Rodney Hobson is a very experienced financial journalist who has written for and edited some very grown-up titles indeed.

He has been writing about shares since since, ooo, long before iBall was even an inclination.

He is also the author of Shares Made Simple: a Beginner’s Guide to the Stock Market and that’s what he came to tell us about.

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Ethical, green or Socially Responsible Investing. You can use whatever nomenclature you like and you can view it how you like - sceptically or warm and fuzzy.

But almost nobody has cracked the concept of really making money out of companies who genuinely put something back into the society from which they draw life. Until now.

Rod Schwartz, of Catalyst, once the number one equity analyst in the US, really knows what social businesses are about, and how we make money out of them…

Research: Catalyst

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We’ve made it to 100 folks, and instead of getting a telegram from the Queen we’ve got something much better.

Yes, it’s that old TV tradition, a behind the scenes look at the making of iBall. You, our loyal viewers will love it.

Actually, as is usually in this case it’s a cheap and easy way of getting content up without having to think of anything original.

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Scott Huggins has been in property since he was a teenager. As such we are delighted to have him as iBall’s resident property guru.

Being as he is CEO of Intrepid Investments he’s got to have more than just his finger on the pulse - he’s got to have his wallet on it too.

There's a lot of gloom about the market and no good news either. But surely this means that at some point, there’s a bargain to be had.

Research: Intrepid Investments

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Angela Knight is a pretty formidable individual. An engineer, a former managing director and then as a Conservative MP she served as economic secretary to the Treasury in the Major government.

Losing her Sheffield seat in 1997 she became head of the Association of Private Client Investment Managers (APCIMS) before moving last year to head the British Bankers’ Association.

A baptism of fire you may think. It may not surprise you to learn that she has some strong views. Whether or not you agree with them is a different matter…

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We had to cover a penny share sooner or later, and at under 2p a share Betbrokers is an interesting proposition.

CEO Wayne Lochner is an ex money broker and wants to bring to bookmaking the disciplines of big time City money.

Whether or not his vision of a clearing house for betting will work remains to be seen. But at that price, maybe it’s worth a punt.

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JP Morgan Natural Resources is among the most successful funds on the block.

If you consider something in the region of 500 per cent in the last five years to be successful that is.

There are two main reasons for this. One is the ongoing commodities boom and the other is Ian Henderson.

Research: JP Morgan Natural Resources

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The markets are down, you are feeling depressed and you can’t find anything you can invest in which might mitigate your horror.

You can hedge all you like, but what good will that do you. You might as well say hang it, I’m going to take a risk.

And it doesn’t come much riskier than pre-market finance. Here the CEO of Pre-X Capital Management explains that it isn’t for ‘widows and orphans’.

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Investors have long had a love/hate relationship with Japan - but mostly, in recent years at least, just hate.

It’s a fascinating and alluring place and the temptation to invest in the masters of miniature can be too much to resist.

Simon Somerville, manager of the Jupiter Japan Income Fund, fervently hopes they are right.

Research: Fund search

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Should you find yourself waiting for a bus betting 20p on the outcome of a virtual camel race on your mobile, you’ve found Probability.

You might think this is a pioneering business which has found a new territory hitherto undiscovered by a battered industry.

Or you might think it is stretching the ethics of gaming too far for comfort and safety. Tell you what, let’s ask the CEO…

Research: PBTY.L

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NOTE. Steve says he has had a rummage in his portfolio and found that he owns about £1000 worth of this stock.