Hello and welcome back to Mortgage Advisor on FIRE. This week’s post is brief as, by the time this is published, I’ll be somewhere in the North Sea heading for Norway. (Obligatory apology for formatting/grammar issues due to typing this on my iPhone in a hurry).
Weekly Update
I’ve been feeling the stress this week, and it’s been building up for the last couple of weeks. I think it’s the combined impact of preparing for our holiday and all the shopping that’s been required. Also, working until 8pm always stresses me out when it comes around in my schedule. Mixed in with this is the fact I’m reducing the dose of Mirtazapine and I think it’s definitely starting to have an effect on my patience and resilience to stress. Hopefully our upcoming holiday will be a chance to reset and rest.
Barclaycard Update
Barclaycard rejected my complaint because they could find no evidence that the offer I was trying to claim existed. I’ve replied with screenshots of their own website showing the offer, with links to many other sites talking about the offer. I could talk at length about their utter incompetence but at this point it’s like flogging a dead horse. I’ll be taking the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman and it should be an open and shut case.
I spoke with Barclaycard again on Friday to ask them to stop sending me reminders to activate my card; the same card that I’ve already activated, closed, and had confirmation of the account closure in writing. The guy I spoke to didn’t know why I was getting the reminders and said there was nothing I could do. Also, they have my address and post code wrong on their systems. At this point, nothing they do surprises me. As the saying goes, they’d struggle to pour water out of a boot that had the instructions on the heel.
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2023 Goals
Click here to see my 2023 progress (opens a new tab).
What Am I Doing?
TV: The Days (Netflix).
Audiobook: Replay by Ken Grimwood.
I’ve just finished Replay for the second time. I first read this back in 2020, I think, and it’s haunted me ever since. It’s a love story as much as it is a sci-fi story. It’s also about loneliness, loss, and has a real sense of melancholy. Although Replay is a complete story there was room for a sequel or spin-off. The author was reportedly working on a follow-up when he passed away due to a heart attack. More people need to know about this book. It would definitely make it to my top-ten favourite books list.
Financial Update
Assets
Premium Bonds: £10,250.00 (+£250.00).
Stocks and Shares ISA: £59,769.35 (-£22,906.13).
Fuck It Fund: £4,000.00 (+£3,357.36).
Pensions: £59,882.98 (+£462.06).
Residential Property Value: £226,085.00 (no change).
BTL Property Value: £145,893.00 (no change).
Total Assets: £505,880.33 (-£18,836.71).
Debts
Credit Card: £0.00 (no change).
Loans: £0.00 (-£9,400.00).
Residential Mortgage: £177,258.04 (no change).
BTL Mortgage: £104,986.33 (no change).
Total Debts: £282,244.37 (-£9,400.00).
Total Wealth: £223,635.96 (-£9,436.71).
Investment Income in 2023: £3,996.76 (target £8,500).
Some huge changes in my finances this week. I’ve sold some units in a stock I hold in my ISA. I’d been hoping the stock would increase in value but it’s been stagnant for a while, so I cashed in. I’ve used the proceeds to clear the small loan I had, and to put towards a few other things including our upcoming holiday. It’s something of a reset in my finances, and means when I come back from holiday there’s a clean slate with just the mortgage debt outstanding.
One positive development this week is that my 2023 investment income YTD has now passed what I earned for the entirety of 2021, and I’m at roughly 70% of 2022’s income figure. Hitting the goal of £8,500 for this year is looking unlikely but the main thing is that I see year-on-year growth.
I’ve put a fair amount of money into my Fuck It Fund as I’ve got a new account that pays a respectable rate of interest. Moving forward I will be concentrating my investments into Premium Bonds and my Fuck It Fund until the ISA window opens up in April 2024. Then, I’ll max it out again.
I’m afraid that’s all for this week. The next couple of posts will a bit different as I’ll be drafting them from my phone, and they’ll be updates from our cruise. Thanks for reading and have a great week!
Disclaimer
The views and opinions in this blog are my own, and do not represent the views or opinions of my employer, nor should they be considered advice.
If you want personalised financial advice, seek an appropriate professional. If you are in financial difficulty, seek advice via the resources below:
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