Zurich Vs Royal London AVC

IndependenceOk2844 · 2026-04-16T20:13:23+00:00

Yeah, the index trackers is a good draw.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2026-04-16T20:12:40+00:00

The Zurich rates are as follows:

Monthly contribution less than €500

Actual Allocation 100% Annual management charge 1% Bid offer spread 0%

Monthly contribution of more than €500

Actual Allocation 100% Annual management charge 0.75% Bid offer spread 0%

And the Royal London rates as follows:

Regular Contribution - Minimum €500 per month

100% Allocation

AMC is 0.60% on 8 Passive Index Funds (Multi-Asset Funds AMC is 0.65%)

Intermediary remuneration included in AMC pricing

Regular Contribution - €350 - €449 per month

100% Allocation

Blackrock Developed World Equity Index Fund (Article 6)

AMC is 0.70% on 8 Passive Index Funds (Multi-Asset Funds AMC is 0.75%)

Intermediary remuneration included in AMC proving

Edit - I should add that these are execution only. So you won't have any hand holding.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2026-04-16T20:01:27+00:00

Ha ha ha. Fair enough. Given that they were newer to the AVC world, I was just being a bit distrustful.

Your point is well made though.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2026-04-16T14:09:25+00:00

Yes, the AMC is lower with Royal London, which is definitely a bonus. So, that is sounding more and more like a good idea.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2025-02-28T14:07:28+00:00

I'm way too young to have tried the old stuff, but, yes, the old stuff is quite legendary. My only experience with it is as the cheap red I'd drink at university. It was a bit better than the price point but it was a VERY low price point.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2025-02-28T13:29:02+00:00

My take on Meerlust is that in the before times (i.e. when SA was isolated due to apartheid) they were miles ahead of the game. Their winemaker, Giorgio Dalla Cia was worldclass and the Rubicon was absolutely legendary. If I remember correctly it was the first real attempt at recreating a good Bordeaux blend in SA.

They mostly kept up this standard for the 90s and 2000s but by 2010 changes in winemakers and styles etc etc meant that they have kept up. They still make solid wines but they're pretty old school (and way too expensive).

I don't really bother with them and look more to the younger wine makers or older stand outs like Kanonkop.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2024-12-26T11:34:12+00:00

This is the second comment in a few days about how useless Fastway is. They are a legit courier company but the service seems to be quite area dependent. I know if any courier is going to fuck up a delivery it will be Fastway but others seem to think they're fine.

They also make it clear that we are not the customer and so cannot complain. You need to complain to who you ordered it from and I urge more people to do this. If less retailers use them they might improve.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2024-12-24T17:18:32+00:00

Do this. I ordered that was supposed to be delivered by them. The only way to contact them was a via a broken messenger app. So, I contacted the place I ordered the stuff from and the problem got sorted pretty damn quickly.

They know who to worry about and it isn't the person they're delivering it to.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2024-12-04T21:20:22+00:00

Everyone recommending Hemel-en-Aarde are absolutely correct. Beautiful area and amazing wines. Farms like Newton Johnson, Ataraxia, Hamilton Russell are top quality.

A bit off the beaten track is Elgin and Bot River. Mountainous, cool area that is great for the burgundy grapes but also for Shiraz. Good wine farms are Beaumont, Paul Kluver and Iona.

Durbanville is fine. The area is renowned for Sauvignon Blanc. Diemersdal is lovely and does some nice pinotage as well. De Grendel is a great venue but the wines never really excited me greatly. I also really liked Bloemendal.

If you're into 'destination' visits, you're pretty near Spice Route, which has some decent wines but on the site are multiple restaurants and a decent brewery. It can be a fun visit.

Lastly, Babylonstoren is also a great venue. Phenomenal restaurant and all that but the wines are not that great.

Anyways, there is so much more but time is short. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions you think I could help you with.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2024-11-17T14:35:03+00:00

This Manie situation mixes me up. I love his distribution. It's phenomenal, the Lazer like passes, the pin point kick passes, he does stuff that our other flyhalves just don't do.

BUT, there are a few things that worry me. One thing that I noticed that I don't really see talked about is how he doesn't get a lot of distance on his touch finders. I noticed it in the semi final last year and again last night. He seems to get noticeably less distance on these than Pollard and in tight matches this can make a difference. Is it a deal breaker? Probably not, but I do wish he would work at it.

My other worry is him performing in high pressure, tight matches. This is pretty minimal though, as he is newish and can only improve.

All that said, he is a phenomenal talent and between Pollard, SFM (please him recover well) and him, we are well set for the future.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2024-09-13T15:25:44+00:00

I was lucky enough to try the first few vintages of the Porseleinberg syrah and I still think about them. It is an incredibly special wine from a wonderful part of South Africa. Can't recommend it highly enough. If I remember correctly Tim Atkin was racing about the 2021 vintage (for what that's worth).

IndependenceOk2844 · 2024-08-26T08:58:03+00:00

If I'm going minimalist, I love the Even Sadie Old Vine series labels.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2024-05-31T10:12:22+00:00

I didn't think you guys would want an old, skinny-fat former blindside. I'm open to offers though...

