Share Investment, Discussion & Tips

[Maslins]

Ain't kidding there. Sold my entire holding two Fridays ago. Took some losses before I did but missed a load more.

Zero personal expertise here...but I figured the general rule for your average Joe was to get your pension to keep buying a low cost tracker, and then don't even look (let alone make sudden significant decisions). Sure, it'll sometimes go down as well as up, but then you'll be buying when it's low as well as high. Over the long run, all should be fine (ignoring world apocalypse).

(When) will you buy back in?

[CryingSheep]

Anyone looking at the markets at the moment? Big drop in the FTSE and my portfolio and watchlists are red across the board.

Interested to hear people's thoughts. Is this a blip due to a raft of bad news or is it the sign of the next couple of weeks/months ahead?

The only good advise here... forget the FTSE! Just get an US Equity tracker... that's where the money is in the long run.

[BlasterBates]

If you spread your risk around by investing in multiple stocks, then your likely return will get closer to the index.

Be careful of following advice based on stories you read on the internet etc.

I invested in Thomas Cook earlier in the year, got in and out and maybe made a 5% gain, but a few weeks back they had a profit warning and the share price tanked



I would have lost 70% of my capital, just goes to show how stocks can appear attractive but next minute you make a big loss.

Check out Motley Fool they've been warning about Thomas Cook since late last year.

Thomas Cook Group crashes another 20%. Here’s a FTSE 250 stock I’d buy instead

I don't invest in anything they warn about.

[northernladuk]

The only good advise here...

Stopped reading at that point.

[northernladuk]

Zero personal expertise here...but I figured the general rule for your average Joe was to get your pension to keep buying a low cost tracker, and then don't even look (let alone make sudden significant decisions). Sure, it'll sometimes go down as well as up, but then you'll be buying when it's low as well as high. Over the long run, all should be fine (ignoring world apocalypse).

(When) will you buy back in?

That's absolutely right and is what your average Joe would do. I did very well with that idea in the last 4 years but it's been good growth so been sitting on 4% growth a year when the tech funds have rocketed. Axa Framlington Tech for example as done 12.6% (YTD), 35%, 27%, 26% over the previous years. Nearly 100% return in 3 years.

Pension Portfolio 1 for example is returning around 5% apart from a leap in 16/17 of 25%

Not for the average Joe but if the pension pot is at a nice level where you can suffer a bit of a loss why not play the market if you are interested?

Only problem picking your own you tend to go for higher risk products is they sting when the markets turn. Probably really bad investing compared to Atw and Scoots holding on long term but if you can avoid some of the down turn I think it's worth while doing a bit of trading. Managed to avoid some losses in the dips in Axa for example and then try buy at the bottom.

Performance Charts & Tables for AXA Framlington Global Technology Accumulation

When will I buy in? Not sure but with my run my advice is when I buy in, sell everything.. Seems to be the way I roll .

I've gotten a bit giddy watching everything and reacting on figures which is totally the wrong way so gonna back off a little bit for awhile and get my mojo back. Can't be stabbing at the markets when it's volatile. I'm gonna wait a bit for brexit to progress, news out of the US stabilizes a bit and then re-asses I think. In the meantime do some research I think.

Disclaimer, I'm probably crap at all this and everything I've said is rubbish.. but it's worked OK for me so far.

[Maslins]

@NLUK fair enough. My historic share investments have been:
- Tenon (accountancy firm, share scheme whilst I worked there) - I held shares, firm went bust, I got nothing.
- Northern Rock - bought when low, could have doubled my money selling within a week, but of course I figured only an idiot would do that and held on to watch the continued rise. Went bust, I got nothing.
- FreeAgent - put in a fairly big chunk for the crowdfunding. When RBS bought, did end up making something like a 10-20% gain over circa 2 & 1/2 years, but as they weren't held for 3+ years lost all the EIS tax relief.

So yeah...evidence suggests I'm not great at beating the market with my clever decisions!

[northernladuk]

Check out Motley Fool they've been warning about Thomas Cook since late last year.

Thomas Cook Group crashes another 20%. Here’s a FTSE 250 stock I’d buy instead

I don't invest in anything they warn about.

Indeed, and...

I would have lost 70% of my capital, just goes to show how stocks can appear attractive but next minute you make a big loss.

I'd hardly say the very public collapse of this company is really 'next minute'. It's been in freefall for over 18 month with no good news coming from back in Feb 18.

[Platypus]

Wrong! If you are in the accumulating phase of your SIPP, a volatile market is your friend. Buy the dips.

Yeah, but here's the problem: I don't have time to diddle about day in day out

I invested in funds that had a great track record, mostly NA, to avoid Brexit shocks. I was hoping to "set and forget"

[northernladuk]

Yeah, but here's the problem: I don't have time to diddle about day in day out

I invested in funds that had a great track record, mostly NA, to avoid Brexit shocks. I was hoping to "set and forget"

Put it all in Amazon!!.. Oh. hang on.. 10 years too late. Bugger

[northernladuk]

@NLUK fair enough. My historic share investments have been:
- Tenon (accountancy firm, share scheme whilst I worked there) - I held shares, firm went bust, I got nothing.
- Northern Rock - bought when low, could have doubled my money selling within a week, but of course I figured only an idiot would do that and held on to watch the continued rise. Went bust, I got nothing.
- FreeAgent - put in a fairly big chunk for the crowdfunding. When RBS bought, did end up making something like a 10-20% gain over circa 2 & 1/2 years, but as they weren't held for 3+ years lost all the EIS tax relief.

So yeah...evidence suggests I'm not great at beating the market with my clever decisions!

Well you are in good company it seems.... I'm probably going to rely less on the shares and put a good chunk in a slow burner.

Vanguard products are mentioned a lot on here and seem to do the do OK.

Morningstar Financial Research, Analysis, Data and News

Could be worse, you could have collected clients CT to pay on their behalf and attempt to recoup your losses with it though. You'd be out by now I believe.