what have you done this week?

mrklaw

I sometimes feel like posting little updates of what I’ve done, what I’ve been thinking about, what I’ve been reading up on - but doesn’t feel like its worth a thread. But maybe it woudl be good to have a general thread for musings and little steps you’ve taken this week (and next week etc)? Just a thought

mrklaw

I’ll start :)

got an email from AJ Bell that I had a message to read on my account - I have two dividend payments from my gilt ladder! I only just set it up a couple of months ago and already kinda forgot about it.

as the first ‘real’ maturity isn’t due until 2029 I’m likely going to put these into a MMF as they just land as cash - but I’ll double check how much they are as AJ Bell charges I think £5 for a transaction so I’ll let them roll over if they’re really low.

Fun to see that come in though - my first proper steps related to retirement - helps make it feel real :)

edit: it was about @£290 from two coupons so I’ve chucked them in ERNS

ali_bear

Booked another big holiday for next March 😎

Next one is coming up in four weeks time, and you should always have at least one in hand 😎

Linton

This week I have reorganised our cash strategy…

I strongly believe in liability matching with each tranche of investments being optimised for a specific purpose. Previously I had Growth for the long term, Income for the medium term, and short term near cash. The short term cash had responsibilities for financing immediate ongoing expenditure, emergencies and expensive holidays.

But major holiday expenditure is known at least 6 months and possibly a year or more in advance. So separating it into its own tranche should permit a much smaller total holding in low return instant(ish) access cash and less effort/stress when approaching the time for paying the holiday bills.

mark_cycling00

Transferred a recently matured cash ISA to a top one yr fix as I suspect rates will go up if anything so don't want to fix for very long.

I should receive my free £175 in the next week from IG for investing £3001 pretty much entirely in mmf funds for a few months.

Bought a very small amount of STRC (strategy preference) to see what happens to this clearly too good to be true stock.

Have insurance, tax and MOT due on 2nd car we barely use. Only 1.5 tank fills since start of Iran war.

Waste of money....

michaels

I have a mortgage on a fixed rate lasting another 4 years - all good as the fix is at 3.8% and the funds to pay it off are paying between 4.35% and 4.5% tax free (due to starting rate for savings). However the final 45k tranche of this is currently in my pension so I have arranged to draw 37k as a TFLS which I will put into a low coupon 2030 gilt yield to maturity 4.8%. Funds came from my 'growth portfolio' (global tracker) as I am happy to be rebalancing some of the gains this has made to keep my portfolio proportions where they are supposed to be.

Also spending much too long trying to find out why Charles Stanley Direct are failing to finalise a sipp transfer to AJ Bell - I think compensation will be in order.

Oh yeah - also some scroats have been using my details to fraudulently get car insurance despite having a CIFAS marker added to my report when I first discovered and then esure, despite cancelling a policy as fraudulent within days to its inception, have added a claim against the fraudulent policy 12 months later to the CUE accident database which is mucking up my car insurance renewal - another complaint needed once they actually fix my record.

mrklaw

I have a countdown calendar for 30 months so I can cross each month off. I’m thinking to mix in some other countdowns to keep it active

• number of birthdays his/hers
• number of christmases

etc

Bostonerimus1

I sold some US equity index funds in my GIA to get cash to pay my 4th quarter tax bill and to gift to family members. I also went to see an afternoon showing of "You Can See Everything" at my local cinema, did a couple of 50 mile bike rides and went to the dentist to have a crown installed on an implant.

UnsureAboutthis

Almost every holiday, but travel insurance, ie getting the cover we need, is a nightmare.

One ISA matured and stayed with the same bank; another matures soon, so looking if to stay or move the cash ISA

Actively considered moving out of Premium Bonds and investing in a couple of stocks.

Ordered 4 new tyres for one of our cars, fitting at our place tomorrow, Goodyear F! Eagles, Asymmetric 6.

We took out one of our grandchildren today to Bluewater— he wanted a Burger King - so we all had one - not been in one of those places for possibly a good ten years and was pleasantly surprised by the burger.

mark_cycling00

Also, I bought a massively discounted calor gas BBQ ahead of all the government marketing campaigns about preparing for disasters.

Should buy a decent camping light quick too if any on offer

Samuelsjourney

Topped up my share portfolio. Have seen good growth in my Top 3 L&G, Sainsbury's and BP. -30% on my speculative pharma penny share…..SIPPs all down over last 2.5 weeks but hedged some MM funds and physical gold. Still crunching the numbers for retirement at 62.5 and its looking on track. Just back from a nice touring holiday in UK. Planning a winter sun jolly in Europe early next year.