Savings and Investments thread
Comments
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What fees are you paying? Once you take that into account and the emotional impact of bigger swings you might end up with less than you originally had.Carter said:I'd be interested to hear what the wise sages and others who have a dog in the fight think about these leveraged or covered-call products that seem invreasingly popular.
I've been looking at them mainly JEQP from JP Morgan
I'm dubious when anything appears too good to be true especially with things like this. Its hard to do unbiased, objective research as people either think they are hokum or the best and only thing to be invested in. No in-between
So I've pulled a few into a pie and put a small amount in that pie to see what happens.
I have almost exclusively learned from mistakes as opposed to wins regarding investing and if I lose every penny on these I'm no worse off for the lesson.
I would be really interested to hear what our proper experts think about thoughI’d also be interested in others views, as I’m (just) in the first half of my 30s I can afford to take on a bit more risk.0 -
No fees apart from FX where it appliesDiebythesword said:
What fees are you paying? Once you take that into account and the emotional impact of bigger swings you might end up with less than you originally had.Carter said:I'd be interested to hear what the wise sages and others who have a dog in the fight think about these leveraged or covered-call products that seem invreasingly popular.
I've been looking at them mainly JEQP from JP Morgan
I'm dubious when anything appears too good to be true especially with things like this. Its hard to do unbiased, objective research as people either think they are hokum or the best and only thing to be invested in. No in-between
So I've pulled a few into a pie and put a small amount in that pie to see what happens.
I have almost exclusively learned from mistakes as opposed to wins regarding investing and if I lose every penny on these I'm no worse off for the lesson.
I would be really interested to hear what our proper experts think about thoughI’d also be interested in others views, as I’m (just) in the first half of my 30s I can afford to take on a bit more risk.
Been in both only just over a month now
One has a dividend yield of 23% but a loss of 2%
The other has stayed level and has a dividend yield of 13.7%
All the products are held on the London stock exchange so whilst I'm happy to be proven wrong I don't think there should be any tax or fees on the dividends.
Like I say, they seem a bit too good to be true so probably are. As they are really income-focused they would need a real leap of faith, like a time share (!!!) For them to really pay off as the fat is in the income and accumulation as opposed to their price growth. And a much larger investment than I am currently willing to risk on something I definitely don't know enough about. Covered-call ETFs
Still staying away from crypto though
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Bump. I'd hate to think Rob7Lee might run out of things to doRob7Lee said:Sorry been a bit quiet on here, my boss decided to resign 10am new years day so work has got a bit hectic!!
So time to start the FTSE100 competition as to where you think it'll end 30.6.2026.
To help me manage it as I may not be on here that regular in the next week or so, can people send me a PM with their prediction, otherwise I'll likely miss the posts on the thread.
Thanks.0 -
Another week and silver up another 10%, up from $85 to around $95. I jumped the gun and today took some profit on the physical ETF - sold a quarter of that / about half of original stake. Last week added more miners, so now I'm now roughly half physical, half miners in my silver-related holdings.
Expecting wild movements in the weeks ahead, will wait before a swing of at least plus/minus 20% before updating here - no doubt I'll view as buying/selling opportunities when the time comes round.
As before, DYOR, I'm not recommending anything, just tracking the journey.0 -
Its TACO time.
Yes, the Orange man has done it again. Puts the markets in a spin with his 10% Tariff threat only to back out when he is faced with the Worlds Economic leaders at Davos.
I'm expecting the European markets to bounce back tomorrow.
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I honestly think the prick does it to manipulate the marketsgolfaddick said:Its TACO time.
Yes, the Orange man has done it again. Puts the markets in a spin with his 10% Tariff threat only to back out when he is faced with the Worlds Economic leaders at Davos.
I'm expecting the European markets to bounce back tomorrow.2 -
Difference now though is that the market doesn't jump anywhere near as much, at least compared to what we saw in April. Think most have cottoned on to what he's doing each time.1
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That’s exactly what Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart conclude, they were in the Davos room. Of course if you are loadedAndyG said:
I honestly think the prick does it to manipulate the marketsgolfaddick said:Its TACO time.
Yes, the Orange man has done it again. Puts the markets in a spin with his 10% Tariff threat only to back out when he is faced with the Worlds Economic leaders at Davos.
I'm expecting the European markets to bounce back tomorrow.
, or a pro trader, and one of his mates, even a 2% gyration can bring you in a tidy amount if you know what he is going to say and when.
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I still think the real grift has been cryptocurrency markets. In my opinion (and this is just an opinion I'm not saying it's not the case!) doing things with stuff that's seriously SEC regulated would be very stupid even if it's through intermediaries etc.
