Investments - Strategies, Ideas, Options & advice

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Just as well that we had no firm plans to use the 10% of my pension fund that has vanished down the plughole in the last four weeks....

...hold on...we had some plans....? Well thankyou very much...not...

Cash ISAs and Premium Bonds for us for the time being

 

[Doon frae Troon]

My Premium bonds are chuntering along at an average of 3.8 % for the last 4 years. [tax free]
Quite content with that.

 

[PNWokingham]

just watching a podcast and heard that the largest ISA in the UK is now worth £11.6m!! And the max conrtributions over the years to ISA/pep is £310k!!!! Some good gambling there!

 

[PNWokingham]

two of my worst investments are starting to perform - BT and Vodafone - although they need to go a lot further to get back into the black!

 

[Deleted member 35927]

two of my worst investments are starting to perform - BT and Vodafone - although they need to go a lot further to get back into the black!

Im with you on VOD! Nice to see it on the way up

 

[Red devil]

two of my worst investments are starting to perform - BT and Vodafone - although they need to go a lot further to get back into the black!

Would Vodafone merging with Three be the reason in the increase in performance, do you think?

 

[PNWokingham]

Would Vodafone merging with Three be the reason in the increase in performance, do you think?

Not really - all of the benefits etc have been known for ages - the whole sector has been boosted - BT hit £1 a year or more ago, it is now nearly £2. Vodafone low was high 50s and today broke through 80. I think Value stocks in genearl are coming back into favour more due to attractive valuations and much higher dividends. Many people are way over-exposed to the US and the big tech stocks in particular - with the US over 65% of the Global index, which is reflected in Glovbal ETFs that a lot of investors hold by default.

 

[Deleted member 35927]

Well after months of scaremongering from the the usual suspects with regards to the ISA cash limit , it's appears to be staying as is.

Cash Isas: Plans to cut tax-free allowance on hold after backlash

There had been reports in recent weeks that the chancellor was going to cut the £20,000 limit.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Fade and Die]

Well after months of scaremongering from the the usual suspects with regards to the ISA cash limit , it's appears to be staying as is.

Cash Isas: Plans to cut tax-free allowance on hold after backlash

There had been reports in recent weeks that the chancellor was going to cut the £20,000 limit.

www.bbc.co.uk

Not sure what sort of point you think you are scoring? The article clearly says

“Plans for cash Isa changes on hold after backlash“​

The chancellor has done a U turn on her plans after pressure from banks, building societies and consumer campaigners.

And thank goodness, because with our shrinking economy we cannot afford too many more mistakes.

 

[Deleted member 35927]

For months certain sections of the media have been portraying it as some kind of cash grab from our ISAs, when nothing could be further from the truth.

 

[Fade and Die]

For months certain sections of the media have been portraying it as some kind of cash grab from our ISAs, when nothing could be further from the truth.

Pray tell what is “The Truth” (according to Pete?

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Anyone looking for a decent (compared to others) interest rate on a normal savings account, have a look at Spring. Its part of Paragon Bank, but just a normal savings account you run on the app. Currently 4.3 AER and its not an introductory offer.

https://www.spring-savings.co.uk/

 

[RichA]

Anyone looking for a decent (compared to others) interest rate on a normal savings account, have a look at Spring. Its part of Paragon Bank, but just a normal savings account you run on the app. Currently 4.3 AER and its not an introductory offer.

https://www.spring-savings.co.uk/

I use Flagstone, Raisin and Moneybox. Over the last few months several banks have been offering 4.3-4.5% on savings accounts but after a month or so they always get cut to 4ish. It's irritating having to keep shuffling it around; especially when they're notice accounts.
Moneybox have a 4.65% cash ISA at the moment, which is decent.

 

[Mudball]

Well after months of scaremongering from the the usual suspects with regards to the ISA cash limit , it's appears to be staying as is.

Cash Isas: Plans to cut tax-free allowance on hold after backlash

There had been reports in recent weeks that the chancellor was going to cut the £20,000 limit.

www.bbc.co.uk

While i m happy with this, i m not sure why the 20k is important to Chancellor. It cannot be that she wants to direct it into stocks & the market.
My big assumption would be
1) A bulk of those who can afford to put 20k every year, may be more likely to have a strong presence in the stock market. Why would you keep 20k cash without exhausting better ROI options
2) Those who cant afford it, cant hit the 20k limit anyways.

So other than it being done for optics, what is the point..

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I use Flagstone, Raisin and Moneybox. Over the last few months several banks have been offering 4.3-4.5% on savings accounts but after a month or so they always get cut to 4ish. It's irritating having to keep shuffling it around; especially when they're notice accounts.
Moneybox have a 4.65% cash ISA at the moment, which is decent.

Spring isn't a notice account, nor an ISA.
Its just an easy way for many to save without having to do much work.

 

[Deleted member 35927]

Spring isn't a notice account, nor an ISA.
Its just an easy way for many to save without having to do much work.

Chip are pretty good to easy access cash, 212 have a pretty good ISA, but with rate cuts likely cash will be an even worse investment than it already is.

 

[Deleted member 35927]

Everything is almost back to pre tariff day, with some winners doing really well in recent weeks, vod being one.
If you took the opportunity to top up your sipps and isas with some good value funds in that time well done you.

 

[Deleted member 35927]

While i m happy with this, i m not sure why the 20k is important to Chancellor. It cannot be that she wants to direct it into stocks & the market.
My big assumption would be
1) A bulk of those who can afford to put 20k every year, may be more likely to have a strong presence in the stock market. Why would you keep 20k cash without exhausting better ROI options
2) Those who cant afford it, cant hit the 20k limit anyways.

So other than it being done for optics, what is the point..

The overall idea is to try and encourage more people to invest than hold cash.
It's a really good idea, although I don't think chopping the cash limit would have made sense.
But if your long term savings are in cash youre potentially missing out on way better returns and worse than that probably losing buying power on the long term due to inflation and declining rates.

 

[Deleted member 35927]

Sounds like there is going to be a advertising campaign to get people investing as opposed to saving cash.

 

[RichA]

Sounds like there is going to be a advertising campaign to get people investing as opposed to saving cash.

Interesting. I've always been a saver rather than an investor.
When I opened some investment ISAs years ago I found it quite stressful. It's hard to resist the urge to keep checking what they're doing on a daily basis. I guess you're either cut out for it or you aren't. I closed them after a few months.

Ironically, after a few months of regular emails telling me my savings accounts rates were going down, I actually opened a balanced risk GIA yesterday.
I'll see how it does while making a concerted effort to avoid constantly seeing how it's doing.