Twelfth Magpie Premium
  1. Authors
    2. /
  2. Cliff D'Arcy
    3. /

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

Dividend Shares

Why I’m a huge fan of high yields from shares

| Cliff D'Arcy

My investing strategy leans heavily on high yields from shares to generate superior returns. But I don't rely exclusively on…

Read more »

Smartly dressed middle-aged black gentleman working at his desk
Investing Articles

6 dividend shares with bumper cash yields

| Cliff D'Arcy

These six FTSE 100 dividend shares offer cash yields ranging from 7.1% to 8.5% a year. I already own three…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

I bought these 4 US growth stocks for a tech recovery

| Cliff D'Arcy

I'm usually a value investor, but I bought these four US growth stocks for their recovery potential. Each firm is…

Read more »

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

How I’m building a new second income for 2023

| Cliff D'Arcy

I'm looking to build a new second income in 2023 to last me for life. I have plenty of options,…

Read more »

Investing Articles

How I’d aim for a million starting from scratch

| Cliff D'Arcy

If I were starting out again as a young investor, here are four simple steps I'd take to aim for…

Read more »

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

Who would buy ‘dying’ UK stocks? I would!

| Cliff D'Arcy

UK stocks are among the most unloved and unwanted on earth. Yet within the FTSE 100 lie dozens of high-quality,…

Read more »

Photo of a man going through financial problems
Investing Articles

BT shares or Vodafone stock? Which would I buy?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Vodafone and BT shares are both down over 22% in the last year. Also, both have crashed in the past…

Read more »

Young Caucasian man making doubtful face at camera
Investing Articles

After another dive, do I sell my Persimmon shares?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Persimmon shares plunged again on Wednesday, after the housebuilder warned sales could crash by 40% in 2023. Do I sell…

Read more »

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

Is the FTSE about to crash?

| Cliff D'Arcy

After hitting a record high on 16 February, the FTSE 100 index has declined over the past fortnight. Are UK…

Read more »

Young Caucasian woman holding up four fingers
Investing Articles

4 FTSE 250 shares with big dividend yields

| Cliff D'Arcy

These four cheap FTSE 250 shares offer cash yields as high as 7.2% a year. But which of these four…

Read more »

Entrepreneur on the phone.
Investing Articles

Why I see ITV shares as a screaming buy

| Cliff D'Arcy

ITV shares took a beating in 2022, but have rebounded strongly since late September. Despite this comeback, this FTSE 250…

Read more »

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

4 bargain shares I own for powerful passive income

| Cliff D'Arcy

I get almost all of my passive income from investing in shares paying high dividends. Here are four cheap stocks…

Read more »

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 firms are dividend dynamos!

| Cliff D'Arcy

These three FTSE 100 firms should pay out between £5.6bn and £6bn in cash to shareholders in 2023. I own…

Read more »

Young Caucasian girl showing and pointing up with fingers number three against yellow background
Investing Articles

3 reasons UK shares are crazily cheap!

| Cliff D'Arcy

In 2022, the UK's FTSE 100 index was the best performer among global stock indices. Yet I still believe that…

Read more »

Young Caucasian man making doubtful face at camera
Investing Articles

When dividend investing goes badly wrong!

| Cliff D'Arcy

I've been a big fan of dividend investing for several decades. This income-based investment strategy can go very wrong, but…

Read more »

pensive bearded business man sitting on chair looking out of the window
Investing Articles

Which of these bargain bank shares would I buy?

| Cliff D'Arcy

UK bank shares look cheap to me today. These cheap stocks offer high dividend yields, plus recovery potential. I own…

Read more »

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

How to target a £1m pension pot to retire early

| Cliff D'Arcy

By investing every month for decades, one can turn modest sums into big pension pots. Here's one way to build…

Read more »

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

Here’s how my Lloyds shares will pay me 10%+

| Cliff D'Arcy

Lloyds shares dropped 3% this morning, after the bank released its 2022 results. But the stock rebounded, maybe because shareholders…

Read more »

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

3 dirt-cheap shares I own for passive income

| Cliff D'Arcy

In my search for ever-rising passive income, I buy lots of shares for their dividend income. But I particularly like…

Read more »

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

Which of these 4 FTSE mega-caps would I buy?

| Cliff D'Arcy

These FTSE mega-cap all have market valuations exceeding £100bn. But which of these four London whales would be my first…

Read more »

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

Bank shares or savings accounts? I prefer these stocks!

