is it worth investing money,

[Alfred]

Some years ago anyone that had a few spare bob could then put their money in an I.S.A,  and sadly  since that time investing money anywhere is virtually and almost a non starter,


although some member's of my family decided to invest in stocks and shares nothing new there, as peaks and troughs can seesaw up, and down, and investing in something where you might get a better return for your money simply by investing in long term stocks and shares ,could be useful ,


assuming you wont have to draw on your investment as your money will be tied up for several years, so is it worth the risk, looking at banks and various saving plans gives little in return as the % rate is almost rock bottom, so is it worth investing money ,..... not like it used to be,




Q; So where does any one invest the few spare bob that could earn them a little extra,.
 as the government doesn't want us to save but rather to spend to help the economy,
so what thoughts do you have when it comes to investing your money,.do you have any tips or good advice to share,.

[Traveller]

In the past I did pretty well from FTSE100 guaranteed equity bonds, but I think the market is too high now to see a lot of gain.   ISAs are no longer as attractive since the interest rate is low first £1k of savings interest is tax free anyway. 

I make a few bob by using the bank's Monthly saver accounts. The amount is limited to £250 in TSB and £400 a month in Lloyds, but it's better than nothing.  Some banks will also give interest on balances up to around £3k.

[Ashy]

At our ages it is probably better to buy something with spare momey that makes your life easier or better. You struggle to get 2% from any bank these days, less than inflation.

[digitalis]

Maybe the idea of 'good growth' has to be forgotten. Returns are lower,but such is everything else...so just stay with it. Of greater concern is that getting any interest growth is becoming more difficult. Thus we are encouraged to 'get that little bit extra' by going on-line,especially as banks are closing branches almost everywhere. We then see that we might get 'that small but significant 1% interest rate' by disclosing all our monies/savings to a typed computer system....wherein one digit out,a false site might take all that money from us. Let's face it,we are not as bright and young as what we were. And clever people and clever people are out there to make sure we lose,they win. Apologies for being negative,but in a case,say,of losing 100k to some scam do you think you are going to win a court case against a bank and its legal team of 200 lawyers! If you think you are,good luck. That might take 20 years of hard slog. And,you'd have to come back from the dead! With fake screens,computer hackers,fat finger and wot-not,clsoing banks and the invitation to go online,I'd say the time is now to stay well clear. Cant reference the article,but read the head of cyber crime and computer science who teaches at Oxford asked whether he did banking on line with investments....he said NO. He didn't trust it. Need I say more.

[brian54]

My daughters and granddaughter take my spare money. I generally save to replace my car and for house maintenance ect.
Their mortgages are paid and my daughters
are contributing to pensions and they Avc contributions so they will not starve in their old age.

[granny moss]

When studying to be an accountant, I was fascinated by the Stock exchange and the Money buying that some banks do. Buying and selling currency is a great hobby but requires good acumen...My uncle was an underwriter at Lloyds...but that needs a large deposit ! Buying and selling commodities is a killer....requires great stamina and brains....I still go for bricks and mortar....Micky and I did OK with that....or land? in the area where developers would like to build? gmx

[Scrumpy]

Over the years I made a few bob in shares .. ISA is not attractive anymore .
I think Premium Bonds can give a good return ..If you’re lucky .

[fortyone]

The catch is in those last four words - if you are lucky. The prize % makes the paltry returns from savings accounts look generous. The lottery offers a  good return if you are lucky but I wouldn't put it high on my pension planning or investment list.


The really annoying thing with premium bonds is that they require probate to pay out even reasonably modest sums if you die and still have money with them.

[sueboo]

I have had Premium Bonds for years and not won a dickybird .  Won't get rid of them now just in case!!


Best thing we did was buy property, the rent gives us a comfortable life and have a nice nest egg when we decide to sell them.

[JCBDriver]

I have been investing in the Sock Market since my mid 20's.
Over the long term it provides a much better return than any other form of saving.
Since retirement I have moved from individual shares to ETF's which takes away the need for day to day management.

I moved my Pension money into a self managed SIPP when I retired and have had a good result so far.

I have also stared accounts for my grandchildren which I manage and am pleased with the growth so far. They are in a Bare Trust wrapper so should provided a tidy sum when they turn 18. May intention was to give them the flexibility to deal with Uni fees so they dont come out with large debt at the end of their course.

Investment in India and the Asia area seem to be providing the best returns at the moment. However as these investment platforms always say the market is fluid so investments may go down as well as up. Placing monies for the longer term seems to be the answer!

[Ashy]

The moral of the story is, don't invest in lifts.

[sparky]

As I have never been lucky with gambling, which shares can be, I have never considered them, and the amount of time some folk seem to spend checking how theirs have done, is not something I could be bothered with, so I stick to 1 or 2 year bonds at the best rate I can find, fully aware that with inflation, I lose a bit each year, but until there is an interest rise I just accept the loss as though I have spent a bit out of that particular investment bond.

[Bobcat]

Investing is highly personalised to the person investing - one size does not fit all. The major factors IMO are

how much risk are you prepared to take

what is your timescales

will you need immediate access to your investments

what are your objectives i.e. what are you investing for

[granny moss]

Very interesting thread...or post for discussion. gmx

[brian54]

I get repremanded sometimes by older people  for paying the bills for meals we have out as a family.
I think why not pay. I am 70 and have a decent secure pension. There is not much point being the richest man in the graveyard.