Savings and Investments thread

Someone needs the money

Even better odds off winning in tomorrow's draw and more prizes.

Good luck!

Current and new Premium Bonds prize fund rate and odds

Prize fund rate for August 2023 prize draw	Odds for August 2023 prize draw	New prize fund rate (from September 2023)	New odds (from September 2023)
4.00% tax-free	22,000 to 1	4.65% tax-free	21,000 to 1

Number and value of Premium Bonds prizes

Value of prizes in August 2023	Number of prizes in August 2023	Value of prizes in September 2023 (estimated)	Number of prizes in September 2023 (estimated)
£1,000,000	2	£1,000,000	2
£100,000	77	£100,000	90
£50,000	154	£50,000	181
£25,000	307	£25,000	360
£10,000	769	£10,000	902
£5,000	1,538	£5,000	1,803
£1,000	16,182	£1,000	18,832
£500	48,546	£500	56,496
£100	1,874,218	£100	2,339,817
£50	1,874,218	£50	2,339,817
£25	1,700,728	£25	1,027,604
Total £404,560,900	Total 5,516,739	Total £470,827,650	Total 5,785,904

Dippenhall said:

golfaddick said:

Oh_Yoni_Boy said:

golfaddick said:

Oh_Yoni_Boy said:

golfaddick said:

Oh_Yoni_Boy said:

mendonca said:

Oh_Yoni_Boy said:

Done a little review and have taken a bit of a hammering in my UK real estate fund, asleep at the wheel to not see that one coming... Think it's a case of get out whilst there's still a chance?

Give us some numbers?

Talking -18% last year, -10% year before that, -22% last 12 months. Stinker

What fund are you in ?  As I said, last 12-18 months have been bad for UK property funds, but before then some were doing really well. My main recommended fund was L&G property which had made gains in most years since 2016. Some funds have closed completely and its taken over a year to get the money out.  

abrdn UK Real Estate Share Fund is the one that I'm talking about above.

Gut reaction is that it's followed the base rate pretty closely so should have bottomed out (if you think BoE won't raise it more/much more) and will have the upcoming housing market slump priced in as people trickle off their 2-year fixes... Doesn't explain the poor performance before that though.

Still, just my own amateur opinions and the track record over the past 12-18months is woeful which shows you what I know - mainly because of this mob and UK small companies (Ninety One UK Smaller Companies I Acc Net GBP).

The main reason is that you are in a fund that invests in property companies and NOT in property itself. Also it has nothing to do with base rates, simply the companies that Aberdeen invest in. 

If you are investing into a property fund you need to be investing into a fund that invests directly into bricks & mortar - usually in this case Funds will be invested into Retail Parks, High Street shops & offices and some companies invest into Student lets & rental properties. 

I have to ask - why did you invest into this fund ?  The only reason why you should be investing into property is as a diversifier. And, as I said above, property in this case is physical property and not property company shares. 

Aberdeen do a physical property fund. Same name as the one you are inversed in, just without the "shares" at the end. 

To be honest, a mate who started out as a financial advisor set me up early-mid 2010's - comfortable 10-14% annualised return for a long while so didn't question any of the funds.

Only now it's got a bit hairy and the rationale for the portfolio is anyone's guess - except its meant to be med-high risk. Might inbox you if that's alright so to not derail the thread too much!

Yes, thanks for the DM. 

This is not only to you but anyone else who is invested in funds - they should be regularly reviewed. Not only for performance but to see if your overall "portfolio" still meets your attitude to risk.

Even over the past 18 months funds that were previously "top dogs" are now going backwards rapidly. Big tech stocks in the US went ballistic after the pandemic then fell out of favour last year. Equity income funds did well last year but are now been overtaken by Growth funds. As for Bonds.....just a complete nitemare atm. 

A "regular review" is what keeps advisers in business and results in 90% of investors getting in at the top and selling at the bottom.

Yeah, we are the lowest of the low. Even below that of double glazing salesmen & Estate Agents. How do we sleep at night..........

