Cotter's Corner

In the series of articles listed below, John Cotter explains how to use the tools and research on the website in order to get the most out of your trading. Read the latest edition

John is a Vice President of Barclays Stockbrokers. He is a regular speaker at client events with a reputation of simplifying the most complex of financial subjects.

From joining Barclays 37 years ago he has filled a whole range of Managerial roles for the Bank throughout the UK, however his real area of expertise is in the area of personal investment for the self directed investor. He currently lives in Southport Merseyside and is married with 5 children.

Although his days of participation are over, he remains a keen follower of most sports.

Past Corners

7 November 2011	Asset allocation Don't put all your eggs in one basket…but how many eggs and how many baskets should you have?
29 September 2011	Spotting a Fair Maiden John explains why sometimes it pays to keep your eyes open to spot a fair maiden!
23 September 2011	New product shop window John looks at two new investments that may help you diversify and balance your portfolio.
8 September 2011	Barclays Stockbrokers Price Improver® John looks at how the Barclays Stockbrokers Price Improver® can get you a better deal when trading.
14 August 2011	25 years old or young? On the 25th anniversary of Barclays stockbrokers John looks back over this period in the markets and considers some of the changes he has seen.
21 July 2011	Trader v Investor John reviews different investment styles and considers where he sits on this particular investment see-saw
24 June 2011	Order Types John looks at some of the strengths and weaknesses of limit and stop orders and how they can be applied to your trading strategy.
31 May 2011	FIRST XI for 2011 As promised John reviews his "FIRST XI" for 2011 to see whether it is time to change the line up
26 April 2011	Directors Deals - a closer look John takes another look at the subject of directors deals, explaining why he thinks they are important and why some are more important than others!
5 April 2011	SIPP simplification John looks at a few key changes to the pension rules and explains why he thinks they make a good SIPP even better in 2011.
15 March 2011	Investment ISA... the coat of many colours John looks at our Investment ISA and shows how it can add more than just tax efficiency to your portfolio.
18 February 2011	International Trader John prepares for an overseas adventure in 2011.
24 January 2011	11 in 2011 John looks at investment options in 2011
22 December 2010	2010 In review John looks back at 2010 and makes some general and personal observations.
8 December 2010	Barclays Wealth Global Markets John explores the new Barclays Wealth Global Markets Funds.
29 November 2010	PEG ratios John explains why he thinks the PEG is king!
29 October 2010	To invest or not to invest John looks at ways you can stay close to the fire without getting burnt.
23 November 2010	Advanced order types - Update Take the emotion out of your trading decisions - John Cotter explains how you can with advanced order types.
29 October 2010	Commodity investment John explains why commodity investment may have a part to play in your portfolio and explores some of the most popular investment options available.
13 September 2010	Double dip In a market that has lacked direction John considers which winds will prevail – heads or tails?
12 August 2010	Investing for income John considers the continued search for income return from investments.
7 July 2010	Investment stories to get you thinking John looks at a few investment ideas that you may find of interest over the summer.
17 June 2010	CFDs Gain a better understanding of Contracts for Difference (CFDs).
14 June 2010	Capital Gains Tax John looks at the "taxing times" that may well lie ahead and considers a few of our options.
13 May 2010	Covered Warrants John looks at covered warrants and asks; do they have a part to play in your portfolio?
28 April 2010	Funds John explains why funds can have an important part to play in many investors portfolios.
6 April 2010	Barclays Equity Gilt Study John looks at the 55th edition of the Barclays Equity Gilt Study 2010 and extracts some key points for the UK investor to consider.
8 March 2010	ISAs and SIPPs You can become conditioned to think every tax year is the same. Here John explains why 2010 is very different...
15 February 2010	REITs and Corporate Bonds "Don't let the tax tail wag the investment dog" John takes a look at the benefits of REITS and corporate bonds.
31 January 2010	Initial Public Offerings John asks if 2010 will see the return of the IPO?
20 January 2010	Dividends For the long-term investor dividends can, and some say should be, a primary point of focus. John explains why we might all be going barking mad for dividends this year.
7 January 2010	Taking a holistic portfolio view John explains how taking a holistic view is one of his keys to success.
22 December 2009	Cotter's Christmas Cracker John provides some observations about 2009 and New Year’s resolutions for 2010.
23 November 2009	Rights Issues explained John looks at rights issues and explains what they are, how they work and reviews your options as a shareholder.
06 November 2009	Absolute return funds John looks at Absolute Return Funds and attempts to explain their growth in popularity.
28 September 2009	Top moving stocks John looks at what lessons can be learned from top moving stocks.
25 August 2009	Listed structured products Listed Structured Products - A useful addition to your portfolio? John explains.
24 July 2009	Technical analysis Is technical analysis the key to better trading? John explores.
26 June 2009	Diversification Don´t put all your eggs in one basket´ is good advice in many situations in life but in the world of investment it probably ranks as number one in my ´golden rules to follow´, says John Cotter.
20 May 2009	Timing the market vs time in the market ´Timing the market´ or ´Time in the market´ - which is most important for the self-directed investor? In this edition of Cotters Corner John looks at the merits of both.
1 May 2009	Effective pension planning John Cotter explains the five Cs of effective pension planning.
23 April 2009	Stock selection techniques John Cotter explains how you can save time and improve your stock selection techniques.
10 February 2009	Considering yield John Cotter discusses the importance of considering yield when making your investment choices.
8 January 2009	Directors Deals - a key indicator Actions speak louder than words – why Directors Deals are a key indicator.
5 December 2008	ETFs/iShares Why iShares merit serious consideration by many different types of investor.

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Seminar Programme

In response to client demand, in 2010 we are hosting a number of seminars across the UK.