Some general pension/savings pointers please

Aylesbury_Duck

Another update, with the intention of getting some advice on our S&S ISAs.

I'm now paying enough of my salary into pension that none of my earnings are in the higher tax bracket. My wife is paying £550 p.m. into her private pension linked to the LGPS. We still have over £100k in cash but it is slowly falling as we're putting £3500 between us into Vanguard S&S ISAs each month. My question is about the VLS funds and strategies of investment. Between us we have

£21k in LS100, adding £2500 each month
£9k in LS80
£12k in LS40, adding £1000 each month.
£2k in LS20

Do you think we are adding amounts to the right funds? Because we have good cash levels behind us we are reasonably relaxed about risk. We are both 46, have no mortgage and no sizeable capital purchases on the horizon. We are soon supporting two children through university but are happy to use some of our cash for that. We don't foresee needing to access the ISA money for many years so have been quite bold with the majority going into LS100, but it's possible that one or both children may need help with housing in say, 7-10 years' time. That's why we're putting some into the LS40 funds. Do you think that's sound reasoning?

atush

unless you plan to retire at 55, i would be looking at VLS60-100.

kidmugsy

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

t it's possible that one or both children may need help with housing in say, 7-10 years' time. That's why we're putting some into the LS40 funds. Do you think that's sound reasoning?

You may choose to take tax-free lump sums from your pensions to gift to your children for house deposits. Not that that alters your point.

I'd be a bit of a hypocrite to discuss equity investment - I've been pessimistic about its prospects for a while. Some gold and some TIPS, that's what I'm considering. Though I accept that it may turn out that almost all financial assets will be correlated in a large enough crash.

"Where would the money go?" people will ask. I'd reply "Where it came from - out of thin air."