| Cliff D'Arcy

While cash savings rates are only slowly creeping up, these four bank shares pay generous cash dividends to their shareholders.…

Read more »

Entrepreneur on the phone.
Investing Articles

Vodafone shares leap in 2023. Are they still a bargain?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Vodafone shares have soared by more than 20% so far in 2023. But after leaping above £1 last week, is…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Barclays shares look like a real bargain to me

| Cliff D'Arcy

Barclays shares took a beating last Wednesday, after investors took fright at its mixed 2022 results. But this FTSE 100…

Read more »

Fireworks display in the shape of willow at Newcastle, Co. Down , Northern Ireland at Halloween.
Investing Articles

The ITV share price is soaring. But I see higher highs

| Cliff D'Arcy

The ITV share price has surged by 65% since its September lows. But even after a strong start to 2023,…

Read more »

pensive bearded business man sitting on chair looking out of the window
Investing Articles

Hargreaves Lansdown shares look too low to me

| Cliff D'Arcy

Hargreaves Lansdown shares have lost a third of their value in the past 12 months. They've also halved over the…

Read more »

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

The FTSE 100 just hit 8,000. But it’s still cheap!

| Cliff D'Arcy

On Wednesday, the FTSE 100 broke past 8,000 points for the first time. It has now made gains over periods…

Read more »

Young Caucasian girl showing and pointing up with fingers number three against yellow background
Investing Articles

3 FTSE 100 shares paying very high yields

| Cliff D'Arcy

In my hunt for quality companies whose cheap shares offer high yields, I found these three Footsie firms. They offer…

Read more »

Warren Buffett at a Berkshire Hathaway AGM
Investing Articles

I got Warren Buffett to manage my money. Now I’m worried

| Cliff D'Arcy

Warren Buffett is a wildly successful investor, amassing a $110bn fortune and building a $695bn firm. But I have two…

Read more »

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

My 3 best forms of passive income for 2023

| Cliff D'Arcy

Although there are many different ways to earn extra passive income, I like these three best of all right now.…

Read more »

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

This good news could boost Rolls-Royce shares

| Cliff D'Arcy

Rolls-Royce shares are up two-thirds since crashing below 65p in September. They are also up 25% over six months, but…

Read more »

Photo of a man going through financial problems
Investing Articles

Ocado shares are looking lively. Do I buy now?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Ocado shares have been riding a roller coaster over the past six months. And after recent price falls, they've popped…

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.
Investing Articles

Was I dumb to sell my GSK shares?

| Cliff D'Arcy

After having a big holding of GSK shares, we sold out big-time in April 2021. Nearly two years later, should…

Read more »

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

I’d buy cheap shares for a £10,000 second income!

| Cliff D'Arcy

Here's how I'd invest a lump sum in order to generate a second income of an extra £10,000 a year…

Read more »

pensive bearded business man sitting on chair looking out of the window
Investing Articles

My Barclays shares are up 21%. Do I buy more?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Barclays shares have been volatile in 2022-23 and hit a one-year low in October. They have since bounced back strongly,…

Read more »

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

I wish I’d never bought these 2 FTSE 250 shares!

| Cliff D'Arcy

I bought these two FTSE 250 shares for their juicy dividend yields. But earnings are being battered at both companies,…

Read more »

Young mixed-race woman looking out of the window with a look of consternation on her face
Investing Articles

At last, my Lloyds shares are up. But will it last?

| Cliff D'Arcy

Lloyds shares have jumped by almost 40% from their October lows. But after such a strong surge in their price,…

Read more »

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

3 cheap shares I bought for high passive income

| Cliff D'Arcy

My favourite form of passive income is share dividends. But while not all UK companies pay cash dividends, these three…

Read more »

Entrepreneur on the phone.
Investing Articles

2 UK stocks I own for big dividends

| Cliff D'Arcy

When looking for new stocks to buy, I'm often drawn to shares paying high dividends. These two big UK businesses…

Read more »

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

The FTSE 100 is at a record high. So will I keep buying?

| Cliff D'Arcy

The FTSE 100 hit a record high on Friday, beating the previous peak of May 2018. The index looks cheap,…

Read more »

Young Caucasian man making doubtful face at camera
Investing Articles

When cheap shares go badly wrong!

| Cliff D'Arcy

I bought these two cheap shares for their high dividend yields and recovery potential. Sadly, both share prices slumped, leaving…

Read more »