Saturday 24 November 2007

expat shop, euroshop, save vat, buy in eu, shop eu

Living in Britain, I'd become used to logging on to the net and ordering whatever I fancied from sites like Amazon, VAT-free and no delivery costs, but two years ago, life took me to Denmark (or rather the missus did!), and boy, was I in for a shock! Get this...a 25% sales tax, or MOMs, as it's called here on everything you buy, including food! Even so, after I'd been here a few months, I naively logged onto Amazon to buy a few English books I fancied. Everything looked fine as I added to my basket, but once at the checkout, the price of all the items more than DOUBLED, simply as a result of where they were being sent to.So, get this, Amazon is selling the same goods to you, from the same warehouse, but you have to pay twice the price? Why? Well, turns out it isn't Amazons fault at all. You can blame the EU for this one, and this after all those years of cheek we were sold the EU with the excuse that it was going to be a free trade bloc of one big European Nation. Just because your books are going to be delivered to Denmark instead of the UK you have to pay delivery (okay, that one you can cope with) and an extra 25% sales tax. Ha ha, how I laughed as I gave up on my attempted purchase and prepared myself for a life of no reading ever again.But then I discovered, completely by chance, a rather nifty outfit called Play.com, who based themselves in a small island off the coast of France, called Jersey that has zero sales tax. Better still, these guys even do free delivery to Denmark, and best of all to buy from them (or anywhere else in the world for that matter), is 100% legal, subject to certain limits.Wow, I was like a pig in.....err excuse me. Anyhow, to say the least I was a very happy man and logging on every other night from thereon buying all of the books I could possibly get my hands on to make up for lost time.After this I really got into buying a lot of things I wanted elsewhere in the EU, and once you start getting into this buying abroad off the internet lark you'll realise that Amazon is the exception in charging Sales Taxes at the buyers' rate. Most EU based companies will only charge their local rate, 100% legal again. Well, this little bit of info opened up another new horizon! Blimey, I even found a little-used, SECRET way of buying from Amazon and avoiding the Sales tax. 100% LEGAL again, and you can read about it here as I'm happy to give you this secret for free.Then I started thinking...how many other websites or shopping opportunities are there out there like this? Completely legal opportunities to beat the taxman and keep more of your own money in your own pocket, while buying exactly what you want. Hell, half this stuff isn't even available here! The same probably applies to whatever European country you happen to be living in right now. Am I right?Now, just think about all those people out there who know nothing about these sites. Maybe this even includes you? You come back from the UK with a holdall full of English books or decent underwear (my partner does!) simply because you think you'll never get the chance to stock up again. Well, forget it! Now you can buy from the comfort of your own home with delivery to your door!There is now a site of my favourite online shops! These are personally tested and recommended shops with great prices, a fantastic range, and best of all, free or low delivery costs to Denmark and most of the rest of Europe. You can visit it right now at www.expatshop.eu.

Thursday 22 November 2007

Pound if freefall, but the dollar hides it

I must admit that I have been worried about the Pound for some time, what with the trade deficit, budget deficit and now the Northern Rock crisis.

Actually, the trade deficit bothers me least of the problems, as Britain has a large reputation for investing abroad. The others are not so good. especially the Northern Rock crisis, since the implication is the government have magically created the necessary backup reserves out of thin air (is there any other method?)

Now, I notice that in the past couple of months, the Pound has dropped about 6% against the Euro and Danish Krone. This has hardly got a mention, as all the media are going on about the weakening Dollar and the bargains available for those taking a shopping trip to the USA.
So please, Germany and Holland, don't give in to whingeing France and Italy about needing a weaker Euro, and the usual rubbish about generating exports. A devalued currency helps no-one long term.

If it carries on like this, the Euro could become the world's new reserve currency, especially for pricing oil, at least until China is ready to claim its spot.

Just a thought.

As for me, I'm off to browse the internet for some bargains from Britain...

Wednesday 21 November 2007

Questions and Answers From The Author

This book, by Alan Dunwiddie, is the ideal Isa investing Guide for both beginners and those who have more experience. It is packed full of honest advice on how to invest more profitably.
Here, Alan answers some of your questions.

http://www.doityourselfisa.co.uk/tax_free_isa_uk_fast_track.html

Wednesday 14 November 2007

Star Energy Takeover Comments

So Petronas have launched a takeover bid for Star Energy, and you did indeed do well if you managed to to get the £3.70 on offer this morning, since that is above the offer price. However, for those who didn't manage to offload at above the offer price you're better off holding to the end, since you won't lose out on the bid-offer spread or have to pay commission when you sell.

