Here in Dubai you can actually buy gold bars from vending machines in the shopping malls!! You can buy anything from a 2.5 gram bar up to a 1 ounce bar. All the prices are kept up to date automatically. If you want anything bigger, you just take a trip to the Gold Souk and ask for what you want. The prices are all very reasonable and they expect you to haggle in the Souk. Now if only I had some spare cash.
they've got them in westfield shopping centre as well now.
Here in Dubai you can actually buy gold bars from vending machines in the shopping malls!! You can buy anything from a 2.5 gram bar up to a 1 ounce bar. All the prices are kept up to date automatically. If you want anything bigger, you just take a trip to the Gold Souk and ask for what you want. The prices are all very reasonable and they expect you to haggle in the Souk. Now if only I had some spare cash.
You can as well in London at West Field, not at all sure on the price.
I have used a little Gold shop in the forecourt of the Savoy a few times to buy smaller sized bars at the London Fixed AM price plus a small % fee of around 1.5%.
They also buy back at the fixed price, again plus a small % fee. You have to have Photo ID to buy.
You can buy them through a bank or brokers (eg Hargreaves Lansdown who are well regarded) and sell them the same way. If after you have bought them the share price rises you can sell them at a profit (less transaction costs.) If the company allows you to reinvest your dividend then your holding can increase quite quickly.
Of course shares can fall in value in which case if you sold you would lose money. Many people choose to invest in a fund which buys shares on behalf of a great many number of people, in a selected number of companies, thus spreading the risk. It is a risk and you shouldn't invest money you can't afford to lose. Also investing is for a longish term (imo not less than 5 years) as you will pay transaction fees up front and that dilutes your investment (although it seems that Hargreaves don't take up front costs - and no I am not a salesman for them nor do I, yet, have any money invested with them but I have been doing research into this area!!)
You can't really buy shares on a whim - you need to do a lot of research - as legaladdick says, you'd be better off buying ISAs or other investment fund. A friend of mine left work and used his savings to make a living buying and selling shares - he is watching the markets all the time and I think he's had one holiday in the last 10 years (when his daughters forced him to). So, not for the feint-hearted!
It's choosing the companies to invest in that's the tricky part. As you don't seem clued up on shares I'm guessing that you don't pay much attention to the financial/business section in the media. Start reading those few pages, look at magazines like Investors Chronicle and others and try and get a grasp for business terminology.
For the last few years the commodity sector has been the best performing globally and there's still some life in it. As Warren Buffet always advocates buy shares in things that people need.
Leroy, if you truly believe a global war is on it's way that will wipe out large chunks of the population, I'd stop investing and start spending if I was you.
If you are interested in buying gold - buy shares in one (or both) Centamin Mining (CEY) an Egyptian gold mining company, and/or Medusa Mining, a Philippines based gold miner. Both have been expanding production rapidly over the last year. If gold stays high (and it will as a hedge against debt laden currencies) then they'll make you money. If the price of gold falls, then that should be offset by an expansion in output.
always thought if i had extra dosh id direct my own porn
Direct and star in. I have been working on a script. Backdoor Smashers 4. It's a play on words and works on multiple levels,so if anyone knows of anyone interested in commissioning a grot-script writer then message me and I can send them a summary. The summary is pretty much the script to be fair.
Rodders is right. I work at a very famous auction house and our wine department are thriving.
We recently auctioned Chris DeBurgh's wine collection which he has invested in for quite a few years. to say he made a slight profit is an understatement.
That's why you use a broker Cray. Woulnt punt all your dough into it but maybe put a bit in as an experiment. Shop and read around for brokers and compare fees, feedback etc.
What sort of returns are you after anyway? ie long term stable or mega bucks on risky stuff?
Robbo - I know nothing about Alterra - they're not even on my radar. As such, I'd never presume to give any advice on them. In general, I have little or nothing to do with renewable energy. It's all a bit 'up in the air' and fashionable for my tastes. There's still plenty of filth to get out of the ground yet, and plenty of cash to be made on companies doing it. If I were interested in alternatives to oil/gas I'd look into next generation nuclear reactors (specifically Thorium Salt). As soon as the Chinese make it commercially viable it has the potential to excoriate the tradtional plutonium/uranium nuclear industry, if not decimate it completely.
Also, by Russian earthmovers, I believe you mean AMC (Amur)? If so, then it would be a calculated risk. The share price will lose over half it's value if the final mining license they are waiting for isn't granted (there's a level of fallback built-in due to compensation payments, but investors would stampeded away from it like it had rabies if the license was denied) but IF - and it's definitely an 'if', not a 'when' - the license is granted it will be a ten bagger within two days. I wouldn't be close to investing money in it that I couldn't afford to lose, but my stake there has been paid for from profits in other shares. Don't put your overdraft on it, put it that way!
You don't need to use a broker. I've never used one in my life. Open an account with one of the online trading services (Interactive Investor is one of the more favoured with beginners, though there are many other alternatives). They'll charge a transaction fee per trade, but it'll be less than a broker would charge.
