Liquidate entire portfolio until virus is over?

Stargunner

So glad that I didn’t take any notice of all those advising to hold equities a couple of weeks ago when I decided to sell mine and invested the money in gilts, bonds and gold. The bonds and gilts have done really well for me with my Vsnguard gilts up around 8% in 2 weeks. They are up 3.95% today alone. Good luck to all you holders and I hope the equities don’t fall too much further.

ChopperST

Stargunner said:

So glad that I didn’t take any notice of all those advising to hold equities a couple of weeks ago when I decided to sell mine and invested the money in gilts, bonds and gold. The bonds and gilts have done really well for me with my Vsnguard gilts up around 8% in 2 weeks. They are up 3.95% today alone. Good luck to all you holders and I hope the equities don’t fall too much further.

There's no advice on this forum just random strangers voicing their opinion.  Everyone's situation is unique.  If you need your funds in the next 5 years then you shouldn't be heavy in equities and you should have already held a large slug of high quality bonds or defensive assets.  If you are investing for retirement in 20-30 years then who cares whats happened today?  £ / $ cost averaging with a balanced portfolio is everyone's friend.

Huggy_Bear

I've been reading bits of this thread and keeping an eye on the investments I have. My tactics recently have been to sell some shares I've had for sometime which have done very well for me. They recovered after the dip last week and I'm poised to sell a chunk if they go up again. I've decided that I want around 30% of my portfolio in funds and the plan I "had" was to transfer a large chunk from an invesco fund (which has been an historic investment) to VLS 40% - my question is do I just bite the bullet and transfer now while everything is low (will it get lower) or do I cash some in and keep the cash in fixed term along with my recent share sales.

I'm not an experienced investor and I'm not willing to take high risks as I'm not earning f/t at the moment.

I have an emergency fund of cash in instant savings (Marcus)

Many thanks

DairyQueen

So, are the market timers ready to pounce yet?

Just interested as I'm in the 'do nothing' camp. Approaching retirement is a very different place from those with decades of accumulation ahead. So far, the guidance received on this forum is ensuring I sleep soundly. I am watching the march of the bears without hyperventilating this morning thanks to the wrapped cash that I have been stockpiling since last year. The drawdown stash will be quietly devaluing for up to five years but it's a soft cushion from which to watch the market shenanigans.

On the last rebalance I um-ed and aw-ed about substantially increasing allocation to bonds but decided just to marginally increase. Portfolio is mostly split between equities and cash. No regrets so far and no temptation (yet) to use any of the cash to impulse buy as markets fall.

Good luck to those who use charts, algorithms, finger-in-the-air, whatever, to time the bottom. We were reasonably high equities prior to the drop and that allocation will naturally increase as we withdraw the cash. Next rebalance isn't due until early 2020.

I am very grateful that I found this forum three years ago. Without the help of the experienced investors and IFAs here we would be in a different position. I am too risk tolerant to have taken the steps necessary to position our portfolio for retirement without their guidance.

I will use these next few months/years to test my pre-crash (heading that way) allocations. It's a continuous learning curve.

tropic_of_Username004

ProDave said:

So FTSE100 now down a total of about 20% from it's peak.

Do the holders

— Let me stop you right there. The mistake is: holding the FTSE 100 index, in the first place

Thrugelmir

tropic_of_Username004 said:

ProDave said:

So FTSE100 now down a total of about 20% from it's peak.

Do the holders

— Let me stop you right there. The mistake is: holding the FTSE 100 index, in the first place

Why are people so negative about all UK companies? We have some great businessess. 

LobsterMemory

ProDave said:

So FTSE100 now down a total of about 20% from it's peak.

Do the holders still say that was the right thing? 
Yes
 Too late to sell now but surely they must agree it would have been a smart move 2 weeks ago?
1/ I think it's a bit pointless to look back with hindsight
2/ It will only be seen whether it was a smart move after making the re-investing decision

  

tropic_of_Username004

Thrugelmir said:

Why are people so negative about all UK companies? We have some great businessess. 

I'm not negative about all UK companies at all, or even about all companies in the FTSE 100. I'm negative about many of the biggest companies with significant weights in the FTSE 100, and (more importantly) about the (lack of) balance of that index.

I'm more positive about the FTSE 250.

StevieJ

Thrugelmir said:

tropic_of_Username004 said:

ProDave said:

So FTSE100 now down a total of about 20% from it's peak.

Do the holders

— Let me stop you right there. The mistake is: holding the FTSE 100 index, in the first place

Why are people so negative about all UK companies? We have some great businessess. 

Nothing to do with UK  companies, the quote was about the FTSE 100 that is highly concentrated and not necessarily UK companies.

StevieJ

Tried to buy RDSB through ii this morning ( at 08:15) order sat on the pending list, I am on the phone now trying to cancel it :-).

I made a similar purchase of Lloyds shares, they went through straight away.