# Shares? Good Time?



## ardandy

As shares are rock bottom at the moment for a lot of companies is anyone on here starting to put a bit of money into any?

I know of someone thats put a couple of hundred into RBS as its really low and then in a few years when its back up (assuming it is of course) a couple of hundred turns into a couple of thousand.

If I wanted to buy some now, how would I go about it? Who do I phone/visit to do this?


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## brobbo

you know im seriosly considering this also, currently there at about 13p a share and has gone down £1.50 overnight really, there was a time when they was at £7-£8 region


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## Nickos

Do it online at halifax or most other banks. Usually you can apply through online banking.

personally, the only banks i;d buy at HSBC and santander though. I believe the others are still hiding vast losses.


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## 1animal1

yup i agree, the RBS have been low for over a week now, either you'll make a killing or you'll lose the lot if they get nationalised....... assuming they havent told the entire story of their books which most banks havent up until now


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## Rich @ PB

For those that are more risk averse, I would suggest now is a good time to set up a non-managed FTSE tracker, like the one Legal and General offer...

http://www.legalandgeneral.com/investments/isas/index-tracking-isa/

With the FTSE having lost over a third of it's value over the last 12 months, many believe it has bottomed out (or at least is very near the bottom). In time, as the world recovers from this recession this lost value will be gained back along and then some as natural growth occurs. This is certainly a long term investment as opposed to the short term gain risked by buying into a specific company, but slow and steady wins the race. I am aiming to start my own tracker with a sizeable deposit in the next 3-6 months... and then after that diversify into a permanent portfolio structure, made up of equal quarters in equities, bonds, gold and cash, and rebalancing once a year. A lot of useful info on this conservative approach to investing can be found here...

http://crawlingroad.com/blog/


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## brobbo

WX51 TXR said:


> For those that are more risk averse, I would suggest now is a good time to set up a non-managed FTSE tracker, like the one Legal and General offer...
> 
> http://www.legalandgeneral.com/investments/isas/index-tracking-isa/
> 
> With the FTSE having lost over a third of it's value over the last 12 months, many believe it has bottomed out (or at least is very near the bottom). In time, as the world recovers from this recession this lost value will be gained back along and then some as natural growth occurs. This is certainly a long term investment as opposed to the short term gain risked by buying into a specific company, but slow and steady wins the race. I am aiming to start my own tracker with a sizeable deposit in the next 3-6 months... and then after that diversify into a permanent portfolio structure, made up of equal quarters in equities, bonds, gold and cash, and rebalancing once a year. A lot of useful info on this conservative approach to investing can be found here...
> 
> http://crawlingroad.com/blog/


you certainly sound like you know what your talking about!
could you give me a helping hand as i want to invest , its just seems like no better time.didnt even know you could buy gold since 2 days ago lol


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## Slick 77

WX51 TXR said:


> For those that are more risk averse, I would suggest now is a good time to set up a non-managed FTSE tracker, like the one Legal and General offer...
> 
> http://www.legalandgeneral.com/investments/isas/index-tracking-isa/


good tip, you get £85 cashback if you use quidco to open this account too

http://www.quidco.com/legal-general-isas/


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## Rich @ PB

brobbo said:


> you certainly sound like you know what your talking about!
> could you give me a helping hand as i want to invest , its just seems like no better time.didnt even know you could buy gold since 2 days ago lol


In all honesty, I've picked up everything I know over the last six months from doing extensive reading... online, of books by investing legends like Warren Buffett, and from several useful blogs like the Crawling Road link posted above. Investing is a very personal thing, and risk tolerance is impossibly hard to gauge before the fact, so to speak. Thus, I would simply spend time reading widely and then allow your own opinions to form as you gain insight and understanding. :thumb:


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## Neil_S

I'm probably going to buy a few hundred quids worth of banking shares very shortly, but my view is that this could well disappear as I really can't be sure if RBS won't be nationalised, but on the other hand, if this is the last of the bad news, maybe the business can survive.

I'm probably going to buy a mix of Barclays and RBS shares.


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## Slick 77

Neil_S said:


> I'm probably going to buy a few hundred quids worth of banking shares very shortly, but my view is that this could well disappear as I really can't be sure if RBS won't be nationalised, but on the other hand, if this is the last of the bad news, maybe the business can survive.
> 
> I'm probably going to buy a mix of Barclays and RBS shares.


