Still lots to learn...

Cloudydaze

I'm finally getting interested in investing and want to be able to look at both the funds in my pensions & ISAs in one place. I'm trying to find a website or app (well preferably app) where I can do this.

I've got the free Bloomberg app to start with but can't find any of 'my' funds on it but I can find similar funds. For example, I have a Standard Life pension. One of the funds that it's invested in is: SL Invesco Perpetual High Income Pension Fund.

On Bloomberg, there's the Aviva Invesco Perpetual High Income Pension Fund. Is this the same as the SL one just rebranded? Are they physically different funds but with an identical make up or are they different in some way?

And any recommendations for websites/apps for fund tracking?

block10

I use the hargreaves lansdown app. Not sure if you need to be a customer in order to create watchlists?

bigadaj

Trustnet is good, I use the website and you can set up multiple portfolios and watch lists.

The different companies funds which use the same active manager, like iphi, should be the same but there can be variation in Performance as some are mirror funds which just try and replicate the fund but may suffer from issues like discrepancies in holdings and weighting as they are following rather than replicating in real time.

Cloudydaze

Thanks for both suggestions.

I couldn't find all the funds on HL but Trustnet seems to have them all. Really useful. Thanks so much!

VT82

Just out of curiosity, why would you want to keep a close eye on your pension fund's performance? Honest question, no sarcasm intended. But if it's in an appropriate fund, and you are unlikely to move it whether it goes up or down, why keep looking?

I've left my pension in the default option with L&G because it has low charges and has the lifestyling built in, and I maybe look at it twice a year just to get an idea of how big it is for calculating my net worth.

I'm not as up on stocks and shares as a lot of people on here, so maybe there's something I don't get.

IronWolf

If you are comfortable with spreadsheets, its possible to make a google spreadsheet to bring in fund prices and construct your own monitoring solution.

This article shows how to do it with shares, but you can use Google finance to do it with funds too. You just need to go to the funds google finance page and use the long string of letters in brackets after the name in place of the stock ticker.

http://investingsidekick.com/monitor-portfolio-google-docs/

bigadaj

VT82 wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, why would you want to keep a close eye on your pension fund's performance? Honest question, no sarcasm intended. But if it's in an appropriate fund, and you are unlikely to move it whether it goes up or down, why keep looking?

I've left my pension in the default option with L&G because it has low charges and has the lifestyling built in, and I maybe look at it twice a year just to get an idea of how big it is for calculating my net worth.

I'm not as up on stocks and shares as a lot of people on here, so maybe there's something I don't get.

But do you know what is in the default fund? They are often balanced managed options which are fine for many but their life styling may not suit many eg people might be happy to be very heavy in equities particularly at a young age to increase the probability of high growth, though with higher volatility.

It's not a bad idea to check funds regularly though ensuring you don't react to short term volatility.

Life styling can be good but there are draw backs, eg if you are now approaching retirement you may be moving rapidly into bonds, which are now at a far higher risk of capital loss if interest rates do rise.

I've no argument with a passive approach with low charges but there's always an element of active decision making by the investor or manager, and it's good to take responsibility for this by research and education, and action if considered necessary.

Cloudydaze

IronWolf wrote: »

If you are comfortable with spreadsheets, its possible to make a google spreadsheet to bring in fund prices and construct your own monitoring solution.

This article shows how to do it with shares, but you can use Google finance to do it with funds too. You just need to go to the funds google finance page and use the long string of letters in brackets after the name in place of the stock ticker.

http://investingsidekick.com/monitor-portfolio-google-docs/

Thanks - this looks interesting. I love a good spreadsheet so will have a play!

Cloudydaze

VT82 wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, why would you want to keep a close eye on your pension fund's performance? Honest question, no sarcasm intended.

Well, I'm just getting into investing in S&S ISA's and spent ages reading up & deliberating where to put my cash.

It then occurred to me that I already had £100k in six funds which were selected by someone else quite a few years ago but I had absolutely no idea what sort of funds.

I guess I'm trying to educate myself so I can make the best decisions going forward. Checking up daily might seem a bit extreme but I actually find it quite interesting.

Having daily visibility of my pension (and including these funds in my net worth) also helps with paying more money in. Previously it always felt like the money just 'disappeared' into a black hole but now I can still 'see' it, I don't have any problem with chucking bonuses etc in there.