Unless some major oil find or planning permission news is coming, there might also be another 10 or 20p per share extra in the offing, and the downside is small, since the chances of Petronas not completing a deal is low.

Certainly confirms, like Ken Fisher says, that there is cash out there for deals, despite the "credit crunch" we are now experiencing.

Tuesday 13 November 2007

Gold HYIP Investment scams

Please don't ever be conned by those dubious emails or websites offering you the chance to earn 0.5 to 5% PER DAY. Through "e-currency", gold or whatever. They often also chuck in a load of acronyms like HYIP (high yield investment plan), and the like.

I just found this example advertising on Google Adwords.

http://e-currencyprofitshome.com/?gclid=COjug5DY2Y8CFQJxaAodlSaW8g

If anyone can truly find an investment that returns that much per day, the best approach would be to keep quiet until you owned all the money in the entire world, which, with compounding actually probably wouldn't take as long as you think!

There are plenty of sites out there full of sad cases of people who are complaining about how their money has gone, no replies, no money back, etc. Actually, I don't think they are totally to blame because of their naiveity, since none of us ever get the right financial training in school to prepare us for the serious financial decisions we'll have to make in our adult lives.

The other sad thing is that E-gold is often the route for this money because it's harder to trace. I don't blame e-gold in the slightest, as these irreversible payments are a feature of a cash-based society instead of a credit one, but it probably will affect their credibility longer term.

Saturday 20 October 2007

Honest Advice No Price

Don't forget to visit my investing sites for financial information to help you save money. First, there's Successful Tax Free Investing. Then IT Contracting in Denmark. Then, if you live in the EU, loads of tips on how to Shop Online and Save and finally, visit Invest Gold and Silver to find out how to invest on the two things likeliest to save you from financial collapse in the uncertain future awaiting us all.

Monday 8 October 2007

Letter Published in Money Observer

A bit pleased to see a letter of mine published in Money Observer. This is always a magazine I have admired as it is a lot more real and factual than certain other UK finance magazines I could mention. Unfortunately it ain't up on the website yet.

Saturday 22 September 2007

Poor Mervyn King, I've just been back in the UK coinciding with his public TV question time by a load of naive MPs pretending to be real experts on the world and finance and questioning him about why he took the stance he did with Northern Rock.

Personally, I think he was spot on not to get involved with Northern Rock or any other bank having problems, they should be allowed to stand or fall as independent businesses. Do we bail out every corner shop with a "cashflow" problem? Should we?

A lot of the questioning was very naive, and seemed to be based on what the MPs thought up after reading the morning papers and now we hear that the British Government is to increase the banking deposit guarantee limit to £100,000. Aargh! How easy it is to be generous with the taxpayers money, and worse still, the vague statement that this would be funded by a levy on banks means that actually the decent, well-run banks subsidise the risk-taking dangerous ones. Any large guaranteed deposits scheme only encourages banks to take yet more risks. This is a bit like adding a load of extra Vodka to the punchbowl.

At this moment in time, I would not be surprised to see a repeat of 1925-29, with a huge run-up in stock prices as more money gets pumped into the economy by the Ponzi scheme that is fractional reserve banking, followed by an almighty bang, on a scale of the 1974 90% stock market drop.

Don't sell yet, but enjoy the ride and keep your finger poised on the sell button! (oh, and hold some gold!)

Going back to my earlier article though, I still insist Northern Rock has some assets and would watch to see who makes a move.

Monday 17 September 2007

Site rejig...Scientific Advertising

Okay, so I'm no pro, but I think my book at Do it Yourself ISA is well and truly worth the meagre £4.95 price, considering it can save most investors an awful lot of cash.

So I rejigged the sites to hopefully present more of the positives correctly.

Check it out at :-

www.doityourselfisa.co.uk
www.shareisa.co.uk
www.investmenttrustisa.co.uk
www.unittrustisa.co.uk
www.unitinvestmenttrust.co.uk

Or just go ahead and preview (then hopefully buy...but hey, even if you don't I wish you well with your investing decisions.

You can buy or preview it here.

Sunday 16 September 2007

Banking Crisis?

