Compare Investments

Investments are risk-based products. This means that the value of your initial investment and any income generated can fall as well as rise.

Who are TQ Invest?

TQ Invest is a specialist broker providing low cost investments (such as ISAs) to people who are happy to make their own investment decisions and don’t want to pay for the advice of a financial adviser.   

This means that you must obtain full details of the products and look at your own circumstances, objectives and attitude to risk before proceeding.

To help, TQ Invest offers a variety of research tools to help you understand the investments you are making, and has a UK call centre on hand to help with any questions you may have.

Arrange a low-cost investment with TQ Invest - Call 0800 294 7203

Services provided by TQ Invest

ISAs - choose your own funds to invest in your ISA; choose from one of four "Six Of The Best" ready-made portfolios (see below); or choose from the "Hero Funds List" created to show some of the best funds on the market to make your search for the right fund easier.

Equity ISAs - The majority of equity ISAs use collective investment funds, such as Unit Trusts or Open Ended Investment Companies (OEICs), rather than shares in individual companies. An equity ISA (often referred to as a stocks and shares ISA) provides a tax-efficient way to invest in a wide range of assets, normally stock market related, with the potential for higher returns than cash.

Unit Trusts and OEICs - Providing access to over 1,000 funds from the UK's leading fund managers, including the likes of INVESCO Perpetual, Henderson New Star, Jupiter and Fidelity.

Six of the Best Portfolios - ready-made portfolios containing six funds. Each portfolio is designed to fit a general risk outlook of an investor, such as cautious or balanced. All you have to do is decide your attitude to risk and whether the portfolios and the funds within them are right for you.

Personal Pensions - Offer an easy way to build up your retirement savings.

Stakeholder Pensions - Ideal if you want to keep your pension arrangements simple.

Arrange a low-cost investment with TQ Invest - Call 0800 294 7203

If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you can request an independent adviser to call you from TQ Invest's sister company, TQ Active Money. There will be a fee for this service.

Is investing right for you?

Before starting to compare investments it’s worth having a long think about whether investing is the right thing for you. Whilst investments can outperform deposit savings accounts for returns, they come with risks attached – risks that you should understand before proceeding.

Investing should always be considered as a longer term undertaking – anything from 5 years upwards. So the money you invest must be cash that you don’t need to access for a fair while.

If you do need to get at your money you could face hefty penalties. This means that cashing in an investment in the early years could result in you coming out with less money than you originally invested.

The other point to make is that a longer term investment has more chance to grow because it can even out short term fluctuations in investment performance. You would also want to avoid cashing in an investment when the market has fallen, as this could result in you making a loss.

How do investments differ from deposit savings accounts?

When compared to a deposit savings account, the potential returns on an investment can be far higher.

But the flipside to the potential reward is the risk of losing some of the money you initially invested, if your investments don’t perform so well.

A savings account works in a different way…

When you put money in a deposit savings account the bank or building society invests or “lends” your money to other people who need to borrow. Part of the interest payments from the borrower are passed on to you, as interest on your savings. If the people borrowing your money can’t afford to repay, the bank or building society absorbs the loss and doesn’t pass it on to you.

So the essential difference between a deposit savings account and an investment is this: 

With a savings account the risk of losing money through a bad investment is with your bank or building society. However, with an investment the risk of losing money sits entirely with you.

Under FSCS investment protection the compensation limit on investments is £50,000 which are categorised separately from any compensation that may apply in respect of deposits that a customer may hold. 

"FSCS provides protection if an authorised investment firm is unable to pay claims against it. For example:

• for loss arising from bad investment advice, poor investment management or
  misrepresentation;
• when an authorised investment firm goes out of business and cannot return investments or money.

Investments covered include: Stocks and shares; unit trusts; futures and options; personal pension plans and long-term investments such as mortgage endowments.

But it should be noted that the FSCS investment protection will not protect from poor performance of the underlying investment fund." Reference: FSCS website.

Whether this risk is worth the potential reward depends on how you feel. Would you be happy to lose money on your investment for the chance to earn more? Generally speaking, the greater the potential reward, the greater the risk you are taking.

What next?

Arrange a low-cost investment with TQ Invest - Call 0800 294 7203
For independent investment advice call TQ Active Money - Call 0800 294 7203
Download free investment reports and guides
Compare savings accounts