This site is intended to be an information resource for anyone who would like to understand better how the world of retail financial services works. It is also designed to offer a somewhat sceptical take on what is otherwise “out there” for investors to read.
The main content of the website is the regular blog posts which offer the author’s opinion on changes in the investment markets and (sometimes vaguely!) connected subjects. Members can get sent emails when new posts are added, but anyone can just check the site for the regular updates. The member posts are those marked with (m), but there will be plenty of public posts.
The site also offers a more specialist research and analysis service that might be of interest to experienced investors who either want to take a more active role in the portfolio reviews with their advisers or who think that they can run portfolios without financial advice. That service is explained here.
The permanant content of the free site is divided into four main areas and a practical, rather than encyclopaedic, glossary is included.
If you want to find something that NotHarry believes every investor ought to know, start in the Real World tab. If you only want to read one long article, make it the one on Investment Risk.
The Real World
This area explains how various elements of the market and services for the ordinary ‘retail’ investor work. The function of this area is to strip away misleading representations from organizations with something to sell, debunk myths, educate readers with some insights into how the financial advice process works and as our strap line says, show you where it is all ‘smoke and mirrors’.
How To
This is the area you are now in and which is self-explanatory. Again, the objective is give straightforward but not overly simplified explanations that will help you make better decisions. I am going to respect readers’ intelligence so will not be afraid to get a bit ‘technical’ at times.
Tales of the Unexpected
This is a collection of real life stories (adapted for simplicity in some cases) to demonstrate how things go wrong. The best way to learn is from mistakes, they say, but it is better to learn from other people’s mistakes! The collection will grow over time as relevant past events become relevant once again. This area is also written in a more light hearted fashion!
Mark’s Blog (posts seen in the area on the right of the site in the smaller boxes or in the middle)
This will be updated regularly (and rather more often for subscribers where updates will reflect current news flow in the investment world). It will comment on investment market news, economic and financial trends and in fact anything that Mark wants to pontificate about! This will be based on facts but you can think of it as being like a newspaper opinion column. It is one man’s point of view, based on many years’ experience and a contrarian view of the word of capitalism. Please feel free to disagree with it!
Subscribers get a comment option and can expect a little more technical analysis and a bit less opinion. Subscriber posts are marked with an (m).
Members
The subscriber or Member part of the site has a more extensive blog with a comments option plus:
- an option (accessed from the Member Profile when logged in) to be sent an email when a new blog is posted on all subjects or just areas of interest
- longer educational and analysis articles
- example model portfolios, suitable for particular investment objectives, offered as an educational tool and to show how the various techniques discussed come together
- an analysis of the impact of the changing financial climate and other factors on funds that are widely owned, indicating what might require your attention
- reviews of some new, smaller or more specialized funds that might be of interest to investors who can afford to be a little more adventurous
- a range of useful links to other resources
- for people who are prepared to pay to have an investment expert on hand at all times, there is a more expensive option to contact Mark by email or phone for opinions on market trends, fund research matters and to get an explanation of what might really be happening behind the smoke and mirrors (although remember that Mark cannot make any personal recommendations or give financial advice). This option will be subject to ’a fair usage’ assessment on a common-sense basis.