Fear and worry is 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 global stock market volatility – or even attempting to make a bet on them – rarely pays off and understandably can deter some people from investing.
The words ‘saving’ and ‘investing’ are often thrown around interchangeably – however, they play very different roles when it comes to your financial goals. Thats why if you want to plan for your financial future, it helps to understand risk associated with both.
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.
The post-war years are often thought of as a time of economic stability, but the high inflation in the 1970s saw significant losses for savings and investors. Since this period, generations have become accustomed to low inflation. But what could rising prices mean for people with investments?
Pooled investment funds – also known as ‘collective investment schemes’ – are a way of combining sums of money from many people into a large fund spread across many investments and managed by a professional fund manager.