For years now the most popular theory of investing has been the theory of efficient markets. However a new theory – the adaptive markets hypothesis – is gaining momentum and many people believe that it has important points for investors.

The efficient markets theory first came to prominence in the 1960s. However the major problem of the theory is that although it looks good on paper, markets are rarely as efficient in real life as investors do not always make fully rational choices and investments.  Read more... (374 words, 1 image, estimated 1:30 mins reading time)

It’s one of those really interesting questions you sometimes ask yourself when you are looking at your savings: If I left my money in my savings account and didn’t touch it, how long would it be until the amount doubled? Well, assuming that you don’t add any money to the pot and that the interest rate on your savings stays the same, it’s actually a pretty easy question to answer. Naturally, without even looking at any figures, it’s easy to see that the higher the interest rate, the shorter the time needed for your money to double in value.  Read more... (454 words, estimated 1:49 mins reading time)

Cashback websites are fantastic ways of making money on things you were going to buy anyway. With little effort, you can get as much as 6 percent back on your purchases – and this is a large amount if you are spending on something like a holiday.

Cashback websites make their money by earning commissions on any sales by referred customers or by on-site advertising. Some websites, such as Quidco, will pass on 100% of the commission they make to you in return for a small annual fee (in Quidco’s case, they charge a £5 annual fee and this is taken off the first £5 cashback that you earn).  Read more... (416 words, 1 image, estimated 1:40 mins reading time)

A rare Royal Mint error has let hundreds of 20 pence coins be released into circulation without dates on them.

The 20p has recently been redesigned thanks to the unwritten rule that coin designs should change at least every 40 years to keep the coinage fresh. The new design sees the year date being moved from the tails side of the coin to the side with the Queen’s head.

However somewhere quality control slipped up and a ‘mule’ design was let into circulation. Accidentally, thousands of 20p coins were minted using the old version of the ‘heads’ side, leaving coins without dates printed on them.  Read more... (164 words, estimated 39 secs reading time)

Many people are currently looking at ways to maximise their earning potential without giving up their current jobs. With the numbers of people saving money each month falling dramatically, it is no surprise that so many people are looking at alternative ways to make some cash.

To help, the team at MoneyTowers.com have come up with seven ways to make cash in your spare time:  Read more... (660 words, estimated 2:38 mins reading time)

A few years ago, making money from credit cards was relatively easy – many credit card providers had 0% deals which lasted for a long time and many people took up the offer, withdrew up to their credit limit on the card and put the money into a high interest savings account for the duration of the introductory period. When the 0% deal ended, they switched to another card with a 0% introductory deal and repeated the process, netting lots of interest in their savings account.  Read more... (685 words, estimated 2:44 mins reading time)

Inflation is something that has been talked about a lot recently, but what does it actually mean? Inflation is important when looking at savings and retirement funds because it gives a good indication of how much money one really does need to have in the bank before you can retire safely – £10 now will not have the same worth as £10 in 20 years time. Inflation really is just an indicator of purchasing power.  Read more... (260 words, 1 image, estimated 1:02 mins reading time)