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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

Should I put £20,000 in these FTSE 250 stocks for a £4,992 annual second income?

| Alan Oscroft

Why do most investors go for the FTSE 100 when they look to build a second income? I might move…

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Investing Articles

I’d put £20,000 in these 3 stocks to aim for a £4,526 annual passive income

| Alan Oscroft

Looking for long-term passive income? I am, and I intend to use as much of my annual Stocks and Shares…

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Investing Articles

3 dirt cheap UK shares I’d buy for my SIPP in 2023

| Alan Oscroft

Whether I buy them in an ISA or a SIPP, I look for the same value UK shares. Right now,…

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Investing Articles

Should I buy this hot FTSE 250 stock, up 30% in 3 weeks?

| Alan Oscroft

Sometimes the biggest mover in the FTSE 250 just isn't a company I expect to see there. But this one…

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Investing Articles

Does an 8.5% dividend yield make Taylor Wimpey shares the FTSE 100’s best buy?

| Alan Oscroft

There might still be a few bumps in the road ahead, but here's why Taylor Wimpey shares look like a…

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Investor looking at stock graph on a tablet with their finger hovering over the Buy button
Investing Articles

As Mike Ashley keeps buying, will the boohoo share price finally climb?

| Alan Oscroft

If the big buyers are on the trail, doesn't that mean the boohoo share price is too low and must…

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Investor looking at stock graph on a tablet with their finger hovering over the Buy button
Investing Articles

Here’s why I’ll never give up on my Lloyds shares

| Alan Oscroft

Lloyds shares have been a poor performer in my ISA for years now. Is it finally time for me to…

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Fans of Warren Buffett taking his photo
Investing Articles

How investors could aim for a £20k second income using the Warren Buffett method

| Alan Oscroft

Warren Buffett is perhaps the most successful stocks and shares investor ever. Who better to turn to to learn how…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

Which will be worth more by 2030: Tesla or Tesco shares?

| Alan Oscroft

Tesla and Tesco shares have had a very different ride in the past few years. And they need to be…

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Three signposts pointing in different directions, with 'Buy' 'Sell' and 'Hold' on
Investing Articles

Which will be worth more by 2030: BP or BT shares?

| Alan Oscroft

These two FTSE 100 stocks face potential pitfalls between now and the end of the decade. So would I go…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

Does the cheap Aviva share price make it today’s best FTSE 100 buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Aviva share price slumped in early 2023, and there's no sign of it coming back yet. Could this be…

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Young mixed-race woman jumping for joy in a park with confetti falling around her
Investing Articles

Can the RC365 share price soar past 200p?

| Alan Oscroft

The RC365 share price chart could have us laughing or crying, depending on whether we bought. Are there happy smiles…

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happy senior couple using a laptop in their living room to look at their financial budgets
Investing Articles

How I’d find the best passive income stocks to buy today with £20k

| Alan Oscroft

I want to earn some extra income to top up my State Pension. To do that, I need to find…

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Young mixed-race woman jumping for joy in a park with confetti falling around her
Investing Articles

Can I turn an empty Stocks and Shares ISA into a million pounds?

| Alan Oscroft

How quickly could we build up a million pounds in a Stocks and Shares ISA? It might come a lot…

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Three signposts pointing in different directions, with 'Buy' 'Sell' and 'Hold' on
Investing Articles

Are Rolls-Royce shares the best buy for the next FTSE 100 surge?

| Alan Oscroft

I think many top Footsie shares are undervalued. But after this year's big gains, might Rolls-Royce shares still be among…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

How I’d aim to turn an empty ISA into a second income of £25k per year!

| Alan Oscroft

We all invest in the hope of some day drawing down a comfortable second income, don't we? I wish I'd…

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

5 top passive income ideas: here’s what the experts say

| Alan Oscroft

Even if we stick to the stock market to build up a passive income, there are still a number of…

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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

I just don’t understand why Lloyds shares are so cheap

| Alan Oscroft

Why have Lloyds shares been cheap for what seems like half a lifetime? After careful analysis, I can only conclude...…

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Investing Articles

Here’s why I think the Direct Line share price could soar by 2025

| Alan Oscroft

The Direct Line share price just got a boost from some good news. I think we might be seeing the…

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Three signposts pointing in different directions, with 'Buy' 'Sell' and 'Hold' on
Investing Articles

