Columnists

I have always been fascinated by the fragility - yet resilience - of humankind in the face of immensely powerful forces such as the weather, nature and, well, the universe in general.

Farmers make good investors, I have always found.

The latest in my anecdotal indicators about our economy come from the hospitality industry.

There is still a strong school of thought that believes markets are perfectly efficient, that all available information is incorporated in a share price at any given moment.

Portfolios exist to help people spread their risks. The trouble is, many portfolios are a mish mash of assets that people have accumulated without putting much thought into risk, returns, weightings and objectives.