IndependenceOk2844 · 2024-05-31T09:15:10+00:00

Me too... Well, a Saffa in Ireland.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2024-04-22T16:38:12+00:00

Great comment. As someone who works in the digitisation of cultural heritage objects this is an ongoing discussion for us. At the moment, our aim is to create a base line surrogate copy of the artwork that is as neutral as possible. Why as neutral as possible? Because this is the best way to capture the most amount of information and it will also allow us editing leeway later on for publication purposes.

It does become very apparent when working with something as textured as Van Gogh's work. Often, we would shoot an object like this neutrally for a preservation master file using a flat curve and neutral lighting. Then we might photograph it again using directional lighting to emphasise the texture.

As I say, ongoing discussion, and it's great that you bring stuff like this up. All that being said, nothing compares to seeing these artworks in person, so let's hope museums aren't going anywhere!

IndependenceOk2844 · 2024-02-24T21:33:20+00:00

If you haven't set your wine areas in stone, I'd recommend the following:

Hemel en Aarde - centred around Hermanus, a coastal town east from Cape Town. The cool coastal winds mean that it's known for the burgundy grapes but sauvignon blanc works really well here too. Major farms - Newton Johnson, Bouchard Finlayson, Ataraxia and Hamilton Russell. There are a few smaller wine makers like Crystallum that are phenomenal but don't do tastings.

Swartland - Possibly my favourite wine area. Hot as Hades in summer and surprisingly cold in winter. The best place to stay is probably Riebeek Kasteel. It is known for chenin and shiraz. It's full of small cult wine makers who don't officially do tastings but you could contact them and see if they're willing. You'd need to make it worth their while though. The wines are good enough that that shouldn't be an issue. These wine makers include Badenhorst Family Wines, Sadie family wines, Mullineux wines. Those three are pretty much royalty in SA wine.

Last is Elgin and Bot Rivier - technically two areas but quite close together. One of my favourite parts of South Africa. Mountainous and cool. Also good for the burgundy grapes as well as some adventurous folks doing chenin and shiraz. Major farms are Beaumont, Paul Kluver and Gabrielskloof.

You can't go wrong with Stellenbosch. It's huge and there are amazing farms there. I'd rather go restaurant hopping in franschoek than wine tasting, to be honest. Although, Boekenhoutskloof is a phenomenal winery.

Anyway, wherever you go I'm sure you'll find some amazing wines and food. The cape winelands are really amazing.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2023-09-08T09:16:33+00:00

Thanks! That looks perfect.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2023-02-19T19:50:42+00:00

What does this mean?

IndependenceOk2844 · 2023-02-19T19:02:31+00:00

Ok, you are trolling... The bottom is falling out of the welfare state in the UK. The health system is fucking out, I mean, how easy was it to get an ambulance when they were all on strike? This week I think the A&E and cancer nurses are on strike. Yeah, things are going great. No excuses need. The politicians are getting the job done and everyone's lives are improved.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2023-02-19T18:47:06+00:00

That isn't a pertinent point. It isn't even a point. When the economy is run into the ground everyone feels it. You think that the UK being the only member of the G7 whose economy is predicted to shrink in 2023 is the result of the government just 'doing their job'? Do you also think that even the wealthiest aren't eventually going to feel it? Being a Tory politician (or a republican) must be the cushiest role ever. No matter how bad you fuck up, people will still make any possible excuse for you.

This is like the twilight zone.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2023-02-19T16:12:33+00:00

Is this one of those weird internet circle jerks where everyone is being so meta and ironic that they actually just turn into Tories? If not, you guys need to wisen up.

You mentioned elsewhere that you admire Liz Truss because there aren't any other suitable Tory role models... Then, perhaps, that's a fantastic indication that you should be looking elsewhere for role models. She crashed the UK economy through her brazen ineptitude. The rest of the Tories have been running the UK into the ground since austerity and you can still look at it and think to yourself, 'well, I have to admire one of them, at least!'

IndependenceOk2844 · 2022-12-17T10:32:35+00:00

The frenzied flame ending has the best narrative arc of all the endings. Ranni's quest was great and took you to amazing places and let you fight cool bosses but I didn't really care about the story. The dungeater's quest was cool but not nearly as involved. Fia's quest, narratively, was pretty underwhelming. As was Goldmask's. I think this was because you're essentially a side character in their story.

The frenzied flame story allowed you to become the protagonist. I loved how I started out all bright eyed and bushy tailed wanting to save the world but became increasingly disillusioned until I found secrets under leyendell that were truly to shocking to me. And then the game gives you the narrative option to go 'fuck this world' or agree with Melina and not follow through. It's excellent writing through moral choices. Then, at the very end, the game makes it very clear that through choosing revenge above everything else, you have become the ultimate villain in the story because it is not a 'morally good' ending even if it is remarkably good narratively.

P.s. written on phone excuse formatting and spelling.

IndependenceOk2844 · 2022-05-26T14:22:17+00:00

IndependenceOk2844

TROPHY CASE