The Investments Thread

[Storrsy]

Another all time high in gold… and that’s after Trump dropped this threat of tariffs.

On days like this I make more from my metals than I do going to work 🫣

I should be happy but I can’t shake the nagging feeling that some seriously bad s**t is about to happen.

What's the end game though here? Obvs it's only worth what it is worth when you cash it in- as no compounding effects in gold. Or do you have a Gold ETF?

 

[Bri963]

Another all time high in gold… and that’s after Trump dropped this threat of tariffs.

On days like this I make more from my metals than I do going to work 🫣

I should be happy but I can’t shake the nagging feeling that some seriously bad s**t is about to happen.

Be happy. You might get hit by an artic tomorrow.

 

[DaveDCB]

I should be happy but I can’t shake the nagging feeling that some seriously bad s**t is about to happen.

And that’s exactly why I don’t give a f, it consumes you and gets into your head, constantly checking markets etc.. just spunk everything you can afford on gold and forget about it until you fancy retiring, then have a happy surprise!

 

[Storrsy]

And that’s exactly why I don’t give a f, it consumes you and gets into your head, constantly checking markets etc.. just spunk everything you can afford on gold and forget about it until you fancy retiring, then have a happy surprise!

Alot of truth in that. Easy to micromanage it all. They say the best performing portfolios belong to dead people- because they're just left alone!

 

[bobthebuilder]

If he was truly doing the best for his country then why has he tried so hard to remove any attempts of universal health care that Obama started. Why does he do nothing to negate the vast wealth gap they have (of which his friends are all responsible for) no gun control, no minimum wage. No release of the Epstein files. Various rules that have put a severe hole in America's foreign tourism.
I'm all up for patriotism but trump is in no way concerned about his fellow Americans

Obamas medicare cost people a fortune,if the Democrats had any thing on Trump with Epstein we would know by now,

 

[Gecko]

A long list, so I'll just touch a few

I’d suggest taking out Iran’s nuclear facilities probably did all of us a favour.

True, but two 'buts':
- It was Trump (2018) who pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran
- The bombs used in Iran (GBU-57) started development in 2002, went through several revisions with the final variant designed and tested specificity for the Iranian limestone where the targets were built. Trump had them available to him because they were developed under GW Bush and Obama.

Countries were imposing tariffs long before Trump came along.

Yes, and everyone hated them for it (including the US)

The EU haven’t exactly been easy for the US to trade with either.

To be fair, the US complained they couldn't sell their (crap) cars which were non-compliant with safety and emission standards (that all others had to meet), but wouldn't improve their cars to modern standards.
There are lots of other examples eg. chlorinated chicken, residual pesticides, growth hormones etc. that the "washington swamp" allow, but no one else will.

Source?

I'm careful where my info comes from - there are plenty of 'agenda pushing' sites that will support whatever belief you already have. In this case, Trumps wealth is tracked by many and is no secret.

Trump Jumps 118 Spots On The Forbes 400 List Thanks To Presidency

Donald Trump lost money during his first term. Out of office, he found a formula for profiting off politics—now he’s piling up billions.

www.forbes.com

3 Ways Trump’s Wealth Has Soared Since He Returned to Offic

Trump has enriched himself while in office like no other President in U.S. history. Here's why his net worth grew by billions in 2025

time.com

There are a lot of things wrong with the NHS - many due to the way it was first created.

PS this isn’t a free service.

What does it cost you to visit a GP?
I live in a country where I have no access to the public health system, so everything is 'pay up front' and at full price.
Basic GP visit: 50~80usd. There is no free flu vaccine, that's another 50 etc. You need to stay the night - that'll be 600 for the bed, plus treatment on top.

 

[Storrsy]

Supposedly Ireland is the 2nd richest country per capita- didn't realise there was that much money in potatoes!

 

[Gecko]

" USA has officially announced a full suspension of immigration from 19 countries......

~Venezuela. "

I thought they liked Venezuelans - they sent in the military to get more of them.

 

[6feetdown]

Supposedly Ireland is the 2nd richest country per capita- didn't realise there was that much money in potatoes!

That means @CPS is rolling in it

 

[Bri963]

A long list, so I'll just touch a few

True, but two 'buts':
- It was Trump (2018) who pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran
- The bombs used in Iran (GBU-57) started development in 2002, went through several revisions with the final variant designed and tested specificity for the Iranian limestone where the targets were built. Trump had them available to him because they were developed under GW Bush and Obama.


