Latest news with #SunReaders
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Share price tips! How to turn £25 into £12,609 – three stocks to invest in NOW
INVESTING isn't just for the super wealthy, you can start with as little as a quid - and buying shares is a good place to start. Investing pro Holly Mead, who has 14 years' experience, exclusively reveals her tips with Sun readers below - and shares how you could grow your pot from £25 to £12,609 in 20 years. 6 Investing in the wrong companies could see you lose your hard-earned cash - but the right ones could see your savings soar. The first thing to do is to check if you have enough money to start. Experts say you should have three to six months' worth of wages in a savings account you can access before you begin investing. You can start with just £1, but how much you can make depends on how much you invest and where. If you invested £25 into the FTSE 100, which is the collective name for the 100 largest UK companies by value, you could turn £25 into £4,465 after 10 years, assuming that your investment grew at a rate of 5 per cent a year after charges. Over 20 years, that pot would grow to £12,609. Picking the right companies to invest in is therefore really important. So how do you do it? Here, Holly explains. What type of investor are you? New investors often choose a ready-made fund, which is where an expert does the hard work and chooses a mix of assets to invest in, including company shares, bonds, property and gold. This can be a lower-risk way of investing, because your money is spread across lots of different investments. But many people like the idea of choosing for themselves where their money goes. This can feel more exciting, and means you know you are backing businesses you really believe in. So if you want to pick your own businesses to invest in, start by opening a stocks and shares Isa. You can invest up to £20,000 each tax year in these accounts and any gains you make are tax-free. Many investing apps let you open an account with £25 or less. Read reviews and check the fees you will be charged before selecting an app. For example, NatWest charges a fee of 0.55% of the value of your investment. That works out at 55p for every £100 of your investments. In comparison, Barclays charges a 0.25% fee, which works out at 25p for every £100 you invest. Some offer free research or 'best buy' lists of funds and stocks they expect to do well, which can help narrow down your choices. Be a bookworm before investing Research the companies you are considering backing. Use sites like Investegate to read the latest reports and accounts. Look at a company's 'fundamentals' - which means checking things like whether it is profitable, if sales and customer numbers are growing, and making sure it doesn't have too much debt. Have a solid reason for investing - maybe the company has developed cutting-edge technology or is a leader in its industry - don't just invest because everyone else is. Choosing something you know can be a good starting point. Maybe you are a loyal customer because you believe it is better than any of its competitors, or you know a lot about a certain sector because you work in that industry - this extra knowledge can help you make more informed choices. Once you have picked, it's as simple as selecting the stock and choosing the amount you want to invest. You can usually invest a one-off sum, or set up a regular investing plan where you put in a set amount each month. What are the risks? BEFORE you start investing, you need to understand the risks. The return you make will depend on how much you invest and where. As we have seen recently, the stock market can dramatically fall. The American stock market saw its biggest drop since the start of the Covid pandemic after US President Donald Trump announced plans to introduce punitive tariffs on goods imported to the US from other countries. The UK's own stock market, the FTSE 100, fell by more than 10 per cent after the news. You must be prepared to lose it all - so only invest money you can afford to lose. You need to be willing to invest cash for at least five years to mitigate any dips and allow your money to recover. If you can't afford to lock up your money for this long, investing may not be right for you. It's usually better to drip feed money into your investments instead of putting down a big chunk of money in one go. Marks & Spencer 6 A huge cyberattack hit M&S in April, but the British stalwart still has plenty going for it. In its latest results, M&S reported pre-tax profits were up 22% to £875 million in the year to March. It is undergoing a transformation plan, which includes overhauling its clothing division and expanding its food stores. Tom Stevenson, investment director at Fidelity International, says the stock was the fourth most-bought by Fidelity users in April. He said: 'The continued popularity of M&S, even after a widely publicised cyberattack, highlights investor confidence in its long-term prospects.' The share price is up 250 per cent over five years, currently trading at 339p. Three things to always remember when investing Ben Kumar, head of equity strategy at the wealth manager, 7IM, says: 1. There is no right way to invest "We all have different views on things, and that's true in investing too. "The key is to be clear on your reasons for investing: that could be because you like the company's ethos, you know about the sector, or because it pays a dividend." 