The FTSE

[manchester blue]

If you can afford it, any additional money you can invest should be done through an ISA. It may be an inferior way of long term investment but it has one big advantage over pensions. Pension schemes die when you do whereas your ISA remains within your estate.

Not all do. Research drawdown pensions.

 

[andyhinch]

Not all do. Research drawdown pensions.

I’d talk to @SWP's back as a stater, he’s spending to much time on the golf course and he probably knows his shit, ps Sam 5% on referrals you **** ;-)

 

[Wafty Cranker]

If you can afford it, any additional money you can invest should be done through an ISA. It may be an inferior way of long term investment but it has one big advantage over pensions. Pension schemes die when you do whereas your ISA remains within your estate.

I agree with the saving in ISA. If you’re able to achieve double digit growth then over a period of time the majority of the growth will likely come from the performance rather than your deposits.

Much more flexibility with when accessing the funds and not paying tax on it, so good to grow the pot tax free inside an ISA. The downside obviously being you don’t get the tax relief on contributions that you do with a pension.

SIPPs and drawdown pensions can be past down and can be done so in a tax efficient manner.

 

[SWP's back]

Pension schemes die when you do whereas your ISA remains within your estate.

Quite the opposite. Whilst Defined Benefit (final salary) pensions and annuities die with the member (other than the usual 50% dependents/widows pension), Defined Contribution/Personal Pensions can be passed to whichever beneficiary one chooses.

Also unlike ISA’s, there’s no Inheritance Tax on a pension moving from someone to their kids etc.

Worth noting that no one should ever purchase an annuity these days when they come to retire. Annuity rates are on their arse and flexible drawdown is far more likely to produce a better, sustainable level of retirement income.

 

[GornikDaze]

Quite the opposite. Whilst Defined Benefit (final salary) pensions and annuities die with the member (other than the usual 50% dependents/widows pension), Defined Contribution/Personal Pensions can be passed to whichever beneficiary one chooses.

Also unlike ISA’s, there’s no Inheritance Tax on a pension moving from someone to their kids etc.

Worth noting that no one should ever purchase an annuity these days when they come to retire. Annuity rates are on their arse and flexible drawdown is far more likely to produce a better, sustainable level of retirement income.

I know it’s only a forum but some people should stop spouting complete bollocks! Well corrected - he probably wouldn’t understand the additional arguments of tax reliefs and the potential for pulling out a tax free income, or if you are at the wealthy end of the spectrum the ability to save a boat load of inheritance tax

 

[manchester blue]

Quite the opposite. Whilst Defined Benefit (final salary) pensions and annuities die with the member (other than the usual 50% dependents/widows pension), Defined Contribution/Personal Pensions can be passed to whichever beneficiary one chooses.

Also unlike ISA’s, there’s no Inheritance Tax on a pension moving from someone to their kids etc.

Worth noting that no one should ever purchase an annuity these days when they come to retire. Annuity rates are on their arse and flexible drawdown is far more likely to produce a better, sustainable level of retirement income.

Absolutely. I gained 18% this year on mine. Very diversified. Some bumps along the way, particularly around November, but back to almost a record high this week.

 

[Phil Mitchell Foden]

VTI
XLV
EEM
SCHA
SCHP

Those recommendations are worth what you paid me for them! They’re not sexy, but they move from bottom left to top right over time, and as inflation comes back (it’s actually already here, just not showing up in the numbers yet!), SCHP should keep your “safe” money rising, too!

P.S. The FTSE is poised for (possibly) outsized success in the near term, so why not just grab yourself a cheap FTSE Index?

I've put money into a lot of the ARK favourites like PLTR and volatile disrupters like JMIA, which seem to be a favourite with swing traders. They've been smacked royally recently with a correction in the growth sectors so I'm not sure how I feel about them currently and if I should adjust my strategy to be more cautious.

I stayed cautious for way too long in the craziness over the last 12 months and just when I decided to chuck myself into some volatility it turned out to be the worst possible timing. Not interested in putting money in the blue chips at the moment with the market at all time highs and inflated valuations though so where do you even put it?

 

[ChicagoBlue]

I've put money into a lot of the ARK favourites like PLTR and volatile disrupters like JMIA, which seem to be a favourite with swing traders. They've been smacked royally recently with a correction in the growth sectors so I'm not sure how I feel about them currently and if I should adjust my strategy to be more cautious.

I stayed cautious for way too long in the craziness over the last 12 months and just when I decided to chuck myself into some volatility it turned out to be the worst possible timing. Not interested in putting money in the blue chips at the moment with the market at all time highs and inflated valuations though so where do you even put it?

Timing and individual stocks come with significant risks that can be avoided.

Timing requires being right TWICE, and the inherent risk in individual stocks is obvious.

