Maike Currie’s book, The Search for Income is written in a very clear and accessible way making it appropriate for the average retail investor but it will also be useful for the experienced professional who simply wants to refresh/update their knowledge.
The book is helpfully divided into three sections, dealing first with a definition of income and inflation, then there is a section covering the various potential sources of income such as cash, equities, property and finally the last section discusses how the “Income Generators” covered in section two might be put together in building and managing an appropriate income portfolio. The last section also touches on areas such as pensions and tax.
I liked this book because Ms Currie has not only covered the more traditional forms and sources of income but she has not been afraid to deal with areas such as ETFs and structured products together with, for example, timber and infrastructure.
Ms Currie’s background in journalism, on Finacial Adviser and more recently for the Investors Chronicle, has served her well in making this book jargon-free while at the same time she has provided some excellent explanations and examples of technical areas where required.
In the current economic environment with interest rates at their lowest level for over 300 years and likely to remain so for a while yet the search for income is an area that many IFAs and their clients are looking at. In that respect this book is full of useful information and guidance and is a great example of the type of book that should, in my opinion, be introduced to the National Curriculum and taught in schools.
Andy Gadd is head of research of Lighthouse Group