2. You will get things wrong "Even the best investors make bad choices. "What's important is how you behave after that happens - keep calm, take stock, do your research, and try to decide whether it will recover and you should stick it out, or whether it's time to cut your losses. 3. Enjoy it "Stock investing is risky, but that is also what makes it exciting. "There is a real buzz about having the chance to own a piece of a business that is doing well." Crowdstrike 6 Tech stocks can be exciting, but make sure they're not just the latest fad. Lale Akoner, global market analyst at eToro, says: 'Companies in software, cloud, and digital infrastructure enjoy steady income and strong demand from businesses investing in AI and digital upgrades.' If the M&S cyberattack taught investors anything, it's that security is key for businesses. Akoner points to Crowdstrike, a US-based cybersecurity firm, as one option. '[It] could offer consistent long-term growth without any exposure to tariffs or currency volatility," he says. Crowdstrike shares dropped last year after a faulty upgrade for customers, but its latest results reported that sales were up 20% to $1.1 billion. Shares have risen 27.5% over the past year to $505, and are up 389% over five years. Bear in mind that exchange rates can affect your returns when investing in overseas stocks. Legal & General 6 Insurance companies might not sound as exciting, but they should be a steady choice as their services are always needed, says Akoner. This makes the earnings of these businesses predictable and reliable. Legal & General is one of the UK's biggest insurers, founded in 1836. In its latest financial results, the firm said operating profit had increased by 6% to more than £1.6billion, helped by record sales of annuities (a type of financial product that pays an income in retirement). L&G shares are up 19% over the past year to 250p, and it also pays a dividend (when a company gives out some of its profits to investors), which can boost your returns. And one to avoid Nike 6 From collaborations with sporting legends such as Michael Jordan and Serena Williams, and the rise of the ath-leisure fashion trend, Nike looked to have it all. But Kumar thinks the brand is now being left behind by companies focusing on high-performance sports gear like the running shoe specialists Hoka and On. In its latest results, Nike said sales were down 9% at $11.6 billion. Shares have dropped 35 per cent over the past year to $76.37 and Kumar thinks they could fall further. He said: 'Nike's sales are expected to fall 10% this year, and its earnings are expected to fall by nearly 50%. For investors, it's a case of: don't do it.' 'My trick to investing that you can do too' MEGAN Norman has boosted her savings to £69,000 in four years by investing in tech companies and fat jab manufacturers. She set up an account in 2021 with the trading platform Etoro and tried to focus on picking companies that she believed would stand the test of time. Her pot has grown 18 per cent in just three months, since US president Donald Trump announced his global trade tariffs. Now, £69,000 is sitting in her account. Even if Megan did not invest any more money, if her £69,000 pot grew at 5% a year, in 10 years she could have almost £114,000. 'I was attracted to the idea of making large sums of money very quickly by investing in things like oil and crypto, but I soon realised that was not for me,' says Megan, 30, who lives in Bedfordshire. 'Rather than a 'get rich quick' approach, I look for areas that are strong and that I believe in. I want companies that have been around for a while, have good financials, and whose services will always be in demand,' she says. Megan, who works as an aesthetics practitioner and administers botox, trades fairly regularly and currently has five stocks in her portfolio, including the chipmaker ASML, the bitcoin mining company CleanSpark and the cyber security firm Crowdstrike. One of her best investments has been Novo Nordisk, which she bought as weight loss drugs started to gain popularity. Megan used Investopedia to build her basic knowledge of investing, and now uses websites like Finviz and Tradingview to research companies, as well as the tools on the Etoro app. 'Investing has been great for me - it's built my confidence and given me a sense of belief in myself,' says Megan. 'For anyone considering starting, I would say, you need to understand that your money is at risk and be ok with that. But I really believe that time in the market, not timing the market, is what works.'
