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Savings and Investments thread

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  • Is it wise to transfer, say 10% cash from of your weaker performing funds (with not the best outlook and may have reached growth heights) into a better performing fund??
    I'm looking at topping up BG Positive Change in this way, rather than further cash exposure to the markets. 
  • mendonca said:
    Is it wise to transfer, say 10% cash from of your weaker performing funds (with not the best outlook and may have reached growth heights) into a better performing fund??
    I'm looking at topping up BG Positive Change in this way, rather than further cash exposure to the markets. 
    Well that's exactly what I have been doing, getting out of Baring Germany, which focuses on just one country, and into Jupiter Europe, which of course has a wider spread. Before doing that I carefully compared how the two funds had performed previous 2 years, and then asked myself if there was now any reason to believe that fortunes would reverse and the German fund would outperform the wider European one (which is also a well run fund within its sector). I could not think of one, and so far, that has been the correct decision.

    So I think it works best if you switch between funds with a similar focus but where one fund is clearly doing a better job. The BestInvest Spot the Dog report can give you some tips on such funds, at least in the more popular sectors.
  • my SIPP is about par with what it was this time last year. My 'losses' from February/March of this year of roughly 80k have rallied and I'm now 'only' 40k down.
  • mendonca said:
    Is it wise to transfer, say 10% cash from of your weaker performing funds (with not the best outlook and may have reached growth heights) into a better performing fund??
    I'm looking at topping up BG Positive Change in this way, rather than further cash exposure to the markets. 
    Well that's exactly what I have been doing, getting out of Baring Germany, which focuses on just one country, and into Jupiter Europe, which of course has a wider spread. Before doing that I carefully compared how the two funds had performed previous 2 years, and then asked myself if there was now any reason to believe that fortunes would reverse and the German fund would outperform the wider European one (which is also a well run fund within its sector). I could not think of one, and so far, that has been the correct decision.

    So I think it works best if you switch between funds with a similar focus but where one fund is clearly doing a better job. The BestInvest Spot the Dog report can give you some tips on such funds, at least in the more popular sectors.
    I've been rotating out of some slightly hairy investments and adding to things that I think will do well post virus - tech, biotech, e-commerce, non-cyclicals & infra in terms of sector (e.g. Amazon, MSFT, BIOG, Tritax, GAMA, ROBO, SMT, HICL, HILS, NG, RB).  

    The dilemma is some of the stocks that have been hit hardest have most to rebound, as long as they stay solvent.  e.g. I'm mostly out of banks and oil now but expect there will be a buying opportunity once this glut is over.  Made some good money shorting WTI this last week which recouped some of my losses on BP and Shell.

    Geo wise I'm sticking with India and Asia to benefit from what I expect will be a shift away from China.  Out of W. Europe, sticking with US, UK, SE Asia, India and looking to go back into Japan.
  • With the Government's dash for cash to cover its huge financing requirement (£225 billion of gilts that will be issued over four months), how should this affect our investment pattern over this period? 
  • mendonca said:
    With the Government's dash for cash to cover its huge financing requirement (£225 billion of gilts that will be issued over four months), how should this affect our investment pattern over this period? 
    From what I read yesterday then not a lot. The BOE prints the money & the Government swaps it for gilts which pension funds etc will then buy. Bond yields might be affected, although this is not my area of expertise though.
  • Never invested in my future at all until last year. I got a virgin stakeholder pension with only about 3k plus £250 pm going into it. 
    I also started a new job and joined into their defined contributions pension , me 5% girn 10% and also workplace me 3% firm another %6. So 24% total. I feel im in good place regarding my company pension but not so with virgin. I have 20k savings and want to invest long term. Im 39 years old so need to think of future now. Any tips be good. Think i will find a IFA for advice as im just a pipebender according to me mates. Cheere
  • Also how about a lifetime isa b4 i turn 40?
  • Gasman said:
    Never invested in my future at all until last year. I got a virgin stakeholder pension with only about 3k plus £250 pm going into it. 
    I also started a new job and joined into their defined contributions pension , me 5% girn 10% and also workplace me 3% firm another %6. So 24% total. I feel im in good place regarding my company pension but not so with virgin. I have 20k savings and want to invest long term. Im 39 years old so need to think of future now. Any tips be good. Think i will find a IFA for advice as im just a pipebender according to me mates. Cheere
    Not sure I quite understand your figures. What does "girn 10%" mean.
  • edited April 2020
    As an IFA I should be congratulating you for putting almost 25% of your income into pensions, but not knowing your history I might say its actually too much, as once its gone in you won't be able to get at it until you are at least 57.
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  • Sorry golf. Fat fingers and not checking. My firm has 2 pension . I pay total 8% firm pays 16% in total. 
  • Until last sept i never invested in future other than my house that i now own fully so want to really invest now for later years now mortgage done with.
  • If you already have a mortgage I would suggest you shouldn't have a LISA, because they are not thought to be the best vehicle for pensions ie pensions are better.
  • edited April 2020
    Pat on the back for being mortgage free at 39 @Gasman

    EDIT: will be in touch when my boiler service is due. Cash of course.

