Nicknamed The Magnificent Seven, these U.S stocks have pushed the pace in the Global Market in 2023 and are now worth more than than all the stocks combined in the UK, China, France, and Japan. But when you are driving at high speeds, small mistakes can have large consequences.

Among others, hot topics in 2023 include but are not limited to a looming recession, the Banking Crisis, and a new war in the Middle East. 2024 will come with its own worries and headlines, but It’s important not to let your emotions get the better of you for your financial decisions.

2023 is a timely reminder that relying on “truisms” and thinking that they’re written in stone can cost you greatly.

Data and research shows reaching a new high doesn’t mean the market will then retreat — more often than not, returns 1, 3, and 5 years after new highs are pretty similar to all other months.

If you are still focused on dividends, you might be missing the forest for the trees as companies steadily turn to other forms of returning cash back to their investors.

Most forecasts by well-known financial institutions for 2023 early last year were gloomy and foreboding, and ended up being way off the mark, with global stocks ended the year at +20%. So what should we expect in 2024?

Who would’ve thought that the global market would return almost 20% this year? As we step into the new year, many things are going to change, but a well developed financial plan that is built upon a strong investment philosophy will stand the test of time.

It can be a bit overwhelming how much can happen in such a short span of time. Regardless, our philosophy — built on evidence and research — remains the same.

2023 has been a great year for equities. Global stocks and the S&P 500 are up by around 20% but if you’re making this mistake, you might be risking underperformance in the coming years.

Uncertainty in investing is the reason why we receive a premium for the money we put aside. While long term growth of the global stock market is historically proven, its growth does not occur in a straight line. Shying away from uncertainty will likely lead to giving up any chance of growth.

The abysmal performance from the U.S. from 2000 to 2009 led to many investors shy away from U.S investments, losing out on the huge gains in the U.S across the next decade. Will this outperformance continue? Why take that chance?

3 things to think about to jump start your financial planning for 2025: Assess your debt position, your financial goals, and your emergency buffer.

Many do-it-yourself (DIY) investing proponents list low-cost as one of their main reasons for going solo. But many don’t consider payment for order flows (PFOF), dividend withholding taxes, estate duty, foreign exchange spreads and bid-ask spreads that they’ll be handling on your own.

For those relying on their investment portfolio for income generation we are approaching a point where the bond pain is going to turn into a gain.

Asset bubbles have existed since time immemorial — they have both made and destroyed entire fortunes. How should we go about dealing with them when investing?

Some things you might want to consider before the end of this year to make sure you’re covered financially.

Despite the fact that markets experience declines every single year, they end up positive for the year most of the time. Investors have to accept market declines as a natural process of markets in their journey towards new highs and opportunistically take advantage of these events by deploying capital when the market offers discounts, boosting long-term returns.

Whilst many investors sometimes seek to alter their investment allocations to try to tap onto new growth areas or ideas in an effort to seek higher returns, not all of these deviations result in higher returns. Very often, it leads to worse outcomes.