PaulC72

I would max out my complete premium bond allowance for me, the wife and kids, that'll see it all off and it will be safer than in any bank and the potential return is possibly not too bad either, but I always did like safe

ronjeramy

iTrader: (1)

Have you seen the returns on Premium Bonds recently? They have reduced the prizes considerably, not that great a investment, only plus is its safe, but then so is the same amount you have with any Bank or Building society in the UK

SunnySideUp

Property is, without doubt, the best place for a return right now.

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

I had an offer accepted on a property today,


Trouble is it's in deep dark essex.

Spooky Mulder

Upside is that you can rent it out to a couple of tasty Essex Girls

PS Lloyds are doing a high rate saver account at 4%.

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

That was indeed the plan.

noobyscooby

Property prices will probably blip in March, April and possibly May, but then the fall will continue. There's another 20% drop to come over the next 12 months as Britain slides fully into a depression. It is perfectly possible house prices will have halved by the end of 2010.

There are many more people actively looking at properties this quarter than in the last quarter of last year, but house sales are still running at about 1/10th of where they were because whilst folk are looking, they are not buying.

The rental market has died too in most places and rents have softened. I know a house let for several years at £1600 pcm has been empty for a while and let this week for just £925.

I know another let for ten years with a final rent of £1500 pa, now on offer for £1100 - and this is a beautiful riverside cottage.

And the one next door to it has been on the rental market for 1 month and has only had 2 viewings with no takers.

And we haven't yet seen the forced sales coming through like the Americans have. Whilst Brown witters on about repossesions being a last resort, folk are handing over their keys on negative equity and walking off.

No, I'd keep my powder [and my money] dry and sit tight for a while yet.

Terzo 333

Thanks for the replies but this has mainly turned into a property debate

I have 100k cold hard cash that I want to invest in a bank, the question is, which one would you advise ?

Ta !

Timwinner

iTrader: (3)

In that case, If its a safe ish option I would pick Barclays or HSBC, If you want to split it and have a punt I would look towards NAB (National Australian bank)

SunnySideUp

We were trying to advice you on a better monthly return with a possible real capital increase ..... but, if it's Banks you want - NR is Government owned and safe.

I'm getting 4% on my INGDirect account, and that's pretty safe (hopefully!)

EddScott

I'm quite keen on these total return funds that have appeared over recent years - rather than attempting to outperform their class or a certain indicies which could end lower than they started meaning that altough it looks good on paper it may not do so in reality - they aim to beat say base rate for instance (not hard one would suggest at the moment) Google total return, target return - theres a difference.

They tend not to be "rocket fuel" as my MD likes to say but they have faired better than others during the recent downturn.

With 100K to be invested other than property you need a good IFA who will asses your attitude to risk and build a portfolio of asset classes based on that risk and not just the flavour of the month funds he's read about in the pinks. And one that will re-visit your funds every 3/6 months not just fire and forget.

Matteeboy

Edd - thanks! I think I understood that.

Currently got cash in HSBC (fully ISA'd up in HSBC) and NR. Both have ****e interest rates at the moment. Boo hoo.
But it "feels" like it's safe at least.

3times

Investec 1 year Bull or Bear product - only 50k though.

You decide if you are a Bull or Bear, so whether the FTSE goes up or down. Max pay out 8% then reducing to 6%, 4% with a bigger spread. Downside is you only get your money back if it performs outside the set parameters.

davegtt

If you want a good return on your money I can give the number of a Columbian drug lord???

I agree with the, invest it in property IF its a long term investment.

Banks offering "HIGH interest rates of 4%" I fail to see the return you'll get from giving someone £100k of your own cash.

p.s. I would have put £100k on that tennis bet too if I had it

EddScott

Structured products - big thumbs down here. They always appear when the market falls like a stone. They can promise the earth because from where we are now assuming a big hole doesn't appear in the middle of wall street any correction required has happened and the only way to go really is up. Together with locking the money away for X number of years so if its not working your stuffed.

Safe as anywhere else I assume. It would at least be worth looking into making regular payments into a stocks and shares ISA if you have any allowance left for this year.

Reason being if you put a lump sum in at one time your buying on that day only. If you pay over a number of months you get the benefit of fluctuating unit prices. Whilst things are where they are your getting much more for your money. I believe long term growth could be better doing it this way rather than all in in one go - even though the one shot option does mean you have more money "on the altar" so to speak from the start.

LeeMac

iTrader: (1)

sorry, another property post

i've got a little cottage with a pool for sale that gives you 5K min rental from July to Sept, out of season rental possible but not guaranteed, offers around 85k,

bricks n mortar wont let you down, don't buy new unless you want to wait years for some sort of return

prob best asking on a finance related forum
think theres one on moneysupermarket.com