SIPP Investments - Funds or 'Others'?

kidmugsy

Bosun wrote: »

where I might be able to find safe, consistent returns?

The only such returns will be very low. You probably want returns that are both high rate, and low risk. So do we all, but they don't exist, except conceivably in hindsight.

Meantime your best course is probably to diversify. One possibility is the Harry Browne Permanent Portfolio (25% each of equities, gilts, cash, and gold): there are alternatives, discussed at, for instance, the monevator blog.

dunstonh

but that IMO there was little real growth.

There has been. Not great thanks to the 15 year period including the dot.com crash and credit crunch but there has been real growth for most people.

my understanding is that the FTSE100 is approximately at the same level today as it was around 15years ago?

What about dividends? The FTSE100 does not include income. It would be bad investing to look solely at the the FTSE100 as well.

Also the FTSE250 has grown by less than 5%pa over the last 10 years.

Again, where is your income?

I really don't see that level of growth as particularly impressive, certainly compared to the housing market

Long term, equities have outperformed property but there are short term period when they havent. Property went through a massive boom thanks to easy credit during the last 15 years. Do the same factors that led to that growth exist for the next 15 years? (i.e. easy credit)

Again I would welcome further comments and/or discussion on what other options there may be to invest 'safely' outside of the stock markets please where I might be able to find safe, consistent returns?

No such thing exists. Everything has risks. Property included. Overseas property even more so which would have more risk than a regulated UK domiciled fund (as in regulation. Not assets).