fighting the urge

[idpickering]

I've just done my end of March update to the value of my HYPish portfolio.

I'm fighting the urge not to look until tomorrow March is not over yet.

I've accepted the fact that my dividend payments are down, but I haven't even bothered looking by how much. I'm not going to stress about it, and just keep on topping up my HYP on a monthly basis.

Ian.

[Arborbridge]

I've just done my end of March update to the value of my HYPish portfolio.

I'm fighting the urge not to look until tomorrow March is not over yet.

I've accepted the fact that my dividend payments are down, but I haven't even bothered looking by how much. I'm not going to stress about it, and just keep on topping up my HYP on a monthly basis.

Ian.

In my case it's not a question of stress. It's just a question of keeping the records going. Tomorrow gives me the end of the first quarter, and I am always curious in seeing the outcome of each quarter as this is more representive than each separate month.

Monitoring how dividends are progressing, would presumably be fairly central to knowing how much of one's income reserve might be needed, and how much dividend to carry on drawing. Not bothering to look doesn't seem a good way to manage the system - unless like Doris one has so much income arriving one can be like her and stay disinterested.

Arb.

[idpickering]

In my case it's not a question of stress. It's just a question of keeping the records going. Tomorrow gives me the end of the first quarter, and I am always curious in seeing the outcome of each quarter as this is more representive than each separate month.

Monitoring how dividends are progressing, would presumably be fairly central to knowing how much of one's income reserve might be needed, and how much dividend to carry on drawing. Not bothering to look doesn't seem a good way to manage the system - unless like Doris one has so much income arriving one can be like her and stay disinterested.

Arb.

Don’t get me wrong Arb, I’ve always been impressed by your record keeping, and your fine reporting of the state of play with regards to your HYP, and the management of it. I do keep one eye on such things, with my own HYP, but in the present circumstances, I understand that I have no control of exterior events, so am not going to stress about them.

As for being Dorisian, we are not wealthy, but have enough so that we don’t have to touch the dividends received as income to live on. My Army pension helps there, and Hazel still works, for now at least. There will come a time when we will be relying on the dividends, but not yet. In a couple of years maybe. We are both 58 by the way.

Ian.

[Dod101]

I've just done my end of March update to the value of my HYPish portfolio.

I'm fighting the urge not to look until tomorrow March is not over yet.

I've accepted the fact that my dividend payments are down, but I haven't even bothered looking by how much. I'm not going to stress about it, and just keep on topping up my HYP on a monthly basis.

I am not stressing either but a HYP don't forget is supposed to be an alternative to an annuity or some other form of income, not a dividend reinvestment mechanism. It is not doing too well when it comes under stress, and with great respect to Ian and his supporters it is very easy not to stress if you have plenty of other income such that you are just reinvesting the dividends.

Dod

[idpickering]

Thanks for your post Dod. I do get where you’re coming from, and yes I understand that HYP is an income strategy and annuity substitute. I elected a long long time ago when I first started HYPing, to just reinvest the dividends in order to the compound my overall returns. When I need the income that tap will be turned on. Stephen bland wrote an item called HYP
Saver, which inspired me to do what I have, and am still doing. I wish I could find a link to Stephen”s item to put in this post.

Ian.

[Hypster]

I've just looked at my own figures. Income Unit price was down 24% during March and down 33% since the start of the year. I have received 24% of last year's total income so far but with all the cancellations being announced I'm beginning to wonder if I'll receive any more at all!

[Arborbridge]

Update:

I've been relatively lucky so far, but with Aviva's news today, I have another direct hit on my income, and presumably worse is to follow of other insurers do likewise.

Current state of play: dividends forecast are 17% down on the income forecast which I used to set this year's pension drawdown. At 20% I will need to reduce drawdown, then dig in to the IR and/or cut expenses.

Cutting expenses may have already happened since we are not having expensive days out, or buying much at all.

Arb.

[Dod101]

I think I said that I am aiming for a 25% cut in my income which should be easily doable because as you say no eating out, no travel, cut down drastically on booze. With that I might just about scrape by. It depends what the big payers do. Tomorrow I think Glaxo pays.

Dod