£300 for me.

3 x £25 & 2 x £50 for me, nought for herself.

Decided to cash some in after today's results and put it in the 1 year bond paying 6%.

Just the £25 for me

Just £100 

My best month so far with 4 x £100

RaplhMilne said:

Can you cash in, and transfer to the new one year bond all online. Or does the cashed in funds have to come back to your account first. 

I’ve cashed in some & it’s gone into my account, once in, I’ll put it into the one year bond.

£250 for me. Zilch for Margaret.

Zero for us this month but had cashed in the majority we held & invested in fixed rate cash Isas. 

Is the NS&I bond interest taxable?

bobmunro said:

PragueAddick said:

First a little tip if you are planning to invest in one of NSI's new one year bonds at cracking rates.

Unlike bank accoutns with similar products, you have to have all your money you wish to invest, ready to pay in as you open it. You can either pay by debit card from your nominated account, or if you have an NSI Direct Saver you can move your money there. But if like me you are gathering up the money from various other accounts, you need to do that first before applying.

That's a bit clumsy; but the good news is you can open up to ten accounts of the same type, so longas , as the nice lady reminded me, I don't exceed the total of £1mil. I told her that as I only got £150 in the latest draw there is no chance of that

Got some juggling to do though - but I think it's worth it. Rather have a lot in NSI than some of these smaller banks. 

Also, depending on how much you have to invest in the 1 year bond (or indeed any other NS&I product) of course, the protection of all of your investment rather than £85k is a not insignificant benefit. 

Although I understand savers concern with regard the £85k compensation limit i would say that any UK Government would do everything in its power to stop a UK bank going bust, like they did in 2008 - so much so we (the UK taxpayer) have been paying for it ever since in the form of the bail out of the Lloyds banking group.

I really don't think the compo limit should be that much if a concern to savers 

golfaddick said:

bobmunro said:

PragueAddick said:

First a little tip if you are planning to invest in one of NSI's new one year bonds at cracking rates.

Unlike bank accoutns with similar products, you have to have all your money you wish to invest, ready to pay in as you open it. You can either pay by debit card from your nominated account, or if you have an NSI Direct Saver you can move your money there. But if like me you are gathering up the money from various other accounts, you need to do that first before applying.

That's a bit clumsy; but the good news is you can open up to ten accounts of the same type, so longas , as the nice lady reminded me, I don't exceed the total of £1mil. I told her that as I only got £150 in the latest draw there is no chance of that

Got some juggling to do though - but I think it's worth it. Rather have a lot in NSI than some of these smaller banks. 

Also, depending on how much you have to invest in the 1 year bond (or indeed any other NS&I product) of course, the protection of all of your investment rather than £85k is a not insignificant benefit. 

Although I understand savers concern with regard the £85k compensation limit i would say that any UK Government would do everything in its power to stop a UK bank going bust, like they did in 2008 - so much so we (the UK taxpayer) have been paying for it ever since in the form of the bail out of the Lloyds banking group.

I really don't think the compo limit should be that much if a concern to savers 

I would like to correct you on the 2008 Lloyds situation. Gordon Brown basically lied and conned Eric Daniels (Lloyds CEO) into a swift and basically short on diligence deal to takeover the Halifax.  Halifax was completely stuffed and was within days of going under, as had Northern Rock a few months earlier. The Government did not want to be seen taking over the Halifax hence pushing Lloyds into one of the worst financial deals in banking history. I believe Lloyds were under the impression that Halifax were £10 Billion in trouble, Lloyds had this covered. Infact Halifax was more like £22 Billion wrong, and that Lloyds couldn’t cover.

As for the Taxpayer paying for it. I was a Lloyds Staff member, I held shares and had options worth over £60,000. Shares were around £5. By the time Gordon Brown finished stitching Lloyds up they were 25p. My £60,000 was now £3,000. I think you will find the real people who paid were Lloyds Shareholders, not the tax payers.