On The Money

Smaller company shares can make for exciting investments but they carry plenty of risk. The latest episode of our On The Money podcast looks at the checks DIY investors can apply when trying to sort the winners from failures. Charles Montanaro, an experienced smaller company investor, looks at some of the methods that work - and some of the lessons he has learned from a long career.
On The Money is an interactive investor (ii) podcast. For more investment news and ideas, visit www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news.
Important information:
This podcast is intended for information purposes only and is not a personal recommendation. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of your investments may go down as well as up, and you may not get back all the money that you invest. Full performance information can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website.
The ii Personal Pension (SIPP) is for people who want to make their own decisions when investing for retirement. Usually, you won’t be able to withdraw your money until age 55 (57 from 2028). If you are in any doubt about the suitability of the ii Personal Pension (SIPP), Stocks & Shares ISA, Trading Account, and/or any related tax treatment of these products, you should seek independent financial advice.
Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Frozen thresholds mean more people are being caught by an effective 60% tax rate. To discuss this topic, including providing practical pointers on how to beat this tax trap and the child benefit tax trap, Kyle is joined by Craig Rickman, personal finance editor at interactive investor.   
Kyle Caldwell is Funds and Investment Education Editor at interactive investor.
On The Money is an interactive investor (ii) podcast. For more investment news and ideas, visit www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news.
Important information:
This podcast is intended for information purposes only and is not a personal recommendation. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of your investments may go down as well as up, and you may not get back all the money that you invest. Full performance information can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website.
The ii Personal Pension (SIPP) is for people who want to make their own decisions when investing for retirement. Usually, you won’t be able to withdraw your money until age 55 (57 from 2028). If you are in any doubt about the suitability of the ii Personal Pension (SIPP), Stocks & Shares ISA, Trading Account, and/or any related tax treatment of these products, you should seek independent financial advice.
Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Putting together a portfolio to weather different conditions is no easy task, even in calmer times. For beginner investors it can be particularly puzzling, given there are thousands of funds to choose from.
To help cut through the noise, interactive investor’s Dave Baxter has put together three hypothetical portfolios for different risk levels: cautious, balanced and adventurous. Dave joins Kyle to explain his choices and how he arrived at the mix of assets. The duo also discuss ‘hands-off’ funds for investors on the lookout for low maintenance options.
The three hypothetical portfolios can be found in the links below:
How to build a cautious ISA portfolio
How to build a medium-risk ISA portfolio
How to build a higher-risk ISA portfolio 
Kyle Caldwell is Funds and Investment Education Editor at interactive investor.
On The Money is an interactive investor (ii) podcast. For more investment news and ideas, visit www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news.
Important information:
This podcast is intended for information purposes only and is not a personal recommendation. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of your investments may go down as well as up, and you may not get back all the money that you invest. Full performance information can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website.
The ii Personal Pension (SIPP) is for people who want to make their own decisions when investing for retirement. Usually, you won’t be able to withdraw your money until age 55 (57 from 2028). If you are in any doubt about the suitability of the ii Personal Pension (SIPP), Stocks & Shares ISA, Trading Account, and/or any related tax treatment of these products, you should seek independent financial advice.
Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Many top funds deliver their best returns in the early years, when the portfolio is small and the investment team is hungry for success. But spotting these names before the crowd is easier said than done if you're a DIY investor.
The latest episode of our On The Money podcast looks at what tools you can use, what you should look for in a fund, and some of the names that have stood out in the past.
On The Money is an interactive investor (ii) podcast. For more investment news and ideas, visit www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news.
Important information:
This podcast is intended for information purposes only and is not a personal recommendation. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of your investments may go down as well as up, and you may not get back all the money that you invest. Full performance information can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website.
The ii Personal Pension (SIPP) is for people who want to make their own decisions when investing for retirement. Usually, you won’t be able to withdraw your money until age 55 (57 from 2028). If you are in any doubt about the suitability of the ii Personal Pension (SIPP), Stocks & Shares ISA, Trading Account, and/or any related tax treatment of these products, you should seek independent financial advice.
Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The new tax year brings fresh annual allowances for ISAs and SIPPs. While it always makes sense to invest in a tax-efficient manner, the mantra of ‘use it or lose it’ has arguably never been as important. This is because from the start of the next tax year (6 April 2027) major changes come into force, with unspent pension funds subject to inheritance tax, a reduction in the cash ISA annual allowance to £12,000 for those under the age of 65, and savings tax rates increasing.
To discuss the changes and how people can use this tax year to plan ahead, Kyle is joined by Craig Rickman, personal finance editor at interactive investor.
Kyle Caldwell is Funds and Investment Education Editor at interactive investor.
On The Money is an interactive investor (ii) podcast. For more investment news and ideas, visit www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news.
Important information:
This podcast is intended for information purposes only and is not a personal recommendation. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of your investments may go down as well as up, and you may not get back all the money that you invest. Full performance information can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website.
The ii Personal Pension (SIPP) is for people who want to make their own decisions when investing for retirement. Usually, you won’t be able to withdraw your money until age 55 (57 from 2028). If you are in any doubt about the suitability of the ii Personal Pension (SIPP), Stocks & Shares ISA, Trading Account, and/or any related tax treatment of these products, you should seek independent financial advice.
Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.