There are so many different investments in which to invest, and here we look at just a few key areas:
• Bonds & Gilts –corporate bonds are investments based on business loans offered by private companies and pay a rate of interests for a specified period of time. Corporate bonds are bought and sold in the stock market and their price can go up or down. Government bonds (known as Gilts in the UK) are issued by and underwritten by governments and they will generally pay a lower rate of interest than corporate bonds.
• Equities (shares) – are investments in company shares and you buy a share of the company. The price of the shares and hence the value of your holdings can go up and down dependant on the fortunes of the company and the general state of the economy. Over the very long term equities have historically offered better returns than bank or deposit accounts. However, there are no guarantees.
• Investment Funds – funds spread your money across the shares of many different companies (and sometimes countries), which diversifies your investment portfolio and reduces the risk associated with investments in individual shares. Additionally, investment funds benefit from expert management of a professional fund manager. You can also place investment funds in an Investment ISA tax wrapper that will protect your capital gains from tax.
The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may not get back the full value of your original investment. Past performance is not a guide to the future.