mint Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Yes, I did it on line after I have logged into my account. But they will not pay the interest gross so I will have to reclaim that after maturity of the bond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassis Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 [quote user="tinabee"]You pay a percentage to open the account (ourswas around 4%) and there is a management fee (ours is about 1%).[/quote][quote user="LesLauriers"]Investing 100,000€ with 0% charge and 0.6% annual charge ...[/quote]Which goes to show that it pays to shop around, haggle and compare deals. BNP normally charges 3% opening charge, agreed to reduce it to 1% for a large sum invested, but we went with ING at 0% opening and lower management charges for essentially the same product.Still gone tits up over the past few months, of course ... [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinabee Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 [quote user="cassis"][quote user="tinabee"]You pay a percentage to open the account (ours was around 4%) and there is a management fee (ours is about 1%). [/quote][quote user="LesLauriers"]Investing 100,000€ with 0% charge and 0.6% annual charge ...[/quote]Which goes to show that it pays to shop around, haggle and compare deals. BNP normally charges 3% opening charge, agreed to reduce it to 1% for a large sum invested, but we went with ING at 0% opening and lower management charges for essentially the same product.Still gone tits up over the past few months, of course ... [:D][/quote]You are so right Cassis ! If only I knew then what I know now [:)] I guess it's the price you pay for taking the advice of your friendly financial adviser..We live and learn [geek] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassis Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 [quote user="tinabee"]We live and learn [geek][/quote]Yes - I should have left it under the mattress ... [;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 [quote user="cassis"]Yes - I should have left it under the mattress ... [;-)][/quote]Right on, I'm dreading getting my pension statement for 2007/2008.After piling in not insignificant sums of money for another 12 months I'm fully expecting my actual fund value to be less than I started with and I'll count myself lucky if I've stood still [:@]The only small crumb of solace is that if I had taken it as salary instead I would have instantly lost 40% of it in tax and wherever else I might have put it would no way have made up for that sort of hit.I have no mortgage or any other debts yet I'm still a hidden and helpless victim of the credit crunch. The little man can never win [:'(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 [quote user="ErnieY"] and I'll count myself lucky if I've stood still [:@][/quote]Fat chance there Ernie. [:(]I'll send the box of tissues over when I've finished if there are any left. [:'(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 [quote user="cassis"]Yes - I should have left it under the mattress ... [;-)][/quote]During a BBC Radio 4 programme on the current 'credit crisis', a leading UK fund manager (Nicola Horlick of Bramdean Asset Management), also suggested the above under-the-mattress investment strategy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polremy Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 So do Nationwide have your French address?(We didn't dare change ours over.)If so, have you encountered any problems using a Nationwide Credit card with a French billing address? Buying airline tickets for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Did have until I decided a UK was more convenient.No problem at all changing it though.Using any card for airline tickets or other online purchases shouldn't be a problem as long as the address you give is where the card is registered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 [quote user="Polremy"]So do Nationwide have your French address?(We didn't dare change ours over.)If so, have you encountered any problems using a Nationwide Credit card with a French billing address? Buying airline tickets for example.[/quote]No problems changing to a French address or using our NW debit card (not sure about credit cards - never had one). If you are in the UK, just pop into a local NW branch and you can do it without any proof of a French address. If you change your address from France, you may have to send utility bills etc. (As a general rule, most UK banks will not allow you to open any new accounts once you have a French address - so make sure that you do so before changing your address!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinabee Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 No problems having a Nationwide visa card on a French address, the only problem we encountered was making sure we type in the address EXACTLY as it appears on the statement (which is ever so slightly incorrect as it has a space where one is not needed). Otherwise, the only problems we have are with websites that only work on UK post codes, i.e. they complete the address bit for you. When this happens I wish I had kept an extra credit card on a UK address, but it is pretty rare and there is usually a solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanb Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 [quote user="Blossom"]During a BBC Radio 4 programme on the current 'credit crisis', a leading UK fund manager (Nicola Horlick of Bramdean Asset Management), also suggested the above under-the-mattress investment strategy![/quote]If you're concerned about your investments not keeping up with inflation, a better strategy than under-the-mattress would be simply to buy stuff. Not just any old stuff, but stuff that you will need and would therefore buy anyway some time in the future.This is not an original thought; I first saw it seriously recommended in a useful and entertaining book by Andrew Tobias, The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need, in which he points out that baked beans, washing-up liquid, toilet paper, razor blades, etc, etc, are the things whose prices go up, so if you buy as much of them as you can as soon as you can, you have a hedge against inflation - and you don't have to pay any adviser's commission.He doesn't mention the fact that you will need a bigger house for storage. Still, bigger houses are now getting cheaper, so maybe you can have the best of both worlds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Mmm...not sure about houses, but flour and rice might be worth a punt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassis Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Buy wood. I have invested heavily in wood this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 [quote user="allanb"]a better strategy than under-the-mattress would be simply to buy stuff. Not just any old stuff, but stuff that you will need and would therefore buy anyway some time in the future.[/quote]I'll buy a couple of spare oil storage tanks then and fill them up with diesel for the car. 2x 1500lt tanks would do me for about 35k miles or 3 to 4 years and I could even sell a bit off here and there to friends.It's not just inflation but tangible losses which really hurt though. When you can write off 20% of a pension fund in a few months just because of the vagries of the stock markets far better to stuff that money under the mattress and lose a mere 3% to inflation!Trouble is with money invested in pension funds it's not accessible so under-the-mattress is not a strategy one can easily implement.[quote user="cassis"]Buy wood. I have invested heavily in wood this summer[/quote]Would that mean you've got money to burn then [;-)]I planted a row of Leylandii last year, will that grow into a hedge against inflation [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Yes, ErnieY, and if you make a lot of "dough2 and freeze it, you can later turn that into "bread" and thus be able to control your own inflation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keni Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 Many thanks to you all for the information, especially clearing up the assurance vies issues.We will be looking to open our Nationwide account soon, I am sure. It is still a minefield though isn't it, trying to work out now where best to put your hard-earned cash for the next 20 years or whatever, so that you can get some sort of life!As you mentioned pensions, I am self-employed and I know what you mean about pension funds, after 20 years I am told my pension will be ripening next year and I will gain the whole amount of around 5K, so that means 20 years of paying in and getting 5K back, should just about fund the petrol and wood for next year then!Does anyone know whether the French Post Office have any savings accounts?Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosub Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Have a look here for info on La Poste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keni Posted July 21, 2008 Author Share Posted July 21, 2008 Thanks gosub,that is a pretty informative site, but they are only offering around 2.75% I am sure though now I am getting the hang of this stuff, if I trawl around I might dig up some other bits and pieces, however, I am very sceptical about internet sites for banking.The postal site for general banking looks good and am I correct they are actually offering a current account with interest! That is a first for me in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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