What's a good investment?

[Marillionboy]

Anyone got any sensible tips on a good place to stash a couple of grand, ie shares, bonds, whatever...

[Scorge]

Anyone got any sensible tips on a good place to stash a couple of grand, ie shares, bonds, whatever...

My sort code and account number coming in a PM......

(Seriously? Stick your money in the energy or the telecoms sector. Both likely to grow loads.)

[Scootray]

Stick your money, £3000 at the most in an ISA. Tax free interest all year round.

I'm planning to do this next year at the beginning of the financial year as I'll have a good enough amount to have £3000 disappear from my bank account for a year. I think the only catch is that you can't take it out until the end of the year.

[Guest NULL]

stick it on a high fixed interest credit card

[Marillionboy]

Cheers, sound like good tips. As for investing in energy shares, is a small amount like this likely to yield anything that exciting?

[Hugh_Jazz]

Stick your money, 3000 at the most in an ISA. Tax free interest all year round.

I'm planning to do this next year at the beginning of the financial year as I'll have a good enough amount to have 3000 disappear from my bank account for a year. I think the only catch is that you can't take it out until the end of the year.

You can take money out of an ISA whenever you like.....the catch is that if you've deposited the maximum of 3000 for a year, and then say you take out 1000, you're not allowed to replace the 1000 until the following year.

ISAs generally have slightly better interest rates than standard savings accounts, and you dont pay tax on any interest you earn. As with any investment, the longer you're prepared to keep your money tied up, the more return you can expect.

[Hugh_Jazz]

Cheers, sound like good tips. As for investing in energy shares, is a small amount like this likely to yield anything that exciting?

No, and unless you're financially secure with a few grand in the bank, I would recommend against share investments. Can give v.good returns, but equally you can lose all your capital overnight.

Definitely not an "all your eggs in one basket" solution.

[Hog]

ISA

or

If you do want to invest in shares, look out for shares that are at rock bottom valuewise. They can only go up......or the company can fold. Marks and Spencers are doing well at the moment.

[Scootray]

You can take money out of an ISA whenever you like.....the catch is that if you've deposited the maximum of 3000 for a year, and then say you take out 1000, you're not allowed to replace the 1000 until the following year.

ISAs generally have slightly better interest rates than standard savings accounts, and you dont pay tax on any interest you earn. As with any investment, the longer you're prepared to keep your money tied up, the more return you can expect.

Ah. I knew there was some kind of catch.

[Sam 45]

I suggest a casino and 00.....but then again - i would.

[Benji]

Beans are a good source..

http://tinyurl.com/7p4an

I think you'll find exactly what you need.

[Guest Tam o' Shantie]

my advice is "don't ask for financial advice on aberdeen-music.com"

instead I would recommend that you get onto amazon and read some books, visit internet sites actually about financial management (and not populated by a majority of teenagers more interested in arguing about 'who is the best guitarist in aberdeen?' than getting their investment on. I've got a few, but they're often not particularly insightful. A simple, well written book is Robert Kiyosaki's 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' and the sequels, but read the amazon write ups to avoid getting one of his rubbish books.

[TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH]

Anyone got any sensible tips on a good place to stash a couple of grand, ie shares, bonds, whatever...

Pfft, don't be sensible... Spend it on drugs and womenses, it'll be far more exciting.

[Marillionboy]

That's where it's all gone up to now!

[JaseyBoi]

If you have a decent enough job they will offer you shares......Id suggest you grasp it with both hands and pump in as much money as you can afford each month.......Or if you have spare cash start up a pension lol

[Guest NULL]

Start a company

invest in biofuel companies, hydrogen companies

[DarkHorse]

Best consult an independent financial advisor.

If you have a decent bank manager s/he will be able to recommend investments for your circumstances. The bank will have their own brokers but they will be execution only, register with them anyway. My Dad's portfolio was recommended by his bank manager and he gets a decent income fom it. I put together my own portfolio.

Consider changing banks to one that can offer a Money Markets account with tied share-dealing services - it's so much simpler to just phone up on the spur of the moment and invest in a stock. Dividends are paid to the account and you can tie them up there for re0investment.

Bank of Scotland were decent like this - one could manage business money markets account, personal money markets account, savings account, current account, visa and sharedealing in one phone call. Then they merged with Halifax and the banking is not so joined up. The FT publishes twice a week the types of accounts you can get at each bank.

Before investing:

1 Pay off non-mortgage debts.

2 Establish the level of risk you are comfortable with - FIs have empirical thumb rules based on factors such as your age so can help you out in this.

3. Establish if you are investing for capital growth or income - ditto.

4. Work out a cashflow budget. Monthly if you are paid monthly, weekly if you are paid weekly.

If you want to pick your own investments you will need to do a lot of reading on companies and markets. Monitor the performance of tipsters to establish the reliability of their stock tips.

I'd suggest

FT Companies and Markets.

Fool.co.uk

Investors Chronicle (magazine)

Shares (magazine)

I'd suggest also registering with the FT Annual Reports service. You can then order annual reports of companies you are interested in investing in and the reports of their competitors and do your own analyses. Cash at hand is the most important thing with companies so simple liquidity and profitability ratios such as gearing, acid test are the independent investor's main tools.

If you want to make investments regularly invest first then use the rest of your wages/ salary. If you only invest what you are left with at the end of the week you are liable to spend it and not invest as much as you would have liked.

Invest in tranches of X GBP - it's a lot easier for evaluation of your portfolio.

I'd disagree with another poster that telecommunications has high growth potential. There are literally millions of kilometres of dark fibre. The industry was overspeculative in the latter half of the nineties and there is a huge overcapacity. Mobile telephony is saturated too. Telcos however are tapping emerging markets such as China.