With the hundreds of investment options on the market it can seem very difficult to know where to start.  However, most of the products fall into a handful of categories. All you need to do is work out which category in general would suit you, then it’s a matter of fine-tuning.

Start your financial planning by working out what sort of product suits you and then looking more closely at the various options on offer within that category. You can do this entirely by yourself, or with the help of a professional.  It’s always in your best financial interest to understand exactly what you buy, whoever is making the final choice.

Here are some of the choices:

Savings

• Savings accounts
• Cash ISA
• Premium bonds

Investments

• Stocks and shares
• Property
• Bonds – corporate bonds and gilts (fixed interest)
• Pooled funds – OEICs, unit trusts and investment trusts
• Investment bonds
• Stocks and shares ISA