Yes, and everyone hated them for it (including the US)

To be fair, the US complained they couldn't sell their (crap) cars which were non-compliant with safety and emission standards (that all others had to meet), but wouldn't improve their cars to modern standards.
There are lots of other examples eg. chlorinated chicken, residual pesticides, growth hormones etc. that the "washington swamp" allow, but no one else will.


I'm careful where my info comes from - there are plenty of 'agenda pushing' sites that will support whatever belief you already have. In this case, Trumps wealth is tracked by many and is no secret.

Trump Jumps 118 Spots On The Forbes 400 List Thanks To Presidency

Donald Trump lost money during his first term. Out of office, he found a formula for profiting off politics—now he’s piling up billions.

www.forbes.com

3 Ways Trump’s Wealth Has Soared Since He Returned to Offic

Trump has enriched himself while in office like no other President in U.S. history. Here's why his net worth grew by billions in 2025

time.com

There are a lot of things wrong with the NHS - many due to the way it was first created.

What does it cost you to visit a GP?
I live in a country where I have no access to the public health system, so everything is 'pay up front' and at full price.
Basic GP visit: 50~80usd. There is no free flu vaccine, that's another 50 etc. You need to stay the night - that'll be 600 for the bed, plus treatment on top.

The current problems are nothing to do with how it was set up, they’ve had nearly 70 years to get it right but it gets worse. And I am aware of how it is in some parts of the world, I’ve lived in Africa. I’m saying don’t tell someone who has experienced our system how fantastic it is.

We pay through our national insurance, which is a compulsory extra tax on earnings. You still have to pay it if you have private health insurance. I’ll agree it was good thirty years ago but there are better systems in some parts of the world, where you get treated in wards rather than corridors. And that did happen to my mum as well. Freezing cold afternoon and she was parked just inside some double doors that were open more than they were closed.

 

[doobin]

What's the end game though here? Obvs it's only worth what it is worth when you cash it in- as no compounding effects in gold. Or do you have a Gold ETF?

Respectfully, you have it all totally backwards. You need to change the way you think about money.

Gold is money. Turn the gold chart over and that is the chart for the devaluation of fiat currency.

I hold mainly physical as the paper market is crazy leveraged- no better than fiat. I have an etf in my isa though.

The end game is simply to preserve the purchasing power of my money. When I started stacking four years ago a days work with the micro digger at £350 would purchase a good sovereign. Now a days work with the 9 tonner at £850 won’t even purchase the same sovereign.

An excellent book to read on the history of the modern monetary system and the role gold has played in it (and will very likely play again soon) is Currency Wars by James Rickards. PM me your address and I’ll send you a copy.

 

[doobin]

Supposedly Ireland is the 2nd richest country per capita- didn't realise there was that much money in potatoes!

It’s a tax haven. Plenty of big corporations headquartered there.

 

[Gecko]

The current problems are nothing to do with how it was set up, they’ve had nearly 70 years to get it right but it gets worse. And I am aware of how it is in some parts of the world, I’ve lived in Africa. I’m saying don’t tell someone who has experienced our system how fantastic it is.

We pay through our national insurance, which is a compulsory extra tax on earnings. You still have to pay it if you have private health insurance. I’ll agree it was good thirty years ago but there are better systems in some parts of the world, where you get treated in wards rather than corridors. And that did happen to my mum as well. Freezing cold afternoon and she was parked just inside some double doors that were open more than they were closed.

Sure - not debating that, but "some" health care is better than none.
The UK is a 'high tax, high service' welfare state. Trump is trying to make the US a 'zero tax, zero service' economy (great for those that can afford it) (Oz is somewhere in between).

My last comment on this subject is that you are making a hell of an assumption that I have not experienced the NHS first hand.

 

[Lancs Lad]

Respectfully, you have it all totally backwards. You need to change the way you think about money.

Gold is money. Turn the gold chart over and that is the chart for the devaluation of fiat currency.

I hold mainly physical as the paper market is crazy leveraged- no better than fiat. I have an etf in my isa though.

The end game is simply to preserve the purchasing power of my money. When I started stacking four years ago a days work with the micro digger at £350 would purchase a good sovereign. Now a days work with the 9 tonner at £850 won’t even purchase the same sovereign.

An excellent book to read on the history of the modern monetary system and the role gold has played in it (and will very likely play again soon) is Currency Wars by James Rickards. PM me your address and I’ll send you a copy.

I would go to NHS as very last resort now.
Some seriously horrific stories at our A&E this winter. 24 hour waits for a broken bone etc.
I've a full private cover costing me a bomb ...so yes I'm paying twice now. Ace ..

