Category: Financial plan

Is your money in Standard Life’s GARS fund?  If the answer is yes, it’s time to review your investment strategy – and the advice you’re getting. The Global Absolute Return Strategies fund has been a favourite for Irish financial advisers and brokers in recent years.  We’re wondering why. Got money stuck in GARS and wondering … Continued

  Jan 2025 update: Our more recent post highlights the best investment opportunities for your money in 2025. Welcome to Moneycube’s annual roundup of the best investments available in Ireland. We’ve chosen five funds we think have strong potential, in 2019 and beyond. Whether you’re a new investor, looking to invest a large lump sum, or seeking … Continued

An index fund is a type of fund designed to track the performance of a particular market as closely as possible. The aim is to replicate the performance of that market, while keeping costs as low as possible, by setting the fund on ‘autopilot’, and reducing the need for expensive fund managers. Index funds in Ireland … Continued

Last week was a bumpy ride for investors as markets dipped 2 or 3 per cent on Wednesday and Thursday, before flattening a little on Friday.  What’s going on?  And what’s to be done? The immediate cause here is rising US interest rates, which went up at the end of September, mainly in response to … Continued

Despite Ireland’s housing shortage, it’s hard to make the numbers add up when it comes to investing in buy-to-let property. The individual landlord faces increasing regulation, professional competition, and a big bet on Ireland’s volatile property market. Moneycube describes what’s going on, and some investment alternatives if you’re considering a property investment. Update 17 May … Continued

For most of us, the days of a guaranteed pension for life from our employer are gone. If you’re reading this, your pension options at retirement are probably more complicated. These days, you have several choices to make use of your defined contribution pension pot. Most people have built up a ‘defined contribution’ pension fund … Continued

At Moneycube we believe more people should think about investing their savings. One big reason for that is that it is almost impossible now to make any money by leaving it on deposit in the bank. Deposit rates continue at near-zero levels. But inflation has continued to erode the value of our money, as data from … Continued

Companies issue shares – sometimes called stocks – to raise money.   Buyers of shares (also known as shareholders) own a piece of the company.   Shareholders bear the rewards and the risks of the ups and downs in the share price.  They also own the right to any dividends, which is the income paid … Continued

An Approved Retirement Fund, or ARF, is a pot for your pension money after you retire. When you retire, the pension fund(s) you have paid into (perhaps an executive pension, a personal pension, or a PRSA), are available to you.  You can then take decisions on what to do with this money. One of your … Continued