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    Irish Life Funds vs ETF investing

    Just for clarity, the very low fees quoted above are the "wholesale" prices. Retail investors will also pay a platform fee of 0.35%+ on top of them, so the total charges will be in the 0.4-0.6% range ... still better than Ireland, but not as outrageously so as the above comments suggest. Also...
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    Availability of Index tracking funds in Ireland?

    One further thought - another advantage of the umbrella approach is that rebalancing between funds is not a tax crystalling event (because it's treated as a "fund switch" within the umbrella) whereas in the non-umbrella basket of ETFs it is - so you pay exit tax if the ETF you sell is in the...
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    Availability of Index tracking funds in Ireland?

    One more point to note. A basket of ETFs is potentially tax-inefficient because losses on one cannot be offset against gains on another (taxed as exit tax rather than CGT). This is a complicated topic and the Boss has an exploratory thread on it here...
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    Vodafone Return of Value forms arrived too late

    Thanks Mr Earl - I had thought of that approach, but now am angling against. For two reasons (1) I don't think they'll change anything - the T&Cs booklet states that while "notices sent by Computershare will be treated as received two days after being sent" (just a bit quicker than the month it...
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    Vodafone Return of Value forms arrived too late

    Same here. Absolutely appalling service. I rang them on 20 January to change address, and twice since to chase up non-appearing forms. When the forms arrived today they still carry the old address (i.e. weren't reprinted) so it took A MONTH to stick a label on an envelope and send it from...
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    Vodafone / Verizon Sale

    Pack not Received I am in the same boat as other posters, trying to update address with Computershare. They told me that they posted out packs on 20 Jan, never received. I rang them again ten days or so ago, and they promised to send out another set. Nothing yet. I reckon if they don't...
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    Why do companies pay dividends?

    Dividends - Warren Buffett's View Warren Buffett has a very good (and as usual with him, clear and interesting) piece on why Berkshire Hathaway is delighted to receive dividends, but doesn't pay them, or plan to, in his most recent annual letter to shareholders. It's available at the...
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    Cantor Fitz Capital Secure Dividend Aristocrats Bond II

    Any views about this bond, details on their website. Can't post link due to the site rules - I'll have to up my posting rate. It's a 3 year 11 month product investing in a basket of approx. 50 well-known US stocks, all dividend payers and growers historically. There are two options - (a)...
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    Tax Treatment of ETFs and Investment Companies (Trusts)

    ETFs - Withholding Tax Hi folks, Can anyone help with my specific question from above, please? One of my US trading accounts withholds US tax at source from income on both ETFs and stocks. I have submitted a WBEN to get paid gross, but they haven't accepted it yet (and may not - they seem...
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    Tax Treatment of ETFs and Investment Companies (Trusts)

    ETFs Taxation Thanks Rory - this is very helpful. I had come to the same conclusion that it was best to assume an ETF (mine are mainly US-origin) would be taxed under gross roll-up. Another element of unfairness is the 8-year deemed disposal rule. If, as I do, you accumulate these holdings...
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    Does Credit Card Debt Die with Cardholder?

    Thanks amtc. Same in our case - BOI wrote it off and AIB are pursuing it. Does anyone know the strict legal position? Given that the cardholder and the executor/beneficiary are both now dead, and the estate has been paid out, who can the bank chase for the debt now if I tell them to whistle...
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    Does Credit Card Debt Die with Cardholder?

    I was helping a relative (now herself dead) who was executor and sole benefactor of a will. The deceased had two relatively small credit card debts - hundreds of euros in each case. One of the big two banks, when informed of the death, agreed unsolicited to write off the balance. The other...
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    Deposit Guarantee Scheme Will Expire on Dec. 31st 2011

    Government Deposit Guarantee One point on the guarantee scheme in the context of any break-up of or withdrawal from the Euro is gnawing at me. If I have placed a deposit of €100,000 under the guarantee scheme, isn't the Irish government guaranteeing that I receive 100,000 Euros not 100,000...
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    Is Zurich promoting AA- rating fair game?

    Niall Brady Article re Zurich Can't find this online so will retype key points. The Zurich spokesman says that which seems a bizarre claim if it makes a 2% difference over five years! Agree is it surprising no-one else has picked up on it. Whatever about the actual numbers the tactic...
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    Stamp Duty Changes

    Isn't one of the principles of taxation that it is supposed to be fair, and that the tax payable therefore shouldn't vary greatly over time for similar transactions. Rosita Boland had a piece in Thursday's Irish Times on what the recent changes in stamp duty had cost her personally, and I am...
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    Home Increase in Home Insurance Premium

    How Much to Reduce Hi all, Am in same boat and have decided to reduce my building cover. Is a 15-20% reduction in the rebuilding cost reasonable? Semi-detached in Dublin. Thanks.
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    Is Zurich promoting AA- rating fair game?

    Black Mark for Zurich Another black mark for Zurich's advertising in last week's Sunday Times (Niall Brady). Apparently they have knowingly used overstated and non-comparable investment performance in their marketing material. They apply a lower management fee than the general investor actually...
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    Rights Issue - BOI ADR

    Does anyone know the implications of the BOi rights issue where the shares are held in an ADR (American Depository Receipt) through a US broker. I hold CRH ADRs, and with their rights issue, I was not offered the entitlement to take up the additional shares under the rights, but received the...
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    Netbooks

    Am thinking of investing in a netbook to save carting a laptop around. I would intend to use it for email, web-surfing etc, which should be fine (tha's what they're designed for). I would also intend to play games online - card games such as poker or bridge, from the well-known sites. Am I right...
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    Buying A Bike

    About to sign up for Bike2Work and, having not been on a bike since my schooldays some twenty years ago, am seeking some advice, please: 1. What type of bike to buy. Don't want anything too fancy. Work is approx 25 mins cycle on mainish roads, Might use it a bit elsewhere but nothing too...
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