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Savings and Investments thread
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Got rid of my Zynex shares when I sold half my USD holdings a few weeks ago. They have spikes like this every so often, as do many smaller companies, but they usually revert to where they were quite quickly.0
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SAGA put their Easy Access up to 2.25% today with the account bonus 2.5% . Still behind Gatehouse Bank at 2.8% although they have currently withdrawn that account as under Review.Bank Of England rate Meeting on Thursday, expect 0.75% uplift to 3%. That should see 1 year bonds break 5%. I will move my Easy Access if that’s available.1
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And Marcus too - up to 2.25% today or 2.5% with ther .25% bonus.RaplhMilne said:SAGA put their Easy Access up to 2.25% today with the account bonus 2.5% . Still behind Gatehouse Bank at 2.8% although they have currently withdrawn that account as under Review.Bank Of England rate Meeting on Thursday, expect 0.75% uplift to 3%. That should see 1 year bonds break 5%. I will move my Easy Access if that’s available.0 -
Fellow mug punters!! I may have hit upon an idea. It may however not survive the scrutiny of those more ITK which is why I am posting it before looking further into it.
This applies to mug punters like me who are aghast at the destruction of their “safe” ballast funds such as Vanguard Life Strategy 20 and with some relish and relief you turn to the rapidly rising number of savings accounts which actually pay interest..whereupon you run into a new problem, when to take advantage of the fixed term offers with the best rates. You can end up with a turkey there too…like this mug stuck untíl March with one paying 2.1%, while my new Santander instant account pays 2.72%…
So. If you already invested in funds in the early 90s, you may recall the cash funds. I had one with Fidelity on their platform which sometimes was showing 5% gains, because at that time bank rates were pretty high. As we entered the long low inflation period, these funds became pointless.Now, I suppose their time has come again. But here’s my question: can they, would they invest in fixed term high interest instruments? If so, that is a way to access those instruments without committing to a timespan- you can buy and sell the fund when you please, like any other.
whaddya’ reckon?0 -
Premium Bond Quandary: I've bought premium bonds regularly over the past 3 years up to the maximum now. I've looked back at my monthly winning and they've never been more than £25 per win and never more than £75 in total. Indeed, 12 of my 27 wins came from £12k of bonds bought back in 2020. So.....................................someone said to me that I should cash in my bonds and buy a single block of £50,000 as their experience is of someone who did this and wins significantly more with a block than the scattered PSBs. Theoretically, it should make no difference as every ticket has a much chance of being drawn as any other and, of course, you lose 1 month of potential wins by cashing in and re-buying.
Thoughts or experiences??0 -
NSI will tell you that each bond has an equal chance of winning. And I am sure that is right.meldrew66 said:Premium Bond Quandary: I've bought premium bonds regularly over the past 3 years up to the maximum now. I've looked back at my monthly winning and they've never been more than £25 per win and never more than £75 in total. Indeed, 12 of my 27 wins came from £12k of bonds bought back in 2020. So.....................................someone said to me that I should cash in my bonds and buy a single block of £50,000 as their experience is of someone who did this and wins significantly more with a block than the scattered PSBs. Theoretically, it should make no difference as every ticket has a much chance of being drawn as any other and, of course, you lose 1 month of potential wins by cashing in and re-buying.
Thoughts or experiences??
But I have read a number of articles saying what you say above - namely that you have a greater chance of winning if you hold your bonds consecutively. So, for example, you have more chance of winning if you hold the maximum holding of £50k in one block rather than 5 blocks of £10k.
Sorry but I haven't got a clue if there is any truth in it!0 -
And it's Draw Day tomorrow !0
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If there is any truth in this I would NSI have set themselves up for everybody suing them for misrepresentation.Fortune 82nd Minute said:
NSI will tell you that each bond has an equal chance of winning. And I am sure that is right.meldrew66 said:Premium Bond Quandary: I've bought premium bonds regularly over the past 3 years up to the maximum now. I've looked back at my monthly winning and they've never been more than £25 per win and never more than £75 in total. Indeed, 12 of my 27 wins came from £12k of bonds bought back in 2020. So.....................................someone said to me that I should cash in my bonds and buy a single block of £50,000 as their experience is of someone who did this and wins significantly more with a block than the scattered PSBs. Theoretically, it should make no difference as every ticket has a much chance of being drawn as any other and, of course, you lose 1 month of potential wins by cashing in and re-buying.
Thoughts or experiences??
But I have read a number of articles saying what you say above - namely that you have a greater chance of winning if you hold your bonds consecutively. So, for example, you have more chance of winning if you hold the maximum holding of £50k in one block rather than 5 blocks of £10k.
