Benchmark Share (Vanguard Lifestrategy) was down -1.5% for the month. Mostly likely the recovery in GBP versus USD in the month. So how did the figures go:

• SIPP -1.9%
• ISA +0.76%

Overall SIPP suffered as I still have more USD focussed stock in there than GBP so wasn’t covered. Also BP (which makes up 10% of SIPP) has retracted a lot – this is a long term holding and I still am in profit (substantially) there – but it was responsible for 30% of the falls over last 2 months.

ISA done well (despite holding Lifestrategy as well as a 12.5% holding) – due to LLOY, AVIVA and SKG. (all of which comfortably outperformed the funds in the period). ISA I am looking to increase LLOY holdings.

SIPP is also holding 15% in Cash, ISA has a smaller cash holding (5%)- the SIPP in ISA is to buy likely 2 slugs at 7.5% each of portfolio in individual stocks to replace SSE – however, I still am holding for the currency headwind to allow me to purchase some direct US stocks (it’s technically better for me to do this in the SIPP as it can hold natural USD assets and keep the profit in USD). However, right now, I see GBP->USD at not my “entry” level to US (I’d be a buyer once we hit 1.35). In meantime SIPP is targetting non-US stock mostly due to the currency holdback we encountered here (which I technically predicted earlier which is why I’m holding cash and growing that % monthly until I see an entry point)..

Plans for next month : Increase flows into some of the assets that have had a fallback- as I do see them recovering in time. Exact stocks will be picked mid month, expect a post then.