How UKers can make money ...

[whitedesire]

.... premium bonds - invest in the maximum available which is now £40k, it increased from £30 this month, and the returns are quite good. I have only had them a few months and already, about £25k worth, and have "won" two months on the run, so far, way outpacing the measly interest rates from a bank account. But the key is to invest the maximum in premium bonds as the better your chances.

Some are only little prizes, some are big prizes, but there's loads of them and a good way of managing inflation.

[Jun]

Lending money to someone whose borrowing is completely out of control & unsustainable seems like a very bad idea.

[whitedesire]

Jun

"Government" premium bonds I think are probably the most safest bet, if they went under, then before that happens the banks and whole of the UK would go under before them.

[Jun]

Thu UK government is borrowing at an unsustainable level.

Give it about another 10 years of this and anyone lending money to them would be at risk of a Greek or Argentina style "haircut". That won't be with any of my money.

Of course, they might just default in a more underhanded fashion by printing off more pounds, in which case I'd rather have the money invested in something like overseas stocks to provide some inflation protection.

[whitedesire]

"Supposedly" the UK deficit is meant to be under control in about 4 or 5 years time though - isn't it?

[Jun]

"Supposedly" the UK deficit is meant to be under control in about 4 or 5 years time though - isn't it?

We have every chance of a Labour government in 1 year. The last time Labour were in, we were left with annual borrowing at nearly 12% of gdp and the previous Labour lot in the 1970s required an IMF bailout.
We should have some kind of constitutional safeguards against this kind of extreme irresponsibility.

[whitedesire]

Yes, I know, it is worrying that Labour will get in, but I also thought that the wheels are in motion even if they do get in, for the deficit to be cut - I think if the Tories say it will be cut by 2019, Labour will find it very difficult not to keep to that promise. Also, Labour want to get the deficit down don't they. There's another year before the election also, and let's see, the British public are quite fickle and don't like change unless absolutely necessary. The Tories are going to let go that easily.

[Jun]

Yes, I know, it is worrying that Labour will get in, but I also thought that the wheels are in motion even if they do get in, for the deficit to be cut - I think if the Tories say it will be cut by 2019, Labour will find it very difficult not to keep to that promise. Also, Labour want to get the deficit down don't they. There's another year before the election also, and let's see, the British public are quite fickle and don't like change unless absolutely necessary. The Tories are going to let go that easily.

The annual deficit should have been cut strongly at least 3 years ago.

As a result of excess borrowing in the last 7 years, net debt has increased from 40% of gdp to over 80%. That's getting out of control an a very alarming rate.

[pitrevie]

.... premium bonds - invest in the maximum available which is now £40k, it increased from £30 this month, and the returns are quite good. I have only had them a few months and already, about £25k worth, and have "won" two months on the run, so far, way outpacing the measly interest rates from a bank account. But the key is to invest the maximum in premium bonds as the better your chances.

Some are only little prizes, some are big prizes, but there's loads of them and a good way of managing inflation.

When I held a couple of thousand in the UK I rarely won so on retirement I took the maximum and rarely win with those and certainly never more than 100 pounds. I note from August they are offering two, one million prizes.

[whitedesire]

Yes, I know, it is worrying that Labour will get in, but I also thought that the wheels are in motion even if they do get in, for the deficit to be cut - I think if the Tories say it will be cut by 2019, Labour will find it very difficult not to keep to that promise. Also, Labour want to get the deficit down don't they. There's another year before the election also, and let's see, the British public are quite fickle and don't like change unless absolutely necessary. The Tories are going to let go that easily.

The annual deficit should have been cut strongly at least 3 years ago.

As a result of excess borrowing in the last 7 years, net debt has increased from 40% of gdp to over 80%. That's getting out of control an a very alarming rate.

Excess borrowing = the results of the previous Labour Government - and it is taking longer than expected to get a grip with it. Yes, 80%, and should start to reduce drastically in the next few years. Even a Labour government recognise that. It's a shame that a Tory government (or coalition) always, as long as I can remember, have to bail out Labour government. Who was that MP who said when the Tory/Lib won the election "good luck, there's no money", he left it on his desk or something like that.