A change in personal circumstances following a few years of being down on his luck gave Peter the chance of a fresh start and to consider taking control of his financial future.The sale of a canal boat allowed Peter to settle things with his partner and provide a lump sum to invest. He considered consolidating five of seven private pensions into a single pot with a view to opening a SIPP (self-inv

Putting aside some of your disposable income on a regular basis to build up a deposit on a first home and take that initial step onto the property ladder is something everyone strives for, but did you know the government will give you thousands of pounds for free to do it?Launched in April 2017, the Lifetime ISA is one of the less well-publicised savings products, but it can get you to that deposi

Alena Kosava, head of investment research at AJ Bell, offers a selection of fund and investment trust ideas for different types of investors.One for cautious investorsPersonal Assets Investment Trust (PNL)Personal Assets is a solid choice for investors looking to protect and increase the value of their investment over the long term. The trust has generated steady returns over the years and tends t

- BHP posts record earnings and cash flow- Sees recovering Chinese commodities demand- Books $7.1 billion one-off gain from Woodside mergerDiversified miner BHP (BHP) saw its earnings for the 12 months to 30 June hit record levels thanks to higher commodity prices and one-off gains associated with the merger of its oil and gas assets with Woodside Energy (WDS:ASX).Probably the main reason why BHP