Performance Update for Colm Fagan's ARF

Ha, ha (I couldn’t reproduce the smiley emojis). Actually, I said that it’s well over a hundred years’ old!!
 
Colgate-Palmolive (CL): William Colgate started his starch, soap, and candle business in 1806.
Momentum: Since January 1, 2026, the stock has rocketed up by over 23%, effectively erasing all of 2025's losses and pushing the 1-year return into double digits.
I can't see AI threatening the soap and toothpaste ecosystem :) :) :)
 
NotMyRealName said:
Colm, I love your submissions to this forum. I believe you're talking about Kikkoman
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Firstly, thanks for the kind words.
No, you're wrong, unfortunately, as are the other guesses.
It's just occurred to me that, if the company in which I've invested such a high proportion of my pension fund turns out to be a turkey, I'll look a real patsy (Fagan!). If that does happen, I'll have the consolation that I'll have given considerable pleasure to my critics on this forum, of which there are more than a few :):):)
Maybe I'll give a few more clues tomorrow.
 
I think i recall many moons ago, there was a request on this thread, for the actual annual return numbers for other members. if this was not the thread i can post this somewhere else.

Over the last ten years, my davy prsa has done +7.42% p.a.

It's 100% equity and invested 97+% in passive ETFs tracking various non US indexes (I have significant US exposure in another 'active' pension, that has fewer choices available, and wanted this pension focussed on further diversification.) Some of my etfs are distribuing (useful for paying davy fees without having to sell) but every so often i do need to do some small purchases to limit cash drag.

It's 'not an actively contributed to' pension, so calculating the number was feasible without too much legwork. it's using a starting cash position, and a couple of additional contributions (in first few years), and current market value. So, the return is after all costs, bar final encashment ones.

In hindsight it would have done a lot better just putting it all in a single world etf or s and p 500 etf!
 
@SPC100
Yes, that’s an excellent result. I don’t have my own figures to hand to compare but I think I’d be lucky to have done that well.
I think where I differ from most is that my ARF is my wife’s and my only source of regular income other than my State single person’s SW pension. Others with ‘adventurous’ asset allocations tend to have other sources of income, e.g. DB pension, income from property.
 
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Colm, these posts are both interesting and informative thank you. The ARF (with Davy I believe) fees of 0.4% seem very competitive. May I ask did you have to get to a significant pension pot size before they would reduce it to that level?

Regarding your latest portfolio addition, is is it in the insurance or energy sector ?
 
SPC100 said:
Over the last ten years, my davy prsa has done +7.42% p.a.
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I've now extracted the corresponding figures for my own ARF. They're actually on the pensions tab of my website, the entry dated 1/2/2026.
My corresponding figure for the same period was 9.00% per annum.
The derivation was as follows: Index 31/12/2015 (entry J26) = 130.57; index 31/12/2025 (entry J146) = 309.13. Ratio end 2025 to end 2015 = 2.3675, equivalent to 9.00% a year over the ten years.
Banquo said:
The ARF (with Davy I believe) fees of 0.4% seem very competitive. May I ask did you have to get to a significant pension pot size before they would reduce it to that level?
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No, I'm not with Davy. I actually paid a fee to a financial adviser (@Steven Barrett ) to find the best/cheapest provider for me (which is reflected in my net returns!!). I see it as his proprietary knowledge, so I'd prefer to leave it to him to decide if he wants to reveal the company's name.
 
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Ever since I posted a few days ago that I had added a new share to my pension account, and that it now accounts for 8.7% of the total fund value, I’ve been inundated with guesses as to its identity (all on Askaboutmoney).

All guesses so far are wrong.

I’ll now give another clue.

This investment helps me to achieve two of my objectives: (i) to reduce US exposure and (ii) to increase exposure to companies with a presence in the defence industry.

At end October 2024 (just before the last US presidential election), 27.2% of the fund was in the US, only 1.7% in companies involved (even peripherally) in the defence industry. As of Friday last, the US proportion had fallen by more than half, to 13.0%, and the proportion in companies with a presence in the defence industry had increased to 15.2%.

I’m surprised – and quite pleased – that I was able to achieve such a shift over a such a short period of time, yet giving the impression of continuity. I was helped of course by the dollar’s depreciation and by superior performance by non-US shares, but still …

In summary, today’s clue for the latest addition to my portfolio is that it’s outside the US and has a presence in the defence industry (although that’s by no means its most important attribute).

A bonus clue: a fellow private investor claims that this company is a ten-bagger for him: his investment is now worth more than ten times its cost. Lucky man. Another friend sees that as a negative, though. He says that I’ve missed the boat. But I’m not looking for a ten-bagger. I believe that, long-term, my target return for this investment of the risk-free return plus 5% a year will be achieved. That’s enough for me.
 
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