Investing in a wide range of different tax-efficient investments Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) can be used to hold stocks and shares or cash, or any combination of these, up to the current annual limit. An ISA is a tax-efficient ‘wrapper’ that can be used to help save you tax. A Stocks & Shares ISA and an Innovative Finance ISA are wrappers…

Fewer ups and downs than investing directly in shares If you save regularly or invest a lump sum using a life insurance policy, you might choose to invest in a with-profits fund. These aim to give you a return linked to the stock market but with fewer ups and downs than investing directly in shares. However, they are complex and are…

Investing in different things, with different strategies 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.   There are a diverse range of funds that invest in different things, with different strategies –…

Spreading risk among different kinds of investments 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. Diversification allows an investor to spread risk among different kinds of investments, called ‘asset classes’,…

Informed decisions to improve your chances of achieving your financial goals If you want to plan for your financial future, it helps to understand risk. If you understand the risks associated with investing and you know how much risk you are comfortable taking, you can make informed decisions and improve your chances of achieving your goals. Risk is the possibility of…

Identifying your investment objectives is a lifelong process A total wealth solution has no value unless it is properly implemented through an appropriate investment strategy. If you’ve got a sufficient amount of money in your cash savings account – enough to cover you for at least six months – and you want to see your money grow over the long term,…

Take the time to think about what you really want from your investments You need to consider what you really want from your investments. Knowing yourself, your needs and financial and lifestyle goals, and your appetite for risk is a good start. Consider your reasons for investing It’s important to know why you’re investing. The first step is to consider your…

There has been a lot of press coverage over recent global market movements and how these tie into a platform called Reddit and transactions like shorting stocks.   So what does this all mean? Reddit is a social media page. Users can post content like links, texts and images which are then liked or disliked by other members. Reddit users posted…

We at Matthew Douglas are happy to announce that after many years of exams, Georgia, one of our advisers, has just become a Chartered Associate of London Institute of Banking and Finance! We are extremely proud of Georgia, especially having to finish her work during these times. We asked Georgia what this meant to her and this is what she had…

Gathering information and developing your strategy Evaluating your financial and lifestyle goals in greater depth is essential if you want to get a picture of your future responsibilities and aspirations. With a full understanding of your circumstances and priorities, our role is to provide you with custom-tailored professional advice, to effectively create your financial life plan to success, to enable you…