Articles written by Andrew Porter

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About me - Andrew Porter

I live in the U.K. but have worked and travelled all over the world. I am a semi-professional wildlife and travel photographer (i.e. I sold a couple of photos once), semi-retired consultant physicist (i.e. unemployed bofin) with a keen interest in finance

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Travel > Africa & Middle East Travel experiences: Morocco: 1 of 10
Marrakech is an interesting city, so close to Europe and yet so different in many ways. The contrast is particularly evident in the Medina, the old walled city, where motorbikes, donkeys and carts and cars jostle for right of way on the narrow dirty streets. I have just returned from a few days staying in the Medina.Getting A... More..
Personal Finance > Bonds Overview: Corporate bonds: 1 of 3
Corporate bonds are IOUs issues by companies when they need to raise cash. They are an alternative source of finances to shares, but instead of then owning part of the company and sharing the profits (which is fairly risky) with a bond you are promised your money back on a certain date with a regular fixed interest payment or... More..
Autos > Car Reviews Car reviews: Jaguar XKR: 1 of 3
I bought one of these big coupes two years ago. A year 2000 model, so it is not the very latest shape, but an excellent second-hand purchase.This is a large beautiful sleek Grand Turismo (GT) car, not really a "sports" car. It is often compared with the Porsche 911 but I think it is more like a traditional Aston Martin in cha... More..
Travel > South & Central America Travel destinations: Iguazu Falls, Argentina: 2 of 4
Iguacu or Iguazu waterfalls are some of the most impressive in the world, not the biggest, widest nor tallest waterfall, but 275 separate waterfalls spread over a three-kilometre crescent between Argentina and Brazil. Most of the falls are in Argentina, but the best views are from the Brazilian side.I spent a few days at Igua... More..
Travel > Asia Travel experiences: Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India: 1 of 2
Ranthambore National Park sounded perfect in the brochure. It has been a tiger reserve since Project Tiger started in 1972 and was formerly the hunting ground of the Maharajas of Jaipur in Eastern Rajasthan. I have been on several safaris and there is nothing I enjoy more than sharing a drink with wildlife, with a gin and ton... More..
Autos > Car Reviews Car reviews: Jaguar XJ: 1 of 2
The Jaguar XJ is a big beautiful, sleek executive saloon that has been around in some form for several decades, hardly changing in appearance, just gradually evolving and gaining weight. In recent times it has been the preferred transport of prime ministers, probably partly because of the thoroughly British image, but more im... More..
Autos > Classic Cars Classic car reviews: Ferrari 308 GTS: 1 of 1
As a small boy of nine, while watching Magnum PI on TV, I announced that I was going to buy one of those Ferrari 308s, like Magnum's. I was told that I would probably never sit in one, let alone be able to afford one. That was a challenge. I set a target to buy one for my 30th birthday. And I bought one. Not a 360, 355 or 348... More..
Personal Finance > Stock Market Diversifying your risk in the stock market: 15 of 27
The easiest way to reduce the risk of your investments is to build a "balanced" portfolio: a mixture of different uncorrelated asset classes. Most investment portfolios are highly correlated to just the stock, bond or property markets and when disaster strikes all of these markets can fall. Having a mixture of these different... More..
Personal Finance > Mutual Funds Understanding ETFs: 6 of 9
Exchange Traded Funds or ETFs are an alternative to other kinds of collective investment funds, such as Mutual Funds, Unit Trust, OEICs (Open Ended Investment Company) or investment trusts. ETFs are a relatively new invention, especially in the UK, but in the USA there are many hundreds to choose between and the number of a... More..
Personal Finance > Bonds Guide to premium bonds: 4 of 6
I like premium bonds. I've had them for years, but I have become more disenchanted with them recently because the rate of return doesn't seem as good as in the past. A large proportion of the UK population have at least a few National Savings Premium Bonds, often held for a very long time, but are they actually any good? Are ... More..