Portfolio Buy: Nationwide PIBS 7.5%

As described In a recent post I have now completed the investment of our family's annual ISA allowances, with the emphasis - not surprisingly for The DIY Income Investor - on income.

Two purchases were high-yield dividend shares in sectors unlikely to be hit by the ongoing consumer spending decline (see here and here). The final investment is a novelty for me - a Permanent Interest-Bearing Share or PIBS issued by the Nationwide building society.

Portfolio Buy: AstraZeneca (AZN)

In a recent post I described how I was looking to invest our family's annual ISA allowances for income. I am looking for good, sustainable yield with a reasonable level of risk. Given the recent downturn in consumer spending, I am looking for sectors that will have some resilience.

A second buy (see here for the first purchase) is this high-yield dividend share, which will boost our Level 6 investments of our DIY Income Investor Income Pyramid.

Portfolio Buy: National Grid (NG.)

In a recent post I described how I was looking to invest our family's annual ISA allowances for income. I am looking for good, sustainable yield with a reasonable level of risk. Given the recent downturn in consumer spending, I am looking for sectors that will have some resilience.

The first buy is  this high-yield dividend share, which will boost our Level 6 investments of our DIY Income Investor Income Pyramid.

How to Invest £21,360 for Income? (UK)

As part of the DIY Income Investor approach, every year you will have the opportunity to invest a new chunk of money in your tax-exempt account (Stocks & Shares ISA in the UK). If you are married, you potentially have two sets of allowance to invest - that is, if you have saved hard over the previous year (most of you will have spotted that the amount in the title is twice the current ISA allowance of £10,680).


So, how best to invest this annual lump sum?

Yields on Different Asset Classes (UK)

The DIY Income Investor approach suggests investing in different asset classes, as an investor moves up the Income Pyramid.  These assets classes include cash, gilts, equities and corporate bonds (plus ETFs based on these asset classes). What is the return you might reasonably expect?

10 Steps to Financial Nirvana

If you have read 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' you will know that ordinary activities can have extraordinary potential for enriching our lives. Over at Zen Habits, Leo Babauta has written in the past about the link between peace of mind, finances and a Zen approach to life. So I thought it might be useful to investigate the potential benefits that a 'Zen' approach might bring to our personal finance activities. Not that I know a great deal about Zen Buddhism, though - so Zen Masters please bear with me.

Many of you will probably be aware of the basic concepts of Zen (at least as they are understood in the West): simplicity, spirituality, living 'in the moment', meditation and detachment from personal possessions, to name a few. Above all, devotees appear to be unusually calm -  serene almost. Wouldn't it be an achievement to be so serene about our finances? So it might be useful to look at how a Zen approach might give us some practical guidance on improving our approach to personal finance.

Financial Karma, the Ostrich Generation and Income Investing

Even if you are not a Buddhist, you will probably have heard of the concept of karma - the idea that good deeds bring rewards and that bad deeds will rebound upon you later in life. If you've ever watched 'My Name is Earl', you will have grasped the karma mechanism. If it exists, of course...(I'm not a Buddhist myself).

One area where I believe karma might exist is in personal finance.