Vanguard Life Strategy

takesyourchances

innovate wrote: »

Me neither, nor any other bank.

If I want advice and/or management of my pension investment, I will go to an IFA. Never ever a bank. Not even sure Halifax are still selling pensions now that they have got rid of their "financial advisors"?

Self-investing into a pension (usually a SIPP) isn't so different from self-investing into a S&S ISA. Just a few different rules and different tax treatment. Once you have cracked your S&S ISA portfolio and your long-term strategy, deciding whether a SIPP is the right investment vehicle for you, DIYing it like your S&S ISA will be a doddle.

Have to agree there Innovate, banks in general I don't listen to now and moved into the S&S ISA as the rates on savings was getting worse and worse and knew I had to do something to at least try to beat them. I am not even sure if Halifax sell pensions either now, another reason I think to get away from them.

I feel much more comfortable with investing now I have started with my VLS in my S&S ISA and have 2 funds going on the side as well and read a lot of information to help understand it more.

I think maybe the SIPP is a better option than the Stakeholder with Halifax, I have put a post on there on an idea for £150 a month in to an SIPP at the moment, I would change if I thought this is a better idea than staying with this Stakeholder plan which looks a bit flat to me in the allocations after starting the S&S ISA.

Gadfium

As a total thread drift, I've just jumped in with my first investment into this fund. I had £900 left over in this years ISA allowance (not £700 as I though in another thread) so I've added in the VLS 80% Acc to my ISA.

Woo, and indeed, Hoo:j

(Watch it crash and burn now that I've joined!)

Carpi09

takesyourchances wrote: »

So in more simple terms, any suggestion thoughts anyone on changing approximate 15K over from a Halifax Stakeholder pension to an SIPP with a simple 2 holding idea maybe. VLS 100 for an all in one larger VLS mixture and add bonds separate, maybe Old Mutual Global Strategic Bond Class A Accumulation.

Per month at the moment £150, age 33 now

Carpi, I agree with your thoughts on Halifax for a pension, I would just want to be careful changing around if it did not make sense on around £150 per month going in at the moment. Are you staying solely with the VLS 80% in your S&S ISA or are you thinking of adding anything else?

Any thoughts on the Halifax Stakeholder v SIPP with VLS100 plus Old Mutual Global Bonds anyone (or other bonds)

Thanks.

I suppose with only £150 a month, it wouldn't make much sense moving to a SIPP because of the fees involved and there are much cheaper options. Maybe when your pot increases, it would be a good idea to transfer then but for the time being, make use of lower fees. I would move away from Halifax though.

My confidence is growing reading news daily, research and these forums so I will probably follow a route similar to yours. I will use the VLS 80 as a core and add some side funds, my problem is whether now I think it's a good time to invest a large lump sum or drip feed it for 13/14. With all the talks of a crash, debt rising, what if QE stops, corrections, graphs showing its nearly time for a Fall. Personally I think graphs with tonnes of lines on thrm are misleading, it's like stocks aren't determined by bad or good news, but by when a line on a graph is reached, a fall is imminent... I think this scares people and forces them to sell. May well be talking jibberish...

My gut instinct tells me we have a few good years to come, there has been so much bad talk recently yet we are still seeing daily rises. I am in this for the long term and I think there are good gains to be had.

I wouldn't want an extra fund that focuses on bonds, I have a bad vibe, I like the look of equities and will look into funds that focus on smaller and upcoming companies.

Carpi09

Gadfium wrote: »

As a total thread drift, I've just jumped in with my first investment into this fund. I had £900 left over in this years ISA allowance (not £700 as I though in another thread) so I've added in the VLS 80% Acc to my ISA.

Woo, and indeed, Hoo:j

(Watch it crash and burn now that I've joined!)

I think we will be fine for this year, 2014 concerns me a little, maybe because of all the talks and videos I have been watching and listening to, must stay away from them...

What other funds do you have, would be interesting to know your allocation? Or is the rest with a cash isa?

Gadfium

Carpi09 wrote: »

I think we will be fine for this year, 2014 concerns me a little, maybe because of all the talks and videos I have been watching and listening to, must stay away from them...

What other funds do you have, would be interesting to know your allocation?

Very little. I have just recently started investing, so have a just under £5K in a MG Strategic Corporate Bond ACC and this new investment in the VLS. Anything else that I have is in cash and shares.

Next year I'll probably add in another 7K of VLS with some Asian emerging markets stuff for a bit of high-risk

Carpi09

Gadfium wrote: »

Very little. I have just recently started investing, so have a just under £5K in a MG Strategic Corporate Bond ACC and this new investment in the VLS. Anything else that I have is in cash and shares.

