Can Stuart Kirk double his money in eight years?

21 snips

Sep 17, 2024

Stuart Kirk, a seasoned investment columnist at the Financial Times, sets an ambitious goal to grow his £500,000 portfolio to £1 million by 2032. He grapples with investment risks, debating whether to dive into US tech stocks, private equity, gold, or even cryptocurrency. The discussion challenges traditional portfolio strategies, advocating for a higher equity allocation for those in their 50s. They also explore the volatile potential of Chinese stocks, alternative investments, and the distinct investment climates of Europe and the US.

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INSIGHT

Investment Rationale

Stuart Kirk invests in UK stocks because they are cheap, speak his language, and match his liabilities.
He also invests in Japan because he understands the market and finds the stocks cheap.

ANECDOTE

US Equities Exclusion

Kirk receives criticism for excluding US equities from his portfolio.
He justifies this by citing high valuations, expecting a mean reversion.

ADVICE

Buying Gold

Buy gold at general sale auctions, not jewelry auctions, to get it below spot price.
Use a calculator and scales to determine the gold's weight and value.

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How does one double a sizeable portfolio in under a decade? The short answer is by taking more investment risk - and in today’s episode one of the FT’s most experienced investment columnists weighs up the potential risks.

Stuart Kirk has set an ambitious financial goal to hit ahead of his 60th birthday — growing his portfolio from just over £500,000 today to £1mn by 2032.

Will he be persuaded to take a punt on flashy US tech stocks, dabble in alternative investments such as private equity, go for gold, or even gamble with cryptocurrency?

In the edited highlights from the FT Weekend Festival in London, host Claer Barrett invites Stuart to present his portfolio to the FT Money tent, before taking a grilling from inquisitive FT subscribers in the audience.

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

Money Clinic will be back in 2025 with new episodes. If you would like to be a guest on a future episode of Money Clinic, email us at money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on X, Instagram and TikTok.

Want more?

Read Stuart Kirk’s recent Skin in the game columns, When will emerging stocks finally emerge?, The best way to invest in gold, and more

Listen to Claer and Stuart’s viral mini podcast episode, The Five Minute Investor from Money Clinic: What is a PE ratio?

Check out Claer’s column, What’s the chancellor’s next move going to be with my pension?

Listen to more episodes of Money Clinic, such as Investment Masterclass: The hunt for global growth stocks, Investment Masterclass: The case for investing in AI, and more.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Disclaimer: The Money Clinic podcast is a general discussion about financial topics and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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