Member Info for Gunsup

Mr Galaxy

Respect

Govt own web site...

"If you get Pension Credit you can also get other help, such as:

Housing Benefit if you rent the property you live in

Cold Weather Payments (or Winter Heating Payments in Scotland)

Support for Mortgage Interest if you own the property you live in

a Council Tax Reduction

a free TV licence if you’re aged 75 or over

help with NHS dental treatment, glasses and transport costs for hospital appointments, if you get the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit

help with your heating costs through the Warm Home Discount Scheme

a discount on the Royal Mail redirection service if you’re moving house

When you say 1000s claiming for things. I think you miss a few 000s off there....

Mr simple

Respect

But for sure there is one key thing you are missing.

The state pension although not taxed per se ( yet) is included in your overall income . So even a modest private pension of other source of income when combined with your pension will be taxed. So in effect already some of that money is being taken back.. Other benefits however are not.... Now some are saying if you class the state pension as a benefit why is this?. Surely should not be included in you total earnings..

Mr Skier

Respect

You do know that in the USA there is a cost of living crisis?

Article 06/01/2026

"America’s Cost-of-Living Crisis Is a Wage Problem, Not a Price Problem"

https://prosperousamerica.org/americas-cost-of-living-crisis-is-a-wage-problem-not-a-price-problem/

Mr simple

Respect..

We are not talking the state pension in that mix...Britain is on track to become the biggest spender on benefits in the G7. Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) figures shows that the UK is on track to spend 2.2pc of GDP on incapacity and disability benefits towards the end of the decade.

Do you agree that people on benefits being paid more than around 6 million working is unjust?

Mr Skier1

Respect

" Britain's problem is not trade deals, it's a lack of national self-confidence, lack of finance (investment), and a collective national failure to understand even basic behavioural economics"..

For sure the 10 yrs plus of austerity under the Tories combined with the Covid pandemic left the Uk in a bad place.. Huge national debt and a workforce that lost its way.. Productivity is a problem that is for sure but so also is the benefit culture. For many they are significantly better of on benefits than working and that should never be the case... The CSJ puts that figure at 6 million...With 1,000 new disability benefit claims per day...Citing a earnings threshold of pre tax salary of £30,100 would have to be earned to make work pay... Will Starmer address this?. Well not till 2027 at the earliest which is too late..

Going to be an interesting day today PM still falling and the markets set to open at more of less parity...

Mr Troublesome.

The EU making it up us as they went along. We had a weak team and they exploited that. Everything EU cost money. Stop the dinghys we pay France to do what exactly?

We rejoin Erasmus that cost £1.25bn a year even though EU student they owe £5bn..

EU is a bad actor imo... With Trump turning the USA into some sort of protection racket no wonder China happy... But how trust worthy are they? We know about their “Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actors such as Salt Typhoon, OPERATOR PANDA, RedMike, UNC5807, and GhostEmperor, etc.

Keeping ahead of the game here is a national security essential be that in cyberspace or even on the beaches...!!

Morning Bros.

For sure the Late shift been busy...

Reform party looking increasingly like a Tory tribute act. 7 defectors how many more to come? They need to stop that one, bring in some fresh faces and new ideas.. Ok membership now bigger than Labour but come polling day there is a demographic obstacle to overcome...

Mr Chip.

Respect. Eyes on the gold markets late tonight. Look like a major financial institution made a killing with is reported hundreds of short positions closed near the bottom, no name no pack drill, ... I do wonder, my own view, if there was also a bad actor at work. If so suspect number one will be.... Salt Typhoon... (MSS)

Mr Skier

Respect.

USA. I know what you mean I have lot of friends do the same thing. They drive the flash cars, they always seem to have to have the money on the hip ... Looking minted, but as with America bottom line they are maxed out on the credit..May only be with a local bank but for USA its with the rest of the World... How this going to end?

Mr STP

STP

Respect.

Yes worth mention that last week been a continuation of a good run for the banks. Just got to hope not a snap election and Mr Farage get in . He not like the banks at all....

Mr Charlie Nunn on Youtube outlining the road ahead for Lloyd

"Lloyds Banking Group Full Year Results 2025: Update from Charlie Nunn, CEO"..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ht2UvPLv-o

I would add this.

So with consumer confidence falling from 111 to under 60 ( 56 on 9th Jan) . In your words with it almost halving ....." That's a crash, by any measure".

Mr Skier

Respect..

For sure couple of articles this week FT & Reuters both saying the same "US consumer confidence dives to a more than 11-1/2-year low"...

https://www.reuters.com/business/us-consumer-confidence-slumps-january-level-last-seen-2014-2026-01-27/

At its highest Highest

111.40 POINT on Jan 31, 2000

Now hovering below 60 pts...

Morning Bros.

Mr simple

Respect...

We have to let the dust settle with precious metals. It has always been manipulated that is for sure.. 9ct scrap still £40 per gram but the Sov down at £825 minimum. But this is still well up on what it was say a year back.

Countries are preparing for the new era of solar, Evs etc and all need silver. Eyes are however on Chinas output in these sectors. Any softening of demand will be noted. As for Gold depends how you look at this one.. Maybe a war chest, maybe a return to the gold standard... I like the bling that is for sure.

As with any parabolic surge there is always the probability of considerable retraction...

Across the pond. Consumer confidence index dropping... Is the inbound replacement for Powell a Trump stooge ? .If so USA playing with fire. At present Powell trying to keep inflation genie in the bottle by holding rates...

Military contracts being revised around the globe as countries look for alternatives to US military hardware. War is big business for USA and powerful lobbyists will not be happy.. There is a lot at stake here..

Evening Bros..

Things for sure up and down today..

Mr Starmer had a good trip to China. Very important he gets this right. If what I read is correct we soon be able to go to China without the Visa..

