investing

Seven tricks to boost your Isa portfolio

For those who want to get a firmer handle on their personal finances, a simple internet search will bring up scores of money-saving tips that can help individuals cut out unnecessary costs and in turn boost their bank balances.

Similarly, in the world of investment, certain tricks of the trade can help keep the costs of investing to an absolute minimum. In addition, there are simple but very effective ways investors can boost returns, particularly through the use of Isas.

The world's top 10 dividend-paying companies

Companies around the world handed out a collective $354.2 billion in the third quarter of 2018, according to Janus Henderson’s Global Dividend Index.

That puts headline growth for global dividend payments at 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Fear keeps savers in cash accounts

More than half of savers are seeing the value of their cash eroded by inflation because they are too scared to invest. Research from Scottish Friendly suggests savers are suffering from ‘investophobia’, avoiding putting their money in the stock market for fear of losing any.

Some 53 per cent of 2,000 savers surveyed say they would not consider investing in stocks and shares, with 49 per cent citing fear of potential losses as the main thing holding them back.