Retired civil servant Mark is a relatively late starter when it comes to managing his own investments, but he is making up for lost time – taking up the maximum ISA allowance of £20,000 apiece for himself and his wife each year.

The 61-year-old already has a workplace pension to help fund the cost of living, but that didn’t stop him wanting to start a personal investing journey after finishing work in 2021. ‘I had a significant sum to invest after paying off my mortgage so set up ISA share accounts for my wife and I,’ he says.

Mark explains that he started investing because it gives him something to focus on in retirement. Having read an investment guide when he was still working, he acquired an interest in how the stock market operates and the opportunities it provides.

His 43 years working for HMRC clearly had an influence as the Scotland-based individual stresses the importance of being tax efficient with investments and making full use of the ISA allowances.

TAKING A LONG-TERM VIEW

Mark says: ‘I am taking a long-term view on returns. In the current challenging environment, I do not expect short-term gains but look forward to returns in the medium to longer term.’ He adds: ‘Luckily I am in a position to play the long game as I am not reliant on income from my ISA portfolio.’

A preference for investment trusts and ETFs (exchange-traded funds) reflects the store Mark sets by diversification and it is evident in his list of investments. He says: ‘I have majored on ETFs as a means of achieving wide diversification but also made some specific stock picks related to mining and minerals. I have also dabbled in crypto by investing in Ripple XRP to get some “skin in the game”.’

Mark is interested in the miners because of their links to the electric vehicle and renewables sectors, saying that by following the leads back down the vertical supply chain ‘you end up in this sector’.

Among his portfolio is Merchants Trust (MRCH) which mainly invests in higher yielding large UK companies. He has money in Temple Bar Investment Trust (TMPL) whose managers adopt a value investing style, as well as commercial property investor Regional REIT (RGL).

Mark shows an interest in big investment themes which could play out over years or even decades, holding funds that provide exposure to areas like robotics and automation as well as the metaverse and battery solutions.

His best performing investment so far is an ETF – Vanguard FTSE 100 ETF (VUKE) which is up 10% on his entry point – and the worst is an individual stock, building materials firm Marshalls (MSLH). This is down 55% and Mark is sitting on an uncrystallised loss of £550.

AVOIDING PUTTING ALL THE EGGS IN ONE BASKET

‘I try not to respond in a kneejerk way when an investment goes wrong. I review my original selection criteria to confirm the “fit” with my portfolio objectives then decide on whether to stick or move funds elsewhere,’ he says.

When it comes to researching ideas, Mark says he uses the AJ Bell platform as a primary source, supplemented by ‘good old Google’.

‘I am constantly scanning all news sources to understand current and future trends from an investment perspective,’ he says.

In terms of what he prizes in a potential investment Mark says: ‘I try to stick to my principles around diversification and maintaining a balanced portfolio. I am looking for a reasonable track record of growth over the medium to long term. This does not rule out individual stock picks as a minor portion of my overall portfolio.’

He adds: ‘I have had friends who have fallen foul of having all their investment “eggs” in one basket in the past and regretted it at their leisure.’

For now, Mark doesn’t have specific long-term goals beyond growing his ISA funds and maintaining an interest in market developments including crypto.

NOT TOO TROUBLED BY CRYPTO VOLATILITY

Mark is not overly concerned about the volatility in the digital currency space. He says: ‘I have invested a modest sum mainly to maintain an interest on crypto developments with the understanding I could lose the lot.’

Over the long run he believes crypto will be ‘a disruptive technology for the financial sector’. He adds: ‘It remains to be seen how this will play out in terms of cross border payments and how quickly the finance industry can realign to make the technologies work. There are likely to be significant winners and losers as this plays out. It not an investment environment for the faint hearted.’

DISCLAIMER: Please note, we do not provide financial advice in case study articles, and we are unable to comment on the suitability of the subject’s investments. Individuals who are unsure about the suitability of investments should consult a suitably qualified financial adviser. Past performance is not a guide to future performance and some investments need to be held for the long term. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and rules may change. ISA and pension rules apply.

Financial services company AJ Bell referenced in this article owns Shares magazine. The author of this article (Tom Sieber) and the editor (Daniel Coatsworth) own shares in AJ Bell.

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