What’s the most important factor affecting the performance of your investments? Your mind might jump to the ups and downs of the market, and they do have an effect. When share prices rise, so too will the value of your portfolio. However, the markets aren’t the starting point of a successful investment: your mindset is. Your approach to investing could influence your success. Short-term market movements don’t always reflect long-term trends Tracking the markets can be enticing. They are constantly moving, with numerous factors influencing them. Headlines can make even slight adjustments seem dramatic. It can seem logical to focus on these movements, but doing so overlooks the long-term perspective that benefits most investors. When you look at the market... Read More

Are you a glass-half-full person? While some people dismiss optimism as naivety or a tendency to overlook the challenges of life, research suggests that those who seek out the positives could benefit from improved wellbeing. Research gathered by CNN in September 2025 found that people who have a positive, happy outlook live longer. Indeed, a 2011 study found that Brits who felt content, happy or excited on a typical day were up to 25% less likely to die prematurely. Separate research linked optimism to a stronger immune system, better lung function, less pain, and better cardiac health. One of the reasons behind the connection between optimism and health could be how people handle stress. Everyone experiences stress at some point... Read More

Retiring should be a milestone you look forward to. It’s a chance to spend your time how you want and do the things you’ve been putting off because work has been in the way. Yet, sadly, research shows UK adults associate spending their retirement savings with negative words, and it could prevent them from enjoying the next chapter of their life. According to an August 2025 article from Money Marketing, UK adults associate anxiety (26%), fear (18%), and guilt (15%) with spending their pension and other assets they’ve built up for retirement. Positive emotions, such as excitement (15%), security (17%), and relief (10%), were less commonly associated with depleting assets in retirement. Anxiety could hold back your retirement plans, even... Read More

When markets experience volatility, even the most level-headed investor can let their emotions or other influences affect their decisions. Read on to find out why volatility can trigger financial biases and how these might affect you. For the average investor, it’s important to take a long-term approach. While returns cannot be guaranteed, investing over a longer time frame gives markets more time to smooth out their natural peaks and troughs. Headlines about market crashes or sudden rallies can set you on edge even if you’re usually calm. Volatility affects investors because uncertainty triggers an emotional response. When you’re thinking logically, you might note that markets have historically recovered from downturns. However, it’s easy for worries to creep in. You might... Read More

Tasting menus are a great alternative to a traditional à la carte menu, giving diners the opportunity to try a little bit of a lot of dishes. They can take away the quandary of what to order, or the disappointment of wishing you’d had something different. The premise of this type of menu is a carefully curated selection of dishes created by the restaurant’s chef, designed to complement each other and served in a designated order. For a while, it seemed tasting menus might disappear in favour of small plates and street food. But the Guardian cites Brexit, Covid, and the conflict in Ukraine as causing a U-turn. Tasting menus offer some stability to restaurants, with advance bookings, set prices,... Read More