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Cliff D'Arcy

My first loves were Maths and Physics. After studying Maths, Stats and Computer Science in the late 80s, I worked in the financial sector from 1987 to 2002. I then joined The Motley Fool's writing team in January 2003 and left in November 2005. Since then, I have been a freelance financial writer. My primary goal is to help people manage their money better by making sensible financial decisions!

Recent Articles

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Investing Articles

My Lloyds shares have been a flop. Time to sell?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Lloyds shares have dived by around 17% since hitting their 2023 peak in early February. They may be undervalued, but…

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Investing Articles

Why the FTSE 100 is an absolute bargain right now

| Cliff D'Arcy

The FTSE 100 has been a disappointment over the past five years, losing over 2% of its value. But it…

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Investing Articles

2 UK shares I’d buy for high passive income

| Cliff D'Arcy

In my ongoing search for extra passive income, I found these two FTSE 100 shares. One pays 7.6% a year…

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Investing Articles

2 FTSE 100 shares I can’t believe I don’t own!

| Cliff D'Arcy

These two FTSE 100 shares have weakened significantly from their 2022-23 highs. I plan to buy both ASAP for their…

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Portrait of elderly man wearing white denim shirt and glasses looking up with hand on chin. Thoughtful senior entrepreneur, studio shot against grey background.
Dividend Shares

What’s stopping me from buying Unilever shares?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Unilever shares have had a decent year, jumping by nearly a fifth in 12 months. But with the share price…

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Investing Articles

This FTSE 100 value share just hit a 52-week low!

| Cliff D'Arcy

This FTSE 100 share has lost almost half its value since peaking in June 2022. But its market-beating dividend yield…

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Investing Articles

2 shares to buy for big dividend income

| Cliff D'Arcy

In my hunt for new dividend shares to buy, I found these two FTSE 100 candidates. One pays a cash…

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Investing Articles

5 fascinating facts about Apple stock!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Apple stock has soared by almost a third so far this calendar year. Here are five interesting facts about the…

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Investing Articles

1 FTSE 250 share I’d buy for big dividends

| Cliff D'Arcy

After peaking in early February, this FTSE 250 stock has gone from leader to laggard. But I'd gladly buy more…

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Warren Buffett at a Berkshire Hathaway AGM
Investing Articles

5 ways Warren Buffett made me a better investor

| Cliff D'Arcy

As well as amassing a $116bn fortune, Warren Buffett has given away $50bn to charity. Here's how my favourite investor…

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Investing Articles

1 dividend stock I aim to own for decades

| Cliff D'Arcy

The UK stock market includes many dividend stocks -- some riskier than others. But I regard this high-yielding share as…

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Investing Articles

This dirt cheap FTSE 100 share is a beautiful bargain

| Cliff D'Arcy

This FTSE 100 share was riding high in early March, but then slumped as US banks got into trouble. Looking…

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Investing Articles

2 great US stocks I own for global growth

| Cliff D'Arcy

These two US stocks have soared in value since I bought them in early November. But despite these great gains,…

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Investing Articles

Here are 2 of my favourite UK shares right now!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Over the past year, I've bought 17 new stocks for my family portfolio. Here are two of the UK shares…

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Investing Articles

Lloyds shares pay over 5% a year in cash. But there’s more to them than that!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Lloyds shares have dropped more than 20% from their 2023 high in early February. But I'm holding on tightly to…

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Investing Articles

How much do I invest for £50k a year in passive income?

| Cliff D'Arcy

How much money would I need to amass to generate a passive income of £50,000 a year or more? The…

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Portrait of elderly man wearing white denim shirt and glasses looking up with hand on chin. Thoughtful senior entrepreneur, studio shot against grey background.
Investing Articles

Was I a fool to buy Vodafone shares?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Vodafone shares have dived by around a fifth since their 2023 peak on 20 February. With the latest results looking…

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Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

Here’s what I’d have now investing £1,000 in Rolls-Royce shares 1 & 3 years ago

| Cliff D'Arcy

Rolls-Royce shares have been the best-performing stock in the FTSE 100 over the last year. But things look pretty grim…

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Smiling young man sitting in cafe and checking messages, with his laptop in front of him.
Investing Articles

3 shares to buy for powerful passive income

| Cliff D'Arcy

For lovers of passive income like me, these three FTSE 100 shares have payouts of 7% to 10% a year.…

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Dividend Shares

How high can the Lloyds share price fly?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Lloyds share price has gone nowhere for two years. On Friday, it closed below 46p. But I'm optimistic that…

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Middle-aged white man wearing glasses, staring into space over the top of his laptop in a coffee shop
Investing Articles

How low can the Ocado share price go?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Once valued at almost £30, the Ocado share price has since crashed below £5. Surely there must be some value…

