sleepless

If they did then we can expect more Child Benefit and support for single Mums

Update on main stock market indices March 7th: FTSE 100 6449 Dow Jones IA 14343 NASDAQ 3226 DAX 30 7940 CAC 40 3795 Nikkei 225 11968 Hang Seng 22771 GBP/USD 1.505 75/92 GBP/EUR 1.15 09/16 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Feb 5th FTSE 100 6282.76 Dow Jones IA 14004.15 NASDAQ 3173.98 DAX 30 7664.66 CAC 40 3694.7 Nikkei 225 11,046.92 Hang Seng 23,148.53 GBP/USD 1.565 09/33 GBP/EUR 1.15 23/31 ==============================

You guys are obviously far more expert at investing than me, I'll just have to console myself with the 26.5% yield

Please provide a link as there is no such stock symbol as IPI on LSE/US/Europe. Investec have a Property Equity fund - a top performing South African based fund.

You'll find most investors do their own research. Its quite easy to see through the type of "advice" you've mentioned.

Who does like chancers that charge a lot?. You can't trade directly without paying stockbroker fees. Fund fees cover trading fees HL don't charge for advice (unless you specifically ask for it) - in fact they split the commission with you. Just about every bank branch has a "financial advisor" which you pay for indirectly - unless of course you don't use banks. So where do you invest that avoids fees?.

Where do you invest then (assuming you have any money)?. Bank savings, houses UK or abroad , gold?. Just interested as you clearly don't like equities.

The fund is one of the most popular and is a core part of many managed funds. Its has been in top quartile performance just about every year. Its 80% invested in the UK. Top 10 holdings account for 57% of the portfolio. Look at the companies - its hardly that risky. If you don't need the money for 4-5 years you can ride out any market storms. 1 ASTRAZENECA PLC 8.82% 2 GLAXOSMITHKLINE 8.06% 3 ROCHE HLDG AG 6.01% 4 BT GROUP 5.56% 5 REYNOLDS AMERICAN INC 5.53% 6 IMPERIAL TOBACCO GROUP 5.06% 7 RECKITT BENCKISER GROUP PLC 4.88% 8 BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO 4.74% 9 BAE SYSTEMS 4.65% 10 CAPITA PLC 3.70% Total 57.01% Well run equity income funds blow savings rates out of the water (where do you think banks invest to get their returns?)

I'm urinated at the pathetic savings rates banks are trying to foist upon us. Don't let them. Not trying to sell anything - just thought it was an interesting alternative (btw my current investment is in Far East Emerging markets) I would rather take a risk on something with a good return than get next to buggerall.

Nice little 4% SP rise today. Its about first time its got over £3 since I bought mid 2010.

Extract from Hargreaves Lansdown http://www.hl.co.uk/funds/neil-woodfords-invesco-perpetual-high-income-fund =============================================================== Neil Woodford's Invesco Perpetual High Income Fund The best performing UK fund since launch in 1988 We have extolled the virtues of equity income since Hargreaves Lansdown was founded in 1981. Equity income focuses on high quality companies with a track record of growing profits and dividends. For those seeking income, the merits of dividends are clear. For growth investors, reinvesting dividends is one of the most powerful (and steady) ways to grow wealth over the long term. Neil Woodford is the quintessential equity income manager. We have been long-term supporters of his Invesco Perpetual High Income Fund, which has just reached its 25-year anniversary. £10,000 invested at launch has provided income of £36,135, and grown capital to over £70,000 With income reinvested the investment would now be worth over £180,000 Investors at launch now receive income yield equivalent to 26.5% of their original investment

Take advantage of it then and make a bit of cash.

Nikk is charging - up 3.77% last night (although it did drop 2% couple of days ago). Have a feeling you'll be getting your deposit back and a bit more before too long. Plus house prices have dropped so having it stashed away from temptation has given you a double advantage.

Got in all back and a bit more now.

