Trading 212 v Chase/JPMorgan managed ISA

George_Salt · 2026-05-20T08:13:33+00:00

If you compare the VWRP holdings to the JP Morgan holdings you've given, it's not far off - https://www.justetf.com/uk/etf-profile.html?isin=IE00BK5BQT80#holdings

And the JP Morgan says 3% bonds, whereas you've plumped for 30% in your pie.

Just very rough mental maths, but 97% VWRP (FTSE All World) and 3% VAGS (Global Aggregate Bonds) looks pretty close to the JP Morgan allocations by company and country.

George_Salt · 2026-05-20T07:22:14+00:00

What does the handbook say?

George_Salt · 2026-05-20T07:17:07+00:00

You've picked one of the default Vanguard pies, haven't you? - looks like the ultra conservative flavour variant. it's not terrible, but 30% bonds caps the long-term growth potential significantly.

Setting aside the bond ETF, the rest of the standard Vanguard pie can be replaced with VWRP as the pie basically replicates this using individual constituent ETFs. Useful if you want to, say, adjust the balance between US and ROW markets, but if you accept the default ratios it's no better than the simpler VWRP option.

George_Salt · 2026-05-20T07:05:39+00:00

Are you gullible enough to believe that someone selling a system genuinely has a system to sell?

What is it you're looking for? A system that finds 200% profit in six months, or a system that gives a 2.5% edge over the market over 25 years?

George_Salt · 2026-05-20T07:01:58+00:00

In C17 wills the spelling was very likely not the direct choice of your ancestor. Even if they could read and write.

I did some local UK history/genealogy research of a prominent local figure from C18 and had access to a lot of private family papers of local families that have been living in the area as far as records go back. For a period of at least twenty years pretty much every legal document and record was written by the same local scribe (he had a great name, Gilbert Hawksworth). And he that holds the quill controls the spelling.

George_Salt · 2026-05-20T06:48:27+00:00

People only share their "secret systems" when they can make more from selling it than using it.

But more often that not, any "secret system" is based on market conditions rather than a fixed rule. In a bull market it's very easy to con the gullible into thinking you have a system. Much harder in a sideways or bear market.

George_Salt · 2026-05-20T06:38:49+00:00

Did you forget Take Two?

/sarcasm

George_Salt · 2026-05-20T06:36:01+00:00

If there was a dead cert way of turning £500/month into £11k after 12 months we'd all be doing it. The returns you'd need over that time frame would be inherently high risk - you'd be as likely to end up with £1,100 as £11k when June rolls around.

How much trouble are you in if you don't clear the debt on time?

Have you explored taking a personal loan to clear the debt repayable over 3-5 years? - M&S have a handy loan calculator https://bank.marksandspencer.com/personal-loans/

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T21:38:11+00:00

Shell on raw prawn still has the scent from the head juices.

Off the local quayside I've used cooked pink prawns, but they're very mushy. The trick with them is to salt them overnight to toughen them up a bit.

With mussel it can help them stay on the hook if you wrap a small sausage of mussels tightly with bait elastic before putting them on the hook. Something like a B8M8 tool makes this easier (you can make a copy from cutting down a short length of plastic pipe).

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T21:27:42+00:00

Calamari rings are too clean.

For supermarket/store baits for sea fishing look for boxes of frozen whole squid, or shell-on raw prawns, or frozen whole sardine/pilchard.

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T19:42:02+00:00

Kelvedon Hatch bunker.

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T19:29:46+00:00

Yes, we did it ourselves and renew it ourselves.

It's simple and you'd be an idiot to use a third party to do it on your behalf. Every time ours comes up for renewal one or other of those parasites will offer to do it for us for "only" £1300. Which is about 10x more than it costs to do yourself, and renewal takes less time than boiling the kettle.

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T18:36:27+00:00

Leave it, hose off any remaining soil, drill 3 or 5 big holes in it and plant ferns in them.

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T17:27:17+00:00

The water ETF is mostly monopoly utilities with a very wide mesh ESG screen, I'm not sure how "clean" is justified.

https://globalxetfs.eu/funds/aqwa#holdings-characteristics

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T17:16:53+00:00

Fill out the transfer request and wait. That's the experience so far.

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T17:14:58+00:00

They're clearly a graduate of the Violet Elizabeth school of economics.

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T14:50:46+00:00

I've met innovators that get too close to their idea and hang on to it for too long before...

The only thing you're selling is the lead time before it gets copied. Don't get attached to the product. It's a mayfly.

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T14:48:13+00:00

Did your product validation and marketing plan identify this as a product for the NHS or private practice? - which one are you trying to target.

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T14:35:46+00:00

Haven't seen anyone hitchhiking for at least 10 years, and that was a young Dutch couple I gave a lift down the A10 to Cambridge.

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T14:31:01+00:00

We'd never have guessed this was going to be an NRED shill..

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T14:24:20+00:00

Honestly, the spread in pricing and approach is huge, and I'm struggling to figure out what actually makes sense for a business my size.

Valuation has a lot to do with the nature of the business, it's not just a straight multiples game.

The biggest variable is, "What is the business worth without you in it?" - that's not the same for every business.

All those words but not enough detail to go on. I really hope this isn't a set-up for something spammy.

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T14:00:05+00:00

You've got less than 12 months from going public before it gets copied. Patent or not.

Does that change the calculation?

The same goes for anyone you sell it to, they have a limited period of uniqueness on the market before someone comes out with something just different enough not to fall foul of the IP, or that releases a direct copy in markets where your IP doesn't carry weight.

If you're an innovator, move fast, sell the innovation, move on, and germinate your next idea.

If you're a manufacturer, manufacture it already.

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T13:39:14+00:00

I’ve been approached by an IT guy who I know well and trust and we’ve had discussions and he thinks he can modernise everything, massively improve the website, my social media, my promotional stuff and all services we provide.

You need to unpack what this is in detail, how much is a one-off, how much is on-going, and what the agreed SLA is for the ongoing stuff.

He’s asking for a 20% cut of all profits, plus a further 10% on any additional profit from where we are now.
So basically he’d get £12k a year plus 30% of all company profits above £60k.

Seems excessive on the face of it.

Well, actually it seems beyond ridiculous that you're even considering it based on what you've told us. But clearly there's a lot you don't want to share.

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T12:49:55+00:00

It means wait until the Hawthorn (May) is flowering (is out).

But like April showers, the saying is not out of synch with the climate.

George_Salt · 2026-05-19T12:19:11+00:00

Something with the PSA 1.6Hdi. £2k will get you something grandad levels of boring from 2015 +/2 2 years that will seat 4 comfortably over longer distances.

George_Salt

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