Podcast Summary
Leveraging LinkedIn for Hiring and Celebrating Mother's Day: LinkedIn is crucial for small businesses to find qualified candidates, Mother's Day gifts from 1 800 Flowers save up to 40%, mortgage debt rises despite fewer transactions, and men and women manage investments differently
LinkedIn is an essential tool for small business owners looking to hire professionals. It's like searching for car keys in a fish tank to ignore LinkedIn when trying to find qualified candidates. With over 70% of LinkedIn users not visiting other leading job sites in a given month, it's the go-to platform for finding both active and passive job seekers. Additionally, during Mother's Day, consider showing appreciation to the special moms in your life with unique gifts from 1 800 Flowers. Save up to 40% on Mother's Day bestsellers by ordering at one800flowers.com/acast. Regarding the housing market, mortgage debt is on the rise despite a decrease in transactions, particularly in the south of England. This divergence in mortgage debt and housing market activity indicates that homeowners are remortgaging to release cash. Lastly, research suggests that men and women approach managing investments differently. The financial advice industry and investors can learn from this data to better cater to their clients' needs. Overall, these insights highlight the importance of leveraging LinkedIn for hiring, celebrating Mother's Day with special gifts, understanding housing market trends, and recognizing the differences in investment approaches between genders.
London homeowners remortgaging and releasing equity at a faster rate: London's substantial property price increase fuels a fourfold rise in equity releases for home improvements, university fees, and more.
The Southeast region of the UK, particularly London, is experiencing a significant increase in homeowners remortgaging and withdrawing equity at a rate four times higher than the rest of the country. This trend is driven by the substantial increase in property prices in London, which accounts for 87% of total housing value gains since 2007. Homeowners are using the released equity for various purposes, including home improvements, university fees, and even helping their children buy their first homes. The total housing equity in the UK is estimated to be 5.3 trillion pounds, offering a significant amount of potential for homeowners to tap into. However, the question remains as to how long property prices will remain high, and whether lenders will continue to approve such large equity releases. Other factors contributing to this trend include the increased ease for older people to remortgage and the high cost of moving due to stamp duty. While some uses of the released equity, such as home improvements and retirement funding, make logical sense, others, like paying for university fees upfront, raise questions.
Considering using cash from a residential loan for investing or debt consolidation? Think twice.: High-income or high-wealth individuals may access cash through private banks, but it's discouraged by mainstream lenders due to potential debt risks. Consider holding cash as an emergency fund or investment tool separately.
While using a residential loan to access cash for certain purposes, such as investing, consolidating debts, or business reasons, may be possible for some high-income or high-wealth individuals through private banks, it is generally discouraged by mainstream lenders due to potential debt spiral risks. For the average investor, holding cash as a legitimate investment tool and an emergency fund are two different things that require careful consideration. In times of market uncertainty, it's important to weigh the pros and cons of holding cash in your portfolio, including the potential opportunity cost of missing out on potential returns from other investments. Moira O'Neil, FT Money's new columnist and head of personal finance at Interactive Investor, encourages investors to think carefully about their cash holdings and their reasons for doing so.
Determining the Right Cash Level for Your Portfolio: Consider a starting point of 8-10% cash for your portfolio, create personal investment rules, and regularly review your cash levels and investment strategies based on changing risk tolerance.
It's essential to distinguish between the cash needed for savings and the cash needed for investments. Having cash in investments can be strategic, such as during market downturns or for future buying opportunities. However, holding cash instead of investing due to a lack of ideas or confidence is not advisable. Investors might not even realize the amount of cash they're holding, especially if they're invested in funds with high cash allocations. To help determine the right cash level for your portfolio, consider using a starting point of 8-10% based on industry benchmarks. Additionally, create personal investment rules, including buying and selling guidelines, regular portfolio reviews, and risk management. Remember, your risk tolerance may change throughout your life stages, so keep reviewing your cash levels and investment strategies.
Women Prioritize Face-to-Face Advice and Clear Explanations: Women value trust, personal goals, clear explanations, and education from advisors. They prefer face-to-face advice, and less frequent investment performance checks. Men are more likely to self-manage online and focus on fees.
The approach to managing investments differs significantly between men and women. According to a new study by Cerren, female investors prioritize face-to-face advice due to the importance they place on building trust and achieving their personal goals. Women value clear and substantive explanations from advisors and prefer a deep understanding of their priorities. In contrast, men are more likely to self-manage their investments online and are more concerned about high fees. Women are also more likely to admit a lack of financial expertise and seek education, particularly in times of market volatility or inheritance events. It's important to note that women tend to check their investment performance less frequently than men, which could be seen as a positive as it can help minimize fees from frequent trading. Overall, understanding these differences can help financial advisors tailor their services to better meet the unique needs and preferences of each gender.
Women seek more collaborative interactions with advisers: Women want advisers to shift from traditional roles to financial coaches, prefer digital and human interactions, and engage more in investment processes for better outcomes.
Both women and advisers play crucial roles in improving women's engagement and understanding of investment processes. The findings from the survey suggest that women want more collaborative and consultative interactions with their advisers, shifting from a traditional financial adviser role to a financial coach role. Additionally, advisers need to get the mix right between digital and human interaction, recognizing women's preference for sharing experiences online. Women, on the other hand, should aim to get more engaged in their investment processes, taking inspiration from resources like the FT Money podcast. The research also highlights the need for advisers to better understand women's unique perspectives and feelings, as evidenced by the high percentage of women who feel misunderstood by their advisers. Overall, a more personalized and supportive approach from advisers, combined with increased engagement from women, can lead to better investment outcomes for women.
Companies enhancing everyday experiences: Golden Rule Insurance Company offers peace of mind with supplemental health insurance plans, while 1800flowers.com brings love and care to gift-giving and special occasions
Both Golden Rule Insurance Company and 1800flowers.com offer solutions to enhance your everyday experiences. The Golden Rule Insurance Company's Health ProtectorGuard plans act as a supplement to your primary insurance, helping you manage out-of-pocket costs without the usual requirements and restrictions. This means you can have peace of mind when it comes to covering your medical bills. On the other hand, 1800flowers.com goes beyond being just a gift-giving destination. They put their heart into every product and service they offer, ensuring that all life's special occasions are celebrated with love and care. From their farmers, bakers, florists, and makers, everything from 1800flowers.com is made with love and care because they understand the importance of delivering a smile. So whether it's supplementing your insurance or celebrating life's special moments, both Golden Rule Insurance Company and 1800flowers.com aim to make your life a little better. For more information on the Health ProtectorGuard plans, visit uhone.com. And for all your gift-giving needs, visit 1800flowers.com/acast.