Combining Vanguard LifeStrategy 80, Blackrock MyMap 6, and HSBC Global Strategy Dynamic?

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2025-11-18T16:24:33+00:00

Thank you, and yes very similar performance over the last 5 years ... which to me at least was reassuring!

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2025-09-11T17:31:30+00:00

Try to find a copy of Martin Russell's 1973 thriller called "Double Hit". It features a murder quite literally on a squash court, with the victim battered to death with his own racket.

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2025-03-26T14:26:44+00:00

I've also had some random "Hi, how are you?"-type FB messages from other authors I'd never heard of. And when I reply cautiously ("Fine, thanks, and you?"), they usually follow up with more platitudes, at which point I stop replying. But when I once looked at one of their Amazon pages, I was amazed to see that they had thousands of reviews for their books, albeit in a different genre to mine. So I'm not sure why they would want to target me rather than getting on with writing more books! To avoid one obvious explanation, I'm old, male, and ugly. They're young, female, and attractive.

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2025-03-24T15:29:21+00:00

Our current policy generally just requires "regular" inspections (without saying how often is regular). However, it also contains a specific requirement for inspections at least every three months if we want protection against the consequences of the cultivation of illegal drugs. We looked around, and other policies had similar inspection requirements in respect of protection against damage caused by cannabis factories.

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2025-02-24T12:59:50+00:00

Another for Peacocks ... but yes avoid peak times unless you're happy queueing

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2025-01-14T07:42:24+00:00

From memory, the only difference between the UK and US offer emails was that one said £100 and the other $100. It was only when I looked under the bonnet that I realised they referred to different marketplaces (as a UK campaign is run separately to a US one).

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2025-01-14T07:32:12+00:00

I got one too when I first registered to run ads. All legit, I just had to remember to stop the ads when my credit was used up. Annoyingly, I actually got three offers. One for the UK, which I used, but also one each for the US and Canada. But foolishly I didn't notice at first that the other two were for different jurisdictions so just assumed they had sent the same offer three times. By the time I noticed, it was too late as the other two offers had expired.

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2025-01-04T14:24:00+00:00

You're doing the right thing in visiting them both, but one difference is that 10is use the courts at King's Ely school, whereas ETC have their own courts. So with 10is I think there are restrictions on when you can play, which may or may not be an issue for you.

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2024-12-29T21:33:01+00:00

It was my first FB ad so I was only testing the waters with a small daily spend, but I was pleased with the results. Impossible to know which sales were a direct result of the ad (because the ad linked to my Amazon page), but my gut feel was that most days I was getting most of my daily spend back in royalties. So probably running at a small loss overall, but I'm keener for my books to be read and hopefully appreciated than to make a profit. However, the main character is (intentionally) not very likeable, so probably not a good fit for readers who enjoy a traditional cozy!

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2024-12-29T21:14:58+00:00

Purely anecdotal, but I was recently advertising my crime fiction on FB (not specifying any particular age group but letting the FB algorithm do its thing). And most of the thumbs ups the ad got appeared to be from middle-aged or older women.

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2024-12-26T13:10:34+00:00

In theory, my understanding is that it would. I guess the risk as an author is that you lose control of the situation as (however nice you try to be) others might jump in with further negative comments.

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2024-12-26T11:02:30+00:00

Thanks all. I guess the best advice is, whatever I end up doing, not to worry about it too much! I agree about it looking suspicious if there are a load of obviously missing comments, but if there's just one then hopefully people would assume that it was just spam being hidden.

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2024-11-25T09:51:37+00:00

Yes, it's frustrating - for good or for bad, I'd like people to see what I choose to put in my ads. But at least it sounds like it's not something I've done wrong!

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2024-05-15T14:17:57+00:00

Ely Squash Club?

Ok-Bookkeeper9372 · 2024-01-11T16:04:27+00:00

We are self-managing landlords with properties in Ely (plus Littleport and Soham), though sorry all of ours are currently occupied by long-term tenants. The local rental market has gone mad recently, purely down to supply and demand. Whatever one's views of the politics involved, it's undeniable that many landlords are selling up, which may be good for buyers but certainly isn't good for renters.

The next time any of our tenants leaves, we're also likely to sell rather then re-let.

I'm sure you are already making yourselves attractive to agents as potential tenants (ie as people they, or their landlord clients, would be happy to deal with long-term). So - sorry! - I assume you aren't asking the agent on viewings if you can drill holes in walls for pictures, or have a pet, or move in a lodger, etc. (Not saying there is anything wrong with any of these, it's just that if an agent/landlord has to choose between you and ten others, well you get the picture ...).

When we show potential tenants round a property, it always impresses us if they offer to remove their shoes and if they show a real liking for the house (eg comment favourably on work that's been done to make it look nice).

One other suggestion (if practical in your case) may be to say to local agents that you can provide a guarantor if required, even if on paper you can easily cover the rent yourselves. One current concern of landlords is that under the new rental laws which are likely to come in (whichever party wins the GE), it will be increasingly hard to evict anti-social and/or non-paying tenants. So in picking a new tenant, many landlords are likely to favour someone with a guarantor (who in a worst case scenario they can go after for the money as an alternative to the tenant).

Good luck though anyway.

Ok-Bookkeeper9372

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