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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

Workers at Whiting refinery, US
Dividend Shares

Here’s why 2026 has been bumpy for the BP share price

| Cliff D'Arcy

The BP share price has had a good 2026, rising 24% so far. However, ever since the US attacked Iran…

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Businessman with tablet, waiting at the train station platform
Dividend Shares

After years of pain, is the Diageo share price looking up?

| Cliff D'Arcy

For almost five years, the Diageo share price has delivered nothing but pain to long-suffering shareholders. But I see early…

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Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Dividend Shares

Will this huge deal harm the Vodafone share price?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Vodafone's share price seemed to be in an unstoppable death spiral from 2014 to 2025. But this British telecoms group…

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Bearded man writing on notepad in front of computer
Dividend Shares

Down 36% in 5 years, will the Greggs share price ever recover?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Greggs share price is down almost 19% over one year and 36% over five years. Profits have been hit…

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Asian man looking concerned while studying paperwork at his desk in an office
Dividend Shares

Prediction: this FTSE 250 10% dividend yield is doomed!

| Cliff D'Arcy

For months, I've considered buying this FTSE 250 stock for its near-10% dividend yield. However, with this payout threatened, I've…

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Front view of a young couple walking down terraced Street in Whitley Bay in the north-east of England they are heading into the town centre and deciding which shops to go to they are also holding hands and carrying bags over their shoulders.
Dividend Shares

Anyone can claim a share of this £98bn of passive income!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Anyone with a few pounds to spare each week can grab a share of this near-£100bn of passive income. Cliff…

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A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Dividend Shares

After crashing 29%, Barclays shares are booming again!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Barclays shares started 2026 well, hitting heights not seen since late 2007, but then the Iran war battered stocks. Even…

Read more »

Happy young female stock-picker in a cafe
Dividend Shares

I was right about the Vodafone share price! Next stop 125p?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Vodafone share price has soared since the lows of May 2025. Since racing past £1 in January, the shares…

Read more »

Happy woman commuting on a train and checking her mobile phone while using headphones
Dividend Shares

Here are the secrets behind the FTSE 100’s success!

| Cliff D'Arcy

The FTSE 100 was overlooked, undervalued, and unloved for too many years. But it's made a comeback since 2021. Here's…

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Two white male workmen working on site at an oil rig
Dividend Shares

More oil wobbles as the BP share price dives 7% in a day!

| Cliff D'Arcy

The BP share price has been wildly volatile in 2026, bouncing around with each new move in the US-Iran war.…

Read more »

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

These are the FTSE 100’s 5 biggest passive-income streams!

| Cliff D'Arcy

These five FTSE 100 firms are expected to pay out £30.5bn in cash dividends in 2026. I'm a huge fan…

Read more »

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

Are you secretly paying tax rates of 83%? Find out here!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Do you really know how much you pay in tax on income, fuel, and various goods? Investing wisely can cut…

Read more »

Happy couple showing relief at news
Dividend Shares

I was right about the Lloyds share price! Next stop 125p?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Lloyds share price has had a terrific 12 months, leaping by 49%. But even after plunging from its 2026…

Read more »

UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

Here’s how FTSE 100 dividends produce potent passive income

| Cliff D'Arcy

FTSE 100 stocks are terrific at producing passive income. Footsie dividends could reach £88bn in 2026, including this cheap share…

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Businessman with tablet, waiting at the train station platform
Investing Articles

Stock-market crash: 5 lessons from major market meltdowns

| Cliff D'Arcy

Since I started investing in the 1980s, I've witnessed three major and three minor stock-market crashes. These six collapses taught…

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Two business people sitting at cafe working on new project using laptop. Young businesswoman taking notes and businessman working on laptop computer.
Investing Articles

Happy new tax year! Here’s how ISAs save investors a fortune

| Cliff D'Arcy

Around 15m British savers and investors open new ISAs each tax year. These help us to save many billions of…

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Middle-aged white man pulling an aggrieved face while looking at a screen
Investing Articles

Even saving or investing in an ISA can’t stop this 62% tax rate!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Years of fiddling have made the UK's taxes ridiculously complicated. Some British workers pay income tax of 62% -- and…

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Investing Articles

This massive passive income of £88bn is coming in 2026!

| Cliff D'Arcy

As a huge fan of passive income, I'm claiming a hefty share of this £88bn of 'free money' -- and…

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Modern suburban family houses with car on driveway
Dividend Shares

As stock markets tank, this FTSE 100 share looks cheap to me!

| Cliff D'Arcy

The US-Iran war has caused stock markets to crash worldwide. This FTSE 100 stock has been hit hard, but I'd…

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UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Dividend Shares

1 extraordinary chance to buy this FTSE 100 share?

| Cliff D'Arcy

After the US attacked Iran, the FTSE 100 crashed 11.6% from its 2026 high before bouncing back. However, this major…

