How are you diversifying / managing your money?

riveratom

With inflation skyrocketing, how are you diversifying your investments? Let's say you have 50 or 100k in the bank you aren't planning to use in the next 5 years. How do you invest and manage your cash?

I realise there is no one answer and it comes down to diversification, but here's how I see it:

1. Pension - yes a pension is a great way to invest and save a fortune on tax, but what will it be worth in 20, 30+ years? You are putting money away you could be enjoying or having to hand now (I realise I mentioned "money you aren't planning to use", but still - you might!), while banking on it giving you a return in your retirement. You hear about pension funds crashing but I guess it's like any investment?
2. ETFs / stock market investments - this always sounded great to me but you are talking 41% tax when you go to cash out, right? So a gain of 10k in say 5 years is really 6k. I suppose it's infinitely better than leaving it in current or even savings account at the bank, once you leave it in for at least 7+ or so years.
3. Gold - I know very little about purchasing gold. Shouldn't you really have the gold in your possession for you to really own it, vs in a vault in some other country? And if there is a massive crash or cyber-attack and you can't access your cash in the bank or it's frozen while they roll out a "Central Bank Digital Currency", what can you do with your gold? I assume in any event you can trade it for something, at some stage.
4. Cash - going back to point 3, if there is a global crash, cyber-outage, etc, and you can't access your funds at the bank, should you have a significant amount of cash at home?

These are all areas I am thinking about and find interesting, and so I'd love to hear your input :)

[Deleted User]

I think the most important question is what level of risk are you willing to take? What kind of return are you hoping for?

riveratom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118853609#Comment_118853609

I'd be around a 5-6 on the risk scale I'd say. On the return, I'm happy to hold for the mid-long term and am looking for something that is notably better than keeping funds on deposit. So I'm not expecting huge returns but something I can see growing gradually but surely over the next 5-10 years at least.

[Deleted User]

Might be worth looking into investment trusts:

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058183673/investment-trust-watch#latest

Dazzel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058239442/how-are-you-diversifying-managing-your-money

Stocks would be a flat rate 33% cgt tax. ETF's are 41% or thereabouts when they are to be sold after 8 years.

Dividend stocks another option but tax will be based upon your income bracket in addition to whatever gain there might be in stock value.

Government bonds seem to be a secure option especially when you have a stock market dip, but the returns are quite low and im not sure how they are taxed.

notsocutehoor

On Stock Market investments - You are entitled to an annual CGT allowance of €1,270 (€2,540 for a couple), so you can sell some/all your shares in a particular stock to avail of the annual CGT allowance and buy the stock back immediately at the same (or close to) price as you sold, thus reducing your overall CGT exposure but maintaining your holding - you may have selling/buying costs of course which might make this somewhat less attractive

Taylor365

Absorbing my covid winners into GOOG and AMZN before their splits.

OEP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118863895#Comment_118863895

How do you take advantage of the exemption as a couple? It's not transferable so does that mean if I was buying stocks there would need to be two brokerage accounts in my name and my wife's name?

notsocutehoor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118916941#Comment_118916941

One brokerage account, joint names