So, with savings so low...

JonnyBravo

crux wrote: »

On of the things I'm trying to get a handle on is doing your own research. What research do people do?

One of the shares I'm looking at is a gold miner/prospector that listed on the AIM yesterday. They have a pretty good web site and the presentations are plausible. I see that JPM just took an 11% stake in them and the directors hold substantial share holdings. I can see that there are other gold mines in the region.

But all the above is quite low grade surface research, really I don't know that much about prospecting for gold!

I'm tempted but seeing as the share price has dropped since the listing I'll will wait and see where the share price levels out at before deciding to buy. In the mean time I'm just trying to learn what research I should be doing.

Read everything you can about the company. Read everything on their website and all you can find on Google. This usually isn't too much for AIM companies!
Then compile some questions and email them to the company. ASK THEM! Too many people are afraid to ask for info before they hand over their cash.
Get involved with other PI's via the boards. The sensible posters are usually more than happy to share stuff they know in exchange for stuff you find out. There is lots of nonsense posted actually on the boards but you can usually find 2 or 3 that know whats going on.
If you can get along to presentations (plenty of miners meetings in London) and actually meet the presenter all the better.

(For those of sensible diverse investing look away now.... I'm balls deep in EMED, but then I know lots about it and am confident enough to say it'll more than double over the next year. I'm with Mr Buffet (I hope it was him and not my local butcher) who suggests knowing 5 companies very very well rather than 50 companies slightly well.)

Graham_Devon

Ha!

Maybe savings accounts are better....

US suing BP.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12005240

Fantastic! My pennies profit most likely to turn into pounds loss. I'm disgusted

Thrugelmir

My personal preference is Investment trusts as management fees tend to be lower than other collective funds. With the demise of BP's dividend, UK equity income generating funds have been badly hit. So look for funds with a European exposure. As plenty of quality companies around Europe offering good yields.

Buying Corporate Bond funds (within an ISA wrapper) is tax efficent. As CB's pay interest gross, not net as with dividends.

All the major investment trust fund groups offer cheap savings schemes for regular savings. If you want something solid with minimal risk. One of the Grand Fathers such as Foreign Colonial, would give you global exposure in both large and small companies. Along with investment in private equity funds and corporate bonds.

www.trustnet.com is a useful site.

I've always invested in cash generative shares. As its proven that dividend income that both rises with inflation and is reinvested. Is the best way of investing in equities. Predicting capital growth and therefore a potential rise in share price into the future is nigh impossible.

chucky

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Ha!

Maybe savings accounts are better....

US suing BP.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12005240

Fantastic! My pennies profit most likely to turn into pounds loss. I'm disgusted

the ADR dropped just under 3% - will see how it finishes tonight before tomorrows start

StevieJ

You wish to follow some relevant threads, forums e.g.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1627083

http://boards.fool.co.uk/paulypilots-pub-share-ideas-51144.aspx?mid=12123918

Graham_Devon

Free dealing for Halifax Sharedealing customers between 12 and 3pm today.

Just a heads up

C_Mababejive

Buy VOG ...................

chucknorris

Generali wrote: »

One piece of advice I was given was keep a spreadsheet of what you bought and why. Don't fool yourself that your an investment genius if you buy a stock for a yield and then 2 years later a bid comes out of the blue and your stock shoots up in price.

Oh and remember, nobody ever went broke taking a profit.

I just sold my non isa Ftse tracker locking in a 15% profit (tax free as it's under my CGT allowance so that's really 25% gross). I was tempted to stay in but as I only bought it because savings rates were so low I thought damn it I'm taking that 25% gross for just over a year. Like you said no one ever went bust taking a profit. I still have plenty in isa's but they are long term savings, this was a short term plan to getter a better savings rate.

I might buy in again if the stock market falls with the view of getting out again if it rises, because savings rates are so bad the opportunity cost is next to nothing.

Graham_Devon

Would anyone be able to really quicly answer this one for me?

I have done searches, but keep coming up with the same things, what dividends are, rather than what I'm looking for.

With dividends, do you have to hold the share for a certain amount of time, to be eligible? I.e. if I buy into Tesco's 1 month before the dividends are announced, would I get those dividends, or would i have had to be been in for a whole quarter / 6 months?

Same goes with selling? If I'm in for 5 months, but take my profit, I assume I lose the dividends that are to be paid a month later?

Malcolm.

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Would anyone be able to really quicly answer this one for me?

I have done searches, but keep coming up with the same things, what dividends are, rather than what I'm looking for.

With dividends, do you have to hold the share for a certain amount of time, to be eligible? I.e. if I buy into Tesco's 1 month before the dividends are announced, would I get those dividends, or would i have had to be been in for a whole quarter / 6 months?

Same goes with selling? If I'm in for 5 months, but take my profit, I assume I lose the dividends that are to be paid a month later?

You need to buy before the shares ex-dividend date to receive the dividend. There's usually a delay between a share going ex-dividend and receiving the monies.

So long as you hold the share across it going ex-dividend, you receive the monies (this is not normally the case for options).