Three alternative income plays

There has been a notable dearth of income opportunities since the financial crisis. UK inflation (measured by CPI) at last came down to the Bank of England’s (BoE) 2% target in December; however with the base interest rate still at a record low of 0.5%, few deposit accounts are currently offering rates to match inflation and many savers are finding themselves out of pocket in real terms. Recent headlines suggest the UK economic recovery is finally underway but the global economic recovery remains fragile. Bonds, once favoured by income investors, are still offering meagre yields, desp...