The cryptocurrency markets do also fall with a lot of this stuff going on, but some of the things he has said in the past a lot of the things he (and Musk) has said have just impacted crypto markets. I am convinced it's more likely than not that there is a hustle there.
Either way, amazing financial markets growth over the past year, I'm happy!0 -
I think they're power plays that end up making him look weak and stupid. They're pretty successful at distracting from Epstein Island though.AndyG said:
I honestly think the prick does it to manipulate the marketsgolfaddick said:Its TACO time.
Yes, the Orange man has done it again. Puts the markets in a spin with his 10% Tariff threat only to back out when he is faced with the Worlds Economic leaders at Davos.
I'm expecting the European markets to bounce back tomorrow.4 -
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Yeah its the most obvious big short ever. The first time he did it he happily paraded his "friends" around the white house on a press day asking "and how much did you make from it? $150m, wow!" etc.AndyG said:
I honestly think the prick does it to manipulate the marketsgolfaddick said:Its TACO time.
Yes, the Orange man has done it again. Puts the markets in a spin with his 10% Tariff threat only to back out when he is faced with the Worlds Economic leaders at Davos.
I'm expecting the European markets to bounce back tomorrow.
mad that its not even the worst bit of corruption he has done since he entered office.2 -
Is there an argument for overt/covert corruption, like what people say about racism.
I'd make a case that what he is doing is bad, the fact he is so flagrant about it makes it almost refreshing as opposed to what all the others do.
Dunno
Anyway, its been a remarkably good year for investing. Terrible one for the workforce and looking forward I am genuinely feeling bleak. Costs keep going up, the government continue to make things as hard as they possibly can for small businesses, anyone working or entering the job market and now anyone saving for retirement by removing the tax break on AVCs
And its flippin freezing today and I'm working by a river0 -
There were his own coins, which loads of his fans bought, and they plummeted to nothing very quickly. I am sure you are right that crypto will be a big grift, but less sanguine that it does not affect the main markets. I think the implication is that his “mates” get and use the insider tips, rather than he or his direct family seeking to trade themselves. Of course he expects something in return.Huskaris said:I still think the real grift has been cryptocurrency markets. In my opinion (and this is just an opinion I'm not saying it's not the case!) doing things with stuff that's seriously SEC regulated would be very stupid even if it's through intermediaries etc.
The cryptocurrency markets do also fall with a lot of this stuff going on, but some of the things he has said in the past a lot of the things he (and Musk) has said have just impacted crypto markets. I am convinced it's more likely than not that there is a hustle there.
Either way, amazing financial markets growth over the past year, I'm happy!Many serious commentators keep asserting that corruption is central to the administration; and looking out how scared anyone in business is to stand up to him, it will only get worse.
Very happy I’ve trimmed back a lot of the stuff I held that was US based. I keep hold of good old Procter&Gamble shares which are in a sector that people say might bounce back as the AI bubble pops. Trouble is he keeps trashing the dollar too, which reduces any gains. May have to let them go.2 -
I said this early last year when he started doing it, his cronies are making fortunes no doubt, that said I’ve also followed it and done ok!!0
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Has anyone had any experience of using Akoni (a savings platform)? I have a lasting power of attorney for my Mum and want to consolidate her savings which are fairly substantial but spread over half a dozen savings accounts all with poor interest rates of <1.5%.
I use Flagstone myself but they won't open a PoA account for less than £1m.0 -
Jints said:Has anyone had any experience of using Akoni (a savings platform)? I have a lasting power of attorney for my Mum and want to consolidate her savings which are fairly substantial but spread over half a dozen savings accounts all with poor interest rates of <1.5%.
I use Flagstone myself but they won't open a PoA account for less than £1m.No experience of Akoni although I understand they charge a fee for cash savings on their platform.HL do not charge a fee on their Active Savings Platform (their model is that the savings provider pays them commission), they allow PoA and have no set minimum investments.That's not an endorsement for HL although I've never had any issues with them.1 -
Thanks - I don't think HL allow new accounts to be opened using a PoA. I would prefer them or Flagstone - as you say Akoni charge fees equivalent to about 0.45%0
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can you not just set one up in your Mum's name with the bank and then once it's been up and running for a bit, issue the POA to them so you can deal with it?
that's what I've done with Trading 2121 -
Good idea. I'll give that a try as long and see if it's possible to do so without misrepresenting in any way (I'm a solicitor so have to be super-careful about things like that)paulsturgess said:can you not just set one up in your Mum's name with the bank and then once it's been up and running for a bit, issue the POA to them so you can deal with it?
that's what I've done with Trading 2120 -
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Have a Google on money saving expert. They have a table for banks allowing new PoA accounts to be opened and if you already need to be a customer.
