An investment is the purchase of an asset (or rights to an asset) to try to get a return. When you save with your bank or building society your capital is protected and not exposed to any risk, you can even guarantee your returns when using a fixed rate bond.
Investments are different, they are for the longer-term and your capital will normally be at risk. This means you could potentially not receive any return on the money you have invested or lose some, or even all, of your initial investment, however the potential for better returns than saving with a bank or building society is significantly greater. Different types pf investment include:
Other types of investments include your pension, such as a self-invested personal pension, investment ISAs, structured deposits, endowments and investing in gold. You can also invest in antiques, art, wine and in start-up companies through crowd funding sites.
How you start investing in stocks and shares depends on whether you want to be hands on managing your stock portfolio by purchasing these direct investments, or prefer to use a form of advice. If you prefer to be hands-on then using an investment platform will allow you to choose which stocks and shares and investment funds you want to invest into. You can also invest in stocks and shares via investment funds. This can broaden the type of shares you invest in and so reduce the risk of losing money on individual shares.
If you prefer to be supported in making your investment decisions and are a high net worth individual then you may want to use a traditional financial adviser, who will also be able to advise you about your retirement plans and other financial decisions. However, the fees for this advice can be substantial. An alternative is to use a robo-adviser that will select funds based on your answers to a series of questions about attitude to risk and your investment goals. Of course, robo-advice is not as personalised as dealing with a financial adviser, but the fees are significantly less.
Investment trusts are companies that are listed on a stock exchange. Rather than produce any products, their purpose is to invest in their chose range of asset classes and then list on the stock exchange. Investors can then purchase shares in the Investment Trust. They are closed-ended funds, meaning that there is a limit to the number of shares that can be purchased. The value of the shares is based on the underlying assets held and the effect of investors buying and selling their shares. If more people are selling shares in an investment trust than buying then the fund can move into a discount, meaning the share price is less than the share value of the underlying assets. If the opposite is the case, then a premium is applied to the share value. This gives investors the opportunity to not only potentially benefit from improved performance of the fund buy also in movements in trading of the trust’s shares. Learn more about financial advice and financial planning before you make any investment decisions.
A unit trust allows many investors all to buy units in a fund. These funds are open ended meaning there is no maximum limit on the amount invested or the number of investors. The money in the fund is used by the fund manager to invest in different types of assets. Unit trusts cover a range of asset classes, industry sector or investment regions into which it is prepared to make investments. A unit trust can be active, where the fund manager selects the assets in the fund or passive where this tracks against an index, such as the FTSE 100.
OEICs are an investment company domiciled in the UK and listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are like Unit Trusts, being open ended and with investors buying units in the fund. The value of an OEICs share price is largely based on the value of the underlying assets in the fund and these are priced once a day. When you invest into an OEIC your money is pooled with other investors and then invested by the fund manager into a range of equities, bonds and other securities. These types of funds can change their investment criteria and fund size based on their investment strategy at the time. They are open ended meaning new shares can be created to meet demand for investment into the fund. They usually have annual management fees. OEICs can be active or passive, with stocks either proactively managed selected for the fund or following a market index, like the FTSE 100.
An ETF allows you to invest in a range of bonds and shares that are listed on the stock exchange trading like company stock. ETFs often track market indices or create unique indices for them to track against. There are no premiums or discounts with investors looking for gains through improvements in the value of the shares they have purchased.
Ethical funds can be in any of the forms above, but will not invest in activities deemed to be harmful to society or the environment. They do this by screening out those that are negative, such as tobacco, gambling, weapons, animal testing, deforestation, poor human rights or poor employee rights. They will also look for those investments that support sustainability and operate to high ethical standards. You can find out more about ethical investments and how to invest in renewable energy funds in our investment guides.
Advertisement
It is always important to diversify your portfolio to minimise your exposure to risk. This is why many investors prefer investing in an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). Below we explain what this investment vehicle does and how you can use it to benefit your portfolio.
It is always important to diversify your portfolio to minimise your exposure to risk. This is why many investors prefer investing in an Exchange Traded Fund.
If you’re looking to secure bigger returns than can be achieved in the cash savings market, investing could be a great way to go. Here’s everything you need to know about how your investments are taxed.
If you are looking to invest your money, here is everything you need to know about how your investments are taxed.
How does pound cost averaging work and should you be using this as part of your investment strategy
How does pound cost averaging work and should you be using this as part of your investment strategy
Financial advice can be offered on an independent basis or is restricted or tied to a specific set of products or providers only. Compare the different types of financial advice, whether to self-direct your investments or use an expert.
Financial advice can be offered on an independent basis or is restricted or tied to a specific set of products or providers only.
How does investing with robo-advice work or should you manage your own investments or speak to a financial adviser?
How does investing with robo-advice work or should you manage your own investments or speak to a financial adviser?
At the start of the tax year, many people’s thoughts will turn towards tax-efficient investments, ensuring that pension contributions and ISAs are maximised. But with limits on ISAs and increased restrictions on pensions, once these options are maxed out the next question should be ‘what’s next?’
At the start of the tax year, many people’s thoughts will turn towards tax-efficient investments, ensuring that pension contributions and ISAs are maximised.
BALANCED. Moneyfacts.co.uk is entirely independent and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority for mortgage, credit and insurance products.
FREE. There is no cost to you. Our service is entirely free and you don't need to share any personal data to access our comparison tables.
TRANSPARENT. We only receive payment from product providers and intermediaries for quick/direct links and adverts through to their websites.
COMPREHENSIVE. We research the whole market and scour the small print so you can find the best products for your needs.