Latest diary of a fund manager by David Miller

A luxury property in the Canary Islands is up for sale. No, this doesn’t sound like news, but there’s an important and unusual detail: the five-bedroom villa in the lofty hills of La Caleta, Tenerife, is being sold for 525 Bitcoins (approximately €3.2 million).

But why would someone exchange a near 2,700 square metre plot, comprised of house, swimming pool, gardens, Atlantic views and palm-lined outdoor eating area, for a “virtual currency”?

We have long been told that Bitcoin is a bubble that’s going to burst, so surely exchanging such a valuable asset for an unstable and unregulated “pseudo currency” is financial madness of the most extreme kind. There are certainly detractors of the currency, such as Warren Buffet, who would argue this point. Perhaps the vendor’s expat financial advisers in the Canary Islands should reach straight for the phone to dissuade him from such a move?

SIPPs (Self-Invested Personal Pensions) are a flexible retirement saving vehicle, offering choice, freedom and investment opportunity.

However, as it is by definition, self-invested, a SIPP also brings with it certain amount of responsibility. Of course, the burden can to some extent be minimised if you have a financial adviser or wealth manager to act on your behalf, but even if you take advice, there may still be an element of DIY investment to your SIPP.