Your investment questions.

• By investing your money in investments that take on a bit more risk, like a unit trust or ISA, you could potentially see bigger returns.
• Your deposit savings might be lower risk but they aren't inflation proof and your money could be working harder for you.
• Investing over the medium to long-term could help you to plan to buy a new car, a holiday or help towards a big expense like a wedding.
• You can choose whether to invest for income or growth.
• You need to remember that you may get back less than you invest.
• You'll be able to invest in one or more of a range of assets like:
  • Cash - The least risky of the four asset classes but the risk is often accompanied by modest returns on investment.
  • Shares/Equities - Shares issued by a company normally listed on a stock exchange. Individuals who buy shares hold a share in that company and are entitled to dividend payments and voting rights.
  • Corporate bonds or fixed interest investments - Are loans to companies. They usually pay an agreed level of interest each year and aim to pay back the capital at the end of a stated period. There are different types of bonds determined by a credit rating system. A 'risky' or 'sub-investment grade' bond has a lower rating than an investment grade bond. The lower the rating, the riskier the bond.
  • Property - Invests in commercial property such as shops, office blocks, retail parks and warehouses.

• It’s a good idea to have some instant access savings, in case the unexpected happens - like the car breaking down. Our investment products aren’t instant access. 
• How much you can afford to invest.
• What level of risk are you willing to take – higher risk investments offer higher potential returns but you could also make a loss.
• Whether you’d like an income from your investment, paid directly into your bank account, either monthly or quarterly.
• Whether you’d like to reinvest any income and see your investment grow.
• Our investment funds are designed as medium to long term investments, ideally five years of more.

• Varying your portfolio is a good way to spread risk, if one investment does badly then your other investments could continue to perform.
• The types of assets you could consider are stocks and shares, corporate bonds and commercial property.
• By investing in one type of asset, for example shares or property, you could be exposing yourself to more risk than you might be comfortable with.

• They let you put your money together with other investors’, to buy a wider range of investments than you’d be able to achieve on your own.
• We offer low-cost index tracker funds that track a particular stock market or sector.
• You can invest in our actively managed investment funds and take advantage of our professional fund managers’ knowledge of companies, economic conditions and markets.
• Alternatively, you could choose to invest in our range of income investment funds, which aim to provide you with a regular income.

You can invest in our funds either through a stocks and shares ISA or a unit trust.
A stocks and shares ISA is a tax-efficient investment and you can invest up to your annual ISA allowance of £11,280.
If you’ve used up your ISA allowance, investing in a unit trust is a good way to invest an unlimited amount.
You can invest up to £11,280 online in an ISA, today.
You can invest up to £50,000 online in a unit trust, today.
The minimum lump sum investment is £500 and £50 if you’d like to set up monthly payments.
The value of your investment can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invest.