The most important thing you need to remember is that you WILL make losses on some shares, and that you HAVE to understand the fundamentals if the shares you're interested in. Also, consider whether you are looking to make a short-term profit, or are into a share for the long haul. I trade at about 75/25 in favour of long-term investment, with the 25% moved around relatively fluidly whilst the 75% is in companies I really like the look of long-term.
I see BFR mentioned Medusa above - I've been in them for a while. Fantastic company, excellent resources, great board and a superb relationship with the local community (essential to doing business in the Phillipines). CEY I'm not too sure about - I took a loss on them a few months ago when I got spooked during the middle-east unrest (which I still think hasn't played out yet). Good fundamentals, and I may get back in if I become more confident on the political/religious situation in Egypt.
Not sure about the economics of it all, but get a ropey brass from eastern europe and get her a hair do and maybe a boob job. It could make gold look like US Junk Debt.
Comments
How do you make real money on them as well?
Of course shares can fall in value in which case if you sold you would lose money. Many people choose to invest in a fund which buys shares on behalf of a great many number of people, in a selected number of companies, thus spreading the risk. It is a risk and you shouldn't invest money you can't afford to lose. Also investing is for a longish term (imo not less than 5 years) as you will pay transaction fees up front and that dilutes your investment (although it seems that Hargreaves don't take up front costs - and no I am not a salesman for them nor do I, yet, have any money invested with them but I have been doing research into this area!!)
Not sure why Golfie is advocating ISA's. You need to check out the interest rates on cash ISAs first. Most are barely keeping pace with inflation.
Property is still a good investment if you can find something that is undervalued and needs renovating, adding value is the best route.
Go to www.idealing.com
Set up an account and stick some cash in it.
Buy some shares.
It's that simple...
It's choosing the companies to invest in that's the tricky part. As you don't seem clued up on shares I'm guessing that you don't pay much attention to the financial/business section in the media. Start reading those few pages, look at magazines like Investors Chronicle and others and try and get a grasp for business terminology.
For the last few years the commodity sector has been the best performing globally and there's still some life in it. As Warren Buffet always advocates buy shares in things that people need.
If you are interested in buying gold - buy shares in one (or both) Centamin Mining (CEY) an Egyptian gold mining company, and/or Medusa Mining, a Philippines based gold miner. Both have been expanding production rapidly over the last year. If gold stays high (and it will as a hedge against debt laden currencies) then they'll make you money. If the price of gold falls, then that should be offset by an expansion in output.
As always DYOR - Do Your Own Research.
If i had any extra dosh knocking about i would invest in wine. (Through a broker....I dont mean nip down to oddbins for a bottle of Blue nun ;-) )
Outperformed Gold and growth industry i think from something i read.
We recently auctioned Chris DeBurgh's wine collection which he has invested in for quite a few years. to say he made a slight profit is an understatement.
Obviously an interest in wine is needed though.
That's why you use a broker Cray. Woulnt punt all your dough into it but maybe put a bit in as an experiment. Shop and read around for brokers and compare fees, feedback etc.
What sort of returns are you after anyway? ie long term stable or mega bucks on risky stuff?
Also, by Russian earthmovers, I believe you mean AMC (Amur)? If so, then it would be a calculated risk. The share price will lose over half it's value if the final mining license they are waiting for isn't granted (there's a level of fallback built-in due to compensation payments, but investors would stampeded away from it like it had rabies if the license was denied) but IF - and it's definitely an 'if', not a 'when' - the license is granted it will be a ten bagger within two days. I wouldn't be close to investing money in it that I couldn't afford to lose, but my stake there has been paid for from profits in other shares. Don't put your overdraft on it, put it that way!
The most important thing you need to remember is that you WILL make losses on some shares, and that you HAVE to understand the fundamentals if the shares you're interested in. Also, consider whether you are looking to make a short-term profit, or are into a share for the long haul. I trade at about 75/25 in favour of long-term investment, with the 25% moved around relatively fluidly whilst the 75% is in companies I really like the look of long-term.
I see BFR mentioned Medusa above - I've been in them for a while. Fantastic company, excellent resources, great board and a superb relationship with the local community (essential to doing business in the Phillipines). CEY I'm not too sure about - I took a loss on them a few months ago when I got spooked during the middle-east unrest (which I still think hasn't played out yet). Good fundamentals, and I may get back in if I become more confident on the political/religious situation in Egypt.
Try a National Savings Index Linked Savings Certificate.
You can invest £15k over 5 years with a guaranteed annual RPI (not CPI) price increase + 0.5%.
Whatever inflation does over the next 5 years it will follow it and it's 100% save as it's Government backed.
My advice would be to first invest in a book - looking at Amazon this looks like it covers the bases:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Investing-Shares-Dummies-Isabelle-Kassam/dp/0470516453/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310149482&sr=1-2
Is it a decent read? What sort of money is there to be made say in 5-6 years time?