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Entrepreneur on the phone.
Investing Articles

Here is my new watchlist of shares to buy!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Starting with a watchlist of 19 shares to buy, I have whittled this down to five must-have FTSE 100 shares.…

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Middle-aged white man wearing glasses, staring into space over the top of his laptop in a coffee shop
Investing Articles

10 FTSE 100 shares with bumper dividend yields!

| Cliff D'Arcy

These 10 FTSE 100 shares offer great cash yields ranging from 7% to 10% a year. But I have three…

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Investing Articles

3 fabulous FTSE 100 stocks I’d love to own today!

| Cliff D'Arcy

These three FTSE 100 shares offer juicy dividend yields of 7% to 10% a year. I'd love to buy all…

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Young Caucasian woman holding up four fingers
Investing Articles

I’m so glad I bought these 4 huge US tech stocks!

| Cliff D'Arcy

These mega-cap US tech stocks have surged from their November 2022 lows, with one soaring almost 43%. But there's one…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

Why Vodafone shares could be ready to rocket

| Cliff D'Arcy

Vodafone shares have dived by 29% since their May 2022 high. They're also down more than 55% over five years.…

Read more »

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Investing Articles

Why Barclays shares leapt 13% in April

| Cliff D'Arcy

Barclays shares have soared since hitting their 2023 low on 20 March. But what exactly caused this FTSE 100 stock…

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Investing Articles

If I’d invested £1,000 in AstraZeneca shares five years ago, here’s what I’d have now

| Cliff D'Arcy

AstraZeneca shares have been the FTSE 100's standout star over the past five years. But how much would I have…

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Man writing 'now' having crossed out 'later', 'tomorrow' and 'next week'
Investing Articles

Is the GSK share price going higher — or nowhere?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The GSK share price has dropped nearly 6% since its 2023 high earlier in April. With things looking up for…

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Investing Articles

These were the FTSE 100’s dogs and stars in April!

| Cliff D'Arcy

The FTSE 100 had a good month, gaining 3.1% in April. However, some Footsie stocks slumped, while others soared. Here…

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Young Caucasian man making doubtful face at camera
Investing Articles

UK shares: sell in May and go away? No thanks!

| Cliff D'Arcy

An old investing adage warns investors to sell in May, go away and not buy after mid-September. But why would…

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Young brown woman delighted with what she sees on her screen
Investing Articles

5 reasons to buy dirt-cheap Barclays shares

| Cliff D'Arcy

After plunging more than 35% from their early March high, Barclays shares have bounced back hard. However, they still look…

Read more »

Passive income text with pin graph chart on business table
Investing Articles

I can get passive income of 8.4% a year from these shares

| Cliff D'Arcy

In my ongoing search for extra passive income, I found these five FTSE 100 shares. They offer combined cash yields…

Read more »

Long-term vs short-term investing concept on a staircase
Investing Articles

The Vodafone share price looks weak, but I’d buy now

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Vodafone share price has lost 57% of its value over five years. Also, it's down 28% over one year.…

Read more »

Young female hand showing five fingers.
Investing Articles

5 reasons to buy Lloyds shares while they’re cheap

| Cliff D'Arcy

After diving over 15% from their February high, Lloyds shares have since bounced back. But even at current price levels,…

Read more »

Mindful young woman breathing out with closed eyes, calming down in stressful situation, working on computer in modern kitchen.
Investing Articles

After losing 60%, surely Scottish Mortgage shares are a buy?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Scottish Mortgage shares have collapsed since their November 2021 peak. After their steep falls, I've put them on my watchlist…

Read more »

Asian man looking concerned while studying paperwork at his desk in an office
Investing Articles

I see this FTSE 250 company as a top takeover target

| Cliff D'Arcy

This FTSE 250 stock is one of the cheapest in London. It's also the right size to attract buyers from…

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Shot of a senior man drinking coffee and looking thoughtfully out of a window
Investing Articles

The Anglo American share price keeps plunging. Time to buy!

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Anglo American share price dived again this morning, before bouncing back. After crashing by over 20% in 2023, I…

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Young woman working at modern office. Technical price graph and indicator, red and green candlestick chart and stock trading computer screen background.
Investing Articles

These 3 FTSE 100 shares look crazily mispriced

| Cliff D'Arcy

These three FTSE 100 shares have all fallen after peaking in January. After recent drops, all three look cheap to…

Read more »

Middle-aged white man wearing glasses, staring into space over the top of his laptop in a coffee shop
Dividend Shares

Rio Tinto shares are a screaming buy. Here’s why

| Cliff D'Arcy

Rio Tinto shares have fallen by more than 20% since peaking in late January. And after dropping 6% today, I…

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