Member Info for Trouts

Are you seriously suggestion a causal link between your actions and the price action on GLEN?

Oh, and of course traders often use leverage, via options etc. While an investment can go to zero it is unlikely all your investments will at once. If you start to use leveraged instruments though, it's possible to lose the lot in a very short space of time!

Hi Mike - This very much highlights the difference between Traders and Investors! Investors put their money to work by picking stocks, bonds, whatever, that will hopefully do well in the long term. Given the performance of most index trackers over a long period I would say most Investors make money. Traders however are a different beast. Trying to turn starting capital into a fortune by diving in and out of investments, following fads, incurring huge fees and suffering from anxiety as things don't always go their way. Typically they sell too early when something goes the right direction and hold on too long when it goes against them. The claim that 90% of traders lose money is not particularly surprising. If people want to trade, go for it... but maybe with only 10% of your capital. Put the rest to work in some solid investments and get some sleep at night.

I think that GBP should go lower... given the state of the UK economy I can only see relative weakness next to the dollar. $1.20 - $1.25 "feels" about right at this stage, which as LOL points out gives a boost to SMT's price in sterling. It's not going save us on it's own, but it is a factor!

*Yawn* What's up TerryMC1? Are you worried that if you don't come here and shout about "insurmountable" debt every day that your shorts may not actually end up in the money? Good to know that this little BB has that much power! ;-)

Post Office? I have heard tales of such things, legends you might say!

Has anyone invested here actually tried using the 888 platform? I thought I should try it so I opened an account, made a deposit and played through expecting some kind of bonus. On checking my junk mail, there was a message from operations stating "Please be advised that due to an internal decision you are not eligible to receive any bonuses on this account. You are welcome to continue using your account to enjoy other aspects of our gaming experience."

What on earth is the reasoning there? I'm based in the UK so can't think it is a jurisdiction issue. I have tried using the online chat, but they were obstinate to the point of hopelessness. I have emailed them directly, but I have to say... I think I'm going to get out of this share. If that is their level of customer service, this is not a business that is going to be around for long.

Hi Mike, I think it's probably just down to availability plus the deposit/mortgage issue. Without a chunky deposit it is hard to get a fair mortgage and while you are paying the extortionate rent it is extremely difficult to save for said deposit. I have a colleague who bought under a shared ownership scheme last year, which seems a reasonable compromise. By paying part rent/part mortgage he is at least building up some equity, which can form a deposit at some point in the future. Make sure you read those contracts carefully though, some of them appear to contain some nasty clauses!

Lorenzo, I get what you're saying, but unless you can sleep on your mum's sofa, buying a house IS still a great investment. For sometime now, monthly rents have been pretty much equivalent to mortgage payments and in some cases, even higher. The fact that you can live in your investment and not pay rent is effectively generating a huge return. I'm at the other end of my career to you, I recently paid off my mortgage which means I have many years of rent free living ahead of me. If I had to keep paying rent forever, I don't think I'd ever get to retire!

I agree, buying a second home or a buy to let property is not a good investment right now. The hidden costs and disadvantageous tax treatment chisel away at any return. It's that age old story - there just 'aint enough places for people to live in the UK (especially if you consider the places people actually want to live).

Ex div was 18th May, Payment date was 8th June. It should be in your HL account this morning.

TerryMC1, having written this off as overvalued with far too much debt, I wonder why you stick around this board... unless, you're not shorting this, are you? Oh my! That's gonna sting!

What just happened here then? Massive price spike around 10 past 4pm... Some news must be out!

Resistance is indeed futile!

I was about to top up again, but with my mouse hovering over the buy button I had a sudden bout of "good money after bad" doubt and resisted the temptation. Need to give it more time to see if they can right this ship.

Yep, I'm in the same boat. Was going to ring Barclays, but it is painful dealing with these people! I still have an outstanding query with them about why a divi on another share in my SIPP was taxed at 20% (doh!). I'll give them a few more days to not respond and then brace myself for another assault on their "customer service" line.

I guess you could argue that if house prices aren't going up by 11% a year at the moment then they are falling in real terms. Inflation is an insidious beast and it needs slaying... and fast!

Yep, my "basic" portfolio completely disappeared over the weekend too. When it didn't reappear today, I re-entered the info - not too painful as I have it all in a spreadsheet.

Permission to build that many houses on any piece of land will increase the land value many times over... even if they don't build any houses. Curious to know if local authorities attach any time-based conditions to such permission?

Yep, currently showing a 35.5p drop on the day you qualify for a 32p divi. So looking around the other house builders and the rest of the market it is pretty much in line.

We all just assumed you lived in a mansion, with a very long, erm, hall!