Are there any reasons not to invest in this?

PixelPound

Dannydee333 said:

So it's the first week of 2026 and I was hoping to open an account and begin investing but having read back through this, I'm now just as overwhelmed with what I should do as I was a couple of years ago when it was completely alien to me. I thought when I posted this 2 months ago I was confident in what I was planning to do, but now I'm not.

I wanted to start popping 300 quid a month into an account but now I'm not so sure. I'd probably be better just focusing on building my new online business and investing the 300 quid there instead of trying to have too many hands in too many pies.

Some have pointed out the flaw of using chatbots for financial advice, I'll point out another, listening to forum posters, everyone's viewpoint will be different to yours.

The best time to invest was years ago, the next best time is today. Too many people put off investing trying to find the optimal or perfect strategy. Maybe your online business could use it, but doesn't mean you forget long term investments in your future (e.g. pension and ISA).

Have a look at the UK based investors on YouTube, e.g. Toby Newbatt, Damien Jordan (Damien Talks Money), and others, who have some good stuff for people starting out.

masonic

PixelPound said:

Have a look at the UK based investors on YouTube, e.g. Toby Newbatt, Damien Jordan (Damien Talks Money), and others, who have some good stuff for people starting out.

Surely the "don't listen to" argument applies equally to them too.

Maybe I'm biased, but I'd put MSE forum posters and certain YouTubers way above AI in the quality of their commentary.

Consumer3

It takes a while to gain understanding of investing, it’s not a quick decision on where to regularly invest and that’s fine - forget AI and do your own cross referencing. 

Have a regular read of this board and the Pensions board - there are some really seasoned posters that know their stuff. 
Read a book, like Tim Hale’s ‘Smarter Investing’, read through and then read again to let it sink in. 

It may sound boring but if you gain an understanding of your pensions now, your future self will thank you.

Dannydee333

Thanks for the additional replies.

I definitely am starting to feel some FOMO at this point, given that I wanted to set something up a month and a half ago.

Having done a bit more research, as well as helpful comments on here, I'm thinking it would be reasonable to go ahead with:

Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF (USD) Accumulating

I would initially deposit probably £1000, followed by an automated £300 per month.

Does this seem like a more strategic idea than going all-in on the S&P 500?

Bear in mind I understand this all involves risk no matter what you do, as well as the fact I can always shut the whole thing down if I really wanted to.

Also, I'd be doing this in T212. The convenience of set-and-forget is a key factor for me. I'm in it for the long haul.

Someone asked about my overall goal and I don't think I responded fully. I plan/hope to retire at 50. Which means I have 9 years (and one week) to make that happen. I do not intend for this investment account to be my saviour/only pot of gold at the end of the tunnel. By all means I will keep this account open for 20 years, since I will have built wealth outside of this too, paid off my home, etc.

Obviously I'm not asking anyone to give me the go-ahead, but does it seem reasonable, given my aims?

masonic

More diversified is generally better than less when you can't know which basket is best for your eggs, and FTSE All World is more diversified than the S&P 500, while still giving you over 60% exposure to the latter.

dales1

"Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF (USD) Accumulating"

Note that if you're investing in the UK in pounds sterling, you'll probably be buying the version denominated in GBP (rather than USD) to avoid FX fees.

Dannydee333

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81889006#Comment_81889006

Thanks for that, you helped me avoid making a mistake at the final hurdle.

I went with an initial £2,000 deposit and have set up a £500 monthly automation.

The only mistake I made was that I could have added the deposit when I set up the pie but I did it the other way around and now they are two separate "pots" which is a bit irritating, but it's all going into the same fund so I guess it's not so bad.

Does anyone know if there's a way to transfer the £2000 into the pie?

I've made £1.50 so far 🥳