Investment trusts are based upon fixed amounts of capital divided into shares. This makes them closed ended, unlike the open-ended structure of unit trusts. They can be one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to invest in the stock market. Once the capital has been divided into shares, you can purchase the shares. When an investment trust sells shares, it is not taxed on any capital gains it has made. By contrast, private investors are subject to capital gains tax when they sell shares in their own portfolio.
Monthly Archives: January 2015
Open-ended investment companies
Open-ended investment companies (OEICs) are stock market-quoted collective investment schemes. Like unit trusts and investment trusts they invest in a variety of assets to generate a return for investors.
New Individual Savings Account (NISA)
The New Individual Savings Account (NISA) rules were introduced in July 2014 designed to help and encourage people to save more for their future and give savers and investors more flexibility and a larger tax-efficient allowance than ever before. This tax efficient ‘wrapper’ can hold investments such as unit trusts, other collectives such as OEIC’s, shares and cash.
Unit trusts
Unit trusts are a collective investment that allows you to participate in a wider range of investments than can normally be achieved on your own with smaller sums of money. Pooling your money with others also reduces the risk.
Pooled investments
If you require your money to provide the potential for capital growth or income, or a combination of both, and provided you are willing to accept an element of risk, pooled investments could just be the solution you are looking for. A pooled investment allows you to invest in a large, professionally managed portfolio of assets with many other investors. As a result of this, the risk is reduced due to the wider spread of investments in the portfolio.
Reducing the overall level of investment risk
The volatility experienced in global markets over the past six years has tested the nerves of even the most experienced investors, making it a difficult time for individuals who rely on income from investments for some or all of their needs.
Asset classes
When putting together an investment portfolio there are a number of asset classes, or types of investments, that can be combined in different ways. The starting point is cash – and the aim of employing the other asset classes is to achieve a better return than could be achieved by leaving all of the investment on deposit.
Spreading risk in your portfolio
One of the principal tenets of spreading risk in your portfolio is to diversify your investments. Diversification is the process of investing in areas that have little or no relation to each other.
Wealth creation
The first step to building wealth starts with a disciplined decision to pay yourself first, then compounds with a disciplined investment approach.