 

[Storrsy]

Respectfully, you have it all totally backwards. You need to change the way you think about money.

Gold is money. Turn the gold chart over and that is the chart for the devaluation of fiat currency.

I hold mainly physical as the paper market is crazy leveraged- no better than fiat. I have an etf in my isa though.

The end game is simply to preserve the purchasing power of my money. When I started stacking four years ago a days work with the micro digger at £350 would purchase a good sovereign. Now a days work with the 9 tonner at £850 won’t even purchase the same sovereign.

An excellent book to read on the history of the modern monetary system and the role gold has played in it (and will very likely play again soon) is Currency Wars by James Rickards. PM me your address and I’ll send you a copy.

But gold to you has no value untill you cash it in- you can't go into Tesco with a bag of gold. So my point remains gold is currently very high so yes if you sold it now you would have made the gains you suggest in the same way if I sold my rolls Royce stocks I'd make 11% gains on what I invested since only November.
But that's all pointless because we are both I assume investing for later life or the long term at least so what makes you think that if gold has done so well in the last few years it can't equally come back down in 10-20years. Historically the s&p500 has outperformed gold.

 

[DaveDCB]

I would go to NHS as very last resort now.
Some seriously horrific stories at our A&E this winter. 24 hour waits for a broken bone etc.
I've a full private cover costing me a bomb ...so yes I'm paying twice now. Ace ..

My kid was ill last year, Que out of hrs drs on a Saturday night, which is tagged into local A&e - got given a time slot by 111, so went and waited there for 3 hrs for my time slot! I’d of paid anything to get out of there , but couldn’t find anywhere that offered out of hours/a&e private?

 

[Storrsy]

My kid was ill last year, Que out of hrs drs on a Saturday night, which is tagged into local A&e - got given a time slot by 111, so went and waited there for 3 hrs for my time slot! I’d of paid anything to get out of there , but couldn’t find anywhere that offered out of hours/a&e private?

My other half works in our local hospital in orthopaedics. Nearly all the surgeons also work at the Nuffield over the road too privately. You will get seen to quicker- however if s**t hits the fan and your new joint gets infected- guess where you end up!? The quality of treatment is not better with private but you will be seen to quicker and have a nicer "experience" but it's worth remembering in this country private is heavily backed up by the NHS still.

 

[Lancs Lad]

My other half works in our local hospital in orthopaedics. Nearly all the surgeons also work at the Nuffield over the road too privately. You will get seen to quicker- however if s**t hits the fan and your new joint gets infected- guess where you end up!? The quality of treatment is not better with private but you will be seen to quicker and have a nicer "experience" but it's worth remembering in this country private is heavily backed up by the NHS still.

Exactly there isn't a proper private option really unless you in London. As Dave says...I've tried flipping hard at times as do anything to avoid A&E. Did find a walk in centre 40 mins away that was a lot quicker tbf but was full of what looked like nuclear science experiment victims. Was damn glad to get out in one piece. Proper odd place

 

[V8Druid]

think where you are also has a lot to do with levels of care/experience.
I can not fault the care I got in Hereford last July .. staggered into A&E in a bad way and was attended to virtually instantly
Had I gone to the Grange, in county, I am sure from previous experiences with Pam 8 months earlier, the story would've been very different ..
new place, but undersized and not fit for purpose since the day it opened. huge catchment area of 'the great unwashed', freeloading, idle scumbags, who go there with a head ache or hangover, (usually 'cos they can't get a GP appointment for 4 weeks).
Replaced our local hospital in Aber. which was brilliant, efficient and how it should be
Hereford is marginally closer for me, although out of county/country and their systems do not talk to the Welsh systems, so although comm.s are 'difficult', on follow up, in county/locally, I will choose to go there every time a need arises.
Clean, brilliant staff, excellent treatment, efficient, nothing's too much trouble, and everyone has a smile on their faces - large percentage of folk there from our local in Aber. who migrated when they closed it
Only cleaner place I've been was the Royal Free in Hampstead, London - a teaching hospital you could eat your food off of the floor in. Hereford is a very close second.

 

[Jimoz]

I live in a country where I have no access to the public health system, so everything is 'pay up front' and at full price.
Basic GP visit: 50~80usd. There is no free flu vaccine, that's another 50 etc. You need to stay the night - that'll be 600 for the bed, plus treatment on top.

Exactly how it should be. A service which is free will always have demand outstripping supply. Anyone who's been to a UK a and e or even gp waiting room knows what I mean.