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Invest before or after the election?

I have some money to invest in Funds which will be within a ISA wrapper but wondering on the collective view whether to drip the money over 6 months starting now or post election?

It's a tricky one at the moment it's nicely offsetting my mortgage so getting an ok rate but it could be working harder invested carefully.

I am very much 50/50 could do half now and half later.

Thoughts? Appreacite it's very crystal ball but that's part of the fun :)
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Comments

  • DiggerUK
    DiggerUK Posts: 4,992 Forumite
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    tto7,
    The election result will make not one jot of difference to your investment.
    It will be down to what you will be investing in.

    As the wise man said "Choose well, and you will prosper Grasshopper"
  • tt07
    tt07 Posts: 98 Forumite
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    Diggeruk - not thought about that way round and your right in the longer term as these investments should be view it's not going to matter to much just be nice not to buy and then have the markets drop and miss a prime buying oppurtunity.
  • Linton
    Linton Posts: 18,368 Forumite
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    tt07 wrote: »
    I have some money to invest in Funds which will be within a ISA wrapper but wondering on the collective view whether to drip the money over 6 months starting now or post election?

    It's a tricky one at the moment it's nicely offsetting my mortgage so getting an ok rate but it could be working harder invested carefully.

    I am very much 50/50 could do half now and half later.

    Thoughts? Appreacite it's very crystal ball but that's part of the fun :)

    What often seems to happen is that when an uncertainty is resolved the market goes up. But then what happens if the result is unclear.

    Suggest 50/50, then with a "glass half full" frame of mind you will be happy which ever way things go.
  • tt07
    tt07 Posts: 98 Forumite
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    That or focus on primarily non-uk funds then it's not going to matter a great deal, still drip it in over the 6 months, now which funds........
  • DiggerUK
    DiggerUK Posts: 4,992 Forumite
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    tt07 wrote: »
    ......in the longer term these investments should be ...
    Investing in gold, ISA's or whatever must be put on a slow flame, or even abandoned till you have cleared debts.
    That includes your biggest debt, the mortgage.
    Kill it off, asap.
  • tt07
    tt07 Posts: 98 Forumite
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    Agree in so far as unsecured debts credit cards and personal loans as they are likely to be expensive. But focusing entirley on the mortgage to the exclusion of anything else, isn't healthy IMHO as you'd potentially loose a heap of potential growth that could out weigh the interest on a mortage, with many things it's about balance and very much based on personal circumstances.

    Certainly the invesments I made early 2009 have more than rewarded me than if I had paid the same amount off my mortgage there is a risk/reward element there too of course :-)
  • Aegis
    Aegis Posts: 5,695 Forumite
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    tt07 wrote: »
    Agree in so far as unsecured debts credit cards and personal loans as they are likely to be expensive. But focusing entirley on the mortgage to the exclusion of anything else, isn't healthy IMHO as you'd potentially loose a heap of potential growth that could out weigh the interest on a mortage, with many things it's about balance and very much based on personal circumstances.

    Certainly the invesments I made early 2009 have more than rewarded me than if I had paid the same amount off my mortgage there is a risk/reward element there too of course :-)
    Absolutely. My investments made in July 2009 are currently sitting on around 40% growth overall. It would probably take me close to 5 years to see a similar return by putting that cash into paying off my mortgage (and that's assuming interest rates rise).

    I assessed my situation and decided that while my mortgage was easily affordable, I would invest to try and pay it off early rather than simply putting money in. If the rate rises significantly and the investment critical yield becomes much more unlikely, then maybe I'll change tactics, but with a target of only 2.5% at the moment, I could beat it with cash, let alone investments.
    I am a Chartered Financial Planner
    Anything I say on the forum is for discussion purposes only and should not be construed as personal financial advice. It is vitally important to do your own research before acting on information gathered from any users on this forum.
  • Jonbvn
    Jonbvn Posts: 5,562 Forumite
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    OP,

    You are thinking too short term IMHO. When you are investing you must look at a longer time frame of at least 5 years if not longer.

    In addition to the above, if your portfolio is well diversified then the election result should not effect the overall return either way. As an example if there is a hung parliament then my UK funds may drop. However, this drop will likely be offset by the growth in my overseas funds.
    In case you hadn't already worked it out - the entire global financial system is predicated on the assumption that you're an idiot:cool:
  • Jonbvn
    Jonbvn Posts: 5,562 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    DiggerUK wrote: »
    Investing in gold, ISA's or whatever must be put on a slow flame, or even abandoned till you have cleared debts.
    That includes your biggest debt, the mortgage.
    Kill it off, asap.

    I do not agree with this at all. Why would I overpay my mortgage with an IR at just over 1% when I can invest in a corp. bond paying 8%+??
    In case you hadn't already worked it out - the entire global financial system is predicated on the assumption that you're an idiot:cool:
  • DiggerUK
    DiggerUK Posts: 4,992 Forumite
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    Jonbvn wrote: »
    .....Why would I overpay my mortgage with an IR at just over 1% when I can invest in a corp. bond paying 8%+??
    Because the bond could go belly up at the drop of a hat, and interest rates could go skyward just as you lose your ability to work.
    The house is your base from which you can survive anything so long as you can hang on to it. It is unmanageable debt that brings people to their knees.
    Everybody's number one priority should be to clear debts. Even in boom days that was good advice, now it is best advice.
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