This is very good if say you wanted world leading dental care. Chinas new international dental hospital in Huangshan look very impressive and much cheaper and quicker than here !!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wiC9PhfoYE

Mr Simple

Respect.

Very measured observation those ones..

Microsoft... Ummh.. France making a move here.. "France to ditch US platforms Microsoft Teams, Zoom for ‘sovereign platform’ citing security concerns"

https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/01/27/france-to-ditch-us-platforms-microsoft-teams-zoom-for-sovereign-platform-amid-security-con

Thin end of a wide wedge? Anti American sentiment is still a hot topic.

As for precious metals. Who know what happen next . My friend showing a buy on the Sov at £940.. But I agree the drop was a bit overstated. See where it is next month.

US economy... Plenty finding things tough with prices on essentials such as the ground beef soaring..

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/APU0000703112

Back in Uk, well we had our golden quarter, sentiment seem mixed Begbies red flag report not so bleak... See what the next one say..

Mr Harley

Respect.

Mr Trump he say a lot of things before he know what he talking about.

As for German people.

Well he going to be upsetting a lot of people as 42,589,571 Americans reported full or partial German Ancestry in the United States, making up approximately 13.04% of the country's 326.6 million inhabitants reporting ancestry in the 2020 ACS

Mr Hollybean

Respect. You make some wise observations that is for sure..

Two major problems I see down the track and is my own opinion this one. No I not mention Mr Trump but certainly he need to give his head a wobble..

First unwinding of japan carry trade and the leveraged positions compounded by weakening dollar.

Two . Precious metals.. We mention this before. Certainly the double edged sword this one..

As an example. Just one example of plenty... Whose been shorting silver and even doubling down on that position? Plenty of trading screen gone dark.

https://www.kitco.com/news/article/2026-01-15/td-securities-takes-second-hit-silver-short-losing-606k

"TD Securities takes a second hit on silver short, losing $606k"

Then we has the biggy.. China.

It is the choke point for silver refining and distributing nearly 70% of the world’s silver and consuming 80% of the supply needed for the global solar revolution, just as European banks are caught in a Basel III trap, forced to replace paper contracts with physical bars. Good luck with that one and how much over spot that going to cost.... If they cannot, from what I understand the penalties are large... Then of course is India wedding season and what they give?....You guess it and lots of it..

Mr Cygnus

Plenty of stacking going on.. Russia hold it is reported 20% of world silver.. Plenty been on the move also. We know calls for repatriation of gold growing louder. India got ahead of the curve on this one. Cambodia gold reserves heading for the Shanghai gold vaults.. Still let have a look closer to home......London metal bullion exchange December inventory. Gold and silver..

https://www.lbma.org.uk/prices-and-data/london-vault-data

Of course LMBA not only one with the vaults.

https://www.bullionstar.com/gold-university/hsbc-gold-vault-london

Mr Cyngus.

Respect

You are correct is " approx" as the actual figure is 31.1035 ounces per kg... You know precious metal they measure in the Troy ounces...?

Morning Bros..

Respect.

No good this one complaining about cost of living then having a pop at China......China and other low/ labour and energy cost suppliers have allowed us to import deflation... Not only that its products now world leading...

Mr Chip be happy, Respect Mr Chip.. My friend paying £40 per gram on the 9ct and £815 on the Sov.. Stocks also soaring. Fres, Hoc, etc etc all gone to the moon.. Plus more chaos to come as show me the physical day of reckoning loom larger... Still not all upside banks that sold the paper silver promises going to pay a heavy price..

So all eye on Mr Trump, forget what Mr lavrov he say yesterday though was very important.. USA think it only one who can sort out Greenland deposits. He forget over 35 licences been issued or who own the Country. Macron .. I not his fan by any means, spoke well yesterday. He is right the old rule book has been torn up and we are heading into unprecedented times..

So where will it leave the markets and zooming in the banking stocks... Economy certainly going to go through some turbulence.. Inflation figure interesting and may cause a halt on reducing rates.. TH as Mr harley he point out true inflation much higher than the figures suggest..

Morning Bros.

Back in the Lloyd BB...

So lot been happening...

Mr TFE good job on the Mr Meerkat..

Lloyd ticking up nicely but I do wonder if they still miss a trick with Grainger. Still Mr Ashley been buying into that one..

Precious metal good year and still on the up. Big settlement due on the physical so should be interesting coincide also with India wedding season.. 12 million weddings so lots of silver required. Commodities imo the big play in 2026 with the Apex predator now circling Greenland. Good luck with that one..

So what else Mr Trump say that may have the relevance to us.. Well is a curve ball but he wanting credit card rates capped at 10% for a year...Ouch..

Start treaty end in circa 25 days so if not ratified gloves off and Mr trump already looking for the 50% extra for defence budget.. Defence stock certainly having the good run...

Venezuela let see how that go but imo looking like big showdown set for MIddle East....

Mr T👍👍👍

Mr Troublesome

Respect. If you see the non Lloyds threads as irrelevant then maybe you missing the trick..

Personally I find throwing in a look at the macro very useful...

Precious metals had a good year as myself and Mr Chip , Respect Mr Chip, know to our benefit. Not just physical doing well but exceeding them the miners as many became multi baggers... My own view though. Ideally you needed to be in this a while back, before herd arrive that is for sure....

On banking side small but significant changes in the business model..

"HSBC UK pledged to keep all of its remaining 327 branches open until at least 2027, while Barclays – which has been one of the most aggressive in shutting sites – has extended opening hours at 87 of its 200 or so branches.

Challenger banks are bucking the closure trend, too. Among smaller lenders, Metro Bank has launched three new locations in Gateshead, Chester and Salford"..

My self I like the physical branch.... Certainly Nationwide seeing the benefit.