Sorry but I haven't got a clue if there is any truth in it!0 -
Getting more depressed about prospects for the market. I see the BoE has now starting reversing quantitive easing. Coupled with rising interest rates and big tax rises promised it seems to me as though a deep recession is being manufactured and everytbody seems happy about it!0
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I think the draw was todayFanny Fanackapan said:And it's Draw Day tomorrow !0 - Sponsored links:
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It was...but their poor systems mean results aren't available until tomorrow...personally think they should run the draw process on last day of the previous month so thay can publsih results actually on the 1st of the month!IdleHans said:
I think the draw was todayFanny Fanackapan said:And it's Draw Day tomorrow !2 -
And I'm not in it although I invested the full amount back on the 5th October. I believe you need to be in a full month before you are "counted". I suppose I could have put my money elsewhere for 3 weeks & then invested yesterday, but what would I have gained on an instant access account for 3 weeks ?IdleHans said:0 -
Royal London had 2 "cash" funds in their Personal Pension range. Both changed their investment mandate earlier this year & changed their name from Deposit and Deposit Plus to Short Term Fixed Rate and now invests in short dated Gilts.PragueAddick said:Fellow mug punters!! I may have hit upon an idea. It may however not survive the scrutiny of those more ITK which is why I am posting it before looking further into it.
This applies to mug punters like me who are aghast at the destruction of their “safe” ballast funds such as Vanguard Life Strategy 20 and with some relish and relief you turn to the rapidly rising number of savings accounts which actually pay interest..whereupon you run into a new problem, when to take advantage of the fixed term offers with the best rates. You can end up with a turkey there too…like this mug stuck untíl March with one paying 2.1%, while my new Santander instant account pays 2.72%…
So. If you already invested in funds in the early 90s, you may recall the cash funds. I had one with Fidelity on their platform which sometimes was showing 5% gains, because at that time bank rates were pretty high. As we entered the long low inflation period, these funds became pointless.Now, I suppose their time has come again. But here’s my question: can they, would they invest in fixed term high interest instruments? If so, that is a way to access those instruments without committing to a timespan- you can buy and sell the fund when you please, like any other.
whaddya’ reckon?
Not sure cash funds are "in vogue" thesedays0 -
2 x £100, 2 x £50 & 2 x £25, best for a while.2
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1 x £25. Another poor month.0
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Nice. Out of interest, are your PSBs all in one block or spread over many different numbers bought over time? As I posted yesterday, mine are dispersed and I’m being told that people win more when their holdings are in single, large blocks.guinnessaddick said:2 x £100, 2 x £50 & 2 x £25, best for a while.0 -
A couple of big blocks & a lot of small blocks.meldrew66 said:
Nice. Out of interest, are your PSBs all in one block or spread over many different numbers bought over time? As I posted yesterday, mine are dispersed and I’m being told that people win more when their holdings are in single, large blocks.guinnessaddick said:2 x £100, 2 x £50 & 2 x £25, best for a while.0 -
£25 for me, £250 for the wife, one daughter nowt (low holding now), other £50.
Interesting prizes this month, my wife had 2x £25, 2x £50 and 1x £100.
Father in law to follow!0 -
Quick update with a couple of months to go;
FTSE100 Level 7,186.16 Name Level Variance % Variance cafc7-6htfc 7202 15.84 0.22% Thread Killer 7166 20.16 0.28% Fortune 82nd Minute 7159 27.16 0.38% PragueAddick 7140 46.16 0.64% Rob7Lee 7234 47.84 0.67% Pedro45 7133 53.16 0.74% thecat 7124 62.16 0.86% HardyAddick 7250 63.84 0.89% wwaddick 7250 63.84 0.89% fat man on a moped 7252 65.84 0.92% Hoof_it_up_to_benty 7265 78.84 1.10% Gary Poole 7074 112.16 1.56% CAFCWest 7299 112.84 1.57% cafcpolo 7303 116.84 1.63% golfaddick 7050 136.16 1.89% Daarrrzzettbum 7323 136.84 1.90% Jamescafc 7325 138.84 1.93% Morboe 7337 150.84 2.10% LargeAddick 7347 160.84 2.24% WishIdStayedInThe Pub 7000 186.16 2.59% CharltonKerry 7375 188.84 2.63% meldrew66 6977 209.16 2.91% bobmunro 7398 211.84 2.95% Covered End 7412 225.84 3.14% Bangkokaddick 7415 228.84 3.18% IdleHans 6950 236.16 3.29% blackpool72 7450 263.84 3.67% TheGhostofTomHovi 7476 289.84 4.03% RalphMilne 7496 309.84 4.31% Lonelynorthernaddick 7500 313.84 4.37% holyjo 7543 356.84 4.97% CAFC, we hate palace 7550 363.84 5.06% StrikerFirmani 7550 363.84 5.06% oohaahmortimer 6789 397.16 5.53% KentAddick 6750 436.16 6.07% Addick Addict 7652 465.84 6.48% guinnessaddick 7654 467.84 6.51% @TelMc32 7777 590.84 8.22% Er_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch 6500 686.16 9.55% No.1 in South London 6475 711.16 9.90% valleynick66 7899 712.84 9.92% MrOneLung 7955 768.84 10.70% 1 -
£25 for me this month.
