Regulated Investment Funds are made up of stocks/shares/equities, bonds, property & currencies. You will find the potential interest returns on regulated investment funds are higher than your standard bank or Credit Union savings account but there is also a risk of losing some of your invested money. Due to the risk involved, each fund choice offers a level of risk which ranges from Very Low Risk/Cautious funds to Very High-Risk funds. Following a meeting with your Financial Advisor & completing a risk questionnaire you can establish which type of investment risk level will suit you best and as the investor you get to choose exactly where your money is being put to work for you. You can also diversify by investing portions in several different funds to maximise potential returns & stay within your comfortable risk level.
What should I expect?
Just like your bank account, you should expect to be able to log in and see how your investment is performing
You should have a flexible investment which offers you the opportunity to switch between funds when market conditions dictate e.g. rising energy costs
You should have access to a pro-active financial advisor who is available to give you their opinion on the market and help plan strategies going forward with your money
You should expect to have access to your investment at any time with no penalties
You should expect to have an investment to suit your risk profile i.e. Very Low Risk/Low to Medium Risk/ Medium Risk/ Medium to High or High Risk
Could I lose all my money?
We are all familiar with the commonly used phrases like “past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance”, “the value of your investment may go down as well as up” etc. These warnings are there for a reason; put simply, investments in stocks/shares/equities, bonds, property & currencies do fall and rise.
Markets react to situations and no-one can claim to predict what the future has to hold, we all recognise recent global events that negatively affected markets such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Covid 19 pandemic, global inflation, rising energy costs etc. Market corrections/ reactions to global events are common, as investors we know this but we are also conscious that these corrections often provide opportunity for example Global commodity funds thrived last year as a result of increased costs/value of global commodities with many funds making returns of over 40%.
Are there any charges involved?
Regulated Funds are fully transparent in relation to charges, you should expect that 100% of your money is invested with no upfront charge. You should then expect to pay 1% of the fund value annually as a management charge, this is taken from the fund directly by the fund management team.
Where are the opportunities for 2023 and beyond?
Global inflation levels dropping although some more work required
Energy prices levelling out
War in Ukraine trundles on but markets have already reacted
Zero Covid policy in China fully relaxed
Tech Firms have now trimmed back excess staff levels following boom of Pandemic
Dollar likely to slide
If you are keen to know more & get your money to work harder for you then get in touch & speak to one of our Qualified Financial Advisors in relation to your savings, investments and pension goals.