Category — Henry

The markets took quiet a tumble at the end of February, so I have been reducing our exposure to the market, now more than 50% cash. Sold out of VP Group [VP.], reduced Jubilee Platinum [JLP], and earlier in the month sold out of Cattles [CTT] after the takeover of London Scottish Bank was called off. As a result Henry’s original investment of £113.14 is now only 6.5% up, valued at £120.60 or 1.02% of my portfolio.

I suspect we won’t get to go to the cinema very often now that we have Henry. So I thought I’d better take a note of all the films that I like the look of, when the trailers come out. That way when they come out on DVD, or on Film4 or are shown at Christmas 5 years hence I may finally get to watch them… Created a new category Watch List to complement my Wish List.

Taken profits in two of the best performing shares in my ISA, Galliford Try [GFRD] & Highway Insurance [HWY], both excellent companies, but currently fully valued. Bought into Jubilee Platinum [JLP], ISA’able due to its recent dual listing on the JSX. Leaving us with a sizeable chunk of cash yet to be invested.

With Henry’s £10 February investment, his stake rises to £107.30 or .94%.

Preferred choice would be the one that provides exposure to the stock market, low fees and options to put small deposits in and have easy access for Grandparents to make deposits.

F & C Investments

An investment Trust based Child Trust Fund. This is my preferred investment choice, it has exposure to a range of investment trusts (with varying risk profiles), with no direct charges, only those incorporated into the trusts themselves (from 0.7% to 2% depending on the trust). However has minimum deposits of £100 or £25 per month, and not clear how easy it is for relatives to access the account.

• Link: www.fandc.com
• Type: Investment Trusts (F&C run ones):
• British Assets Trust plc
• Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust PLC
• F&C Capital and Income Investment Trust PLC
• Investors Capital Trust plc
• ISIS UK Select Trust plc
• Active Capital Trust plc
• F&C Global Smaller Companies PLC
• F&C US Smaller Companies PLC
• ISIS Smaller Companies Trust plc
• European Assets NV
• F&C Private Equity Trust plc
• Foreign & Colonial Eurotrust PLC
• Graphite Enterprise Trust PLC
• Pacific Assets Trust plc
• Fees: Incorporated into the trusts, typically 0.5% – 2%
• Minimum deposits: £100 or £25 pa
• Accessibility: Not obvious

Nationwide Building Society CTF

One of the (current) best cash Child Trust Fund, a base interest rate of 5.3%, with a bonus of 1% if contributions are over £240pa. Also has a Stakeholder offering, which has the bonus of allowing contributions of only £1, but as is typical for Stakeholder is merely a FTSE all share tracker fund with an excessive charge of 1.5%. Edit: (Now only 2.1% – 16/11/2010)

• Link: www.nationwide.co.uk
• Type: Cash
• Fees: None
• Return: 5.3% – 6.3% currently
• Minimum Deposit: £1
• Accessibility: Unknown, (good)

The cash back earnings from Quidco came through today (mostly from the MacBook we got for Christmas) which also go towards Henry’s savings, which have risen another 2.5% to £75.37, with the extra £20.75, now total £96.12 and equates to .8547% of the portfolio.

Just to make some notes on the various methods of getting Henry to calm down and settle in his cot for the night.

Obviously after checking all the usual things: hungry, too hot, too cold, clean nappy, etc., etc., we get down to how to get him to sleep, once he’s in one of his screaming fits.

The overall strategy is to put him to bed, then let him try and settle for 10 minutes, if he hasn’t then go up and calm him down for 5 minutes then leave him again for another 5 minutes, repeat until Henry is exhausted and hopefully we aren’t. The alternative will wear us out long before Henry gets to sleep.

Various things can help him sleep, sometimes simple, sometimes not so simple, the following have worked in the past…

• Just briefly holding him in his cot, without saying or moving him in any way (this has only worked twice).
• Move him up the cot, rearrange his blankets and move him back, this is probably the same as the first one, but seemed so odd at the time thought it worth a mention.
• Keep him in the cot and slide one hand under his neck as if to pick him up, but don’t, don’t speak, except for shushing noises (worked well over Christmas in the travel cot, half a dozen times).
• Again keep him in the cot, hand under his neck, and gently stroke his forehead. Worked twice so far…
• Take him out of the cot, calm him down, by gentle bouncing, rocking etc., wait until he calms and his bowels relax, a few gurgles later, put him back, hopefully with a less painful digestive tract.
• Take him out of the cot, hold him close to you, and gently bounce up and down but in quite rapid small movements. This usually sends him to sleep, not just calms him down.
• If he’s had a really good screaming session, always worth winding him again, sometimes this is all that is bothering him.
• Do a few press-ups, get your heart really pounding, then pick him up and hold him close, he loves that heart beat sound. This has worked half a dozen times.

The market is closed until the 2nd January, so thought I’d do the update early. The portfolio was up 2% last month, so Henry’s stake is now worth £63.37, with the addition of January’s £10 it is now worth £73.37, and equates to .6714% of the portfolio.

The plan for Henry’s savings is to have three accounts, a Child Trust Fund, some tax free cash savings, and some tax free shares.

Liv is going to look after the tax free cash savings, and has set up a HSBC Cash ISA, of which £40 is allocated to Henry, with the intention of putting £10 a month in after April.

I’m going to look after the tax free share account, by allocating a portion of my share ISA to Henry, currently I’ve put in £62.39 which is from my Google Affiliates earnings, plus December’s £10. This has earned Henry a 0.6% share which currently consists of:

• 2 Cattles shares
• 6 Galliford Try shares
• 9 Highway Insurance shares
• 2 S & U shares
• 3 VP Group shares
• £13 cash

This does mean I’ll have to do a regular monthly valuation, to keep track of how Henry’s investments are doing.

Not decided on which CTF provider to use, or whether to go for Stakeholder or Cash versions.

Trapped Marble Puzzle

Unsettled baby

Trying to settle Henry this evening was like trying to solve the Trapped marble puzzle, you know there’s a solution to get the burp or fart out but just can’t quiet find it. It’s very gratifying when he eventually gets release and falls asleep peacefully. Unfortunately I have a feeling that unlike the marble puzzle the solution is never going to be the same twice.