Focusing on long-term horizons Fear and worry are understandable, particularly as the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak led to the biggest daily drop in the FTSE 100 since the financial crisis. Trying to second-guess the impact of events such as the coronavirus or the recent stock market volatility – or even attempting to make a bet on … Continue reading “Let time do its work”

How much risk are you willing to take? If you want to plan for your financial future, it helps to understand risk. If you understand the risks associated with investing and you know how much risk you are comfortable taking, you can make informed decisions and improve your chances of achieving your goals.

Types of investments that best align with your financial goals Without a plan, investors are prone to making knee-jerk reactions when there are swings in the market. A well-thought-out investment strategy provides the guidance needed to help you stay on track when inevitable market fluctuation occurs. It can also point you toward the types of … Continue reading “Ever-changing market conditions”

Adapting to changing market conditions for a better overall experience When you start investing, or even if you are a sophisticated investor, one of the most important tools available is diversification. Whether the market is bullish or bearish, maintaining a diversified portfolio is essential to any long-term investment strategy. It’s crucial if you’re looking to … Continue reading “Investing across multiple asset classes”

Incorporating a wide range of different assets Understanding investment risk and determining what level of risk you feel comfortable with before you invest is an important part of the investment decision process. Your potential returns available from different kinds of investment, and the risks involved, change over time as a result of economic, political and … Continue reading “Naturally spread risk”

Don’t become distracted by short-term volatility Trying to navigate the ups and downs of market returns, investors seem to naturally want to jump in at the lows and cash out at the highs. But no one can predict when those will occur. Fortunately, there are a number of time-tested strategies that may help you deal … Continue reading “Avoid the pitfalls of market timing”

Mitigating some of the risk that individual investors take on There are many reasons to invest through a fund, rather than buying assets on your own. At a basic level, investing in a fund means having a fund manager make investment decisions on behalf of the investor. There are many types of investment, each one … Continue reading “Wide range of investment opportunities”

Smoothing out the ups and downs of the market Pound cost averaging is a technique that reduces exposure to falling markets from investing a lump sum. Investing at regular intervals can be a good idea to help smooth out the ups and downs of the market. Timing the exact moment to enter or leave the … Continue reading “Pound cost averaging”

Choosing a broad spread of instruments in which to invest Pooled investment funds are usually large funds built by aggregating relatively small investments from individuals. A professional fund manager (or a team of fund managers) determines which assets to invest in and then purchases accordingly. They are also known as ‘collective investment schemes’.

What should I consider before the end of this tax year? The end of the 2019/20 tax year is fast approaching, and there are a number of valuable allowances and reliefs that will be lost if they are not used before the deadline.