Banking crises are more common throughout history than people might think. A lot more common.

The only problem is that history shows that they only tend to happen to one generation once, and they become so cautious about banks afterwards that it never happens again in their lifetime. Then the next generation forgets about it all over again and the cycle repeats.

So I guess in that score, we shouldn't be surprised at what is happening with the Northern Rock right now. We were probably due one.

Historically, somewhere behind it all normally lies a tangled web of profligate lending by the problem banks. None so truer than now.

I am sure that the British Treasury and Bank of England will hold true with their promises to back depositors with the Northern Rock. But then when you're playing with other people's money (I guess such a payout will be made simply by running a few extra pounds off the printing press), you can afford to appear generous.

Not sure what this will do to the British Pound exchange rate longer term though.

And looks like another reason to hold gold and silver as per the ISA recommendations of the superb new book Do-it-Yourself ISAs.

Thursday 30 August 2007

US SubPrime Worries Hit the StockMarket

Okay, so the market is having some serious jitters right now about these US SubPrime Loans and who is really holding the debt. Banks are being sold (look at Northern Rock - if I had some spare cash I suspect that one could turn out to be a bargain).

To counterbalance it all, the US Fed and the European Central Bank is pumping billions in to shore it all up.

I don't like the sound of this at all, but consider this...it sounds very similar to the 1925 crisis in which banks, mainly the US Fed, pumped billions into the system. The net turnout of that was that for the next 4 years, the stock market powered ahead, culminating in the infamous "permanently high plateau" of 1929.

On this basis, I wouldn't be surprised to see the same thing happen again, so while I'd still recommend diversification into Cash ISAs and Commodity ETFs, don't sell at the prices currently on offer and keep plenty in stocks, just in case.

Of course, it would probably be better to let it all fall apart now, but governments don't tend to let that happen.

Bonds and property funds on the other hand, I would still ignore.

Wednesday 29 August 2007

The Fleet Street Letter : An Independent Review

Okay, time for a shock confession.

A few years ago, I made the foolish mistake of thinking outside my normal realms of Investment Trusts on huge discounts and low-fee ETFs and started thinking of direct share investments.

Taken in by the "longest published newsletter in the UK...since 1937", I made the big mistake of signing up to the "Fleet Street Letter", or FSL.

While some of the articles on world politics and finances are interesting, the "letter" is basically a 4 page scrap of paper and their direct share tips are the biggest load of rubbish I have ever seen. This for three main reasons :-

1) The tips are recycled from other Agora publications, so by the time they make it to FSL they are no longer fresh or hot.

2) The articles subsequently get recycled into a variety of other publications, so you'll normally get to read them in the end - normally a week or two later in the free email advertising circular "The Daily Reckoning".

3) The letter comes out on a Friday, giving the thousands of subscribers a chance to know what the hot tip of the week is. Consequently, the market makers price up the shares on Monday, knowing that a load of Fleet Street Lemmings will pile in regardless.

Obviously the FSL performance figures are based on prices before this Monday, so there's no way investors can get in at the same price, but hey, it helps the performance figure look good when trying to sell it to new subscribers.

Please let this serve as a warning to anyone thinking of subscribing.

Just check out some of their tips in recent years : Widney, Wagon, Drax, Global Energy Development, Star Energy, Retail Decisions.

I admit to being taken in by the last one. I held the shares anyway, but their article made me think it was time to sell. It wasn't. They advised investors to sell at 140p just before the takeover at 200p!

Back to the world of ITs for me and the occasional direct share of my own choice. (Let the discount be your guide and don't be influenced by others, EVER!)

Wednesday 15 August 2007

Where you can buy the new "Do it Yourself ISA Guide" book

Silly me. Forget to add where you can buy. Thanks to the power of the internet anyone in the world can get hold of this one as an ebook or hard copy, by visiting here:-

Support independent publishing: buy this book on Lulu.

Go for it! at the moment you could get £50 cashback for spending just £4.95. How many other places can make a statement like that?

Thursday 26 July 2007

Do it Yourself ISAs

Welcome to the new blog associated with the website www.doityourselfisa.co.uk

This website was set up to promote a greater understanding of ISAs through the "Do it Yourself ISA Guide" book. Feel free to discuss any ISA-related topics on this blog.

I'll be posting whenever I think of anything new or relevant.

But in the meantime, remember to visit www.doityourselfisa.co.uk