    EDIT 2: What are you plans for the banning of gas boilers in new builds from 2025?
  • Cant see it tbh. I think the expence will be to high. I think the future will be electric but 40% of electric is still produced from burning gas. The focus will be in insulation imo. 
  • Gasman said:
    Sorry golf. Fat fingers and not checking. My firm has 2 pension . I pay total 8% firm pays 16% in total. 
    If you have 24% going into a pension I would probably say look at an ISA (or LISA) for any further savings/investment. One thing I would say is to check the investment strategy of your workplace pension. Many use a basic default setting......I had 1 client whose entire contributions were going into cash ! Most schemes should offer a couple of choices at least &  its usually possible to switch between funds. Your risk strategy, and therefore fund choice, will be a lot different to a 60 year old bloke looking to retire in 5 years.
  • Cherrs golfaddick. Yes we have a risk fund choice. I understand that it is auto set and changes the older i get but i can change if i wanted to. I think ( lisa ) could be for me. 
    Need to look into my personal pension with virgin closer tho. Cheers
  • The LISA is in effect just going to be another pension, although very tax efficient, I wouldn't be restricting all your money for another 20 years,  make sure you are investing/saving some for a shorter term.
  • Rob7Lee said:
    The LISA is in effect just going to be another pension, although very tax efficient, I wouldn't be restricting all your money for another 20 years,  make sure you are investing/saving some for a shorter term.

    I would echo this.
    Cash is king, whether in business or in personal life - paper rich and cash poor is not good, and a balance is needed.
    Also people are different - my take has always been to have one eye on the future and one eye firmly in the present. It is of course sensible to ensure sufficient income in retirement but also to live your life now.
  • bobmunro said:
    Rob7Lee said:
    The LISA is in effect just going to be another pension, although very tax efficient, I wouldn't be restricting all your money for another 20 years,  make sure you are investing/saving some for a shorter term.

    I would echo this.
    Cash is king, whether in business or in personal life - paper rich and cash poor is not good, and a balance is needed.
    Also people are different - my take has always been to have one eye on the future and one eye firmly in the present. It is of course sensible to ensure sufficient income in retirement but also to live your life now.
    I echo the last sentence. You need to strike the right balance between putting everything away for your retirement & actually living today. 
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  • My workplace pension is invested in:

    Standard Life Managed Pension Fund4BALANCED II UNIVERSAL

    It does look like you can change this fund on the Standard Life site. Any tips? In my mid 30's. 
  • FTSE100 just shy of 6000 today. 

    Will probably be more ups & downs but hoping that 6000 will soon be the barrier & will get to my prediction of 6500-7000 by August
  • My pension portfolio down just 7% from its January high. Same level as it was less than 12 months ago  
  • My pension portfolio down just 7% from its January high. Same level as it was less than 12 months ago  
    Looks like you know a good financial adviser.
    Ahem. My SIPP is up 1% on this time last year, and down only 4% on Jan high...

    but I should be fair to Golfie and other decent IFAs and acknowledge that my SIPP was assembled by an IFA and there are still funds he selected in my current portfolio, even though we parted ways over four years ago. And also I've been 30-40% in cash more by accident than design in the last year which of course cushioned the fall.
  • On SIPP I'm almost at even now to my previous high, been doing a bit of trading the past week or so (one benefit of working from Home!) and have now dumped all the Gold funds as I had done really well on those.

    Been in and out a couple of times on Tullow oil and did pretty good in 2 days on Lloyds bank. Started to think I might pack up the insurance game and just trade! Holding my nerve on Go Ahead and Legal and General, L&G up double digit % since I bought at the end of last week.....

    My ISA is storming as by accident I sold out before the crash and have been back in for a couple of weeks now, also helped by getting some compensation from Fidelity and HSBC.
  • edited April 2020
    My pension portfolio down just 7% from its January high. Same level as it was less than 12 months ago  
    Looks like you know a good financial adviser.
    Ahem. My SIPP is up 1% on this time last year, and down only 4% on Jan high...

    but I should be fair to Golfie and other decent IFAs and acknowledge that my SIPP was assembled by an IFA and there are still funds he selected in my current portfolio, even though we parted ways over four years ago. And also I've been 30-40% in cash more by accident than design in the last year which of course cushioned the fall.
    There's the rub. Mine is fully invested - about 70% equities & the rest spread between gilts, corporate bonds & commercial property. I will admit that The Argonaut Absolute return fund has been the star of the show, being up 20%+ since March. I went into late last year as a hedge against Brexit not happening as I didnt want to be too heavily weighted in UK equities. Also surprising to see that the 2 US funds are still in positive territory for the past 4 months (albeit only showing gains of between 1% and 2%). The one fund that has really let me down is a UK AIM fund, which is down 26% since the start of the year. But again, it has risen 80% over the past 3 years so i can't really complain. 
  •  Charteris gold & precious metals is a good fund to be in if you want exposure in that area. 
  •  Charteris gold & precious metals is a good fund to be in if you want exposure in that area. 
    Probably wrong but think they are near a peak, 

    My main holding was Ninety One Global Gold, up about 60% since mid March when it had a bot of a dip, but up 72% in a year.
  • Rob7Lee said:
     Charteris gold & precious metals is a good fund to be in if you want exposure in that area. 
    Probably wrong but think they are near a peak, 

    My main holding was Ninety One Global Gold, up about 60% since mid March when it had a bot of a dip, but up 72% in a year.
    I would have to agree with you but the fund manager thinks not. Obviously they would say that as its in their interests for people to buy into their fund, but the reasons for the positivity were compelling. 
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