Our cover features span a huge range of topics, but all have the same aim - to make you a better investor! From emerging markets to tax planning, from growth stocks to income plays, there's hardly a subject we haven't covered.
You can navigate to all this year's cover features using the links below. Bear in mind that in most cases, the main part of the feature is free to read, but you may have to register or subscribe to read all of it. You can get a free, no-obligation two-week trial of IC Advantage by signing up here.
Be aware also that online versions of cover features may differ slightly from the print version - they often contain direct links to other sources of information, and additional tabular data that could not be fitted into the print version.
Don't forget that cover features are uploaded to the website every Friday!
DECEMBER 2008:
- Our guide to the investment trends that will shape the coming year
- There are huge gains to be made from buying shares at the end of a bear market. But how do you know when to take the plunge? We show you how to spot the vital clues
- As the economy heads south, we team up with corporate solvency specialists Company Watch to identify the companies whose balance sheets are most at risk from recession.
NOVEMBER 2008:
- Investors face difficult choices. We look through the history books to find out what has done well and badly during previous recessions, and offer suggestions on how to cope this time
- The junior market has taken a battering, but some former investor darlings are now so oversold that value investors are spotting the potential.
- Buy-to-let property clubs still continue, in spite of the credit crunch, but some of their get-rich-quick methods are highly dubious. Claer Barrett highlights the warning signs
OCTOBER 2008:
- Dividends should remain the cornerstone of any share portfolio – so we tell you how to identify the income stocks that will turbo-charge your returns
- The pound is falling and recession looms. But this doesn't have to be bad news for investors in the stock market. We explain why - and how to profit
- The global financial system has come within a whisker of oblivion, and the UK's banks are now largely in government hands. So where next for banking shares?
- Are the traditional safe havens for your money living up to the billing in the current market turmoil? We run the rule over five so-called safe havens, and reveal which ones are really attractive homes for your money
- It's the simplest investing strategy of them all. Buy ten rotten shares on 1 October, and watch them bounce back by 31 December. They almost always do.
SEPTEMBER 2008:
- Take the plunge into the big themes of the 21st century! In the first of a special series of features, David Stevenson looks at how to profit from water and security
AUGUST 2008:
- Which are the most in-demand shares on the market? Richard Hemming finds out - and asks whether you should you be loading up, too
- It's the simplest investment technique of all - buy the shares that everyone else is buying - with a few modifications to keep you away from takeover hype and false dawns
- Sub-Saharan Africa is attracting many experienced investors' attention. David Stevenson finds out why
- There are high dividend yields on offer everywhere these days. Dominic Picarda draws on past experience to ask which ones you can really trust.
- If you're worried about a house price crash - read this. The UK could be set for its worst housing crash ever. But there are steps you can take now to protect your overall wealth
JULY 2008:
- Robert Ansted selects a portfolio of shares that he believes could pay for themselves within five years
- Jonas Crosland and John Hughman explore sector prospects in the tough economic environment
- Creating a blockbuster drug is harder than ever these days for the pharmaceutical giants. Richard Hemming finds out who's closest to discovering the next best-selling wonder drug
- BHP's bid for Rio might be grinding on forever, but at the other end of the scale, there's huge potential for consolidation. We investigate why, and name the likely candidates
JUNE 2008:
The credit crunch has had an enormous effect on companies - but it's not been for the worse in every case. Peter Temple goes looking for shares that will gain
- Profit warnings are flowing thick and fast these days. But should you stick or twist?
- With the IC's Aim India Index powering past both the Aim All-Share index and the Sensex, why not add a little Indian spice in your portfolio?
- The de-rating of small caps is creating some big opportunities for investors
MAY 2008:
- Investment legend Jim Slater explains how investors should position their portfolio so that the resource force is with them, rather than against them, and identifies the shares to buy
- Top consultant Dr Michael Tubbs explains how to identify FTSE companies that will outperform the market using just a couple of key indicators
- It's back! The search for Britain's best share is underway - and you're the judge. Improve your stock-picking and compete to win £1,000 in our unique contest
- Packing your Isa full of high-yielding shares with good growth prospects makes sense in the current market conditions. Jon Mainwaring lines up suitable candidates
APRIL 2008:
- For decades, food has been cheap. Not any more. John Mulligan explores how investors can gain exposure to the dramatic turnaround in food and farmland prices
- For worry free investing over the long term, you can't beat having a solid core portfolio that's low cost to run, well diversified and easy to maintain. And here's how to do it
: high-yield stocks that will still generate income once the market recovers.
: Peter Temple selects the pick of the crop from recent new arrivals on the stockmarket.
MARCH 2008:
: Where investors can find reliable shares during grim economic times.
- We've identified the hottest emerging markets on the planet - the Chinas, Brazils, Indias and Russias of the future - and how investors can buy into the expected growth.
- Europe boasts great companies and a winning currency, and UK investors are in a position to benefit from both with our guide to the continent's best investments
: how expert traders are using market volatility to generate big profits - and how you can learn from their techniques.
FEBRUARY 2008:
: Simon Thompson's guide to beating the market (eight years out of eight!) by investing in companies with strong asset backing.
: how stock screens can build your wealth
: how to identify the rising stars among smaller company shares
Why Jim Slater is piling into the land of the Samba
: six writers pick their favourite plays on the junior market
: our eight top picks for 2008, plus an update on 2007's selections.
