Would anyone like to share ideas for where money should be placed these days? Short term investment ideas, with the obvious understanding that none of it has guaranteed high return.

[CoteDAzur]

I used to be an investment professional. Surely there are others on MN. Would anyone be interested in pooling our insight and sharing investment ideas as well as identified risks?

Wish I had a clue. I'm offsetting against mortgage and also have money in Blackrock Absolute Alpha (which at least sold its Lehmans holding in time). I have various stuff in ISA wrappers, but am struggling to know what to do with it at present (and I suspect that I'm looking at it way to late anyway).

Tbh I think that I'd want to see the back of the rescues etc over the next couple of weeks before moving anything.

What I see with most certainty now is:

• there is great uncertainty & fear
• there is increasing liquidity, as central banks try to keep failing banks and credit markets afloat

In both situations, there are two things that go up:

• Swiss Franc (CHF)

and

• Gold

Gold has already gone up a bit so I sold some USD/CHF today. It is going well so far but I think the pair has a lot more to fall.

17:12
FSA bans short selling of financial companies; FSA ban on financial short selling from 2300 GMT Thurs - DJ

But FSA would only regulate trade on LSE wouldn't they?

Yes.

I also got a notice from one of the banks I trade with, saying the following:

"The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has banned naked short-selling of US stocks from the start of business today, 18 September 2008."

Why did they wait to do anything about short selling, if they coul see wat was happenig, I don't understand it.

At least Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs and other financial firms whose stocks have been battered this week have a chance to escape the same fate as Lehmanns.

It looks like the SEC might stop short selling in the US for a while too.

They have on 799 companies.

We invested in National Savings Bonds a few years ago from the post office - it was a high rate if you keep it for 10 years (we didn't unfortunately!!) Don't think you would lose your initial money on it as it is a fixed rate. We also have the 10% saver thing from Halifax for the kids, which transfers every year to a instant access account - that pays a good rate as well I think. There is an adult version, although due to recent events, they may have stopped that!!!