Next year I'll probably add in another 7K of VLS with some Asian emerging markets stuff for a bit of high-risk

This is my plan to, looks like we are on the same boat!

Gadfium

Good luck with it.
I'm attracted to the VLS as it seems like a "fire and forget" solution. I am not at all knowledgeable about investing, so it seems like a low maintenance option to cover a lot of bases.
I hope it works out over the next decade or so.

takesyourchances

Carpi09 wrote: »

I suppose with only £150 a month, it wouldn't make much sense moving to a SIPP because of the fees involved and there are much cheaper options. Maybe when your pot increases, it would be a good idea to transfer then but for the time being, make use of lower fees. I would move away from Halifax though.

My confidence is growing reading news daily, research and these forums so I will probably follow a route similar to yours. I will use the VLS 80 as a core and add some side funds, my problem is whether now I think it's a good time to invest a large lump sum or drip feed it for 13/14. With all the talks of a crash, debt rising, what if QE stops, corrections, graphs showing its nearly time for a Fall. Personally I think graphs with tonnes of lines on thrm are misleading, it's like stocks aren't determined by bad or good news, but by when a line on a graph is reached, a fall is imminent... I think this scares people and forces them to sell. May well be talking jibberish...

My gut instinct tells me we have a few good years to come, there has been so much bad talk recently yet we are still seeing daily rises. I am in this for the long term and I think there are good gains to be had.

I wouldn't want an extra fund that focuses on bonds, I have a bad vibe, I like the look of equities and will look into funds that focus on smaller and upcoming companies.

I will not rush, there is £150 going into the Stakeholder so it is something going in, I will see how it is looking in April when I get the yearly statement.

I want to increase my medium term cash along with my S&S ISA before locking higher amounts away to min 55, I would also prefer to be away from banks and Halifax with my pension, but maybe at the moment on the amount it still suits to be there until the pot increases and I increase payments.

My confidence has grown as well, it was always my intentions to get into some type of investing like this and I am glad I have and even what I have learnt over the past few months, which is the same for you has been very good and really glad to be started.

Yes I think the VLS as the core is very good, I will not add more bonds at this stage, think that be in later years. There has been a good run happening lately, some people talking of a bubble but who knows it is impossible to say, 2008, 2009 was a rough period so maybe this is pulling back now. I am not going to let bubble talk stop me putting in as the drip feeding will buy at all prices that will come. If it dips, we will be buying cheaper for when the rises come again I think long term keep to the plan and not let speculation put us off.

I also think that the smaller companies are good for growth potential, the Aberdeen Asian Small Cap I took out has been a little bull at the moment, one I expect that can jump about to! but I am glad I took it out, small companies in good parts of Asia I like the investment in. Funds like this, personally at the moment £500 openings and small drips is enough for me on my overall investment. I will fill the holes in I would like more this year.

My VLS has 3K invested now and the Asian Small Cap has 550 and the First State EM has 550. I will put at least another 250 in this month to the VLS and think what to add next month to the drips for them, VLS as core.

Out of my watch list, I think I will add the Standard Life Global Small Cap fund to bring some western small cap focus back as well after my EM and Asian addings. I could see me adding that in the coming months as I want to add more around Asia but want to balance towards the west up a bit more before I do.

I was hoping for some debate on the Aberdeen Japanese Small Cap fund, I might even do a topic for niche funds it looks very interesting to, lower priced high standard small companies a small 500 opening is very tempting on that fund but I think I will balance out the west a bit more first with the Standard Life Global Small Cap before it. Something is telling me to get that cheeky Japanese Small Cap focus

All very interesting.

Carpi09

An interesting read for those debating whether it is a good time to jump into stocks now or later:

http://www.thereformedbroker.com/2013/03/06/wrong-question/

This link was taken from another thread, well worth a read to remind people.

takesyourchances

Gadfium wrote: »

Very little. I have just recently started investing, so have a just under £5K in a MG Strategic Corporate Bond ACC and this new investment in the VLS. Anything else that I have is in cash and shares.

Next year I'll probably add in another 7K of VLS with some Asian emerging markets stuff for a bit of high-risk

Great to hear you have opened the VLS with your remaining allowance this year and intend to increase it for the next tax year, good luck with it all

Keep us posted on here on your side fund ideas, as you can see I have done a lot of thinking on them and like the Asian potential. I think if one region of the world is going to grow in the long term it is Asia, some quality manufacturing there, rising middle class and some excellent regions. Singapore for example as one, one the reasons why I selected the Small Companies fund in Asia.