NatWest and Nationwide are two. They are who I used for my dad (all be it that was a good 15 years ago I opened them). NS&I were another.0 -
Disappointing to hear banks are exclusionary when it comes to PoA.
PoA is PoA, it's there for a reason, obstructing people's ability to access the best accounts because they aren't able to open them themselves seems discriminatory to me.
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It is, and from my very limited experience of doing this. Its pretty accusatory too.Huskaris said:Disappointing to hear banks are exclusionary when it comes to PoA.
PoA is PoA, it's there for a reason, obstructing people's ability to access the best accounts because they aren't able to open them themselves seems discriminatory to me.
Imagine if the police treated everyone as a criminal.....
I don't know why they don't really want to get involved, from an anecdotal point of view1 -
Another week and silver up another 20%+, from $95 to $115. A good number of the silver miners are up another 20%+ in the week, too.
What started out as a buy and hold and see what happens, has become a bit of a constant watch. I've pivoted more out of physical, about 60% miners now. If prices hold, may well take some profits off the table tomorrow. A big correction and may go in for more.
Gold has also sailed through the $5,000 barrier.
As before, DYOR, I'm not recommending anything, just tracking the journey.
Edit - in just the 2 hours since posting it's gone up to $119 and trending downwards, now at $107, probably going lower. Pretty much sums up the volatility!0 -
The dollar’s taken a real pummelling in the last few days, wouldn’t be surprised to see it continue to go lower, which would have quite big implications on many of our pension balances as most of us are heavily exposed to US equities. Felt very confident in my us small cap exposure but a lot less sure now. I’d say a monthly close for the DXY around where we are or lower would be pretty bad.Does anyone know any SIPP providers who offer bitcoin ETN? Thinking about taking advantage of much lower prices later this year. Chat gpt seems to only list interactive investor and freetrade… any differences between the two?0
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Diebythesword said:The dollar’s taken a real pummelling in the last few days, wouldn’t be surprised to see it continue to go lower, which would have quite big implications on many of our pension balances as most of us are heavily exposed to US equities. Felt very confident in my us small cap exposure but a lot less sure now. I’d say a monthly close for the DXY around where we are or lower would be pretty bad.Does anyone know any SIPP providers who offer bitcoin ETN? Thinking about taking advantage of much lower prices later this year. Chat gpt seems to only list interactive investor and freetrade… any differences between the two?
The ban was only lifted last October and to date there hasn't been a mad rush for platforms to offer them. HL, AJ Bell and eToro for example are all looking at them and subject to demand they will begin to open up - HL for example are expecting to offer them in early 2027.0 -
I doubt there would be since we’re in the middle of the bitcoin bear market.bobmunro said:Diebythesword said:The dollar’s taken a real pummelling in the last few days, wouldn’t be surprised to see it continue to go lower, which would have quite big implications on many of our pension balances as most of us are heavily exposed to US equities. Felt very confident in my us small cap exposure but a lot less sure now. I’d say a monthly close for the DXY around where we are or lower would be pretty bad.Does anyone know any SIPP providers who offer bitcoin ETN? Thinking about taking advantage of much lower prices later this year. Chat gpt seems to only list interactive investor and freetrade… any differences between the two?
The ban was only lifted last October and to date there hasn't been a mad rush for platforms to offer them. HL, AJ Bell and eToro for example are all looking at them and subject to demand they will begin to open up - HL for example are expecting to offer them in early 2027.0 -
I can see the ETN on ii, logged into their website. There's a lengthy form you'd have to fill out - an Appropriateness Assessment - it looks as intimidating as a CAFC fan survey. I think you'll get this with any provider - these are the questions and the multiple-choice answers.Diebythesword said:The dollar’s taken a real pummelling in the last few days, wouldn’t be surprised to see it continue to go lower, which would have quite big implications on many of our pension balances as most of us are heavily exposed to US equities. Felt very confident in my us small cap exposure but a lot less sure now. I’d say a monthly close for the DXY around where we are or lower would be pretty bad.Does anyone know any SIPP providers who offer bitcoin ETN? Thinking about taking advantage of much lower prices later this year. Chat gpt seems to only list interactive investor and freetrade… any differences between the two?1. Please confirm that you understand the risk profile of the financial instrument(s) you wish to buy.
Yes
No
Don't know2. Please confirm that you understand that the opportunity to sell a complex financial instrument may be limited and, consequently, your capital may be inaccessible for prolonged periods.
