Not an ideal situation for anyone retiring shortly and wanting to take 25% straight away, but my US tracker is down to where it was in ~Feb 2024. Still 18% up over April 2023. It could certainly be / get a lot worse but it's not that bad considering the gains since covid.
My ISA, which is about 18 months old, went negative today. 😭
Another helpful vid
As above, those about to draw down pension or who have only just invested - I feel your pain.
But this is a long haul game
As per the video 👆 zoom out.
There are a couple of things in there that video that I need to consider once things recover (I.e. derisking some of it) as I'm not *too* many years away from when I'd ideally like to retire
I think the idea that the stock market always bounces back is a dangerous assumption to make. What you have to remember is that the finance industry in it's current form is largely a ponzi scheme. There is very little money actually going towards investment and entrepreneurship, which is what the finance industry is supposed to be there for. Its increasing value is entirely reliant on new money coming in and that new money is starting to dry up.
Once we give these people our money (or rather, once we buy ETFs) then that allows the prices to increase across the board which in turn allows the people employed in finance to circulate the money in a closed loop and extract their rent from it.
These tariffs are a symptom of all this. People realise the money is running out and are voting more and more erratically hoping that someone has the magic formula to start innovating and generating real societal value again. Problem is, that's not going to happen (unless something like the business lending industry of the industrial revolution or the consumer lending industry that characterised much of the 20th century happens but I can't think of anything would lead to that kind of shakeup).
The problem with zooming out is that if you zoom out too far you realise that we are in an unsustainable state that is going to be corrected at some point in the future.
I think the idea that the stock market always bounces back is a dangerous assumption to make.
I suppose one day they might not but so far they have every single time. A big crash every ten years or so, then bounced back, a mid size correction every few years, bounced back, a few dips every year, bounced back. If you are a betting man then only one option is highly likely.
I will agree that it is a crap system and lots of people are making a lot of money out of it. Would love to see something better and fairer but that isn't happening anytime soon.
True, although some bounces are faster than others:
Anyway, according to WallStreetBets (because honestly this is as sane a place to get financial analysis as anywhere else these days) today is a day for keeping an eye on 'Basis pair Trades'.
Here's a link to the FT for those of you who are too highfalutin to hang about on reddit:
https://www.ft.com/content/0005e091-930d-46ff-9e81-8591704a9282
i think we all agree its a flawed system that favors the brave / foolish.
But in the short term (i.e the time you have to invest) its a bet.
Breaking: China to impose additional tariffs of 84 per cent on U.S. goods
China will impose 84 per cent tariffs on U.S. goods from Thursday, up from the 34 per cent previously announced, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.
I'm still holding uninvested cash in a staocks and shares ISA (getting 4.6% interest)...
Looking to buy into this but I'm going to hold for now!
@mattyfez - good stuff. I have a few Vanguard products and they generally perform really well. Like others have said, it's a good buying opportunity and also like my Gran used to say; 'it's an ill wind that blows nobody good'!
@mattyfez - good stuff. I have a few Vanguard products and they generally perform really well. Like others have said, it's a good buying opportunity and also like my Gran used to say; 'it's an ill wind that blows nobody good'!
I'm not buying yet!!!!! 😆
One tip I've discovered - its cheaper to buy vanguard funds via T212 stocks and shares ISA than Vanguards own platform.
Sense check for someone considering dipping their toes into S&S (like VWRP above): From what I've read I can transfer a portion of my T212 cash ISA into a T212 S&S ISA and that process is quick as within T212? I then have the choice of selecting a global index like VWRP within the S&S ISA, and then forgetting about it for several years?
Or have I misunderstood (feel like I've read/watched so much over the past few months that I'm overloaded and now questioning everything)?
Sense check for someone considering dipping their toes into S&S (like VWRP above): From what I've read I can transfer a portion of my T212 cash ISA into a T212 S&S ISA and that process is quick as within T212? I then have the choice of selecting a global index like VWRP within the S&S ISA, and then forgetting about it for several years?
Or have I misunderstood (feel like I've read/watched so much over the past few months that I'm overloaded and now questioning everything)?
I've not tried it, but I can't see why it won't be a quick transfer - one other thing with the T212 S&S ISA - you can put cash into it and leave it 'uninvested', and tick the 'pay interest' option, currently 4.6% IIRC - presumable then it will just act like a cash ISA until you want to buy into a vanguard ETF or whatever... thats what I've done for the moment, anyway...now I wait!
Stay away from thier "CFD" account though... That's really gambling and 70%+ people actually lose money on that!
The market manipulation now is so blatant I'm not even angry about it.
I'm impressed, if anything.
The market manipulation now is so blatant I'm not even angry about it.
I'm impressed, if anything.
It was preffy F*****g obvious, to be fair... Trump, musk etc...they sold before all this crapola started... and they will buy back in when they can buy their stock back 30% or more discount.
Musk crying in the media that Telsa shares are tanking are just crocodile tears... they will be buying back in, and heavy.