3 FTSE 100 shares under 200p to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

Where should we look for cheap FTSE 100 shares? We could always start at the bottom, among the lowest share…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

I’d put £20,000 in these 3 stocks, for a £4,435 annual second income

| Alan Oscroft

I reckon investors seeking a second income from UK shares have one of the best opportunities that we've seen in…

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Concept of two young professional men looking at a screen in a technological data centre
Investing Articles

Just how high could the Nvidia share price go?

| Alan Oscroft

The Nvidia share price has trebled in just a year, when tech stocks in general have looked a bit weak.…

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Investing Articles

M&S shares are back in the FTSE 100! Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Here's why this could be the best time to buy Marks and Spencer (M&S) shares in the past 20 years,…

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

How to build passive income with just £250 a month in 2023

| Alan Oscroft

Even small monthly sums can build into a healthy passive income stream from top FTSE 100 dividend stocks. Many of…

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

Here’s why Rolls-Royce shares could break 300p by the end of 2023

| Alan Oscroft

I'm looking at three key things that I think could help push Rolls-Royce shares as high as 300p and beyond…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

The Prudential share price rises on H1 results. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The Prudential share price puts it on a high valuation for the sector. But the ambitious chase for Asian growth…

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Investor looking at stock graph on a tablet with their finger hovering over the Buy button
Investing Articles

Here’s why this could be one of the best UK growth stocks to buy right now

| Alan Oscroft

With so many big dividend stocks looking cheap, it's easy to overlook our top growth stocks. This one just posted…

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Group of young friends toasting each other with beers in a pub
Investing Articles

Could Lloyds shares double my money in two years?

| Alan Oscroft

Forecasts look very good for Lloyds shares right now, but the price has still been falling. And I think the…

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Abstract bull climbing indicators on stock chart
Investing Articles

2 superb FTSE 250 stocks to consider before the next bull market!

| Alan Oscroft

In a bull market, the smaller and often more growth-focused stocks of the FTSE 250 tend to outperform the bigger…

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

£10k invested in BT shares in the crash would be worth this much now

| Alan Oscroft

BT shares have had a tough five years, after the dividends had to be pared back. But today's valuation just…

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

£10k invested in FTSE 100 shares in the crash would be worth this much now

| Alan Oscroft

Buying FTSE 100 shares after the stock market crash looks like it was a good idea. Here's why it could…

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

Can the boohoo share price end the year on a high note?

| Alan Oscroft

The boohoo share price fall has made a lot of investors poorer, including me. But it has to turn around…

Read more »

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

This small-cap UK stock just crashed 20%. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Looking for a UK stock with big growth potential but going through a downturn due to stock market weakness? This…

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Concept of two young professional men looking at a screen in a technological data centre
Investing Articles

£10k invested in easyJet shares in the crash would be worth this much now

| Alan Oscroft

In a stock market crash, just buy any fallen stock and wait for the recovery, right? Hmmm. Welcome to the…

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Engineer Project Manager Talks With Scientist working on Computer
Investing Articles

Is there still time to buy Scottish Mortgage shares before it’s too late?

| Alan Oscroft

US tech stocks have been regaining lost ground. But Scottish Mortgage shares remain stubbornly low. That can't go on forever,…

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White female supervisor working at an oil rig
Investing Articles

Should I buy Harbour Energy shares for their 7.8% dividend forecast?

| Alan Oscroft

Harbour Energy shares offer a high dividend forecast, and the company is past the high debts of its early days.…

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Group of young friends toasting each other with beers in a pub
Investing Articles

How to try and turn a £20k ISA into a £16,400 annual second income

| Alan Oscroft

If I were starting today and looking to build a nice second income, here's how I'd go about it using…

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Middle-aged black male working at home desk
Investing Articles

3 Warren Buffett quotes every Stocks and Shares ISA investor should know

| Alan Oscroft

In need of guidance for investing in a Stocks and Shares ISA? Here's some from an ace investor who's not…

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happy senior couple using a laptop in their living room to look at their financial budgets
Investing Articles

After a week of FTSE 100 falls, is it time to buy the dip?

| Alan Oscroft

We don't often get a solid week of stock market falls. But if I think the Footsie is cheap, I…

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Young mixed-race woman jumping for joy in a park with confetti falling around her
Investing Articles

2 top penny stocks I’d buy to hold until 2033!

| Alan Oscroft

I see plenty of attractive penny stocks that I'd buy today. But to commit to holding for at least a…

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