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Weekend reading: Good and bad news travels fast online (4 comments) Yep, Daily Mash does have some very funny financial stories. Surely a sign of the times! [...]	The Investor 2012-05-21 13:05:24
9 lazy portfolios for UK investors – 2010 remix (93 comments) Hi Clive, when you say 'debt', what do you mean? In what way does your debt component differ from gilts? Also, I think leveraged ETFs are the preserve of highly sophisticated investors who have done their research and understand multi-dimensional [...]	The Accumulator 2012-05-19 18:28:26
UPDATED: Vanguard funds are NOT on iii (20 comments) (A different Simon to the one above) How frustrating. Still, if nothing else, I suspect iii have quickly gained an unambiguous insight into the demand that's out there for this. We watch with interest. [...]	Simon 2012-05-18 20:47:14
Weekend reading: Spain, the market that thinks it's 2009 (19 comments) @The Investor - You are right about that last point. Some companies have as much as 3/4 sales and 90% profit overseas, mostly South America, eg OHL, CAF and some others You should, however, be able to weather the occasional frights and look for th [...]	Diego 2012-05-18 16:03:13
A quick guide to asset classes (11 comments) The Adapative Asset Allocation theory is pretty interesting, and as you say it has a great pedigree coming from Sharpe. However without proclaiming to be an expert or wanting to argue with a Nobel Laureate, a few potential problems do stick out, esp [...]	The Investor 2012-05-18 10:59:48
Low cost index trackers that will save you money (49 comments) @TA It looks like Nathan needs to go back to school and start again... I was sure those were included! I thought I'd read your article earlier, but clearly not well enough. :) Nathan [...]	Nathan 2012-05-17 10:14:35
Unlocking hidden treasure in accumulation funds (14 comments) Haven't properly earned? Equities trade "dirty" some when you buy "cum dividend" you pay out in capital for the dividend that you're about to receive. Other than turning capital into dividend income (or vice versa) it's all neutral. [...]	gadgetmind 2012-05-17 06:47:28
Accumulation units – the income tax loophole that never was (2 comments) Much obliged, Pete. Have got Monkey With A Pin on my 'to read' list. [...]	The Accumulator 2012-05-16 17:09:14
Weekend reading: Should personal finance be taught in school? (17 comments) We were thinking that, although it is definitely true that children need to be educated about personal finance before it's too late, so do a considerable number of adults! And how can children be taught if the adults don't even know what they're on a [...]	Catharine 2012-05-16 14:40:30
Where to invest in 2012 when you have too many shares (13 comments) SREI's gearing is pretty average for a REIT, it's their dividend cover that's seriously lacking. However, even with a haircut, the dividend would still be good, and the discount to nav is huge. They also now have a good management team and have bee [...]	gadgetmind 2012-05-15 06:56:29
Vanguard LifeStrategy funds turn passive investing catatonic (29 comments) Hi Simon - you're covered for £50K. http://www.fscs.org.uk/what-we-cover/eligibility-rules/compensation-limits/investment-limits/ There is no answer to your second question. It depends entirely on the market. An index fund doesn't deliver a 'good [...]	The Accumulator 2012-05-12 13:12:58
Income units versus accumulation units – what difference does it make? (11 comments) Hi both, You don't get more units when dividends pay out in to an accumulation fund. Instead, the value of each unit increases so you will see this as an increase in the price of the fund. Though of course that uplift may well be swamped by marke [...]	The Accumulator 2012-05-12 13:00:48
I, Robot (18 comments) @ Simon - Sadly your cool logic is a flimsy defence when a fevered brain is working overtime. The point I was really trying to make was that even though I'm pretty much a text-book passive investor, emotion and our capacity to post-rationalise are da [...]	The Accumulator 2012-05-10 20:11:57
The cyclically-adjusted P/E ratio (PE10 or Shiller PE) (7 comments) @RIT -- Apologies, have taken an age coming back to say thanks for this. I've also sent you an email -- look forward to your thoughts. :) [...]	The Investor 2012-05-09 19:57:19
Pay off the mortgage or invest? (16 comments) Interesting article and follow on comments. I would be interested to explore the exit strategy using investments instead of simply paying off the mortgage. Do you use your investment lump sum and pay off when it reaches the mortgage value? Hopefully [...]	Gerry 2012-05-08 16:40:26
Is it worth sticking with Hargreaves Lansdown to get Vanguard funds? (49 comments) cheers TA! [...]	tushingham 2012-05-06 11:31:32
The bewitching appeal of Lloyds suspended preference shares (15 comments) The deed is done. All being well daughter will have this handy income while at uni and see some capital gain in a few years time. Fingers crossed! [...]	gadgetmind 2012-05-04 15:18:42
Should I dump my government bond funds? (28 comments) @ Neverland - that would be a thrill while it lasted. I can just picture the scene: 100K up in smoke, surrounded by discard piles, down to the last £50 in cards, furiously rubbing like you're holding Aladdin's lamp, begging lady luck for a visit: "C [...]	The Accumulator 2012-05-03 20:21:24
Valuing the market by P/E ratio (10 comments) @Shares Coach -- Thanks for the positive comments you've left around the site. You write: Not only that, but why would anyone want to buy shares in poor performing companies which is what you are doing if you are buying a market tracker, ETF, or sim [...]	The Investor 2012-05-01 10:52:26
Weekend reading: Planetary Resources (10 comments) From a technology point of view, this all sounds very exciting. From a commercial point of view, it all sounds very expensive! From an investment point of view - I'd avoid it like the plague!!! [...]	Shares Coach 2012-05-01 09:10:35