I'd get in quick for Barclays as they announce their results on the 9th of Feb, hopefully it will rise further on that and after that day, fingers crossed


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## 1animal1

although this morning the meeting with Mr Darling suggests that some of the banks want even more bailing out!! throws another spanner in the works.....

Rich, completely see where your coming from in terms of the 'personal aspect', gauging risk is one thing which can only be generalised by an IFA, although each has their own techniques some work better than others, then you have the next issue of choosing funds that are going to do something worth investing in, experiance is key - 2 weeks on holiday takes me several weeks to catch up!! - I personally would want to do something myself off my own back, although it depends what you want to do - if its lump sum investment say 30k plus you'd be better taking advice as a lot of products arent available to the general public, and those that are can most likely be discounted very easily through the use of a platform which would give you more online functionality and ability to switch/model portfolios than a standard system is likely to. Obviously its each to their own and i wish anyone going it alone no hardship


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## Neil_S

Slick 77 said:


> I'd get in quick for Barclays as they announce their results on the 9th of Feb, hopefully it will rise further on that and after that day, fingers crossed


Good point, my share dealing account will be ready by the end of the week and I'll make the trade then.


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## ndwall

I use http://www.hoodlessbrennan.com/ for share dealing services. When buying shares you have to factor in the stamp and commission costs. For example my last trade on Hoodless was to buy 2201 shares in RBS @ 12.97p each for £294.88 the figure includes £8 commission and £1.43 stamp. When I sold at 19.13p I was then charged a further £8 commission no stamp this time. So a profit of £120.

You need to consider the costs when buying so a £50 buy of some shares will need approx 25% growth before profit when you factro in the costs to buy and sell. So the bigger the amount deposited the smaller the rise needed.


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## Jakedoodles

WX51 TXR said:


> For those that are more risk averse, I would suggest now is a good time to set up a non-managed FTSE tracker, like the one Legal and General offer...
> 
> http://www.legalandgeneral.com/investments/isas/index-tracking-isa/
> 
> With the FTSE having lost over a third of it's value over the last 12 months, many believe it has bottomed out (or at least is very near the bottom). In time, as the world recovers from this recession this lost value will be gained back along and then some as natural growth occurs. This is certainly a long term investment as opposed to the short term gain risked by buying into a specific company, but slow and steady wins the race. I am aiming to start my own tracker with a sizeable deposit in the next 3-6 months... and then after that diversify into a permanent portfolio structure, made up of equal quarters in equities, bonds, gold and cash, and rebalancing once a year. A lot of useful info on this conservative approach to investing can be found here...
> 
> http://crawlingroad.com/blog/


Or.... you could go for an ETF (Exchange Traded Funding) which is (pretty much) risk free and works much the same way, being held on the exchange, so you've got the protection. I was at a London Stock Exchange conference last week and they were making a big deal of these, quoting growth rates of 90% even in the recession.


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## Vyker

I've not read most of the posts in this thread, but just thought I'd mention that..

"most shares are rock bottom" because they are now valued accordingly, they were all over valued previously, they are not worth more.

If any rise, its because they have preformed well and nothing more.

Thats my opinion on that, hth.


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## Nickos

I'm with Vyker, but i expect alot more companies to fold and the markets to plummet further in the short term.

Recovery to start in 18 months - 3 years at the earliest.


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## CupraRcleanR

Neil_S said:


> I'm probably going to buy a few hundred quids worth of banking shares very shortly, but my view is that this could well disappear as I really can't be sure if RBS won't be nationalised, but on the other hand, if this is the last of the bad news, maybe the business can survive.
> 
> I'm probably going to buy a mix of Barclays and RBS shares.


RBS announce their losses this week. So we should know pretty quick if they will be fully nationalised.

Could be a chance to win a few quid or loose a few as you say.


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## Neil_S

CupraRcleanR said:


> RBS announce their losses this week. So we should know pretty quick if they will be fully nationalised.
> 
> Could be a chance to win a few quid or loose a few as you say.


I'm in with the RBS shares already, but will be buying more if they hit a low on Thursday after the expected announcement of a £28 billion loss.

