Editor ’ s letter
Unless you are a professional trader , trying to make money from currency movements is more likely to end up with you losing it .
But don ’ t take my word for it : ask the spread-betting sites , which are obliged to reveal that about three-quarters of customers end up out of pocket .
Yet while you shouldn ’ t gamble on the short-term direction of currency movements , it doesn ’ t necessarily mean you should ignore them altogether , especially after such a poor year for the pound propped up any earnings from overseas . Read this month ’ s cover feature to find out what you need to know .
Elsewhere in this issue , Daniel Lanyon asks if investors can take the dollar ’ s status as the world ’ s reserve currency for granted over the long term , while I look at what was behind the wildly differing fortunes of the Brazilian real and Turkish lira last year .
This month ’ s sector focus falls on IA Sterling Corporate Bond , which is offering attractive yields once more following last year ’ s shakeup . In our regular columns , John Blowers reveals three questions everyone needs to ask when building their retirement plan , Dunedin Income Growth ’ s Rebecca Maclean names three stocks whose focus on sustainability is making them more resilient , and Rathbones ’ Emma Saunders explains why she is adding the BlackRock European Absolute Alpha fund to client portfolios .
Enjoy reading ,
Anthony Luzio Editor , Trustnet Magazine