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Alan Oscroft

Alan is a freelance writer who began writing for The Motley Fool in the late 1990s. He has been a private investor for more 30 years, and has explored a number of strategies, settling on high-yielding blue-chip shares.

Recent Articles

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Investing Articles

Why I’d buy beaten-down UK shares to cope with inflation

| Alan Oscroft

Inflation is making our daily lives a lot tougher. But with the FTSE 100 falling. I think UK shares look…

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Investing Articles

Why dividend shares are best

| Alan Oscroft

It might be a controversial opinion, but I'm convinced that dividend shares are the best long-term investment there is. Let…

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Investing Articles

How I’d invest £5 a day to target passive income for life

| Alan Oscroft

I think the secret to successful passive income investing is to set realistic goals, and then to stick to a…

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Investing Articles

3 hot UK penny shares to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

We've seen a lot of penny shares suffering over the past 12 months. But some are starting to pick up…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

Can carbon credits send the Woodbois share price soaring?

| Alan Oscroft

The Woodbois share price has soared, crashed, and is starting to climb again. What's it all about, and where are…

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Investing Articles

Is this the best time to buy FTSE 250 shares ever?

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE 250 has been more volatile than the FTSE 100, but with better growth prospects. Here's why I'm looking…

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Middle-aged lady in wheelchair writing on whiteboard
Investing Articles

3 unmissable income shares to buy in September?

| Alan Oscroft

Share prices are down, and dividend yields are rising. Has there ever been a better time to invest in long-term…

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Investing Articles

Could I double my money with Rolls-Royce shares?

| Alan Oscroft

A good few investors have suffered as their Rolls-Royce shares crashed in value. What's the chance of seeing the reverse…

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British bank notes and coins
Investing Articles

With Lloyds shares in pennies, is now the time to pounce?

| Alan Oscroft

Lloyds shares have plunged below 50p again, and it looks like there might be more pain to come. But I'm…

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Investing Articles

3 super cheap FTSE 100 shares to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

There are some very low FTSE 100 P/E valuations out there at the moment. And some top stocks offer big…

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Investing Articles

3 reasons the stock market could crash in September

| Alan Oscroft

What if the stock market should fall again in September? It will just mean more cheap shares to buy. But…

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Happy male couple looking at a laptop screen together
Investing Articles

I’d invest £50 a week in a Stocks and Shares ISA to try to make a million

| Alan Oscroft

Is 2022 a good year to start investing in a Stocks and Shares ISA? Any time is surely good, but…

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Investing Articles

Why I’d buy abrdn shares to help me retire early

| Alan Oscroft

Abrdn shares have fallen this year as investors keep away. But with dividend yields up above 9%, this could well…

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Investing Articles

Why I bought Persimmon shares to help me retire early

| Alan Oscroft

Will Persimmon shares boost my retirement income? If I needed to sell them this year to provide cash, no. But…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

After doubling in 2 weeks, are Cineworld shares now a buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Cineworld shares have taken an unexpected upturn this week, after investors had been fearing the worst. Is it time to…

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Investing Articles

3 dividend shares to buy in September?

| Alan Oscroft

Some dividends are facing cuts this year, but I still see plenty I might buy. I'm considering these three, with…

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Investing Articles

No savings at 50? Here’s how I’d invest for passive income

| Alan Oscroft

Starting investing for passive income might look daunting the older we get. But I think the future could be brighter…

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Light bulb with growing tree.
Investing Articles

Is the Woodbois share price set to climb again?

| Alan Oscroft

The Woodbois share price has fallen from its 2022 peak. If there's fresh growth to come, we might be looking…

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British bank notes and coins
Investing Articles

3 penny shares to buy in September

| Alan Oscroft

We have some tasty-looking updates coming our way in September. Here are three penny shares that look cheap to me,…

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UK money in a Jar on a background
Investing Articles

3 top dividend forecasts for September

| Alan Oscroft

Dividend forecasts are growing ever stronger for a number of companies. In September, I'll be looking for evidence to support…

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Fans of Warren Buffett taking his photo
Investing Articles

Which UK shares would Warren Buffett buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

UK investors are worried about the economic outlook at the moment. But how might Warren Buffett see things should he…

