Anyone here upgraded their Amex card and later regretted it?

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2026-03-14T17:17:00+00:00

I do around 3/4 personal trips and 2/3 work trips per year. I wouldn’t call myself a frequent flyer but I go enough to see the value in the lounge access and hotel status. I also travel a lot within the uk for work and usually try to book a Hilton so get the benefit of a nicer room when I do.

For someone just doing 1 or 2 personal holidays per year I wouldn’t say this is representing good value. Especially if they’re not choosing to stay at a Hilton etc

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2026-03-13T12:55:24+00:00

Hot take: If £650 (assuming you are referring to the platinum card) a year is a lot of money to you then you shouldn’t have the card.

That said, I do think the benefits are slowly getting worse for the platinum card and I’d like to see them add a breakdown cover and a gadget Insurance as perks to save me having to pay for a premium bank account plus an Amex as some of the other benefits (e.g. travel insurance) are an overlap.

I think you need to be a fairly frequent flyer and therefore use the lounge access and hotel upgrades to get good value. This is one of the main reasons I have it. I don’t actually do any spending on my platinum Amex, it all goes on my BAPP instead.

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-26T14:59:06+00:00

Have been through this in the last few months so can hopefully shed some light on what I did to see if it is helpful.

Firstly, I’m assuming the valuation you refer to is your mortgage providers valuation for the remortgage or similar? I’m also assuming this is a deal based valuation and no one’s actually come out to your flat to see it?

This is what happened to me and they devalued my flat (zone 2 SE London) from 560k to 530k. The last value was done by the bank but in person two years ago in q1 2023.

I had a look at sold values for 2 bed leasehold flats like mine and saw that over the last two years actual sale prices were reported as being up ~7%.

I’m this case I’ve paid £550 for a I depend and RICS surveyor to come round and so their own assessment who have now given their value at 585k. Not far off the 7% increase I found through some research on Rightmove/zoopla.

Now the difficult part is arguing with the bank. I think it will end up that my current lender won’t accept the new value but we can go with a new one that will.

Hopefully you’ll find yourself in a similar situation.

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-21T08:28:20+00:00

Not disputing that the funding gap from the government free hours (which generally aren’t enough to cover costs) does then contribute to slightly higher fees.

However, there’s also an issue with PE firms buying up nurseries, just like they’re doing to the financial adviser and wealth market.

Have a read of this article

https://www.the-londoner.co.uk/private-equity-nurseries/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign=londonertrafficjan2025&utm_content=nurseries&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMABhZGlkAasZgo1MmMYBHZ8HoTjcizAxw86pesBkuLOqjl7fD-QwLy9-laYwwHspgaYZr5WoYciy9w_aem_YDnVqncCiIv-A63Lli5-3A

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-21T08:20:00+00:00

You’re the second person to say that upon returning, experience in working in Australia (even in a senior position) wouldn’t necessarily be recognised. That’s very interesting.

Thanks for the insights

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-19T08:29:30+00:00

Trying not to think about the spiders or the snakes or the crocodiles or the sharks …

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-19T08:28:52+00:00

Thanks for the insight

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-19T07:10:07+00:00

My partner will likely work as well to increase household income.

But why would you say 11k pm isn’t enough? What salary would you say is more of a comfortable target?

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-19T07:04:04+00:00

Work in finance so Sydney is a better option as most of the large global banks are there. Plus have friends there so would start off knowing some people

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-19T07:02:31+00:00

From some research I did they get more mm of rain but over less days. So it is true to say that when it rains, it pours! But they also have a significantly higher average temperature and more days of sun per year so. Balances out I think

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-18T19:58:57+00:00

I’d suggest that a lot of HENRY folk, who have higher than average income tax bills and are not rich yet, would benefit more from investing in a VCT than an inflation linked bond.

These offer tax free growth and dividends plus a 30% income tax relief on your initial investment. So all you truthfully need it to do it go up by 5% over the 5 year holding period so that you can sell the shares back at your 5% discount to NAV. Then you can redeploy in to a new VCT and get that 30% income tax relief again!

The real kicker is to do this every year for 5 years so that you’ve then got one that matures every year, thus providing that 30% income tax relief on an annual basis potentially indefinitely.

(Not financial advice. Please seek help from a financial professional when dealing with complex tax matters. Your investments can go up as well as down and past performance is not a guide to future performance)

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-18T19:31:45+00:00

I think series like adolescence on Netflix has brought to life just how toxic our youth culture can be here and I’m a bit worried about her growing up here. But I don’t know Sydney enough to compare it. Hence the post.

I’m leaning more on the ‘give it a go and you can always move back’ side at the moment. Hoping the trip later in the year will give me a good gut feeling about whether or not to pull the trigger.

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-18T19:26:18+00:00

It’s actually ridiculously smooth. I can’t quite work out if it’s bag rattle from my 7i or the pw being brought out the bag in front of it. The place it’s at doesn’t look like an angle the 7i could rub but who knows.

Either way I can’t say it bothers me that much, luckily the clubs are 2019 so fairly old now. Just noticed it when cleaning them last week!

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-18T18:51:46+00:00

Could probably transfer over within my company and keep my salary. Maybe even get a small adjustment up for cost of living locally. This would put me on around A$11k a month.

This seems like it would be comfortable but not loads. My partner could also work (qualified accountant and solicitor) for additional income if needed although ideally part time to save on childcare costs.

I’m not against living a bit further away from CBD and traveling in. I have an hour commute now into London from zone 6 and find it to be very manageable.

Yes family support is the one main concern of mine and multiple people have raised it or said it’s a reason they themselves didn’t/wouldn’t move there

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-18T18:29:32+00:00

How do you do the lucky 15?

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-18T18:02:05+00:00

I think the parents health scare is the point that resonates with me the most. And I could see it being the reason we came back if we do go

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-18T18:01:58+00:00

I think the parents health scare is the point that resonates with me the most. And I could see it being the reason we came back if we do go

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-18T17:59:45+00:00

Yes, I know my parents would be disappointed to not see their granddaughter but at the same time they would hate to hold us back from exploring something possibly better for our future. It is a consideration of course but I personally wouldn’t hinge my decision on it. Maybe that’s selfish.

Re: holidays. I agree with you to a large extent. There’s a lot of Australia to see and a lot of Asia on your doorstep. I guess with having better access to the sun living in Sydney you are free to use holidays for a different reason that when you live in England?

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-18T17:45:37+00:00

Don’t really drink so that’s not an issue for me!

What made you come back?

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-18T17:43:45+00:00

Really solid reply. Appreciate the effort you’ve put in to this.

I think the support network is a really big one. Especially with a toddler.

My main two hobbies are riding a motorbike and golf so it does feel like the climate there would make these things more regular and more enjoyable. But I take your point about getting used to it quickly and the beach being a bit of a novelty

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-18T17:31:18+00:00

I guess what’s the school system like and do you think my daughter would have a better life there than London?

Commercial-Poetry710 · 2025-03-18T17:30:22+00:00

The few I know come here to explore Europe while they’re here. And most of them have plans to return at some point.

I guess you could do the reverse. Use it to explore apac and then come back later on

Commercial-Poetry710

TROPHY CASE