The Sun
03-07-2025
- The Sun
I'm a travel editor – the flight, train & ferry upgrades that are worth the money… skip the queue & bag unlimited drinks
FOR more than 26 years I've been travelling the world on behalf of Sun readers and while I've been lucky enough to turn left on a fair few planes, I've also spent hours in airport queues and even longer squished into tiny seats on long haul flights. And that's where splashing out on a cheeky little upgrade can make all the difference between a miserable journey and a boujee start to your break. 8 But while paying can sometimes be a real winner, not all upgrades are worth splashing the cash on. Here, I reveal the ones that are worth the dosh, and those to ditch across trains, planes and ferries. AIRPORT No one likes to queue and I've had a few close calls over the years where long lines at security or passport control have led to a mad dash to the gate. If you're travelling at a particularly busy time of year like the school holidays, it can pay to shell out for a FastTrack access to skip the queues. 8 8 If you book a package holiday to a 4* resort with you'll get free fast track security passes from your chosen airport - book a 5* hotel and you'll get lounge access. At Gatwick, you'll get FastTrack for free if you stay at the in-airport Bloc Hotel and rooms there, literally metres from the security lanes, start from just £90 a night, perfect for those hideously early departures. In general though, it pays to think ahead. You can save up to 20 per cent on fast track security passes if you book in advance. And prices start from just £3.50 at Bournemouth. Booked in advance, prices are from: Bristol, £6; East Midlands, £6; Gatwick, £6; Liverpool, £4; Luton, £4; Manchester, £7; Newcastle, £7. Stansted will let you buy a fast track for both security AND passport control at £7.50 and £15 respectively and at Leeds Bradford, where passes cost £5, you can take a child under 12 for free with each paying adult. The same applies to treating yourself to a stay in an airport lounge. If you're travelling with the family or enjoy having a drink and meal in departures, often the cost of a lounge can sometimes be cheaper than buying food and drink in the busy bars and restaurants. Prices start from just £20 if booked well in advance. Check out deals on websites like for extra discounts. PLANE While we'd all love to be basking in the luxury of business class on every flight, the prohibitively high prices are never going to make it an option for most of us. But the stratospheric rise of the class between economy and business shows that we're all willing to splash out a little bit extra for more space and comfort. 8 8 Premium Economy is the one upgrade I think is worth its weight in gold when it comes to flying long haul over 12 or more hours. And one airline in particular has stolen a march on rivals when it comes to their version of Premium. Norse Airlines' Boeing 787 Dreamliners fly to Orlando, Miami, New York, Los Angeles year round from its Gatwick base and will fly to Cape Town and Bangkok from October for the winter season. With its no-frills ethos, flights cost from just £250 return for the absolute basic fare with just hand luggage and no food. But its Premium comes with two meals and luggage as well as a wider seat with oodles of leg room and here's the best bit - with a bit of planning you can fly in this class for the same price of an economy seat on many of the full service, legacy airlines. Another great way to upgrade your flight relies a lot more on luck - and what you're prepared to shell out at the last minute. Most major airlines will have a service in place where you can bid a set price for an upgrade - in general, a price around 20 to 40 per cent above their lowest bid offer will be the most successful. And there's always the option of asking directly as you check in for your flight how much it would cost to upgrade. If a flight is particularly busy in one cabin, there will be some attractive deals to move up. You're more likely to be successful on routes popular with leisure passengers - and on flights later in the day or last thing at night. Holiday packing tips Jemma Solomon, aka The Label Lady has got 5 packing tips to help you get organised for your next holiday. 1. Write a list Think about all the essentials you need to take with you; suncream, medicine, a few games for the kids, beach towels, and write everything in one list, which you can tick off as you add it to your suitcase. Or for complete ease, try Google's AI app - Gemini - which will create a list for you and help you not over pack. 2. Involve your kids Jemma said: 'My girls are getting older, they're 11 and nine, and they enjoy helping to pack. So I send them a list, and say 'this is what you need' and they follow the list. 'And then I give them a rucksack each - and say to them 'you can have whatever you want in there as long as it's not liquid', and they can take that on the plane. And that's their 'home away from home' items.' 3. Try a hack or two She said: "I think they all work, but for different reasons - and you've just got to pick the right one for your trip. "Rolling your clothes is really good to stop your clothes from getting creases. And if you're trying to get a lot of items into your case, it's a space saver. 'Packing cubes are great - for example, I'm going on holiday with my three kids and we're all using the same suitcase for our clothes. "These handy compartments let you separate your clothes, toiletries and tech into designated cubes, maximising luggage space by keeping your items compressed and neatly stacked. "I love taking them abroad with the family and it means my kids can easily take charge of their own items once we've arrived." 4. Decant beauty products Do you really need to take full-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner with you? The beauty industry has evolved so much, you can now buy shampoo bars or sheets - which are much lighter and smaller. Or, if you'll be popping to the shops when you're abroad, consider buying some items when you arrive. 5. Get organised before you come home Jemma said: 'When you repack on holiday [before coming home], the trick is to separate clean from dirty clothes. 