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Only freedom will do

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  • Firegirl
    Firegirl Posts: 1,007 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper
    Good luck with your investments everyone. If you're planning on investing in stocks and shares, brush up on all the terms in the post above. Get a good whole of market IFA. Ask them for discount on their charge. They will do risk analysis to rate your attitude to risk and discuss suitable funds that link in with your risk. Also they'll take into account your age. Generally the older you are the closer you are to needing to use the money and risk would be lower, ie not as much time for your funds to recover from a downwards turn before you need to use them.

    Now, IFAs can be seen as sales people but you get a good one they are worth their weight in gold.

    Good luck everyone.
    Mortgage balance Feb 2015 start of MFW Journey-£245316.06/Aim to be mortgage neutral 2022 — Target for May 2024 14 Year Target Balance MF50 = £89,535 — Mortgage Balance £106, 000—Target for May 2024! £89,535

    Retirement Planning
    Starting Position (Jan 2024) : Pension 1-£165,000/Pension 2-£50,000/Pension 3-£9,500/ISA-£87,000/Total-£311,500
  • edinburgher
    edinburgher Posts: 13,933 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Ask them for discount on their charge

    Based on what?

    From speaking to a relative (IFA in a swish part of the UK), a lot of IFAs will barely get out of bed for the work involved setting up/checking small investments for us regular punters, there's too much allure to the high net worth individuals.

    That's not to say you can't find a decent, local IFA, www.unbiased.co.uk is the website to use

    I *am* biased as a DIY investor, but an IFA is another layer of costs on top of your other costs. To be worth it, they have to add more value than they cost, otherwise it's a waste of time.

    I'd definitely find an IFA if, after doing your own research, you were still totally flummoxed. If, on the other hand, you are avoiding investing because of the effort of learning some new terminology, buy a book and read a few blogs first :)
  • edinburgher
    edinburgher Posts: 13,933 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Brilliant, my colleagues are all fired up with gambling lust after the GN :p

    Busy explaining 'guaranteed return' betting strategies, one of which has a potential outcome of -£30 :rotfl:

    I'd explain where they are going wrong, but then I'd just be an eavesdropper....
  • elantan
    elantan Posts: 21,022 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Ahh Vanguard ... it's doing quite good just now ... I'm happy with my investments anyway :)

    on low fat/ high protein ... I tend to try for medium to high fat and medium protein .. lowish carbs but always of the slow burning variety
  • edinburgher
    edinburgher Posts: 13,933 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Everything's doing well just now El, it's a rising tide scenario. A little too well, I really should buy a chunk of bonds...
  • elantan
    elantan Posts: 21,022 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Aye I was thinking similar myself just had a look at my accounts after reading your diary and ermmm ... it's like the calm before the storm in some senses ... Ive made a tonne recently :)

    not too sure which bonds to go for tbh ... I know if I go govt ( UK) then I am fairly safe ( although I aint too positive about that tbh) but I am thinking something else ... cant quite decide where to go tbh
  • elantan
    elantan Posts: 21,022 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Wonder if there is a kinda tracker Bond fund ... hmmmmm
  • edinburgher
    edinburgher Posts: 13,933 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Wonder if there is a kinda tracker Bond fund ... hmmmmm

    Cross-posting jinx!

    Currently adding into this VANGUARD INV SER GLOBAL BOND IDX HGD GBP ACC, although I still hold far too much of this VANGUARD INV SER UK INV GRADE BD IDX ACC. My investment profile isn't conservative enough to buy gilts etc.
  • elantan
    elantan Posts: 21,022 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    are they not the ones we already have in the 60% and 80% funds ( yep i'm at 70% as well ... we must be similar lol)
  • edinburgher
    edinburgher Posts: 13,933 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    They are, but I'm holding them seperately to offset my 100% equities expensive work pension. I am perfectly happy with my 70% ISA exposure, no plans to change that by diluting with bonds. Even if I did, I'd just buy more 60%.
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