If you are serious about an income portfolio check out Hargreaves Lansdown www.hl.co.uk Loads of useful advice and information. The safest way is probably a UK income fund which invests in a range of high yielding UK equities. Their Wealth 150 is a selection of more popular funds eg Artemis Income (Retail) Invesco Perpetual High Income Invesco Perpetual Income JO Hambro UK Equity Income Liontrust Macro Equity Income (Class R) Marlborough Multi Cap Income Neptune Income (Class A) PSigma Income Rathbone Income Threadneedle UK Equity Alpha Income Troy Trojan Income (Class I)

If you are able to tie your savings up for 5 years then equity funds in the way to go it. Far East Emerging markets and Japan are my choices atm.

Have you guys been watching Utopia?. Anyway if it is fixed then get in the game and use it to your advantage.

will bump this thread every month or so.. Here are main indices at Feb 5th FTSE 100 6282.76 Dow Jones IA 14004.15 NASDAQ 3173.98 DAX 30 7664.66 CAC 40 3694.7 Nikkei 225 11,046.92 Hang Seng 23,148.53 GBP/USD 1.565 09/33 GBP/EUR 1.15 23/31

''As goes January so goes the rest of the year'' Adrian Lowcock | 4 February 2013 ''As goes January so goes the rest of the year'' The FTSE 100 rose an impressive 6.3% last month. The world of investing is littered with sayings and superstitions, one of which is that the market's performance in January sets the tone for the remainder of the year. According to the saying, if the market rises in January it will also be higher at the end of the year than the start and vice versa. In 20 out of the 29 years since the FTSE 100's inception it followed the saying. However, it can be dangerous to set too much store by a relatively weak trend. The FTSE 100 fell 6.4% in January 2009, but those sitting out the rest of the year would have missed a 22.1% gain over the whole year. Similarly there are years when the market has disappointed following a buoyant January. Stock market sayings are a result of the human desire to find order and patterns in random numbers, but often ignore the events around them that cause share prices to rise and fall. This year, as ever, it is difficult to predict how the market will perform. There are a number of questions to ask: Is the market good value at its current level? What is the outlook for company profits? What effect will politics have, especially in the euro zone and US? The answers are not straightforward, and therefore in my view it is better to take a longer-term view and avoid trying to time the market. That said, I do believe the UK market looks fair value at present, and shares certainly look cheap against some other asset classes such as gilts and corporate bonds. Given continued low returns on cash, shares are starting to appeal to many new investors who can afford to and are prepared to take on the additional risk. Although the economic outlook remains weak in the UK it is improving elsewhere in the world, and the euro zone debt situation appears less of a concern (at least for now).

My portfolio has just been knocked 5% today

What exactly do you want advice about ?. Living in London or Kent Getting married or not Having kids or not What sort of car to buy should you need one Whether you should both work after moving or having kids How much to spend on getting married, housing etc Only you and your partner can answer those questions. When you are certain what you want to do you'll get plenty of relevant advice

Risky, but if you don't need the money for a few years then to my mind the answer for savers is to get into Emerging market funds. Its the only game in town given current savings rates.

Looks like a nice boy. Is this a swingers party?

US close: Dow caps 14,000 mark for first time in five years Fri 01 February 2013 23:30 A A A Dow 14,010 (+1.08%) Nasdaq 3,179 (+1.17%) S&P 500 1,513 (+0.99%) US stocks rallied on Friday lifting the Dow Jones Industrial Average above the 14,000 mark, representing the highest level achieved since 2007. The fifth straight week of gains in the core US index was underpinned by the publication of strong jobs and manufacturing data. Newly released data from the US Labor Department gave cause for celebration, with figures revealing that payrolls rose by 157,000 in January. This followed a revised gain of 196,000 in December and 247,000 in November. Meanwhile, the rate of unemployment across the country contracted by 0.1 percentage points to 7.8% month-on-month while the average hourly earnings of all employees rose 0.2%, twice the predicted 0.1%. The Nasdaq Composite added 36.97 points and the S&P 500 rose by 0.99%.

Looks like its all gloom & doom and prices can only go down. If so the time to buy is approaching. (unfortunately the £ euro exchange rate has bloxed that up)