Every little helps0 - Sponsored links:
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Father in law £175.4
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1 x £100 and 1 x £50 this month. Every little helps
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£75 (3x£25) for me, £25 for Mrs Chaz and £200 for jnr (£100, £50, £25x2).I noticed on the ‘High Value’ winners list that somebody with a £100 holding won £50,000 and another with £300 holding won £100,000. Neither £1m winner had the full £50k holding. So really can’t see having a single £50k block makes any difference.0
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Whether a sequential block of 50,000 or 50,000 randomly distributed amongst the 119 Billion bonds issued - the chances of each individual number being drawn for a prize is exactly the same. Anyone who believes otherwise does not have even a fundamental grasp on statistics.Chaz Hill said:£75 (3x£25) for me, £25 for Mrs Chaz and £200 for jnr (£100, £50, £25x2).I noticed on the ‘High Value’ winners list that somebody with a £100 holding won £50,000 and another with £300 holding won £100,000. Neither £1m winner had the full £50k holding. So really can’t see having a single £50k block makes any difference.7 -
£100 for me, zero for the missus, £125 for my Mum.0
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I was trying to be a bit more diplomatic Bobbobmunro said:
Whether a sequential block of 50,000 or 50,000 randomly distributed amongst the 119 Billion bonds issued - the chances of each individual number being drawn for a prize is exactly the same. Anyone who believes otherwise does not have even a fundamental grasp on statistics.Chaz Hill said:£75 (3x£25) for me, £25 for Mrs Chaz and £200 for jnr (£100, £50, £25x2).I noticed on the ‘High Value’ winners list that somebody with a £100 holding won £50,000 and another with £300 holding won £100,000. Neither £1m winner had the full £50k holding. So really can’t see having a single £50k block makes any difference.
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Indeed, they are not, but I wonder if this is about to change. I had a quick look at the Vanguard LS 20 vs a Fidelity cash fund, and will try to post up the graph later. It is pretty…graphic. But the returns so far this year for a cash fund are not that great, they just haven’t lost punters money, whereas the Vanguard fund has shed 15%. I am surprised that isnt being talked about more in the financial media.golfaddick said:
Royal London had 2 "cash" funds in their Personal Pension range. Both changed their investment mandate earlier this year & changed their name from Deposit and Deposit Plus to Short Term Fixed Rate and now invests in short dated Gilts.PragueAddick said:Fellow mug punters!! I may have hit upon an idea. It may however not survive the scrutiny of those more ITK which is why I am posting it before looking further into it.
This applies to mug punters like me who are aghast at the destruction of their “safe” ballast funds such as Vanguard Life Strategy 20 and with some relish and relief you turn to the rapidly rising number of savings accounts which actually pay interest..whereupon you run into a new problem, when to take advantage of the fixed term offers with the best rates. You can end up with a turkey there too…like this mug stuck untíl March with one paying 2.1%, while my new Santander instant account pays 2.72%…
So. If you already invested in funds in the early 90s, you may recall the cash funds. I had one with Fidelity on their platform which sometimes was showing 5% gains, because at that time bank rates were pretty high. As we entered the long low inflation period, these funds became pointless.Now, I suppose their time has come again. But here’s my question: can they, would they invest in fixed term high interest instruments? If so, that is a way to access those instruments without committing to a timespan- you can buy and sell the fund when you please, like any other.
whaddya’ reckon?
Not sure cash funds are "in vogue" thesedays1 -
The LS20 is simply made up of other Vanguard funds, looking at the mix it's not surprising it has dropped.
https://www.vanguardinvestor.co.uk/investments/vanguard-lifestrategy-20-equity-fund-gbp-gross-accumulation-shares/portfolio-data
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However it is marketed as the safest option, because only 20% is equities, supposedly more risky. And up to this year it worked that way ( I have some 40 and 60 ). I will post up the graph later, and then my question for those who understand bonds/gilts/Treasuries better than I would be, is the graph going to recover, or might it not be better to cash out and stick it in a deposit account fixed at 5% for a year or more?Rob7Lee said:The LS20 is simply made up of other Vanguard funds, looking at the mix it's not surprising it has dropped.
https://www.vanguardinvestor.co.uk/investments/vanguard-lifestrategy-20-equity-fund-gbp-gross-accumulation-shares/portfolio-data1 -
I'm not so sure that's entirely true, the 20/40/60 are all risk level 4 of 7, 80 & 100 and 5 of 7, so the 80 & 100 are only marginally riskier.PragueAddick said:
However it is marketed as the safest option, because only 20% is equities, supposedly more risky. And up to this year it worked that way ( I have some 40 and 60 ). I will post up the graph later, and then my question for those who understand bonds/gilts/Treasuries better than I would be, is the graph going to recover, or might it not be better to cash out and stick it in a deposit account fixed at 5% for a year or more?Rob7Lee said:The LS20 is simply made up of other Vanguard funds, looking at the mix it's not surprising it has dropped.
https://www.vanguardinvestor.co.uk/investments/vanguard-lifestrategy-20-equity-fund-gbp-gross-accumulation-shares/portfolio-data
I guess it all depends on what you are trying to achieve and your overall portfolio, I personally don't have any 20 (or 40), have a bit in 60, a bit in 80 and much more in 100. I do also hold about 5% in bonds/gilts separately so overall about 8% of my portfolio is in that.
You also need to consider the yield as much as the value. Most UK Gov 10 year bonds are paying a yield of over 4% now.0
