best/worst investment decision you made

blinko

whats you best/worst investment decision you made

mine is i cashed out my funds a couple of months ago because the y had reached my limit of a 5% loss (not much i know) anyway now they are 3% up arrgghhh

System

Well i havent made any bad investments exactly, but i did move my gas and electricity account to Scottish Power because it was going to save me money. It caused me so many headaches and in the end i didnt know whether i was coming or going with them. Leaving them wasnt straightforward either.

I dont make bad investments exactly, but i am slow deciding to take up new deals or opening new accounts. I am sure i could do a lot more if i felt confident in my own abilities.

beefyboy99

shares in eurotunnel

itgirlinuk

I bought shares of a new technogoly firm and they said it was going to go up by the end of the year. Bought it without investigating it properly and the I have lost 60% of the money invested. But don't want to sell it, as I am hoping it would go up eventually.

Best investment, bought Tesco shares before they announced profits and now the share price has gone up. a small profit.

Stonk

Starting a pension fund in 1999.

System

Stonk wrote:

Starting a pension fund in 1999.

You think thats bad, my husband started his pension in 1985. It was estimated at the time he would have over £60,000 a year when he retired. He had a letter the other day saying at todays market value, he will get £600 a year. Best of it is, is that he cant pay anymore into it.

deemy2004

Worst - Buying an f-ing eurolife precipissy bond in 2001.. lost over 4k !

Best - WELL - Not really an investment decision.. but don't ask me how ? But I was on the RIGHT side of the 1987 crash with short positions all the way down.... X15 my closing account balance from the preceding Friday to the opening of Wall Street on the following Tuesday afternoon, when wall street bounced and all my short stops were hit !

Best investment - In recent times System Union Group. Made over 120% over about 18 months.

Current best open position in Shell... over 50% also around 18 months.

Worst Stock in recent times - Marconi - lost OVER 98% when bought at about 340p thinking it had bottomed - had it hell !!

Moorepart

My pride and joy,my house thanks 2 Crain Energy bought them at £2.26 in 1996 sold at a wooping £15.28p, that's what I call lucky :j .

My worst investment was getting married:mad:

oldagetraveller

Best - last house.
Worst - 1) Personal pension started in 1990 similar to Judi's husbands, way below original projection.
2) Maxi ISA linked to stock market. 2nd £7000 invested just before "Twin Towers" it still hasn't reached total investment value - maybe next year?

sneekymum

Worst - Mother's (not mine) decision to send £100K to Clerical Medical off shore with-profits investment bond that has only grown by £100 in the last 12 months and has an MVA of over £20K if withdrawals are made before 2012.

My best decision - not to take up the advice of Scottish Widows to send £100K to a with-profits investment bond and pay a wad for the "benefit" of setting up a loan trust...apparently the growth would be outside my estate for IHT purposes...if there is any growth....

Pal

My best has been buying a flat from the council. Made over £100k in 3 years without putting down any deposit. Just to add that I have actually sold this flat and am now holding the cash, so this is not the notional profit that most people boast about when discussing house prices.

My best and worst share deals were both Marconi. I bought at about 15p and sold at about 36p. I then waited a few weeks, then bought at about 23p (they had fallen back from about 40p so I was expecting another rise). They fell to 9p when I sold before collapsing completely. Luckily I didn't have much money involved..

I am going to go off topic here but this I cannot resist :

deemy2004 wrote:

Best - WELL - Not really an investment decision.. but don't ask me how ? But I was on the RIGHT side of the 1987 crash with short positions all the way down.... X15 my closing account balance from the preceding Friday to the opening of Wall Street on the following Tuesday afternoon, when wall street bounced and all my short stops were hit !

So given that you must have been at least 18 years old in 1987 to be trading options, you must now be at least 36 years old? Given that you made lots of money on your options, why are you still living at home with your parents?