Yes
No
Don't know3. Please confirm that you understand that complex financial instruments generally incorporate a feature (e.g. gearing/leverage) which increases the degree of exposure to an underlying risk - this may lead to you losing a significant proportion (and potentially all) of the amount invested in a short period of time.
Yes
No
Don't know4. I understand that there may only be very limited and/or very complex product literature publicly available for certain financial instruments (e.g. Hedge Funds)
Yes
No
Don't know5. I'm aware that certain financial instruments incorporate a clause, condition, or trigger that could fundamentally alter the nature or risk of the investment or pay out profile (e.g. Capital at Risk Products).
Yes
No
Don't know6. I have read the 'Appendix - Description of Investments and Risk Warnings' in the Terms of Service.
Yes
No
Don't know7. In the last twelve months, have you held any of the following financial instruments (or one of a similar type): Shares, bonds, fixed interest securities?
Yes
No
Don't know8. In the last twelve months, have you held any of the following financial instruments (or one of a similar type): Structured products, structured deposits, Investment Companies, Subscription Shares, Warrants, Convertible Loan Stock, nil paid rights, Exchange Trade Commodities (ETC) or 'over-the-counter' (OTC) shares?
Yes
No
Don't know9. In the last twelve months, have you held any of the following financial instruments (or one of a similar type): Hedge funds, Contracts for Difference (CFDs), Financial Spread Bets (FSBs), futures, options, swaps, or forward rate agreements.
Yes
No
Don't know10. Are you a financial services or investment professional with relevant experience, qualifications, or knowledge of or about this investment type?
Yes
No
Don't know11. Cryptocurrency ETNs produce supplementary documents such as the KID and Prospectus which include information around your investment and your relationship with the issuer. You deem your knowledge and experience of trading or cryptocurrency etns to be:or cryptocurrency ETNs to be:
I do not want to trade these products
This will be my first experience trading cryptocurrency products or cETNs
I have experience trading mainstream assets but have researched cryptoassets and have familiarised myself with the supporting documents for cETNs.
I have traded these products in the past and am comfortable with the way they price and trade.12. By holding a crypto ETN I own a portion of the underlying assets and so am exposed to it's significant volatility. True or False
I do not want to trade these products
True. Crypto ETNs are underlayed by physical holdings of the asset. Therefore as a holder of the underlying asset I'm exposed to it's volatiity.
False. A crypto ETN is a manufactured product created by the issuer. As part of the design, the products have inbuilt controls mitigating risks, to ensure steady sustainable growth
False. A crypto ETN acts as a debt instrument from the issuer, with returns based on the performance of the cryptoasset. Investors are exposed to asset volatility but also risk of issuer default.13. The FCA has offered access to Crypto ETNs and has begun to regulate the cryptoasset space in the UK. I therefore no longer need to worry about issues like security risk due to financial crime
I do not want to trade these products
False. Cryptocurrencies are not controlled by an insitution. Though exchanges or products may be regulated, investors are still subject to the risks inherent to the underlying currencies
True. The FCA are regulating crypto meaning the previously inherent risks are being mitigated by stringent regulatory control
False. Cryptocurrencies are based on a decentralised ledger and so cannot be regulated. Security risk is not a factor due to the security controls put in place by the product provider.14. Cryptocurrencies are considered to be complex and can experience significant price voliality because
I do not want to trade these products
The vast majority of cryptoassets are not physically backed and so pricing is determined by investor sentiment. This means that prices can fall as fast as they rise.
Of the changing fluctuation in global markets. With crypto assets being smaller market cap they are significantly more impacted by these changes.
Of the significant processing delays caused by functioning of the underlying blockchain.15. By holding a cryptocurrency ETN you are exposed to the issuer's credit and security risk. If the product you traded failed due to a security breach with the ETN's underlying custodian would your losses be covered by the FSCS?
I do not want to trade these products
My losses would be covered by FSCS protections
My losses would not be covered by FSCS, so my entire investment is at risk.
My losses would be covered by FSCS protections, but only up to GBP85,00.00
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Good to see.Er_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch said:
I can see the ETN on ii, logged into their website. There's a lengthy form you'd have to fill out - an Appropriateness Assessment - it looks as intimidating as a CAFC fan survey. I think you'll get this with any provider - these are the questions and the multiple-choice answers.Diebythesword said:The dollar’s taken a real pummelling in the last few days, wouldn’t be surprised to see it continue to go lower, which would have quite big implications on many of our pension balances as most of us are heavily exposed to US equities. Felt very confident in my us small cap exposure but a lot less sure now. I’d say a monthly close for the DXY around where we are or lower would be pretty bad.Does anyone know any SIPP providers who offer bitcoin ETN? Thinking about taking advantage of much lower prices later this year. Chat gpt seems to only list interactive investor and freetrade… any differences between the two?1. Please confirm that you understand the risk profile of the financial instrument(s) you wish to buy.