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Investing Articles

Are Scottish Mortgage shares still a no-brainer buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Scottish Mortgage shares were starting to recover, but they've taken another dip. Does that give us a new unmissable buying…

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Businessman touching on number 2022 for preparation
Investing Articles

3 FTSE 100 shares to buy in September

| Alan Oscroft

Looking at FTSE 100 shares as we enter September, I think I'm seeing a lot of attractive buys right now.…

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One English pound placed on a graph to represent an economic down turn
Investing Articles

3 dividend stocks that could climb in September

| Alan Oscroft

A number of UK dividend stocks have seen their prices falling in 2022. I'm wondering if the events of September…

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Investing Articles

Is the Lloyds share price headed back below 40p?

| Alan Oscroft

I'm starting to think the Lloyds share price might be headed even further downwards in the second half of 2022.…

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Investing Articles

Why I’d buy investment trusts to try to beat inflation

| Alan Oscroft

I love investment trusts at the best of times. But when we're facing economic difficulties, that's when I think their…

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Investing Articles

How I’d invest in Dividend Heroes for regular passive income

| Alan Oscroft

Generating the best passive income we can while minimising our risk is a tricky balancing act. Here's one strategy that…

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Investing Articles

Are Rolls-Royce shares headed back below 50p?

| Alan Oscroft

It seems like only yesterday that Rolls-Royce shares looked like they might be set to climb above 100p. How quickly…

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Investing Articles

After Harbour Energy shares just jumped 10%, I might buy

| Alan Oscroft

Harbour Energy shares have had a volatile time in 2022. But strong first-half results have catapulted the stock onto my…

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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

3 shares to buy with £10,000 today

| Alan Oscroft

The week's results have thrown up several candidate shares to buy, as I build up a list of possibilities that…

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Playful senior couple in aprons dancing and smiling while preparing healthy dinner at home
Investing Articles

This FTSE share just jumped 25%. I’m wondering whether to buy

| Alan Oscroft

The FTSE hasn't been moving much this week. But this stock just spiked in response to its latest developments. Is…

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Entrepreneur on the phone.
Investing Articles

Time to buy BT shares, on renewed takeover speculation?

| Alan Oscroft

BT shares have fallen in price. And the government might just have removed a hurdle in the way of a…

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Stack of British pound coins falling on list of share prices
Investing Articles

Cineworld shares tank as firm considers bankruptcy

| Alan Oscroft

Cineworld shares have collapsed in price, as the company's financial problems edge closer to a conclusion. What happens now?

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Abstract 3d arrows with rocket
Investing Articles

3 growth shares that could skyrocket in September

| Alan Oscroft

As we head towards September, I see a number of exciting growth shares that I reckon might be close to…

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Smiling senior white man talking through telephone while using laptop at desk.
Investing Articles

Here’s why Abrdn shares look like a no-brainer buy to me

| Alan Oscroft

Abrdn shares have fallen heavily in 2022, as the asset manager faces investing outflows. But the dividend yield is up…

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a couple embrace in front of their new home
Investing Articles

Taylor Wimpey shares look like a no-brainer buy to me right now

| Alan Oscroft

Taylor Wimpey shares are on a slide in 2022, despite the business generating bags of cash and paying some of…

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Young female analyst working at her desk in the office
Investing Articles

Beware the perils of short-term investing!

| Alan Oscroft

Doesn't it seem like the whole financial world is obsessed with short-term investing movements these days? That's surely a mistake.

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Arrow symbol glowing amid black arrow symbols on black background.
Investing Articles

The Just Eat Takeaway share price has jumped 30%. Here’s what I’d do

| Alan Oscroft

Despite a big gain on Friday, the Just Eat Takeaway share price is down nearly 80% over the past 12…

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Happy young plus size woman sitting at kitchen table and watching tv series on tablet computer
Investing Articles

The next bull run for FTSE 100 shares might have already started

| Alan Oscroft

In spite of the global economic gloom, FTSE 100 shares are set for big dividends this year. And investor optimism…

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Stack of British pound coins falling on list of share prices
Investing Articles

Is it game over for the Cineworld share price?

| Alan Oscroft

The Cineworld share price has fallen 95% over the past five years. But the board has a rescue plan. So…

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