best/worst investment decision you made

Stonk

I unusually stuck a quid on Wednesday's lottery because there was a big jackpot.

Down 100%.

Stonk

Also - I didn't want London to get the Olympics, so I was planning to hedge my disappointment exposure by betting on us winning it. But then in the end I didn't. Bad move - now I'm doubly disappointed.

deemy2004

With the FTSE down 200 yesterday... I was tempted to buy... but did not !.........

Now its back to were it was before

deemy2004

Reporter wrote:

Nice one. Just about my worst was to sell a put position on the index in September 1987 while retaining all my unit trusts / equities.

Could have been worse if you had written the put option... :eek:

EdInvestor

Best short term recent punt for me is a UK small oil stock - Soco International, up 80% since I bought it earlier this year . Worst was a property investment in Australia, which I sold up after losing 30%.

Overall long-term best returns have been in UK property, with at least 175% on every one I've ever held, average period 5 years

Moral: don't think you can replicate UK property profits in overseas markets you don't understand. (Oh and don't punt money on risky oil stocks that you can't afford to lose ! :cool: )

Pal

Editor wrote:

Best short term recent punt for me is a UK small oil stock - Soco International, up 80% since I bought it earlier this year .

Have you sold it yet?

I think that there should be a new rule on this thread that you can't quote any gains or losses on anything unless you have actually sold or cancelled the investment, otherwise it is just a paper profit that could turn to a loss just after you write the post. It would also stop people posting about their notional property value gains.

EdInvestor

Have you sold it yet?

Sold half of it when it had gone up by 60% - at that point it wasn't my best (unrealised) equity investment, indeed it still isn't

All the others stand

trademark

BEST ...1. my house bought in 2000
2. opening an account with every building society in the uk (nearly) c/bagging
3. trading on ebay

WORST.1. endowment policies x3
2. jupitor tech fund ..down 90% 2000 / buying shares
3. bowing to pressure and not buying my wifes nans council house 1996

Pal

trademark wrote:

BEST ...1. my house bought in 2000

Sold it yet, or is it just a notional profit?

deemy2004

Yeh just as when your stocks portfolio goes up you feel much richer, same with houses... its human nature .. unavoidable !

I mean I'm up £2k in June alone !! £2k in a single month ! Feels like real hard cash to me even though its paper money... But then again - money is paper...

Unavoidable to assume paper profits are real profits, eventhough commonsense tells you its not real until realised.