Coronavirus

[Paul]

I've always wondered about buying gold, in the sense that were the global financial system were to crash I can't quite see it being as simple as collecting or having your ingots delivered.

This is the dude you want https://fortuneandfreedom.com/author/nfarage/

 

[Dire Wolf]

I've always wondered about buying gold, in the sense that were the global financial system were to crash I can't quite see it being as simple as collecting or having your ingots delivered.

Costco sells gold bullion. A small ingot is about £4000. Get yerself down there…

 

[EpsomWolf]

Obviously the best thing to buy would be property, it pretty much always is.

I’ve had a vested interest in this area for some time and if you are talking about investing as a long term owner-occupier then I would agree, however, in terms of purchasing additional property as a post-COVID investment a word of caution.

There are an awful lot of people who over the last few years thought they were getting on the additional property gravy train who have their fingers seriously burned. That train left the station several years ago. Anyone thinking of going that route using say a 25% tax free pension sum and/or a buy-to-let mortgage for example should think again.

The 5% stamp duty on the FULL purchase price introduced a few years ago was a very clever move in deterring amateur investors and ‘grand lords’, and with the emotive subject of the housing crisis in the public eye the taxman has property and landlords in his sights. Rumours of targeted changes to tax laws and the ever punishing CGT have seen a lot of long term investors look to get out and move into other sectors. It’s probably not a good time to be getting into something when experienced operators are getting out of it.

In respect of the COVID driven uncertainties and wise(r) investments, I wouldn’t even dare to guess, normal indicators just don’t seem to make any sense at all. Property is still rising rapidly despite the relative evaporation of the investors/buy-to-letters. Whilst it’s great values are now being set by owner-occupiers and not by the potential yield afforded to investors, the continuing rise in values is at odds with a reduction in potential purchasers. Some are suggesting low levels of market stock caused by uncertainty is keeping the ratios of purchaser to availability high, but it does appear a skewed and unstable area for sure.

So, if you happened to find yourself looking at property as an investment just be very wary indeed. Different perhaps for large scale investors when additionals are purchased without borrowing, but that’s another level altogether.

Hopefully the new owner-occupiers can ride out any storms and shouldn’t be hit with the same punitive tax issues, but at least houses are moving away from being commodities and returning to being homes and in the long term that can be no bad thing.

 

[AndyWolves]

I had my doubts about stage 4 but since July 19th cases have dropped, not something I was expecting in a million years.

Hope it continues!

 

[The Weasel]

I suspect Covid's about to say "hold my pint"...

 

[Tony Towner]

...sort of. Anyone who has Covid before isn't counted if they get it again. The reinfected will grow and new cases will diminish as we go on

 

[AndyWolves]

My hot thought is that we underestimated how much schools drive infections.

Thousands of unvaccinated individuals being put into confined spaces is bound to cause spread.

The wider population is much, much higher in terms of "immunity / defence against Covid".

 

[Kenny]

...sort of. Anyone who has Covid before isn't counted if they get it again

really small numbers though on that front.

Peston seems to have kicked up some fuss on the matter and had plenty put him back in hs place. The recent surge and now decline can be put at the door of Wimbledon and the Euro's I think

 

[Derby Wolf]

Police showing incredible restraint with the covidiots hellbent on confronting them.

Shame as unlike the women holding a peaceful vigil more than a few of these are asking for it.

 

[Tredman]

...sort of. Anyone who has Covid before isn't counted if they get it again. The reinfected will grow and new cases will diminish as we go on

That’s Preston’s take. Actual facts suggest it’s less than 1%

 

[Tony Towner]

Yep, I did get it from Peston and seems I took him as being credible when he isn't. His facts were correct, the way he presented them weren't. I have a Twitter rule about not clicking below

 

[Tom Hark]

I had my doubts about stage 4 but since July 19th cases have dropped, not something I was expecting in a million years.

Hope it continues!

Me too. I've got a kind-of theory about that (which I hope is wrong), which is that without the Euros there would have been a steady upward curve. The Euros spike overrode that curve, and the subsequent fall is just a correction, so when the fall reaches the point where the original curve would have got to, cases will start going up again. Hopefully, I'm just overthinking it, though, and our herd immunity is actually kicking in.

 

[James]

I’m hoping this downward trend continues, it’s been nice to see people living there lives again without being idiots

 

[WolfMan]

I think alot of the experts who've carved out decent media careers for themselves in the last 18 months will try and keep the Covid story going as long as they can. It doesn't do them any good to say it's ok, let's get on with our lives now.

 

[AndyWolves]

Me too. I've got a kind-of theory about that (which I hope is wrong), which is that without the Euros there would have been a steady upward curve. The Euros spike overrode that curve, and the subsequent fall is just a correction, so when the fall reaches the point where the original curve would have got to, cases will start going up again. Hopefully, I'm just overthinking it, though, and our herd immunity is actually kicking in.

I might be wrong, but as long as R is above 1 I don't think we'd see a decrease.

 

[pr0sl0]

It's probably going to hover just above and below 1 for years now, since it's going to become endemic like the major flu and cold strains. We're going to end up with most adults getting covid booster shots each autumn (probably alongside flu shots, increasing uptake of those, a small silver lining).

The apparent dip in cases has come earlier than I'd hoped - had thought it would be more like mid-August - but I'm holding out on getting out the confetti and champagne until hospitalisations start showing a similar dip in a couple of weeks. Earlier it starts falling, the lower it'll get before the weather turns and schools go back and the easier it'll be to handle as an endemic disease over winter. It feels like schools going out must be the main explanation here, and we've underestimated the impact of spread among kids, right? It's the only major social change that fits the time lag we're seeing. The Euros ending doesn't feel like enough.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Good job Hungary and Spain aren't in the EU, otherwise they could never have had such a superb vaccine roll-out.

 

[Kenny]

Trying to get the USA not to treat us as a plague island

Covid: No quarantine for fully jabbed US and EU travellers

Ministers hope the rule change in England, Scotland and Wales will help reunite family and friends.

www.bbc.co.uk

Cancelled my USA trip, even though there is still small chance of being allowed in. Not even bothering rearranging at the moment. Got until December 2022 to use the ecredit, so probably getting pushed out into 2023.
Jumping on a Ferry and taking the car over to Belfast instead.

 

[Alan]

Things starting to lock down again here. CDC reintroduced the federal mask mandate and a lot of people have been spooked by it. Those that aren't never took it seriously in the first place, so it'll be business as usual for them anyway.

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

I stopped wearing a mask when the CDC said it was no longer necessary. But now they have changed their minds I'm not yet ready to start wearing one again. No idea what constitutes a "crowded indoor setting" where they want us to wear one. I spend all day at work - does a face-to-face conversation with a customer count as crowded? Two customers? How close? Ten second conversation? Ten minutes?
A sign asking/advising won't make any positive difference, and could lose us customers.
Maybe I will 'follow the flow', or start wearing one when my wife insists.