The biggest thing is to be consistently invested, which can also include holding some cash for pullbacks. Missing out on the biggest days stymied even the best trader, but compounding it with experiencing the big down days before you exit only serves to magnify your long term losses.

If there was a way to beat the market every year, we would all fo it. There isn’t. Plan accordingly.

Personally, I hold about 70-ish% of my equities in broadly diversified global funds, but have the “kicker” of ASPL, AMZN & GOOG to help add large tech growth long term investments to that mix. Of course, they’re also the largest stocks in any broad US stock funds, so it’s a bit of “doubling down” on those particular market drivers.

YMMV.

Chasing the next big thing is great, but you only ever hear about those guys who picked right! The guys who lost their shirts on XYZ don’t advertise the fact!

 

[I'm no cynic but...]

I know it’s only a forum but some people should stop spouting complete bollocks! Well corrected - he probably wouldn’t understand the additional arguments of tax reliefs and the potential for pulling out a tax free income, or if you are at the wealthy end of the spectrum the ability to save a boat load of inheritance tax

I can only go on what happened to my mum when my dad died in 1978 at the age of 60 and still employed at the same firm for 40 years, interrupted only by WW2. He was in the company pension scheme but when he died he hadn't made a will and after waiting several weeks my mum received a cash settlement of just £6000 without any options made available to her. I don't know the background other than what I have just typed but my advice would be for everyone to carefully study their scheme booklet, especially the Q and A section...and DO make a will.

 

[journolud]

My portfolio is taking a battering again after a bit of a recovery from the last one

 

[SWP's back]

My portfolio is taking a battering again after a bit of a recovery from the last one

Watch the tide not the waves mate.

My best advice would always be to check your portfolio’s value every 3-5 years. If everyone did that (assuming they were diversified across 100 plus stocks or in mutual funds/ETF’s) then no one would ever lose money by encashing during a downturn.

 

[journolud]

Watch the tide not the waves mate.

My best advice would always be to check your portfolio’s value every 3-5 years. If everyone did that (assuming they were diversified across 100 plus stocks or in mutual funds/ETF’s) then no one would ever lose money by encashing during a downturn.

Sadly I’m a bit obsessive and check it at least daily, the internet makes that too easy. It’s there for the medium to long term though, barring disaster won’t need to touch it for a few years yet

 

[manchester blue]

USA close flat after a wild day of losses. Better than expected.

 

[The Black Shed]

I'd like to go green/ethical with some stocks. Are there any opportunities left for investing into wind farms and the car battery/solar power markets or has this ship sailed a few years ago?

 

[Wafty Cranker]

A couple of Directors at Ocado have between them bought not far off £40m worth of Ocado shares in the last few days.

 

[manchester blue]

Watch the tide not the waves mate.

My best advice would always be to check your portfolio’s value every 3-5 years. If everyone did that (assuming they were diversified across 100 plus stocks or in mutual funds/ETF’s) then no one would ever lose money by encashing during a downturn.

Well I started with your advice today. After yesterday's performance it's the first day I've not checked for a year. Don't think I will be tomorrow either at this rate. :)

 

[journolud]

Well I started with your advice today. After yesterday's performance it's the first day I've not checked for a year. Don't think I will be tomorrow either at this rate. :)

No peeking, you know it will do you no good!

 

[jacko74]

Finally bit the bullet and decided to invest for the first time in my life after only ever holding cash.

Put a lumpsum in Fundsmith... down 3.5 percent in less than a fortnight, ouch.

Have to keep reminding myself it's all about ''time in the market and not timing the market'' and I fully intend to hold for at least 5 years, just need to stop keep checking it almost daily.

 

[journolud]

Finally bit the bullet and decided to invest for the first time in my life after only ever holding cash.

Put a lumpsum in Fundsmith... down 3.5 percent in less than a fortnight, ouch.

Have to keep reminding myself it's all about ''time in the market and not timing the market'' and I fully intend to hold for at least 5 years, just need to stop keep checking it almost daily.

I check mine almost daily but have got over the sense of shock when it dips knowing that in the longer term it should rise. Significantly down over the past few months but still up around 20 percent since I started investing.

 

[Tommy_Catons_Perm]

Finally bit the bullet and decided to invest for the first time in my life after only ever holding cash.

Put a lumpsum in Fundsmith... down 3.5 percent in less than a fortnight, ouch.

Have to keep reminding myself it's all about ''time in the market and not timing the market'' and I fully intend to hold for at least 5 years, just need to stop keep checking it almost daily.

I prefer to use the concept of pound cost averaging and invest small sums by monthly direct debit. I hardly notice the money leaving my bank account anymore as I'm so used to it.

I've invested in Fundsmith over the last 3 years or so and made a decent return so far ......very roughly 25 per cent. Only check it every 3 or 4 months and usually pleasantly surprised by the increase in value.