Below are some in-depth articles relating to questions in the FAQ section and also a new feature on corporate activity that we believe will be very useful, especially as it grows. Again, this section relies on your input and feedback.

Main Articles

Internet of Things
A strange notion but simply put IoT is a reference to the virtual representation of uniquely identifiable objects (things) in order that they may be incorporated with, or controlled through, the internet...

Property in London
The private rented sector in London is dominated by individual ‘Buy to Let’ investors despite the efforts by the UK Government to attract institutional investment through initiatives such as the Private Rented Sector Iniative (PRSI) launched in May 2009...

Capital gains Tax
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is a tax on profits. That is the profit, or gain, on the disposal of an asset...

Getting to Grips with Annual Reports
Annual reports are designed to keep investors, customers and shareholders informed, in particular the company’s financial position and its future direction...

Enterprise Investment Scheme
The EIS is a UK Government initiative designed to help high risk unquoted companies to raise capital by offering a tax incentive to investors....

Stock Trading
Stock trading is simply the process of buying and selling shares. But it is usually considered to refer to short term, speculative investing (using the minimum cash outlay) rather than buying shares for the longer term (or taking shares up or paying for them and holding for gain or income)...

Protected Trade
This is a fairly common type of trade. It occurs when the liquidity of the market is not sufficient to cover an order. ..

Car Insurance
The 21st century has witnessed a significant rise in the cost of living. As such, consumers have been forced to reduce their spending on commodities and services that are considered as luxuries...

Covered Call Options
Most people consider writing covered call options to be fairly racy, I suppose because of the gearing effect and because of their finite life. However it is possible to use writing covered call options to increase the income from your portfolio...

Investing in Bonds
Bonds can be issued by governments, corporations and local authorities (states or county councils for example)...

Investing in Technology
Technology is strange. You get the headline news of ground-breaking technology, everyone jumps on the band-wagon for a while and then you hear nothing again for months or maybe years until you suddenly realise that the technology, maybe somewhat diluted, has ‘crept in through the back door’ and has become part of everyday life.

Cash and New
Some investors will be trading over a short period and be trying to avoid having to settle payment in full. To do this they extend the settlement from the default T+3 (Trade date plus three days for payment) to T+10, T+15 or even T+20......More

Where is your Gold?
Probably a question that may not have occurred to you, especially if you just have a few Krugerrands or some valuable jewelery. It may be kept safely under lock and key at home or at your bank......More

Gold - Bull or Bear?
Over the last five years gold has given sterling investors 20% + annualized returns, reaching a high of US$1217 in December. The current price has slipped a bit to US$1079. The gold bulls, including many fund managers, are tipping new highs of $1500 in 2010. What are the arguments for and against?...More

pharmaceuticals
The key to the analysis of pharmaceutical companies is understanding the pipeline of new products. Long term growth is driven by new treatments......More

UK Government index-linked gilts
Index-linked gilts account for 30% (March 2008) of all UK government debt. They were first issued in 1981. There are similar instruments in USA, Australia and Canada....More

Level 2 Explained
Level 2 is the data from the London Stock exchange which includes individual orders, trades, volumes and the current state of the 'order book'...More

Corporate Bonds
Investing for income in times of falling interest rates. This article offers an introduction to corporate bonds including examples of how to work out return....More

Gearing or Leveraging
An explanation of the different types of gearing including Investment gearing, financial gearing and operational gearing...More

Should I invest in property or the stock market?
Looking at the residential property market, in particular the UK, it has proved a remarkable investment from Post war to current day, inspite of the occasional ups and downs and crashes. Read on...

Free Share Valuation Service
They may or may not have any value, but how do you know? There may also be back dividends waiting to be collected!

Buying Gold
There is a lot of interest these days in buying into the rising price of gold, or as we say "gaining exposure"...

Something even safer than houses?
As the well-known saw has it - "Property goes up for ever doesn't it ?" After all, even if the buildings fall to pieces, they're not making the land they stand on any more... Read on...

LITHIUM - Jumping on the (hybrid) bandwagon
Lithium, the lightest metal, is a natural resource, the majority of the world's supply being found in Chile...

Diary of a CFD trader
Having read Shareworlds short article on contracts for difference (CFDs) I decided to open an account with City Index, one of the many CFD providers and have started a diary where I can share my trading experiences and hopefully impart some hints and tips along the way.

ISAs HIT by IHT?
We would like to mention that older investors who have savings in Personal Equity Plans (PEPs) and Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) could lose 40% of their savings through Inheritance Tax (IHT)...

Stamp Duty
When we say stamp duty we are probably referring to Stamp Duty Reserve Tax (SDRT)...

Covered warrants
A covered warrant is similar to an option except they cover more financial instruments...

ETFs
ETFs, or Exchange-Traded Funds are traded in Europe and the US. There is an estimated $18bn currently invested and in the US $238bn...

Restricted stock (US)
Restricted shares should be stamped clearly showing that they are restricted, this is known as the stock legend...

ETFs in depth: Barclays ishare
Although you may think that ETFs are something exotic or mysterious, they are not. So, just to get this in perspective we shall expand a bit on one particular ETF (Exchange Traded Fund), namely the Barclays iShare FTSE100.

Share scams
You might find this story interesting; it may even save you money...

CFDs (Contract for Difference)
A CFD or Contract for Difference is a product traded on margin, allowing a client to trade long or short of stock and to track the performance of the underlying share...

REITs or Real Estate Investment Trusts
Draft legislation has just been published by the UK government outlining the formation of these vehicles...

Indexation allowance
Indexation was introduced to ensure that gains caused only by inflation were not taxed...

Dividend Timetable
The interim dividend is declared at the time of the interim (half year) figures together with a recommendation of the final dividend...

Buying AIM shares for IHT relief
If you have been advised by your broker to invest in shares quoted on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) for the purpose of obtaining relief...

Trading in Options (For beginners)
Traded options simplified.

How to make money in a Bear Market
Strategies for shorting stock.

Your Local Stockbroker
The advantages of having a local stockbroker.

Ban on Short Selling
Explanation of the UK ban on Short Selling.