Or, why I don’t work 9-5 any more (22 comments) I like your provocative writing style and there is lots of stuff in this post that rings true with me. For those people towards the lower end of the pay scale, I think there is little to argue with other than some people do the job for the sense of [...]	Shares Coach 2012-05-01 08:46:27
The Warren Buffett hedge fund that wasn't (7 comments) Let me get this straight. Lets assume you bought a company for $1,000,000 that was giving you an anual 20% return. A Hedge Fund with a 2/20 rule would get: 1. 2% of $1mil = $20,000 2. 20% return of $200,000 = $40,000 Total for Hedge Fund: $60,000 [...]	Stefan 2012-04-30 23:12:06
Spring cleaning our passive investing HQ (6 comments) You got it, Colette. Here's some more reading on the subject if you fancy it: http://monevator.com/income-units-versus-accumulation-units-difference/. Thanks for your comments, I'm glad you're finding the site useful. [...]	The Accumulator 2012-04-30 20:52:34
101 ways to save money (17 comments) I learned lots of things, i realized where i went wrong and try to improve myself save money, time, relationships, health etc. thanks [...]	NIRMALA 2012-04-30 06:53:53
The 6 reasons small caps can supercharge your investment returns (4 comments) just to say apple galloped [...]	david stuart 2012-04-27 18:46:59
Vanguard dealing fees fall, adds new funds (25 comments) Oh, that's a shame :( Thanks for the clarification! [...]	Matthew 2012-04-27 14:16:06
Valuing the market: Are shares cheap? (13 comments) The market does not seem to be pricing in much inflation risk in gilts. The yield on long dated gilts is low, I am not sure anyone would buy them if they really imagined we face run away inflation. I suspect the reason Gold Bugs are so keen on gol [...]	Dave 2012-04-26 21:03:51
The Investor's 2020 vision (15 comments) @Grinning Chris -- Sadly the Euro crisis is still in the news every 3-4 weeks in 2012. But now one country a year is voted to be the whipping boy, in a cruel twist to the old song contest called the Euro Pong Contest... [...]	The Investor 2012-04-25 17:06:28
Weekend reading: We interrupt your scheduled programming... (8 comments) Thanks for the feedback Ermine. It should hopefully have sped up from about Thursday afternoon, so your "the last week or so" comment is a tad worrying. ;) It's working well for me since then, though (and indeed from a day or two before that, when a [...]	The Investor 2012-04-24 11:49:16
Weekend reading: New site to help passive investors zero in on tracker data (17 comments) Yes, some might say it is in the same vein as "may contain nuts" labelling on bags of peanuts. It is a good effort, but not mandatory, more details here. http://www.frc.org.uk/corporate/investorgovernance.cfm We have just submitted our thought [...]	Rob 2012-04-22 10:31:30
Lazy investing with HSBC’s World Index Portfolio (10 comments) Agree with everyone else. For me, these HSBC funds look like active funds that think they're passive. The beauty of Vanguard LifeStrategy is that you not only get automatic rebalancing by asset allocation, but also automatic rebalancing between the r [...]	saveonarola 2012-04-21 12:58:29
Why I've bought Lloyds Banking Group (9 comments) Looking at a share price of 29p, Lloyds looks like a bargain at the moment to me. Assets in excess of 950 millions, turning a profit for the first time since the merger and of course, being allowed to pay dividends again makes Lloyds shares look very [...]	Derek 2012-04-21 11:32:36
What can a first-time buyer in the South East buy for less than £250,000? (18 comments) " In case you were wondering, the flat is ‘nestled between the vibrant regeneration of Deptford and the cosmopolitan lifestyle of New Cross’ – which basically translates as ‘halfway between a knocked-down council estate and a kebab’. " L [...]	Chris 2012-04-20 21:34:30
Reasons to rent a house instead of buying (30 comments) Bill, You always have to pay Council Tax where you live (Council Tax has to be paid whether you are the tenant or the owner-occupier landlord). So it is not a differentiator in the “rent vs. buy” considerations. However, I am in agreement t [...]	Chris 2012-04-20 21:21:29
House prices versus earnings (28 comments) The double income effect is the missing link Not only are (some) women high earners in the work force but high earners (i.e. university graduates) are now much more likely to end up marrying other high earners because so many more women go to univ [...]	Neverland 2012-04-20 14:54:31
University has become an unaffordable luxury (53 comments) Good article... The sixth form I attended was like a university student production line... it was the only option you would be told about, everything else was a waste of your time. So many people I know went along with it - now have degrees in all [...]	Scott 2012-04-20 08:03:13
Why a short ETF won't protect your portfolio in a bear market (12 comments) This image shows an example of 50% in a US 2x SPY (SSO), 50% in SHY (short term treasury (cash)) compared to the SPY (S&P500) for year-to-date (no rebalancing as I don't have a ETFReplay.com account and the free version limits you to 'buy-and-hol [...]	Clive 2012-04-19 23:32:58
Can you make money developing iPhone apps? (15 comments) Sorry for my typos :D [...]	Ash.. 2012-04-19 21:21:41
The only good debt is dead debt (1 comments) It's more like a "pledge until death"! ;-) [...]	Living Off Dividends 2012-04-18 19:19:56
How much interest do you earn on a million pounds? (11 comments) You could buy 10 flats for around 70,000 each renting at 500 per month making you 60,000 a year. Plus you would still have the flats to sell off whenever you wanted and 300,000 to buy a nice house and save. This would not work in London but where i c [...]	big steve 2012-04-18 14:43:07