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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

Young black colleagues high-fiving each other at work
Investing Articles

How to turn a £20k ISA into a £750 monthly second income

| Alan Oscroft

It can take a while to build a second income from shares in an ISA. But starting early and staying…

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

The best chance in a decade to buy UK shares for passive income!

| Alan Oscroft

Passive income investors might be wary of purchasing stocks and shares in today's gloom. But we could be heading for…

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Young Woman Drives Car With Dog in Back Seat
Investing Articles

Time to buy after the Aston Martin (AML) share price just jumped?

| Alan Oscroft

The Aston Martin (LON: AML) share price has been climbing in 2023, and just jumped again. Is the long-awaited growth…

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

End of the line for Cineworld shares: what we can learn

| Alan Oscroft

It seems the last few chapters in the Cineworld shares sage are about to be written. It's been painful, but…

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Young female couple boarding their plane at the airport to go on holiday.
Investing Articles

Two things that could soon give the Rolls-Royce share price a boost

| Alan Oscroft

After the aero engine firm delivered on its 2022 promises, the Rolls-Royce share price has been looking good. There could…

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Man putting his card into an ATM machine while his son sits in a stroller beside him.
Investing Articles

How many Lloyds shares would I need to stop work and live on dividends?

| Alan Oscroft

Would I ever put all my money in a single stock, especially if it's in Lloyds shares, which are among…

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Shot of a young Black woman doing some paperwork in a modern office
Investing Articles

Here’s why the Hammerson share price could be set to climb

| Alan Oscroft

The Hammerson share price has collapsed since the start of the pandemic and soaring inflation is hurting. What's the bright…

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

How I’d invest £20k in this FTSE 100 stock, to build a £10k annual income

| Alan Oscroft

What's the best way to lock in a lifelong second income? For me, it's high-dividend FTSE 100 stocks, plus the…

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Investing Articles

Would I invest a £20k ISA allowance in this FTSE 250 stock today?

| Alan Oscroft

It's easy to get hung up on safer blue-chip shares at times like these. But we could be missing some…

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Stacks of coins
Investing Articles

How to make a fortune from penny shares… or how to lose one

| Alan Oscroft

Penny shares have a greater chance of making money than those priced much higher, don't they? Please don't fall for…

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BUY AND HOLD spelled in letters on top of a pile of books. Alongside is a piggy bank in glasses. Buy and hold is a popular long term stock and shares strategy.
Investing Articles

3 reasons to buy National Grid shares right now?

| Alan Oscroft

National Grid shares might not be the cheapest on the UK stock market at the moment. But I think they…

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

UK investor sentiment is storming back. Time to buy shares?

| Alan Oscroft

Poor investor sentiment has kept shares down for years, hit by the pandemic, inflation, and interest rates. But Alan Oscroft…

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Long-term vs short-term investing concept on a staircase
Investing Articles

Turning a £20k Stocks and Shares ISA into a £20k annual income

| Alan Oscroft

By investing regularly over the long term, it can be surprising just how much income we could generate from a…

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

Are Vodafone shares a no-brainer buy for their huge 10% dividend yield?

| Alan Oscroft

I love a juicy dividend yield, and Vodafone shares offer a fat one right now. But will it be paid,…

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Investing Articles

3 reasons to buy GSK shares right now?

| Alan Oscroft

GSK shares are on a fairly modest valuation at the moment, even though City forecasts for profits and dividends are…

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

3 of the best UK stocks to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

Whatever investing strategy we choose, be it growth, income, or value, I think there are some great FTSE stocks to…

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Fans of Warren Buffett taking his photo
Investing Articles

Some tips from Warren Buffett for investing when inflation is high

| Alan Oscroft

Should we do anything different when we invest in times of high inflation? Here are a few of the things…

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

Does the cheap boohoo share price make this the best time to buy ever?

| Alan Oscroft

Don't we just hate it when our shares keep on moving lower and lower? That's exactly what's happened to the…

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

3 FTSE 250 dividend shares to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

There are many dividend shares with high yields today across the whole of the stock market. They're hard to choose…

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Young black colleagues high-fiving each other at work
Investing Articles

The Ocado share price just jumped 25%. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

