That depends on the press/media that you read. Investment groups are perfectly legal, and are often encouraged as a means of improving financial education. On the larger scale, all of those property deals you hear about, like the purchase of the Savoy by a "group of high net worth individuals", are done on this basis. All that Dave's proposing is banding together to create one notional individual of high net worth, on the basis that money makes money, and more money makes more...
Exactly, economies of scale in dealing with larger numbers, spreading costs etc.
If anyone has some free time, Omega Financial offer a free hour long consultation, and they might be able to point out more options. They're out in Booterstown. (www.omegafinancial.ie)
I'd definitely be on for talking to someone. Perhaps we could grab a room in a pub somewhere, get them to come and talk to us, and then have a pint or two and have a brainstorm / random session of alcohol-influenced gibberish? Shimoda