Yes
No
Don't know2. Please confirm that you understand that the opportunity to sell a complex financial instrument may be limited and, consequently, your capital may be inaccessible for prolonged periods.
Yes
No
Don't know3. Please confirm that you understand that complex financial instruments generally incorporate a feature (e.g. gearing/leverage) which increases the degree of exposure to an underlying risk - this may lead to you losing a significant proportion (and potentially all) of the amount invested in a short period of time.
Yes
No
Don't know4. I understand that there may only be very limited and/or very complex product literature publicly available for certain financial instruments (e.g. Hedge Funds)
Yes
No
Don't know5. I'm aware that certain financial instruments incorporate a clause, condition, or trigger that could fundamentally alter the nature or risk of the investment or pay out profile (e.g. Capital at Risk Products).
Yes
No
Don't know6. I have read the 'Appendix - Description of Investments and Risk Warnings' in the Terms of Service.
Yes
No
Don't know7. In the last twelve months, have you held any of the following financial instruments (or one of a similar type): Shares, bonds, fixed interest securities?
Yes
No
Don't know8. In the last twelve months, have you held any of the following financial instruments (or one of a similar type): Structured products, structured deposits, Investment Companies, Subscription Shares, Warrants, Convertible Loan Stock, nil paid rights, Exchange Trade Commodities (ETC) or 'over-the-counter' (OTC) shares?
Yes
No
Don't know9. In the last twelve months, have you held any of the following financial instruments (or one of a similar type): Hedge funds, Contracts for Difference (CFDs), Financial Spread Bets (FSBs), futures, options, swaps, or forward rate agreements.
Yes
No
Don't know10. Are you a financial services or investment professional with relevant experience, qualifications, or knowledge of or about this investment type?
Yes
No
Don't know11. Cryptocurrency ETNs produce supplementary documents such as the KID and Prospectus which include information around your investment and your relationship with the issuer. You deem your knowledge and experience of trading or cryptocurrency etns to be:or cryptocurrency ETNs to be:
I do not want to trade these products
This will be my first experience trading cryptocurrency products or cETNs
I have experience trading mainstream assets but have researched cryptoassets and have familiarised myself with the supporting documents for cETNs.
I have traded these products in the past and am comfortable with the way they price and trade.12. By holding a crypto ETN I own a portion of the underlying assets and so am exposed to it's significant volatility. True or False
I do not want to trade these products
True. Crypto ETNs are underlayed by physical holdings of the asset. Therefore as a holder of the underlying asset I'm exposed to it's volatiity.
False. A crypto ETN is a manufactured product created by the issuer. As part of the design, the products have inbuilt controls mitigating risks, to ensure steady sustainable growth
False. A crypto ETN acts as a debt instrument from the issuer, with returns based on the performance of the cryptoasset. Investors are exposed to asset volatility but also risk of issuer default.13. The FCA has offered access to Crypto ETNs and has begun to regulate the cryptoasset space in the UK. I therefore no longer need to worry about issues like security risk due to financial crime
I do not want to trade these products
False. Cryptocurrencies are not controlled by an insitution. Though exchanges or products may be regulated, investors are still subject to the risks inherent to the underlying currencies
True. The FCA are regulating crypto meaning the previously inherent risks are being mitigated by stringent regulatory control
False. Cryptocurrencies are based on a decentralised ledger and so cannot be regulated. Security risk is not a factor due to the security controls put in place by the product provider.14. Cryptocurrencies are considered to be complex and can experience significant price voliality because
I do not want to trade these products
The vast majority of cryptoassets are not physically backed and so pricing is determined by investor sentiment. This means that prices can fall as fast as they rise.
Of the changing fluctuation in global markets. With crypto assets being smaller market cap they are significantly more impacted by these changes.
Of the significant processing delays caused by functioning of the underlying blockchain.15. By holding a cryptocurrency ETN you are exposed to the issuer's credit and security risk. If the product you traded failed due to a security breach with the ETN's underlying custodian would your losses be covered by the FSCS?
I do not want to trade these products
My losses would be covered by FSCS protections
My losses would not be covered by FSCS, so my entire investment is at risk.
My losses would be covered by FSCS protections, but only up to GBP85,00.00
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US markets down today even though some of the big tech companies have been announcing better than expected figures.
And Gold has dropped like a stone over the past hour. It was up 3% this morning to another all time high. Its now down 2.3% on the day. More than a 5% swing.
Scary stuff.0










