I am writing this in early June, so goodness knows what the state of play will be when you read this in August! But for long-term investors that should not matter. Of course, there are plenty of things to worry about; there always have been and there always will be....
Investing
Is Bespoke Investing Really Made for You?
The word bespoke has a certain ring to it. It suggests something unique, thoughtfully made, and perfectly tailored. In fashion, that usually means a suit that fits just right. In finance, it often means a higher fee and a nice brochure, but not always much else. For...
Investing in an inflationary environment
In 2022, inflation in France hit 6%, its highest level in nearly 40 years. Inflation had previously ranged, in France, between zero and three percent since the 1980s. Today it is comfortably under 3%. The question is whether 2022 was a one-off or whether we are...
Assurance Vie – Is it me or is that a high fee?
Unless you are completely new to France or live in a cave, you may know something about assurance vie, and the fact that they are easily the most popular investment structure for French residents. It is impossible to ignore the advantages, for income tax, capital...
Diversifying Asset Allocation within an Assurance Vie
As human beings, we are naturally attracted to things we find familiar; accepting change and the unfamiliar can be more complicated. This holds true for investments. For example, someone born and bred in the UK is more likely to invest in British companies, whereas a...
Property vs Shares and Bonds – Which is the Best Investment?
The 2008 financial crisis naturally rocked many people's confidence in financial institutions. Since then, many of our clients here at Kentingtons, have asked us about the merits of property as an investment (as opposed to somewhere to live) – thinking that a tangible...
ESG Investing – Everything’s So Good?
I have, for a few months now, been reading some negative articles about ESG investing, which, for the uninitiated, means Environmental, Social and Governance. Some people might just simply label these as “green” or “ethical” investments; however, the goal is more...
Is ‘Buy-to-Let’ Property a Good Investment in France? 7 Things to Consider
With the costs of renting out property spiralling, with increasing property taxes, energy efficiency surveys and other costs, the Connexion has asked me to comment on the viability of property as an investment, thus buying to rent or 'buy-to-let'. Taxe d’habitation...
Common Investment Mistakes to Avoid
At the time of writing (towards the end of May) financial markets are very volatile and the majority of global share indexes are sitting at their respective lows of the year. The S&P 500, for example (an index of the most important 500 US companies) is down by 20%...
Spring Clean Your Finances: 4 Investment Strategy Tips for Financial Planning in France
March is here and that means winter is over, so it is time for a little spring cleaning. We still use the term spring cleaning, although the history behind the expression has many versions, a popular one is that it came from when coal burning fire places were in use...