Portfolios built on strategy, not speculation

With so many investment options available, making the right choices is not straightforward. It’s no longer a simple case of shares, property, fixed interest or cash – there are literally hundreds of combinations of asset categories. These are divided into classes according to their features – whether they produce income, capital growth or both. The most appropriate asset classes for your investment will depend on how much risk you wish to take and the amount of time you want to keep your investment.

The two broad types of asset classes are:

Defensive: income-producing assets tend to be more appropriate for short-term investors or those who prefer safer, more secure investments with more consistent returns.

Growth: higher risk, higher-return assets tend to be more appropriate for long-term investors who are willing to ride out the peaks and troughs that their investment may experience.

Shares

Shares are easily traded, which makes them a flexible investment. However, with the potential for high returns comes higher risk. The value of shares can fluctuate significantly, so they should be monitored. They generally are suited to longer-term investing.

Property

You can invest in property in two ways.

• Directly – where you buy real estate.
• Indirectly – where you invest in a fund, such as a property trust, which uses pooled investor funds to buy real estate.

Property is typically best suited to investors who plan to keep their investment for more than five years.

Cash

Cash investments range from day-to-day bank accounts to short-term money-market investments. Whilst they offer no scope for capital growth, they contribute to a well-balanced portfolio helping to reduce your overall risk and allow easy access to money.

Fixed interest

Fixed-interest investments mainly consist of tradeable government securities or corporate debt, known as ‘bonds’. Regarded as a relatively low-risk investment, fixed-interest securities historically provide lower returns than shares and property. However, like cash investments, you can sell them quickly if you need money. They help reduce the overall risk of your portfolio and pay a regular interest income, which may be appealing.

At PGFS, we understand that everybody’s needs and goals are different, and will change over time. One of our financial advisers will talk to you about your investment objectives, both short and long term, assess your current financial position and recommend appropriate investment options to help you achieve those goals. Over time as your circumstances change so will your financial planner’s recommendations.

We work with you to help get your money working as hard as you are by implementing sound, tax-effective investment strategies.