Big firms are using political connections to keep their hands on pension fund surpluses, says the head of the Financial Services Board.

A handful of listed companies dominate the investment portfolios of local general equity funds.

Investment interest in "frontier" African markets - particularly Nigeria and Kenya - is on the rise.

Property index exchange-traded fund Proptrax is a cheap and easy way to gain exposure to the property market, says an analyst.

Consumers who buy European lottery tickets with their credit cards are in contravention of foreign exchange regulations and may be liable to steep levies.

A properly diversified portfolio needs some exposure to hedge funds, but negative perceptions remain a problem.

Historically returns are high.

Art prices running away.

Investors like something different.

Holders get high and steady income.

Meanwhile, back on the farm - a thriving trade in agri futures.

A Fin24 user looks to an expert for help in improving his credit score by paying off his debt.

A retired Fin24 user is looking at investing in a retirement annuity to provide him with a cash payout of R500 000 to ensure that he lives within his means. An expert responds.

A Fin24 user is looking to start a retirement savings plan as it does not form part of company benefits, he would have to pay out of pocket.

A Fin24 user asks whether saving is better when debt is paid off or not.

A Fin24 user wants to know whether paying off a car loan or credit card will make her credit score 'look better.'

A Fin24 user who was forced into early retirement is struggling to pay credit card debt amounting to over R109 000. An expert responds.

A Fin24 user set to retire in August this year is looking at options on where he can invest his pension payout.

A Fin24 user urgently seeks guidance on how to pay off debt owing to the amount of R82 000. An expert responds with workable solutions.

A Fin24 set to retire this year is looking to invest his R1.2m savings in order to receive a monthly payout.

A landlord asks if his current tenants will still be able to move out at the end of the month as planned and whether his new tenant would be hindered from taking occupation. An attorney responds.

A Fin24 reader looking to invest in a living annuity, was shocked to find that she would have to pay fees of up to R110 000 per annum. She wants to know if there are other options. An investment expert responds.

WELL, I don't know about you but my central heating has already been on twice in September and although I don't need much of an excuse to delve into the big heavy reds, two heating days is my current one.

IN THE winding lanes of Barcelona’s historic Barri Gòtic it’s no surprise to find a little cheese shop tucked amongst the boutiques and antique shops. What is unexpected though is that this shop, Formageria La Seu, the only one on the Iberian peninsula to feature artisanal cheese from all over Catalonia and Spain, is owned and run by a Scots woman – Katherine McLaughlin.

RIESLING is perhaps the most famous, unappreciated, abused and generally misunderstood wine of all time and it’s probably also the one most of us cut our teeth on many years ago.

OK, most of us will never be able to enjoy the first growths from Bordeaux, but you don't have to spend a grand on a bottle to realise that when it comes to cabernet and merlot blends, Bordeaux is still the region to beat.

Quiet, crisp and clear winter days are perfect for exploring Scotland’s most spectacular coast and countryside scenery – especially with the promise of a wholesome, heart-warming meal and a cosy room after a day exploring. While Munro-bagging at this time of year might be a little too ambitious, Scotland has no shortage of shorter and more gentle winter walks, all within a stone’s throw of some of Scotland’s best foodie destinations. Here is a selection of Scotland’s top 10 winter walk

GO ON, be honest, when was the last time you picked a bottle of Australian cabernet off the shelf? Cab merlot or cab shiraz perhaps but cabernet on its own seems to have fallen out of favour with the public these days but it’s such a shame as it really is the undisputed King of Australian wines.

A NEW bar and fine dining restaurant offering dishes with “Glasgow at its very heart” is to open in a historic City Centre building.

Nearly four years on from the day when Ellie Harrison's chips caused a national outcry, the artist is back to tell us more about why she did it – and how she survived that year in Glasgow in the media firing-line

"I'M hungry."

IF there's one thing that online news proves without any shadow of uncertainty, it's that there's no knowing what will capture the popular imagination.

IT is a truth universally acknowledged – at least by its advocates – that all things inexorably advance the cause of independence.

The Importance of Being Earnest

Disney, one of the most famous names in film, has launched a new TV service, called Disney Plus. Coming to a living room near you.

Need a virtual assistant that can work between your PC and mobile device? Cortana can handle your questions and requests on iOS, Android, and Windows 10.

Your iPhone may be well protected against malware, but it can't protect your data as it travels the internet. Installing one of the best iPhone VPN apps can keep your information safe and private, even when you're connected to the web through an insecure Wi-Fi hotspot.

With more than 2 million titles available in the App Store, it's tough choosing which ones to install. We help you decide with our top app picks in a dozen key categories.

MY heart was beating as if it were trying to escape my body. My mind was racing and hands shaking. All from what would usually be the comfort of the sofa. Was I ready? Ready as I’ll ever be, I told myself. I was standing at the greatest watershed moment of my life and was acutely aware of it. I was about to come out publicly as gay to more or less everyone I knew, all at once, through a post on Facebook.

Tristan Hugh-Jones, oyster farmer

Andy Lowndes, music detective for dementia charity Playlist for Life

Nirmal Purja, mountaineer

Sandra Brydon, director of Home Group Scotland

Not since the Second World War has attention been so firmly focused on food. Before coronavirus we took a steady availability for granted. Now after coronavirus we’re wondering just how secure our food chain really is.

THOSE last times.... we all of us have memories our minds keep running back to in these social distancing times. The last time we gathered, last time we swam together, the last drive to a beach. One of mine is the post-swim hot tub at the Scottish Winter Swimming Championships in the chilly waters of Loch Tay – around 30 of us crammed in there, many in fancy dress, some in swim make-up, a great, crowded bath of joy.

RIGHT now, Shahbaz Majeed should be heading to Glencoe. Or flying over central Scotland. Or making his way to Harris which he has been trying to get back to since his first visit in 2018. Or maybe visiting some other part of Scotland so he can capture it in a photograph. Instead, he is at home in Dundee (where he is web development manager at the University of Dundee), “climbing the walls,” and looking forward to life after lockdown.

IT'S the day after May Day and perhaps you’re feeling you’ve missed out on a good, sweaty Scottish pagan spring ritual of the type done particularly well at Beltane on Edinburgh’s Calton Hill, though not in a year of quarantine. Never fear. There are still ways of channelling the fertility rites of spring, the chief one being, of course, the folk horror classic The Wicker Man. Put on a goat mask, get in touch with your inner Wicker – or even Wicca – and revel in a bit of self-isolation

IT’S not everyone who’s given the chance to design their own tartan so when the opportunity arose, Vixy Rae didn’t need to give it a second thought.

Alan Scott, creative director at Johnstons of Elgin