Is now a good time to buy stocks and shares?

[EachandEveryone]

I need to read more around it but I thought I might ask for advice because of how unstable everything is at the moment.

im lucky for the first time in my life I have disposable income as I’ve partially retired and my pension is £1300 a month. I’m unlucky that I am being treated for cancer and I don’t know what the long term outcome will be. It’s just typical isn’t it? I’m hoping my work NHS will pay full sick pay although I was off last year for the same thing. I did manage to come back to work for five months though so hoping it’s reset. I also have payment protection insurance which will kick in. Thank goodness I do.

anyway with my lump sum o maxed out a stocks and shares isa. I’m determined to make my life abit easier so will use money for taxis to appointments, pay for a reflexology course and get a cleaner so I reckon that is half my pension gone.

I was thinking now I have plenty of time off I can put a small lump aside and play with it adding £200 a month. I was thinking of opening a free trade account and teaching myself. Vanguard is doing ok but I can see the options are quite limited and I do like a little flutter. Am I mad to do this? Should I just open a savings account? I have 14,000 in premium bonds. Should I just add to them?

thank you so much in advance.

Investing in the stockmarket can produce great returns but also has volatility - sometimes it can go down 20% or more in a single year. So it's great for investing for 10 years or more where you can ride out the ups and downs. But you have to consider when you are saving what are you saving for? If it's for an emergency fund or something you expect to draw out again in under 10 years does something that volatile really work for you, or would a Cash ISA with interest payable be better instead?

I’ve maxed my S&S ISA. I have emergency funds in my Chase Account. There is nothing in particular I’m saving for but I will be saving just because I don’t know what the future holds and I would never be entitled to state help now that I have my pension. I was just wanting to dabble a little bit. Keep me occupied 😀

If you won't need the money for at least 5 years, consider putting it in a broadly diversified mutual fund with an established provider. Look for the lowest fees possible as they can eat up any gains.

My daughters and I have small investments in an ISA in Trading 212 - it's been a lot of fun over the last year! We made a 'pie' of various companies which we shared between us.

Ill have a look at that.

i actually chatted to someone to day at the clinic (you meet all kinds of people going through this shit) and he told me not to bother as ive maxed the S&S ISA out its best just to put it in a high interest regular saver until next years ISA. He said it will just get complicated with my tax and too much to keep track of.

i will follow that advice.

thanks all of you 😃