They are likely to announce that they are selling the bad assets and would have thought it likely they will get rid of quite a large portion of the ABN AMRO businesses they acquired.

I personally am putting money on them as a long term investment, they are still profitable with businesses such as Churchill and Direct Line, they will cut the bad bits out over the next few years and I expect a healthy long term investment.


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## 1animal1

ive thought long and hard on this one, im going into RBS once they are around the 40p mark, currently too risky for me, good luck though chaps, theres a few well respected fund managers going into these at the minute


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## The Cueball

I think we have further to fall, almost every day is a new low in the US.

I don't agree however that all shares have been over priced in the past, and are now falling to what they are worth... and I do think that we (as a planet) will recover, and at the moment, there are some great bargains to be had.

In my lastest forecasts I am saying it will take 2 years for things to get back to some sort of normality - i.e. people not panicking ever bleedy day!

Personally, since I am not due to retire for 30 years - I have doubled my pension contribution, in a well managed funds, both global, and I have starting buying gold.......(no not the Argos crap)

As a tip to all those thinking about investing, as it has been said, it is a very personal matter. and although you should do as much research and listen to as many 'experts' as possible - please only do what you think is right for you, and don't count on anyone!

:thumb:


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## Jakedoodles

One of the points that came out in this seminar (I might type up my notes and put them on my blog actually... even though they have nothing to do with detailing!) was that this recession is not unprecedented, and that we're already a good way through the normal cycle. What we're waiting for is what's termed 'the next new hero' which will sweep in and change the whole investment market. It's historically been property, energy etc etc.


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## 1animal1

totally agree cue..... current sentiment is aiming at corporate bonds, moving onto equity income funds for the next few months according to the fundsnetwork/Cofunds platforms top 50 sales for January..... take from this what you will, im currently going for equity growth and income preferring good historic stock pickers 

just my take on things, but as said everyones will be different...thats the beauty


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## 1animal1

Wonderdetail said:


> One of the points that came out in this seminar (I might type up my notes and put them on my blog actually... even though they have nothing to do with detailing!) was that this recession is not unprecedented, and that we're already a good way through the normal cycle. What we're waiting for is what's termed 'the next new hero' which will sweep in and change the whole investment market. It's historically been property, energy etc etc.


I agree but then i dont....reason being is that most analysts worth their salt have stopped making predictions as its 'pin the tail on the donkey' time.... nobody knows where its going to lift or when, i personally cannot think of another area thats going to come along and revolutionise the investment market, not saying there isnt one and im hoping there is...simple fact is that nobody has been able to call this so far, and i think that will continue. We're still waiting for all these companies/banks etc to show their true colours, once you have that then you know the axis in which you have to work within..... to a degree (but more than we have now)

sweeping statements are currently the norm because certain people HAVE to have answer for everything - whether this is unprecedented is a matter of opinion, all i know is that we have never had this level of uncertainty EVER in the history of records beginning and we still dont know whats going to surface which is why the FTSE is still on its a**e


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## The Cueball

1animal1 said:


> I agree but then i dont....reason being is that most analysts worth their salt have stopped making predictions as its 'pin the tail on the donkey' time.... nobody knows where its going to lift or when, i personally cannot think of another area thats going to come along and revolutionise the investment market, not saying there isnt one and im hoping there is...simple fact is that nobody has been able to call this so far, and i think that will continue. *We're still waiting for all these companies/banks etc to show their true colours*, once you have that then you know the axis in which you have to work within..... to a degree (but more than we have now)


There will be many more BIG companies go to the wall.... I think that there seems to be a culture of false (OK maybe not that harsh, but suspect) balance sheets out there at the moment.....

Some heads will roll......and we may even see another "Enron" before it's all said and done.....

:thumb:


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## Crockers

Don't want to be "the grim reaper" ...but ....this recession could head into a depression as bad as or worse than the 1930's.....then the US financial system collapsed. 

Differences are we haven't yet started protectionism (but it is creeping in - look at France)..

In the last great depression - markets didnt recover fully until the late '40s - so don't go expecting to get your returns short term - unless you trade in and out and have the nerve.

Lets have a quiz..... in 1930 the USA debt was 3 times GDP - guess when it came back to a more managable one times...........


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