How might you diversify this portfolio?

Personally, I'm not a big fan of holding commodities as an individual, so I would steer clear of having gold and silver. If I were you then I would sell those holdings now and accept the £285 loss. (Normally I wouldn't advise selling assets at a loss, but I have an aversion to holding precious metals).

I'd look at your debt. How much is that £5,000 costing you to service it? If it is more than you are earning in interest on your savings then it is a false economy to keep saving. Pay off the debt with money from your ISA.

Your cash ISA is earning a pitiful rate of interest.(around 0.25%). Move this money (whether all £11,000, or the £6,000 left after paying off your debt) to a non-ISA savings account. You aren't earning enough interest to benefit from the tax exemption in an ISA. You have a £1,000 per year allowance for tax free interest (£500 if a higher rate tax payer) and non-ISA accounts will pay more. If you think that you can lock it away then consider putting the money into a fixed rate savings bond for 1 year, where the best current rate is 1.8% with Atom Bank, Tandem Bank, or OakNorth Bank. Doing this will pay you £198 on £11,000, or £113.40 on £6,000. With your ISA you will earn £27.50, or £15.

If you don't want to lock the money away then just put it into the best easy access account, currently paying 1.25% (Tesco Bank or Shawbrook Bank), which will earn £137.50 (£11,000) or £75 (£6,000).

Alternatively, you could look at some of the interest paying current accounts and split your money across these. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/compare-best-bank-accounts#interest Be warned that BOS and Lloyd's are going to reduce their rates to 1.5% from July.

Feeding money into a regular saver (or two, or three) will also increase your yield. See here: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/best-regular-savings-accounts

What rate are you getting on the NatWest savings account? Is it their Savings Builder paying 1.5%? If so then this may be a better option for almost £4,000 of the ISA money if you aren't going to lock it away. You need to play their game, however, by paying £50 in each month (and then withdrawing it once interest is paid to keep the balance at an optimal level of £5,000). I'm not a fan of this account as it seems like more trouble than it is worth, but it will pay you 1.5% on £5,000 if you manage it well.

If, however, you actually mean that you are putting money into investments with NatWest then I'd stop right now. The banks are usually a poor option for investments. Look at buying a multi-asset fund like Vanguard LifeStrategy; Blackrock Consensus; HSBC Global Strategy; or L&G Multi Index through a different platform. Compare these funds here: https://www.trustnet.com/
Compare platforms here: http://monevator.com/compare-uk-cheapest-online-brokers/

jamesaf wrote: »

Thanks ValiantSon

It would probably be more than a £285 loss as I was basing that on my cost to buy now, but it hasn't really done much for me over 8 years (very poor silver purchases) I will look into liquidating at least some of that.

The £5,000 is actually 0% credit card with a year left so paying 7% a month and then all of it in time.

I might have rushed into the Natwest Invest (investments not savings account) with what you say and some other reading, only done it today so may try and cancel or move the monthly down from £100.

I'll look over some of those links, seem my ISA is ridiculously low.

The help to buy ISA pays a lot more interest than the cash ISA (though I don't know if the Government contribution at the end includes this interest)

I'd stick with the Help to Buy ISA. The interest rate you are quoted doesn't include the government bonus. That bonus is paid on top when you make a qualifying house purchase. If you never buy a house (or you buy one that doesn't qualify, e.g. too expensive) then you can withdraw the money when you choose and take all of the interest earned with you.

Keep the gold, it would be valued at about £30 a gramme now if selling. (Were did you buy?)
The silver was a bad mistake, have never regarded silver as a wise investment, and have counselled anyone I could not to go down that route. As a matter of interest, why did you go with silver.

Your loss was with the silver, take it on the chin and sell. It would be best to learn the mistake. My money would buy some more gold if it is long term you are looking for, otherwise pay down that debt.

You have enough to clear your debts, why have you still got debts..._