Can anyone give me investment advice?

[Jonny69]

Rumours are going round that now is a good time to invest in the US either in dollars or in shares in US companies. Favourable rates with the dollar mean we get a lot for our money right now.

I have a little bit sat in savings in a 5% account that I am slowly saving up to a house deposit in probably 2-3 years so I don't need it immediately but it would be nice to build it up a bit more than the interest rate if I have the opportunity.

I did a back of a fag-packet calculation and if I were to buy £6K of dollars at 2 dollars to the pound, wait for a year or 2 until it's like 1.8 dollars to the pound it might make me £650 not including transfer fees, commission etc. However I have no idea what costs are involved.

Can anyone advise what I might do with it?

[leowyatt]

Well US companies I'd purchase shares in if they are available is either Apple of Google :)

[LeperousDust]

Well US companies I'd purchase shares in if they are available is either Apple of Google :)

Surely theyre too expensive to bother with now. As in you should have purchased them year ago when they weren't so certain?

Johhny, if youve got a few k to invest see a financial advisor, my mum and dad are from from posh (well we live in liverpool :D hehe) and we don't make oodles of money at all, but my dad has a financial advisor, and he's only ever buggered up once, and by that i mean he pulled us out early saving money but not actually making any extra in 5 years or whatever. Seems a nice guy he makes his money and dad makes some extra from his. My dad has probably over 20k+ lying around with him now (but that is after 40odd years of saving since hes a hermit... But he's invested a few grand at a time in different schemes.

Check em out anyways, im sure loads would give you a free consultation :)

I also suspect this high dollar price is over estimated, it will soon level out and tbh hasn't it been around 1.9 for ages anyways? After fees etc... and the risk i doubt you'd be making much more than savings account interest (which is much much safer surely?).

Given my above post, i don't really know anything inparticular just things i've picked up over the years, so my advice is served with salt :p

[Davey_Pitch]

I also suspect this high dollar price is over estimated, it will soon level out and tbh hasn't it been around 1.9 for ages anyways?

Over the past 3-4 years I've seen it drop as low as 1.6x, with 2 being the highest. When we went to Florida last year it was around 1.8 or so.

[Matblack]

Heres some good advice


Don't take investment advice from friends if you want them to stay your friends


Seriously, go and pay someone whos job it is to know what they are talking about to help you or use one of the trusted means of investment. Any investment is by nature a gamble and if you can't afford to loose the money you shouldn't be gambling with it ;)

I don't mean to be patronising, just be carefull :)

MB

[LeperousDust]

Good advice MB :)

[leowyatt]

MB speaks the truth, go see someone who knows what they are talking about. I just gave the names of 2 companies which are doing well and I'd hope would give a return on shares, but seriously make an appointment and talk to someone in the know :)

[Jonny69]

Is it worth it for that little amount? I have 6K but it would need to make quite a bit if I have to cover someone's fees. I might just leave it in the savings account.

[Matblack]

Is it worth it for that little amount? I have 6K but it would need to make quite a bit if I have to cover someone's fees. I might just leave it in the savings account.

I'd probably lock it up in an ISA, to be honest if there was an easy garenteed way to make a high return with no risk someone would have found it by now and no one would be putting it in bank accounts. Its only when you get up to large quantities of cash that you get better returns. Its not very fair but thats life :undecided:

MB

[Jonny69]

Yeah that's the way I'm looking at it now.

[leowyatt]

Surely theyre too expensive to bother with now. As in you should have purchased them year ago when they weren't so certain?

Johnny what did you do in the end??

Apple shares are now $132.34 up from $93.51 an increase of around 42% in 2 1/2 months and a given really since the iPhone was due to launch. They'll climb even higher with the leopard launch at the end of the year.

Google shares are now $541.63 up from $479.06 which isn't as much as Apple and yes they are more expensive but certainly around 15%.

What people need to remember is shares are like property 10 years ago people wouldn't have dreamt of paying such high prices for properties so now they can sell them on as their prices increase. It's great if you can buy them for a low price but others which are pretty likely to increase in value i.e. Apple would have been a good investment for Johnny if he could afford enough. If he had invested say £2k he would now be looking at a return of a profit around £750 today to invest into something else.

EDIT: Just seen you had 6k so you'd be looking at a total of £8250 today. An ISA is the safe thing to do with that kind of money but I personally would have invested some and kept a close eye on it and sold if things started to go south.

Given my above post, i don't really know anything inparticular just things i've picked up over the years, so my advice is served with salt :p

Glad you said that :p

[mejinks]

Investment advice you say?

Dear Mr/mrs Johnny, suffering from serious ailment. I am married to Engineer Silas…….. an Englishman who is dead. My husband was into private practice all his life before his death. Our life together as man and wife lasted for three decades without child. My husband died after a protracted illness. My husband and I made a vow to uplift the down-trodden and the less-privileged individuals as he had passion for persons who can not help themselves due to physical disability or financial predicament. I can adduce this to the fact that he needed a Child from this relationship, which never came.

When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of 10 Million (Ten Million Great Britain Pounds Sterling which were derived from his vast estates and investment in capital market with his bank here in UK. Presently, this money is still with the Bank. Recently, my Doctor told me that I have limited days to live due to the cancerous problems I am suffering from. Though what bothers me most is the stroke that I have in addition to the ailment. With this hard reality that has befallen my family, and me I have decided to donate this fund to you and want you to use this gift which comes from my husbands effort to fund the upkeep of widows, widowers, orphans, destitute, the down-trodden, physically challenged children, barren-women and persons who prove to be genuinely handicapped financially.


It is often said that blessed is the hand that giveth. I took this decision because I do not have any child that will inherit this money and my husband relatives are bourgeois and very wealthy persons and I do not want my husband's hard earned money to be misused or invested into ill perceived ventures. I do not want a situation where this money will be used in an ungodly manner, hence the reason for taking this bold decision. I am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going. I know that I am going to be with the Almighty when I eventually pass on. The Almighty will fight my case and I shall hold my peace. I do not need any telephone communication in this regard due to my deteriorating health and because of the presence of my husband's relatives around me. I do not want them to know about this development. With God all things are possible.


As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the bank in UK. I will also issue you a Letter of Authority that will empower you as the original beneficiary of this fund. Due to banking practices in UK, they will need a sum of one thousand Great Britain Pounds Sterling. My happiness is that I lived a life worthy of emulation. Please always be prayerful all through your life. Please assure me that you will act just as I have stated herein. Hope to hear from you soon and God bless you and members of your family. Reply to my mail through my email address.

The contact at the bank is Mr Islawambada Brohimbo-Jones, he is a very nice man who you can place all your trust in.

From Mike Steve

[leowyatt]

;D hahaha nice one Jinks

[mejinks]

;D hahaha nice one Jinks


/bows

I was bored this morning and I have an active imagination.

[Jonny69]

I did nothing with it, just left it in my savings account at about 5%. I feel poor now :(