maxsteam:

Don't panic.

If you convert pounds into euros then the euros into dollars, then the only people whom you will make rich will be the people that change the money for you.

On a short-term transaction, absolutely right. The commissions and spread kill you. On a long-term deal though, it can be very effective. I was working in America around 2002 when the $ to € was at about 1.3 (you got 1.3 Euros for your dollar). By 2005 it had completely flipped the other way, you got 1.3$ for your euro. That's more than a 50% drop in value for the dollar vs the euro. That's the kind of long-term trend I'm looking for, and remarkably is the kind that you hear people talk about on channels like cnbc. It's the short-term get rich quick trades that you don't hear so much about. I was hoping here for some opinions on the Euro recovery vs the US recovery over the next, say, 5 years, and whether the considered opinion is that the US will likely bounce back and the $ will reclaim value. Or something like that. Turns out it's a bit dead in this forum though. You'd think it would be lively with the parent site even having TV adverts.

maxsteam:

You should spread your investments between various items and these could include property, gold, euros, dollars, shares, etc but you should stop searching for the one, single investment that is right for you.

That's exactly where we are now. We have euros, pounds, shares and are looking at property. It's hard to see gold going much higher and if anything is more likely going to drop over the next years. It's hitting all-time highs so often, and stock markets are at bargain levels. It will only take a realisation that at some point it's really the time for those sitting on cash to spot it's a perfect buy-in point and the move from cash and gold will begin in earnest.

Don't panic.

If you convert pounds into euros then the euros into dollars, then the only people whom you will make rich will be the people that change the money for you.

You should spread your investments between various items and these could include property, gold, euros, dollars, shares, etc but you should stop searching for the one, single investment that is right for you.

With all the financial instability going on, I'm rather concerned about the true value of my savings going forward.

I'm a Brit that lives/works/pays taxes in Germany, but I still have an old UK bank account with a fair old chunk of GBP in it. Here in Germany I've got another nice chunk of Euros.

I don't own any property currently, we're renting, but my girlfriend is scared about the value of her own Euro savings. She thinks the best thing to do is invest in property while the money is still worth something. Then if all hell breaks loose with hyper inflation or some such apocalypse, at least we've got somewhere to live and something that ultimately has value when things eventually stabilize. If there is hyper inflation, then won't savings rates be crazy high too? Or don't they track like that?

Personally, I just don't know. I especially don't know what to do with my dual-currency savings. I've no plan to return to living in the UK.

I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on should I convert my UK GBP savings into Euros when the exchange rate looks at a decent level, but where's it gonna be in the future. Does the expected trend make it seem like GBP could really spike against the Euro, in which case I should wait, and get more €€€€s for my £££££s.

Similarly, what should I do with my Euros. Maybe convert them into $$$$ or £££££ while the Euro is still (remarkably) strong, and then reap the benefits when the $$$$ bounces back, or will it ever do that (S&P certainly don't see a rosy future for the US).

Property or Gold or GBP or Euro or Dollar. Just don't know what to do.