'Also pack it in some form of order - so lights, darks, colours for items that need washing, or if you wash your clothes by person in the household, piles for each person. "Then you can put it straight into the washing machine. Do it straight away, don't leave it." Rail travel in the UK is hardly known for its luxury but while First Class seats come at a huge premium, there are ways to get an upgrade for less. First Class comes with a host of perks from free wifi to complimentary drinks and food as well as extra legroom and reclining seats. It could also include access to First Class lounges at certain stations. 8 Many train companies have a Weekend First offer - providing you with an upgrade to First Class on services running on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. You can't book these in advance and the price varies by company but can cost anywhere between £10 to £45. Ask staff onboard if there is availability and at what price. Another great way to score an upgrade if you're travelling in the week is to download the Seatfrog app. This allows anyone with a standard class train ticket to bid for an upgrade to First Class. Auctions usually open 24hours before your journey and close 30minutes before departure. Give the app the maximum amount you're prepared to spend on the upgrade and Seatfrog will automatically bid for you, raising the bid incrementally until it reaches your maximum bid. If you win, Seatfrog will automatically allocate you the best available seat. FERRY Ferries may not be the most romantic form of travel - outshone by the glitzy cruise ships - but for heading off on the open roads of Europe in your own car just cannot be beaten. But for a little bit of luxury on your channel crossing, I think the Club Lounges on P&O Ferries' ships are definitely worth upgrading to if you're travelling without the kids. 8 8 From £29 you'll get a private lounge with an all-inclusive offering of food, drinks and even Wi-Fi. And you can even enjoy the sea air from a sun-lounger on the private deck. Considering the cost of a hearty lamb shank main in their usual restaurant will set you back at least £17, you don't have to indulge in much more to get the benefit of the lounge back. And the same can be said for someone looking to take a longer sailing with Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Bilbao in Spain. An upgrade to their Commodore Cabins may seem pricey but when you factor in the comfy double bed in a larger cabin complete with window and access to the open deck as well as access to the Club Lounge with a veritable feast of food available for free from dawn till dusk, it can sometimes work out cheaper if you do enjoy a glass or two of wine with your lunch and dinner. Travellers often wonder how to secure an upgrade to first class without paying the premium price. According to a flight attendant, there are several strategies passengers can employ to increase their chances. Firstly, loyalty to an airline is crucial; frequent flyers and those with elite status are more likely to receive upgrades. Additionally, booking directly with the airline rather than through third-party sites can improve your odds, as can being flexible with your travel dates and times. Dressing smartly and arriving early can also make a difference. While airlines generally prioritise upgrades based on status and fare class, a well-dressed passenger who checks in early may catch the staff's attention. It's also beneficial to be polite and friendly to the airline staff, as they have the discretion to upgrade passengers at their own judgement. Lastly, if you're celebrating a special occasion, such as a honeymoon or birthday, it doesn't hurt to mention it. While not guaranteed, some flight attendants might consider this when deciding on upgrades. Overall, while there's no surefire way to get a free upgrade, combining these strategies can certainly improve your chances.
The Sun
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Win a stunning 5 bed detached house + a VW Tiguan or £500,000 cash alternative from just £1.79 with our discount code
SUN readers can win a stunning five-bed detached house + a VW Tiguan or a £500,000 cash alternative from just £1.79 with our discount code this week. We have teamed up with 7days Performance to offer one lucky winner the chance to claim this amazing prize this week. ENTER NOW FROM £1.79 5 5 5 The competition is open now and closes at 8.45pm on Sunday 8th June with the draw available to watch live on Facebook at 9pm. Tickets are normally £1.99 but Sun readers can claim a discounted price of £1.79 when you sign up and use promo code SUN10. Cash Alternative Options 5 Bed Detached House + £30,000 Cash Volkswagen Tiguan R + £470,000 Cash £500,000 Total Cash Alternative 5 Bed Detached House This five-bed, detached family home covers 2238sqft and offers well-proportioned rooms throughout for all your family needs. Set back from the road in a sought-after location in Ashill, Norfolk - the property offers a generous plot with good frontage and a spacious rear garden with field views. This home offers a perfect blend of featured charm and practicality with family living in mind. Enabling new homeowners to enjoy and grow the moment you step across the threshold. With thoughtful design, luxurious features, and a quiet location, this newly built home offers a rare opportunity to enjoy a truly tranquil lifestyle. The furniture in this house has been fully supplied by John Doe and will come included for the winner, which means you can pack your bags and move right in! Open-Plan Kitchen and Dining Room Living Room with Log Burner Master Bedroom with En-suite 2nd Bedroom with En-suite 3 Other Spacious Bedrooms Upstairs 4 Piece Bathroom Underfloor Heating Throughout Downstairs Toilet Utility Room Study / Office Garage Spacious Driveway Volkswagen Tiguan R The Tiguan R is powered by a 316BHP version of VW's current 2.0L turbo petrol engine. With 420NM of torque, 0-62mph can be achieved in just 4.9 seconds. Enjoy the perfect combination of practicality & comfort, whilst still submerging yourself in all of the performance excellence you'd normal expect from VW's 'R' division. 2022 Model Only 12k Miles 2.0L Turbocharged Engine 7-Speed Automatic Gearbox Full Service History Dolphin Grey Paintwork You can enter online, or with a postal entry. Every competition has a limit on the number of entries, and each prize is guaranteed to be won regardless of the number of entries. 7days Performance have competitions almost every day for amazing prizes as well as massive cash jackpots. So far they have given away over £135million with 2,600,000+ Prizes won! ENTER NOW FROM £1.79 5 5
