The projected results of the second round of the French legislative election have provided a major political upset. The far-right National Rally (RN) and its collation partners were widely expected to be the biggest group after a strong performance in pre-election polls and the first round contest. However, collaboration between opposing left-wing and centrist parties have effectively blocked National Rally.

Hayden Giger, Product Head at FNB Home and Secured Lending, highlights how securities-based lending (SBL) offers quick, flexible loans using investment portfolios as collateral, enabling continued growth and diversification without liquidating assets.

Michael Kruger, Senior Investment Analyst at Morningstar South Africa, provides insights on what has been driving the strong upward moves that we have seen in the gold price; the potential role it may play in providing protection against an equity market decline, as a possible inflation hedge and whether including gold in a portfolio can improve long-term returns or risk-adjusted performance.

According to Pregasen Padiachee, National Sales Head at FNB Cash Investments, the number of businesses that are overlooking the money-making potential of utilising their surplus cash to earn interest is staggering.

The UK is going through its biggest political change since Brexit, as the general election results suggest that the Labour Party has won a landslide mandate to govern. A secure majority government should reduce political instability for the nation, helping companies and investors to anticipate policy.

There is no ideal age to start investing. In fact, the greatest asset any investor has is time, which implies that the earlier and younger an investor starts their investment journey, the better.