Saving, in many ways, is the easier part of investing.

When you see adverts about retirement, it’s hardly surprising that the first question most people ask is:

I have written about this before, but it is worth revisiting.

I’m borrowing that headline to make a point.

When I started my consultancy two years ago, I didn’t expect that so much of my work—and writing—would focus on retirement.

If we look at markets over a single year, returns can be positive or negative, sometimes dramatically so. The probability of gains versus losses varies depending on conditions, valuations, and global events.

Most of us think we understand investing.

I’ve been involved in investing, on and off, throughout my career both personally and with the firms I’ve worked for and alongside. Over that time, I’ve learned something that isn’t talked about enough:

We never chase the next big thing…Or do we?

Step back for a moment and ask yourself an honest question:

If we’re honest, most of us make financial mistakes at some point. Yet when it comes to money particularly investing people are often far more willing to talk about their successes than their failures.

At the end of October 2023, I was told the firm I worked for had been sold and that I was no longer part of its future.