Top Tips for choosing your investments

Realistically evaluate your goals and needs.

Knowing yourself, your needs and goals is vital to fully comprehend – What seems reasonable to risk? What exactly are you saving for? What sort of time frame are you looking to work with? That initial step is paramount as it discerns the time frame you have to allow your investment to mature.

Properly establish an investment plan.

Try beginning with a relatively low risk investment like cash ISAs. More often than not, these will have lower returns which mirror their low risk. Then by adding a medium-risk investment such as unit trusts, if you’re happy to accept higher volatility. A common suggestion is to only consider higher risk investments once you’ve set up a portfolio of low to medium-risk investments.

Get to checking those charges!

By buying investments, you will most likely need to use a stockbroking service and pay dealing charges. If you decide on investment funds, there are charges. Ask any firm to explain all their charges so you know what you will pay, before committing your money.

Review the market periodically.

Regular reviews will ensure that you keep track of how your investments are performing and adjust your savings as necessary to reach your goal. However, don’t be tempted to act every time prices move in an unexpected direction. Markets rise and fall all the time and, if you’re a long-term investor, you can just ride out these fluctuations.

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