It's been down in the dumps for ages. But the Ocado share price is soaring on bid rumours. Will it…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

Here’s why Barclays shares might be the FTSE 100’s best buy right now

| Alan Oscroft

The Barclays share price has fallen again, and it puts the bank stock on a very low valuation for 2023.…

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2023 concept with upwards-facing arrows overlaid on a hand with one finger raised, pointing up
Investing Articles

Two things that could send Scottish Mortgage shares climbing in 2023

| Alan Oscroft

Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust shares are still in a slump, even though some US growth stocks have started climbing again…

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a couple embrace in front of their new home
Investing Articles

Berkeley Group shares fall on FY results. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The short-term outlook for Berkeley Group shares might be tough, but I still see a bright long-term future for the…

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Modern suburban family houses with car on driveway
Investing Articles

Are we running out of time to buy cheap housebuilder shares?

| Alan Oscroft

When a sector is down in the dumps, that's often the best time to buy. And the dumps are exactly…

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Businesswoman calculating finances in an office
Investing Articles

How much lower can the BT share price go?

| Alan Oscroft

This century has been devastating for the BT Group share price. But it must bottom out some time and start…

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

Here’s why the Aviva share price might not stay this low much longer

| Alan Oscroft

The Aviva share price has been depressed for years. But with valuations low now, and dividend yields high, are we…

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Airplane sitting on a runway
Investing Articles

Does the low IAG share price make it a no-brainer buy?

| Alan Oscroft

The International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) share price has been creeping up. But I can't help thinking it might still be…

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

With £10 per day, here’s how I’d aim to build passive income for life

| Alan Oscroft

We'd all love some passive income so we can relax and enjoy life, wouldn't we? It might not take a…

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

3 things that would make me buy Rolls-Royce shares today

| Alan Oscroft

For years, I've wanted to buy Rolls-Royce shares, but the time has never been right. Here's what it would take…

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Young black colleagues high-fiving each other at work
Investing Articles

Are Lloyds shares the best buy of 2023?

| Alan Oscroft

Which are the best stocks to buy? I want quality companies at low prices, with long-term prospects. I think Lloyds…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

The 3 best FTSE dividend stocks to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

The outlook for UK dividend stocks looks strong this year, and I rate these among the stock market's most attractive…

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

How I look for the best value stocks in the UK every day

| Alan Oscroft

We all want to buy good value stocks, especially when the stock market is weak. But that can mean different…

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

How I’d target £10,000 in passive income per year

| Alan Oscroft

Ten grand in passive income could make a very nice addition to my retirement years. And many ISA investors achieve…

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Mixed-race female couple enjoying themselves on a walk
Investing Articles

Why I think Rolls-Royce shares can climb even higher in 2023

| Alan Oscroft

Rolls-Royce shares have risen strongly so far this year, as the firm has delivered on its promises. And the new…

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2023 concept with upwards-facing arrows overlaid on a hand with one finger raised, pointing up
Investing Articles

Value or growth, which are the best UK stocks to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

Looking for cheap stocks to buy today? With markets weak, there are surely plenty of growth and value stocks with…

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Close-up of British bank notes
Investing Articles

3 cheap shares with 7%+ dividends to buy right now?

| Alan Oscroft

I see lots of cheap shares on the UK stock market today. My biggest question is how much longer will…

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Man writing 'now' having crossed out 'later', 'tomorrow' and 'next week'
Investing Articles

Just how much lower can Scottish Mortgage shares fall?

| Alan Oscroft

Are Scottish Mortgage shares set to climb again? Or might they have further to fall first? The discount is still…

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

Investing £20k in these dividend stocks could get me £1,550 income a year

| Alan Oscroft

At the moment, I see a lot of UK dividend stocks I'd like to buy for my ISA, to help…

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

Here’s why I think the FTSE 100 could hit a new high in 2023

| Alan Oscroft

FTSE 100 shares have fallen back since breaking the 8,000 barrier earlier in 2023. But we could be on for…

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Smart young brown businesswoman working from home on a laptop
Investing Articles

The Pan African Resources (PAF) share price just crashed 20%. Time to buy?

| Alan Oscroft

Some gold stocks look good value right now. And after a Pan African (LON:PAF) share price fall, might it be…

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