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[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Like many people I have a small share portfolio. I run it myself using the share dealing platform X-O.

No overpaid fund managers or other self-important experts, just me. If I f*ck up (and I often do) I have only myself to blame.

I currently have 6 FTSE 100 companies in my portfolio.

Shire.
WPP
National Grid.
Reckitt Benckiser
Astrazeneca
Bank of Ireland.

We all know share dealing comes with the element of risk and the price of  shares go up and down. I'm not risk averse. I've made money and I've lost money. That's life.

However, in the last two weeks every share is showing 'red' on the screen and collectively I'm 5.8% down. This represents more than £2000.

Everyone knows the markets hate uncertainty and I'm wondering how much further the markets are likely to fall. Perhaps the markets will rise again as soon as we vote IN or OUT. Who knows for sure, I certainly don't.

Ride it out?.... or see how much money I can lose and still keep smiling?


One thing I hope for is that whatever the result, it is decisive one way or the other.

A 49/51 result would create as many problems as it solves.

Exciting, isn't it.


 

[tunnie]

I do shares, but via work on sharesave scheme. Initially discounted at 20% then I put in a fixed amount per month up to a defined value.

I then do a 'buy & sell' - The money saved buys the shares at the original discounted price, you then make what ever profit is on the share.

I now have a scheme maturing each year, my first one did well, £5.04 per share, sold them for £10.99 per share.

However I made myself one rule when I started, to sell them as soon as system matures. As other wise you just keep hold of them, you never know when to sell, once they start sliding you will never sell as you have known their previous value. End up with shares for years which are worth very little.

So I'd always get out as quick as possible, if not doing via share save via my salary, I'd do buy/sell over very short periods of time. When Sky lost UEFA rights share price fell by £1.00 overnight, 14 days later it was back were it was.

[STEMO]

What was your starting point? You say you're 5.8% down, which represents >£2K, so the value of your portfolio is circa £40K?
Just wondering, does that show you a profit or loss from your initial investments?
I've often thought of having a dabble on one of these platforms, there are certainly enough of them about. Don't think I'd go near currencies though...and my initial investment would be hundreds rather than thousands.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

What was your starting point? You say you're 5.8% down, which represents >£2K, so the value of your portfolio is circa £40K?
Just wondering, does that show you a profit or loss from your initial investments?
I've often thought of having a dabble on one of these platforms, there are certainly enough of them about. Don't think I'd go near currencies though...and my initial investment would be hundreds rather than thousands.

X-0 seem pretty good.

They charge a flat rate. £5.95 for both buy and sell.

Don't forget the additional charge of the transfer stamp which is usually 0.5%.

Jersey based companies are a good bet as they are transfer stamp exempt at 0%

[STEMO]

Eoropean banks have been all but wiped out over the last months, a lot of it due to negative bond yields and fear of Brexit. A vote to stay could give them a massive boost, but, of course....it's a gamble.

[tigers_gonads]

I'm no expert in making money, nowdays anyway    but I do know that Reckkits have just payed there C.E.O the biggest bonus in the companies history and well beyond what it normally paid in this sector.
I also know that my cousin (who is well up in the industrial chemist section at Reckkits in Hull) has just took out a little loan secured on her half a million pound property and bought more shares in the company at the staff rate 

As for brexit, all shares will wobble for a few years then should pick up again when politicians stop talking shite and the markets stabilise.


And as you lot will know, 500K buys you a bloody big house up here 

[Mister Rog]

What was your starting point? You say you're 5.8% down, which represents >£2K, so the value of your portfolio is circa £40K?
Just wondering, does that show you a profit or loss from your initial investments?
I've often thought of having a dabble on one of these platforms, there are certainly enough of them about. Don't think I'd go near currencies though...and my initial investment would be hundreds rather than of thousands.

I corrected that for you     

[LC0112G]

A 5.5% is normal market 'noise', or perhaps at worst correction.

A 40-50% drop is a normal crash, and happens once every 7-10 years on average. The last one was in 2008, which was 8 years ago

Investing in only 6 FTSE100 companies is very high risk - as Sir Humphrey would say a very brave decision. If it works, and you pick a Microsoft/Apple/LinkedIn then you win big. If you pick Northern Rock, Woolworths, BHS, well you know. Most people with small portfolios do it for dividend income - so they're usually in at least one Cancer stick company (BAT/BAR etc), one bank, one supermarket, one food company etc.

There is no way that a normal punter like you or me will be able to out guess the markets. They will already have priced in all the known or likely risks. And if new information becomes available they will react before you even get a sniff of the story.

I don't like individual shares, or the FTSE100 for that reason. If you want to hold FTSE100, then I'd rather hold a tracker fund - these can have charges in the 0.2% p/a region. However, I'd prefer a world wide balanced set of funds, and that includes things like Global small cap, US, China, India etc. These have world wide income, so if a piddling economy like the UK falls over because some nutters decide to Brexit, then yes it'll impact but not nearly as badly as I thing the FTSE will fare.

In short, don't 'invest' more than you can afford to lose, and DYOR.

[2boxerdogs]

Used to dabble in shares a few years back, got shot of them all when my daughter got married was about £3000 up on initial investment, paid for all wedding expenses. Never got back into it made more with property over the years, just got the one property we're in now till we up & go to Spain.

[Mister Rog]

Used to dabble in shares a few years back, got shot of them all when my daughter got married was about £3000 up on initial investment, paid for all wedding expenses. Never got back into it made more with property over the years, just got the one property we're in now till we up & go to Spain.

I'm curious, will you still go if the vote is for "Out" ?

[2boxerdogs]

Will go regardless, want sunshine &  the beach .

[terry paget]

If we leave now, that will settle things. If we vote to stay, the EU will continue to collapse under the weight of its own contradictions, the euro and the Schengen free movement zone, so we shall have years of instability. Let's leave now.

[STEMO]

If we leave now, that will settle things. If we vote to stay, the EU will continue to collapse under the weight of its own contradictions, the euro and the Schengen free movement zone, so we shall have years of instability. Let's leave now.

Are there many immigrants in Somerset, Terry? Just doesn't seem to sit right if there are.

[Sir Tigger KC]

If we leave now, that will settle things. If we vote to stay, the EU will continue to collapse under the weight of its own contradictions, the euro and the Schengen free movement zone, so we shall have years of instability. Let's leave now.

Are there many immigrants in Somerset, Terry? Just doesn't seem to sit right if there are.

No there are plenty of murders round Terry's way though.     

[ronnyd]

If we leave now, that will settle things. If we vote to stay, the EU will continue to collapse under the weight of its own contradictions, the euro and the Schengen free movement zone, so we shall have years of instability. Let's leave now.

Are there many immigrants in Somerset, Terry? Just doesn't seem to sit right if there are.

No there are plenty of murders round Terry's way though.     

Yeah, but Barnaby is on the case.