Read more »

Petrochemical engineer working at night with digital tablet inside oil and gas refinery plant
Investing Articles

Powerful passive income from the rising oil price

| Cliff D'Arcy

Since the end of February, the oil price has surged by 43%. With oil, gas, and electricity all set to…

Read more »

The flag of the United States of America flying in front of the Capitol building
Investing Articles

Should investors have bought gold or the S&P 500 5 years ago?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Over the past five years, the S&P 500 has returned a tasty 13.6% a year to British investors. But what…

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Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Dividend Shares

Down 23%, are Barclays shares back in the bargain bin?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Barclays shares have plunged by almost a quarter since their February high. However, higher energy prices could boost profits for…

Read more »

Passive income text with pin graph chart on business table
Dividend Shares

1 FTSE 100 share for potent passive income!

| Cliff D'Arcy

I love earning passive income -- money made outside of work. Right now, I'm working on claiming a bigger share…

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

Down over 7% from its 2026 high, is the FTSE 100 set to crash?

| Cliff D'Arcy

After getting close to 11,000, the FTSE 100 has fallen back towards 10,000. This has exposed potential bargains, such as…

Read more »

Young Caucasian man making doubtful face at camera
Dividend Shares

Down 24% in 10 months, Greggs shares are baking bad!

| Cliff D'Arcy

After a turbulent 2025, Greggs shares continue to bounce around this year. But with the stock trading at levels seen…

Read more »

Businessman with tablet, waiting at the train station platform
Investing Articles

After the FTSE 100’s latest slide, I spy bargain shares!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Since the US launched an attack on Iran, the FTSE 100 has dropped by over 5%. But falling share prices…

Read more »

Illustration of flames over a black background
Investing Articles

I asked an AI to build the perfect FTSE 100 portfolio. And then the fight began!

| Cliff D'Arcy

When I asked a leading AI to build an ideal FTSE 100 portfolio, what followed was surreal. Even so, we…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Dividend Shares

Down 39%, this FTSE 100 share could rocket to recovery!

| Cliff D'Arcy

The FTSE 100 has had a great 12 months, returning 28% to British investors and easily beating the US S&P…

Read more »

Midnight is celebrated along the River Thames in London with a spectacular and colourful firework display.
Investing Articles

Superstar shares: the FTSE 100’s biggest winners over 5 years!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Over the past five years, the FTSE 100 has produced a total return of nearly 93%. However, these three super-stocks…

Read more »

Passive income text with pin graph chart on business table
Dividend Shares

3 FTSE 100 shares I own for pumped-up passive income!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Who wouldn't like to grab their share of billions in passive income? I claim mine by owning many dividend dynamos,…

Read more »

Middle-aged white man pulling an aggrieved face while looking at a screen
Dividend Shares

Oops, Greggs shares get rolled and battered again!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Greggs shares had a terrible 2025 and have slumped by 22.4% over the past 12 months. Hedge funds are betting…

Read more »

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

I love FTSE 100 dividend shares, but do I buy this FTSE 250 loser?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Over the past year, the UK's FTSE 100 has thrashed the once-mighty US S&P 500 index. With value investing back…

Read more »

Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Dividend Shares

Which looks better value today, the FTSE 100 or S&P 500?

| Cliff D'Arcy

After strong gains for stock markets in 2023, 2024, and 2025, many shares appear overpriced. In particular, US equities look…

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

3 FTSE 100 super shares I wish I’d bought 5 years ago!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Five years ago, the UK was struggling with Covid-19 face masks and lockdowns. But just imagine if you'd bought these…

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Man thinking about artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Dividend Shares

The Diageo share price leaps after this insider buys big!

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Diageo share price has had a foul four years, crashing by almost three-fifths. But a key insider just bought…

Read more »

Happy woman commuting on a train and checking her mobile phone while using headphones
Dividend Shares

Anyone can claim a share of this £86bn of passive income!

| Cliff D'Arcy

This £86bn stream of passive income is open to anyone with spare cash to invest. Of course, it comes with…

Read more »

Businessman with tablet, waiting at the train station platform
Dividend Shares

The Lloyds share price is now over 100p. So are the shares still cheap?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Lloyds share price has shot up 90% in 12 months. It's also soared 181% in the last five years.…

Read more »

Two business people sitting at cafe working on new project using laptop. Young businesswoman taking notes and businessman working on laptop computer.
Dividend Shares

So the Lloyds share price made it past £1. Big deal. What next?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Believe it or not, the Lloyds share price is now almost double the lows it hit a year ago. But…

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Asian man looking concerned while studying paperwork at his desk in an office
Dividend Shares

Will the Greggs share price jump or slump on 8 January?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The Greggs share price had a rotten 2025, plunging until November and then rebounding. I expect the shares to have…

Read more »