Topic: Investment

Main types of investment

Understanding asset classes

Cash
This involves putting your money into a savings account, with a bank, building society or credit union. Your money may not hold its spending power if inflation is higher than the interest rate. Cash is the most basic of all investment forms. Saving money into a deposit account with a bank, building society or credit union is considered cash saving. Cash can be used to save for immediate needs or as a parking place in-between investing in other assets.

Developing an investment strategy

Allow your lifestyle to dictate your investment approach

To make the most of your investment opportunities, allow your lifestyle and not stock market fluctuations to dictate your investment approach. Your goals are what count, so keep them firmly in mind when you make financial decisions. 

Boosting retirement savings

Are investors failing to think long-term about their futures?

Boosting retirement saving is the key goal for investors in 2014, yet despite this long-term objective, almost three fifths (61%) of those surveyed say they are looking for satisfactory investment returns within just five years, with just 5% taking a longer-term view of ten years or more.

Measuring our appetite for risk

More than twice as many men choose the highest possible risk option to boost their savings compared to women

Findings recently published in the Zurich Wealth Risk Report show that more than twice as many men choose the highest possible risk option to boost their savings compared to women (13% vs 6%)[1].

Unhappy headlines for savers

Higher returns generally come with higher risk

It seems incredible that the Bank of England base rate has stood at 0.5% since March 2009. It’s made unhappy headlines for savers looking to generate income over the previous five years.

New tax year, new ISA allowance

A tax-efficient way to help you minimise the tax you pay

No one knew back in 1999 how popular Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) would become but with £443 billion[1] now held in ISAs, they’ve established themselves as a core option for saving and investing in a tax-efficient way to help minimise the tax you pay on the proceeds.

Overseas assets

Investors should not delay in disclosing their assets
With the latest HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) campaign aimed at targeting investors with overseas assets, some investors could be worried about the impact this could have on their overseas investments, and others could be put off from investing overseas altogether. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Once assets have been appropriately disclosed, there are ways in which the investments can be restructured, or new investments made, to make them more efficient going forwards.

Generating market-beating returns

How much risk are you willing to take?

It is impossible for an active manager to always outperform the market, but through the process of stock selection, active management introduces the potential of generating market-beating returns.

Tax attack

Legitimate planning could save you money by reducing a potential tax bill
With tax increases the prospect for the foreseeable future, it is essential that you make the most of every available tax relief. Using the tax breaks available to you also makes good financial sense.

Investor outlook

Tentative signs of economic growth
Tentative signs of economic growth, receding risks, plentiful nearly free liquidity and financial markets on fire – what was not to like about the investment landscape at the end of 2013? It is tempting to believe that what happened ‘yesterday’ will happen again ‘tomorrow’ (especially if momentum has been paying off, as it did in 2013). So what is the potential outlook for investors this year?