Why should I invest my money?

The main reason most people invest is so their money is worth more in the future when they plan to spend it, than it is now, at the point when they save it.

The most important thing to remember with investments is that they involve risk, and your money may not increase in value; it could fall in value.

The following risk statement is not overstated, as anyone who invested just before the Covid outbreak would have found out:

“The value of investments and the income derived from them can fall as well as rise. You may not get back what you invest.“

So, if it involves risk, why invest at all?

If we don’t invest, we risk losing spending power. The graph below shows the growth of investment, inflation and cash over a 15-year period:

Source: FE Analytics 14/04/2023. Investment Association Global represents a globally diversified investment. UK Consumer Price Index represents Inflation. Bank of England Base Rate represents the return on Cash.

NB: Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results

The above graph does not account for charges, which would reduce the ultimate value of the investment. However, even with those taken into account, this individual would have been better off investing than holding onto their cash fifteen years ago. Critically, the cash investor lost purchasing power with interest not keeping pace with inflation over the period.

Someone investing for the first time in May 2008 would have got off to a poor start but even they would have overtaken the cash position in spending power within three years and caught up with inflation within five years.

There is no guarantee that investments will outstrip inflation in future, but history suggests that if invested for long enough, investments tend to. The important lesson here is that investment markets can be beneficial for longer-term investments in excess of five to ten years but are unpredictable in the short term.

How do I invest?

Most people with a pension are already investing on some level. A pension is not itself an investment, but a tax-efficient wrapper for holding assets.

Most pensions have a default investment strategy that investors are placed in, but many offer a selection of funds. It is useful to review your pension investment periodically, as the longer you are invested appropriately, the closer to your goals you are likely to be.

If you want to invest outside a pension then it is possible through a stockbroker, a financial adviser or some other financial institution. If you have a strong idea of how you want to invest already, online accounts can be opened to allow you to select your own investments.

If you are unsure how you want to invest, you can get advice from an adviser or fully hand the decisions over to an investment manager. The advantages of getting professional help here include risk assessment, identification of tax efficiencies, market research for the best providers and ongoing support.

This communication is for general information only and is not intended to be individual advice. It represents our understanding of law and HM Revenue & Customs practice as at 1st April 2023.  You are recommended to seek competent professional advice before taking any action.  

For more information or advice, please get in touch with our team on +44 (0)1903 213511.