 Seeking the best in the business
THE Scotsman is proud to host the 2008 Scotsman IFA of the Year competition in association with Scott-Moncrieff Wealth Management.
This year's competition is bigger than ever before – there are twice as many independent financial advisers (IFAs) competing for top spot and it is sponsored by a selection of Scotland's main investment houses.
Click here to find out more about the Scotsman IFA of the Year competition
February 7 - Jeff Salway: There's no such thing as a guarantee in investments
A THEME has emerged in the past two weeks that tells me that, as far as markets are concerned, the worst may soon be over.
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December 20 - Facing a perfect market storm, our IFAs have steered a steady course
SOME of our competitors may be relieved that this year's competition is drawing to a close.
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December 20 - Too much caution can be a risk itself
SPARE a thought for our IFAs this Christmas. As we head towards the end of an awful year, the impulse to put safety first must be powerful.
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December 20 - Early optimism that faded fast
THE end is nigh – our IFA competitors are on the home straight. This year actually began with a certain amount of optimism, until stock markets around the world started to hit the buffers in mid January – coincidentally, the same week as this competition officially started. It cannot be denied, therefore that our competitors have been up against it ever since.
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December 20 - Survival alone is worthy of much praise
THIS time last year, stock market pundits were quite chirpy about prospects for 2008. But instead our contestants have had to contend with a collapse in the global financial system without precedent.
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October 25 - Protection and hand-holding are key roles for all IFAs now
IT MIGHT not feel like it for Angus MacDonald when he looks at the plunging value of his portfolio over recent months, but his money is in good hands.
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October 25 - Keeping a positive attitude in time of crisis
AFTER a month that has seen the collapse of several large financial institutions and some of the biggest one-day swings in stock-market history, it's no surprise that investor confidence is currently at an all-time low.
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October 25 - Some silver linings in a global meltdown
OVER the past three months, the outlook for global economic activity has significantly worsened.
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October 25 - Epochal times in the markets have brought forth ground-breaking measures
IF IT is any consolation to participants in this year's IFA of the Year competition, this has proved an epochal time for financial markets and the world economy, writes Bill Jamieson.
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September 20 - Markets mayhem causes more than a little difficulty for IFAs
THE ten competitors battling it out for the right to call themselves the IFA of the Year could be forgiven for wishing they'd given this year's competition a miss.
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September 20 - Look to equity income funds and keep a weather eye on the European markets
UK INVESTORS have long looked to equity income funds as a core portfolio element. Indeed, this has been a wise thing to do.
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September 20 - Stoicism in the face of a toxic storm
HUGE falls in markets, the collapse of Lehman Brothers, emergency support for AIG, the rescue take-over of HBOS by Lloyds TSB, massive central bank liquidity injections, an FSA ban on short selling and a dramatic intervention by the US government to nationalise toxic debt: shares soar!
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September 20 - Six months in, and no-one could have predicted current woes
WHEN we launched this competition in January 2008, little did we know, nor could we have predicted, that our IFA competitors would have to face an unprecedented set of circumstances and a series of business failures that would shake the financial world to its core.
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September 20 - Case Study: Caution is the key word in watching MacDonald money
ANGUS MacDonald (50) is a solicitor who runs a small family law firm in Aberfeldy. He is married and has two children – Robert, who is 24 and employed as a chartered surveyor in Edinburgh, and Susan, who is a medical student in Aberdeen. MacDonald's wife, Margaret, is a full-time housewife but also does some voluntary work for a local charity.
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16 August - A long-term view helps our IFAs to recover some lost ground
LAST month we revealed the fortunes of our IFA of the Year contenders at the halfway stage. It didn't make for easy reading, with every portfolio value below the starting point of £300,000 and reflecting the stock market woes of the last three months in particular.
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July 19 - IFA of the Year competitors hoping for second-half revival
FORTUNATELY for our IFA of the Year competitors – and for case study Angus MacDonald – this is a game of two halves. It's unlikely that any of the IFAs expected market conditions to make life so difficult for them, and the last month in particular has wreaked havoc in all of the portfolios.
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July 19 - How our IFAs battled against global downturn in a bid to turn a profit IF THE first quarter was a baptism of fire for Angus MacDonald's portfolio, the second wasn't any better and we are conscious that our move to a more growth-focused strategy has coincided with a period of equity market weakness. Click here to find out more
July 19 - A long-term view is essential as portfolio positioning proves a tricky proposition
At the halfway stage of the competition, it's interesting to observe how each competitor is dealing with extremely challenging conditions while still trying to meet Angus MacDonald's objectives. Click here to find out more
July 19 - Holding their nerve under intense fire
IN WHAT must rank as one of the most torrid market periods for many years, contestants have done well to hold their nerve. I would have been tempted to switch the entire portfolio into an index-linked gilt. As it is, those funds that began the year with a heavy weighting in cash have done relatively well. Click here to find out more
June 21 - Lack of any positive direction
WE ARE just a month away from the halfway point of the competition and, while we have seen peaks and troughs in equity and bond markets over the five-month period, we are seeing very little by way of positive returns in the competitors' portfolios. Click here to find out more
June 21 - Negative vibes hit all our IFA hopefuls
"NEGATIVE Territory": it sound like the title of a rock band, or a new Hollywood blockbuster. Click here to find out more
June 21 - Ship a lot steadier in the water but not safe in port yet
THE five IFAs featured this month are all in negative territory, with Angus MacDonald's portfolio worth less it was when we kicked off the competition in January. Click here to find out more
June 21 - Bad times but there is hope for the future
THIS month has been awash with headlines delivering bearish news. Click here to find out more
19 April - Turbulence is a new fact of life
WE ARE now three months into The Scotsman IFA of the Year competition, run in association with Scott-Moncrieff Wealth Management, and few commentators could have predicted the turbulent start to the year in global stock markets. Click here to find out more
15 March - Turbulent times for investors
VOLATILITY in global equity markets continues and there is little respite for our intrepid competitors, who are attempting to manage their client's expectations and fulfil the remit of the competition. Should they have "drip-fed" their client's capital into the market over time, or should they fully invest and suffer the short-term consequences of a fall in value? Click here to find out more
15 March - Top advice is key as choices get harder
WE ARE now two months into the IFA of the Year Competition (2008) and the economic situation has not got any easier for our ten IFAs and their client, Angus MacDonald. Click here to find out more
16 February - Europe has a built-in advantage over UK for equity income vehicles
IN VOLATILE markets, the promises made by growth companies seem less of a sure thing than they did when the indices were riding high. Income funds may sometimes lag index returns when times are good, but their fundamental value tends to shine through over the long term – and don't forget the compounding effect of all those dividends over many years which help to underpin a portfolio in uncertain times. Click here to find out more
16 February - Now is the time for some cool heads and calm advice
OUR ten brave contestants in the IFA of the Year competition could not have imagined a worse start to this year's contest. Click here to find out more
19 January - Contenders – the ten hopefuls vying for this year's top award
Strong field gave us a top-class final list. Click here to find out more
19 January - Time for active management
THE Scotsman's IFA of the Year competition provides a great showcase for the country's top-performing independent financial advisers (IFAs) who can demonstrate an invaluable service and expertise to investors involved with stock markets. Click here to find out more
19 January - In troubled times, sound financial advice is essential
AEGON Asset Management (AAM) is a strong advocate of the need for good, sound financial advice, to enable people to make the best financial decisions. Click here to find out more
19 January - Support is the key for a vital competition
AFTER taking part in last year's Scotsman IFA of the Year competition, I thought it was vital for it to continue and grow. Click here to find out more
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