Unless the interest rate you are receiving from your bank account is higher than the rate of inflation (currently 2.8%) then your money will be worth less at the end of the year. The only way to get a higher return from your money is to invest it.
The first thing many people think of when you talk about invests is that you must take risks, which is true. But you have to take risks with whatever you do, there’s even risks putting money in a bank account. The important thing is establishing how much risk you are comfortable taking and how much risk you can afford/need to take. Once you have done this it is much easier investing in the right products and tailoring a portfolio to match your attitude to risk. The risk/reward graph is a basic concept in finance which shows that the more risk you are willing to take the higher the potential returns. However, you should only take the level of risk that is appropriate to you.
By having an open and honest two-way conversation I aim to understand your views and concerns around investing to help you understand your options, how investments work, what you are investing in and the underlying risks that may apply.
I have experience in helping clients consider all their investment options such as:
There are lots of factors to consider when choosing the right investments and it is important that you take advice and are aware of your options. Give me a call today to discuss your investments.
VCT and EIS invest in assets that are high risk and can be difficult to sell such as shares in unlisted companies. The value of the investment and the income from it can fall as well as rise and investors may not get back what they originally invested, even taking into account the tax benefits.
The level of capital guarantees and qualifying conditions can vary between products and providers. Capital protection (and/or income payments] rely on the financial strength of the provider [and/or any counterparties] and their ability to fulfill their commitments. The failure of any relevant counterparty may result in loss of some or all of the original capital and/or income.
Tax treatment varies according to individual circumstances and is subject to change.
Inheritance Tax Planning is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
This depends on a number of factors and is a much bigger discussion than you may realise.
To find the most appropriate investments for you we must consider your circumstances, budget, tax position, other assets, objectives, your attitude to risk and many other areas.
It can be a complex process, which is where my expert knowledge and resources come into play. I make sure I explain everything to my clients so that they understand where they are investing and why. Give me a call to start the process.
This is a three part question and we will look into the three elements of risk with you. These are your willingness to take risk, your need to take risk, and your capacity to take risk. These elements look at risk from different angles and each should be considered when investing. I will always discuss your risk levels with you in detail, and what that means, to make sure you are investing at the right level for you.
With the majority of investments there are no guarantees when it comes to performance and it is important that you understand that investments can fall as well as rise. The performance you receive will depend on a whole host of factors, the main ones being the level of risk you invest at and how the economy and investment markets behave during the time you are invested.
I strongly believe that you should be looking at your investments as medium to long term strategy. Therefore you should be looking at the performance over the lifetime of the investment and not over any one year period.
It would be wrong of me to give any estimates of performance here as it depends on so many factors and needs to be part of a much wider discussion. Call me today to start that discussion.
Diversification is a key element of how my clients invest. This makes sure that you don’t have all your eggs in one basket. It is a way of being able to reduce the risks that your investments are exposed to. By having a combination of riskier assets and less risky assets we aim to give you better performance whilst limiting the affect of a fall in the market.
This depends on your individual circumstance and objectives. However, I would say that you should be investing for the medium to long term (at least 5 years).
This is to ensure that if the markets and your investments fall shortly after you invest, they have time to recover and get you some growth.
The majority of investments that we recommend will give you access to your money whenever you need it. The need for access would be something I will discuss with you during our recommendation process. It is important that we discuss everything with you and ensure you understand where you are investing and what options and access you will have going forward.
The majority of what I recommend is covered under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme which you can find out more about here www.fscs.org.uk/
There is also a complaints procedure which we will discuss at our first meeting.
Brilliant. Hopefully that means you are on your way to achieving your financial goals already. I would be more than happy to meet with you, with the objective of reviewing your investments. This can make sure that they are still in line with your risk level and that they are still on track to meet your goals.
If they are no longer appropriate we can come up with other solutions to put you back on track.
Getting your investments reviewed is an important part in your financial planning. Most investments are part of a long term strategy. If they are not being reviewed regularly then how can you know if you are still on track?
My review process looks at risk, returns, strategy, taxation, charges and any alternatives and relates that to your goals. This allows you to understand if you are till on target or if you need to make any changes.
It is impossible to know. Many people have gone bankrupt trying to time the markets compared to only a small handful who have succeeded.
I am not in the business of making big calls on when to buy and sell because I understand that the market is much bigger than me… and it has a nasty bite!
I look at well-constructed portfolios ran by managers whom I trust and have solid track records as well as financial security. This strategy will rarely shoot the lights out but we aim to provide a consistent return for our clients who understand the philosophy over a long term investment.
Based in Winchester the majority of my clients are located in Southampton, The New Forest, Lymington, Winchester, Lyndhurst, Chilworth, Romsey, Hamble, Netley, Sarisbury, Locks Heath, Whiteley, Hedge End, Botley, Fair Oak, Wickham, Twyford, Otterbourne, North Baddesley, Wellow, Beaulieu, Diben Purlieu, Brockenhurst etc.
I also travel to clients in Ringwood, Bournemouth, Salisbury, Andover, Portsmouth, Chichester, Guildford, London, Basingstoke, Oxford and further.