It's like insider trading, but you have the president of the country running the same play-book. So it's not 'insider trading', it's all totally legal, because who is going to fire the president of the USA? He's a rapist and convicted fraudster x 34, and people still voted for him.
As far as I know Donald Jr is in charge of the orange shitgibbon's 'blind' trust.
With options trading people have made billions just today.
It's going to be a long 4 years.
It is blatant, he literally posted "THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!" a few hours before announcing a pause on tariffs.
It is blatant, he literally posted "THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!" a few hours before announcing a pause on tariffs.
He's announced a pause? Shows how fast things can move... But why would he pause when China has doubled down? Has the penny actually dropped... Or is it all part of his game? And will trump bang more tariffs on tomorrow?
It's so unstable as these aren't 'market forces at play'.. It's Trump thinking he's playing Poker, and he's just 'checked' rather than 'raised'.
Now is the time for the rest of the world to really punish the USA... you can't be acting like that as head of state.
But why would he pause when China has doubled down?
Paused for all except China as I understand it
Has the SEC been disbanded yet? Unbelievable....
I'm rich! 😉 (for at least 90 days). I'll be looking back on this tiny investment in my ISA in 20 years time (after a few more booms and busts i guess) and I'll be able to buy an extra beer or loaf of bread in 2045. 🤔😂
Ive got a couple of K waiting to invest. theres no way im doing it at this point. Let all this start to settle for a few weeks.
i dont see him backing down yet.
Decide on your long term strategy, diversify your investments, rebalance according to your strategy, and stick with it. Ignore the noise.
Very much doubt those in the know and his hedge fund manager buddies will be buying actual stock, its all spread betting and derivatives massively magnifying their actual gains. Its shameless market manipulation for personal gain.
With the possible greenland tariffs and risk of US treasury bonds being dropped in retaliation , is now the time to pull everything out of a stocks and shares ISA and put the money somewhere safe?
Don't say that.... I'm only just starting! 🤣
With the possible greenland tariffs and risk of US treasury bonds being dropped in retaliation , is now the time to pull everything out of a stocks and shares ISA and put the money somewhere safe?
Too late if you didnt dump on Friday 🤣
With the possible greenland tariffs and risk of US treasury bonds being dropped in retaliation , is now the time to pull everything out of a stocks and shares ISA and put the money somewhere safe?
Could be; nobody knows. Better to have a rebalancing strategy. Bonds should generally be in your home currency to avoid exchange rate risk.
Well, people were saying pull out when Trump started all of the original tariff nonsense.
Saw a dip, then it rallied way higher.
My investments have done incredibly well this year despite all the nonsense/uncertainty.
I'll say it again as I have before:
Time in the market. Not timing the market.
Regular investments over the *long* term. low fee balanced managed funds and index trackers FTW.
Just put your money in, ride the waves and hopefully watch it grow.
Someone will be along in a minute to tell me I'm wrong/boring.
I wondered if this warrants a new ISA thread in its own right, but let's go with the existing one for now. Its more Cash ISA related than S&S, to be honest.
Background. Its now mid March, so the new year 2026 ISA season is coming up fast. I currently make £150 monthly subscriptions to a S&S ISA, which leaves me £18200 available as the balance of the annual allowance, which I'll put into a Cash ISA . That's then my 2026/27 'new' subscription all used up. I'm fine with understanding that.
The question is this. I have some cash in a relatively low-rate Nationwide ISA (variable, currently 2.75%) but they're now offering just over 4% in various fixed-period Cash ISAs too, ie 1, 2, 3, 5 year fixed.Can I also transfer from the low-rate account to one of the fixed ones, given that the money involved in that was put into the ISA wrapper in a previous year, ie it won't count as part of the 2026 allowance?
(My belief is Yes, but can anyone confrm I'm right, please?) I'm aware there's some slightly better rates than 4% available with various other providers, but frankly I cba spreading my affairs around even more; I've got enough financial apps as it is. Happy to stick with the ones I'm already involved in.
Surely the Nationwide will be able to tell you whether you can legally "transfer" your existing ISA product rather than open a "new" ISA product...
If you had bought SPX on the day this thread was started then you would have bought the exact bottom and you would currently be up ~35% (although, that's assuming that the market opens where it closed on Friday, which doesn't seem likely!)
I've been watching Dow futures this evening, something spooked the US markets at 21h, this is going to be an interesting week.
something spooked the US markets at 21h,
Plenty going on in the Middle East at the moment 😉
Yeah but checking live feeds the shit that hit the fan was Ali's appointment as guide supreme.
https://fr.investing.com/commodities/brent-oil-streaming-chart
Think I'll bump the retirement thread. 😉
Can I also transfer from the low-rate account to one of the fixed ones, given that the money involved in that...
Yes. As you say the key thing is to transfer it, don't take it out and try to put it back in.
Done, thanks @thegeneralist, it was a piece of cake on the Nationwide app. I'll suggest to Mrs Lawman to do the same with some money in a low-rate cash account that she's got, too.
I've been watching Dow futures this evening, something spooked the US markets at 21h, this is going to be an interesting week.
Oil prices at a 4 year high due to an orangutan’s ego.
