bogle.
The Naked Trader by Robbie Burns*
This is an excellent introduction to stock-picking (choosing specific companies to invest in). If that’s your bag, this is your book.
The Naked Trader’s Guide to Spread Betting*
If currencies or trading are of interest to you, read this book to get an idea of how to start.
Anything by Len Deighton*, Martin Cruz-Smith*, Robert Harris*, Abir Mukherjee*, Philip Kerr* or Ken Follett*.
These authors have produced a load of really good thrillers, murder mysteries and spy novels. Nothing to do with investments but, because of the way I’ve set up my investments, I have time to indulge my reading habits. Ideal with a cup of freshly ground coffee and a hot croissant. Just saying.
*Links with an asterisk indicate links that might generate a payment to help support this website. It won’t cost you anything but it’s only fair to be transparent about these things.
Websites
InvestWithoutBeingRippedOff.com
My own website, created to accompany this book, which provides updates, insights and the returns and costs on the investments I set up in this book.
Age UK
This excellent charity has some really useful information on pensions and annuities including a video from the excellent host of BBC Radio 4’s Moneybox, Paul Lewis.
Bank of England’s banking licence list
Up to £85,000 of your money might be covered by the government guarantee referred to as the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
This web document provides a list of banking licences in the UK. Each banking licence can mean a guarantee of up to £85,000 of your money under companies covered by that licence.
Each licence might include different companies (for example Clydesdale, Virgin and Yorkshire Bank) but an aggregate total of £85,000 of your money across all three of those companies would be covered. If you have, say, £50,000 in Clydesdale and £50,000 in Virgin, you’d only be covered for £85,000 of that £100,000 total.
Debt advice websites
Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) assessment of fund managers
The FCA’s damning report on how fund managers treat their customers.
Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) investment data report 2020-2021
The report I refer to in which active fund fees are reported as averaging 0.89% a year as opposed to an average of just 0.15% a year for passive funds (the ones I like are cheaper).
Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
This is the government guarantee of your money if the company you hold it with goes bust.
Investopedia
An explanation of loads of financial terms and bits of jargon.
MoneyHelper, an unbiased information resource on pensions
Starting point for all sorts of publicly funded info on UK pensions
MoneyMagpie
Advice and information on making money, saving money and dealing with debt.
The Naked Trader
A fully clothed Robbie Burns shares his excellent insights on stock-picking and spread betting for those of you who want to dive into that type of intensive investing.
Risk assessment questionnaire (Academic original)
The questionnaire created by John Grable and Ruth Lytton as visiting professors at the University of Missouri on which I’ve based the risk questionnaire in this book.
UK government ISA resource
Starting point for all sorts of government info on UK Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs).
UK government Check Your State Pension resource
Government page where you can see what UK state pension you’re entitled to.
UK pension annual allowance checking tool
The HMRC tool.
Women and Wealth
A short report showing how unprepared women in the UK are compared to men when it comes to investments.
“Unbiased” IFAs
Database of Independent Financial Advisors in the UK
Underperforming their own benchmarks
The S&P Dow Jones Indices LLP report on how bad active fund managers are at hitting the very targets they set for themselves.