Vanguard Life Strategy

gadgetmind

nearlyretired2004 wrote: »

A quick second question ... how long does it take to set up an HL account online and invest in VLS ..... is it minutes or is there a longer process involved?

About a week to get the account set up and get online access.

nearlyretired2004

Ah thanks - so to answer my first question, I would have to be waiting for a sustained slump in the FTSE (and other markets)rather than profit taking over a few days ..... so is the concensus that I should probably start the process now??

Carpi09

nearlyretired2004 wrote: »

Ah thanks - so to answer my first question, I would have to be waiting for a sustained slump in the FTSE (and other markets)rather than profit taking over a few days ..... so is the concensus that I should probably start the process now??

We can't predict the future. The trend could keep going up and up and up, will you then continue to wait for a big crash?

If you aren't confident at the moment, just open it up and drip feed and contribute larger sums when you feel there is real value.

JohnRo

nearlyretired2004 wrote: »

Ah thanks - so to answer my first question, I would have to be waiting for a sustained slump in the FTSE (and other markets)rather than profit taking over a few days ..... so is the concensus that I should probably start the process now??

If you don't and the equity markets keep rising you'll miss out, if you do and the equity markets fall you'll miss out. Unless you know what the future holds there is no right or wrong answer, only hindsight knows and that's always after the fact.

What you need to ask yourself is whether it's money you can afford to invest and whether you think, fundamentally, equities are the right place to store your wealth long term. Are you just after making a fast buck?

As long as private central banks are allowed by their government stooges to keep pumping fake money into the economy, and it's looking unstoppable already to me, the currency devaluation will continue and the price of everything else will keep rising against it, all other things being equal.

So you have to ask yourself, would you rather store your wealth in a rapidly devaluing fiat currency, underwritten by nothing but a worthless central bankers promise, that's being manipulated and exploited by those who control it for profit, or something slightly more tangible, such as a stake in several or a great many companies via collective investments which will fluctuate in value, sometimes wildly, as measured by said currency.

The dilemma is that if the money printing cartel turn the tap off then stock prices will correct because the economy itself is far from booming.

black_taxi_2

many hedge funds were waiting for market to drop since 2010

they have been burnt

Newbie2saving

At the end of 2012 I was waiting to invest another lump sum into VG LS 80% I wrongly tried to time the market, daft I know, but all the talk of the fiscal cliff, USA election, Europe's debt etc, thought I would hold off until Jan / Feb. Wished I had invested earlier! I am now topping up in chunks to try and even any fluctuations.

Good luck.

hugo15

After reading this thread at length over the last week or two I've taken the plunge and opened a S&S Isa with the Vanguard LS 60% Acc fund. Going to drip feed £150 per month in and see how it goes.

guitarman001

There's no difference in cost between drip-feeding and just 'adding whenever' on a Hargreaves S&S ISA, right?

Carpi09

guitarman001 wrote: »

There's no difference in cost between drip-feeding and just 'adding whenever' on a Hargreaves S&S ISA, right?

Correct.

0.24 Levy Fee
£2 PF Fee
AMC 0.32

gterr

OK, a really thick question here:

For holdings outside an ISA, what is the tax treatment of funds like Vanguard LS where the underlying investments include not just equities but corporate bond funds etc.? If the dividends are paid net of 10% tax, is this the full liability for a basic-rate tax payer, or must extra be paid for the bond interest income?