Various schemes to plan for future requirements such as children's education, wedding expenses, downpayment on a first home or any other purpose.

Risk vs Reward

Different people have different attitudes to risk. You need to be clear about the degree of risk you are willing to accept before undertaking any kind of investment.

This is a difficult area as everyone views risk differently

There is a balance between risk and potential return - generally speaking higher risk investments potentially usually mean that higher returns may be possible BUT also the risk of losing money is also increased.

Lower risk generally means lower returns but a lower risk of losing money - nothing is ever set in stone though!

Risk is also related to how long investment is undertaken. With Stocks and shares you should be taking a longer term view - most commentators advise that a 5 year investment time frame is wise

Risk can also be in terms of how you invest. Investors wishing to minimizing risk would consider a broader investment spread as opposed to investment in a specialist area

Remember past performance is not a guide to future returns. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up. The level of tax benefits and liabilities will depend on individual circumstances and may change in the future. Exchange rate fluctuations may cause the value of underlying overseas investments to go down as well as up. Some Funds investing in specialist sectors or areas carry greater risks due to the potential volatility of market sectors into which the funds invest.

You should not invest without consulting a Key Features Document and supporting literature.

Unit Trusts

Unit trusts are a popular investment vehicle today, they are open ended collective investments which put the cash of many investors into one fund a 'pooled fund'. This system allows investors to invest "collectively" which has the benefits of spreading and reducing risk and keeping costs under control. Unit trusts allow you to invest in the stock market but enable you to spread your risk and benefit from expert investment management.

Analysis, design and ongoing management of your investment portfolio.

Assets are managed consistent with your financial objectives, constraints, time horizon, risk tolerance, and prevailing economic conditions. One of the greatest principals to aid asset management has been that of modern portfolio theory, better known as asset allocation. In simpler terms, investors can reduce their risk by investing in different investment sectors; large companies, small companies, international equities, fixed income, etc. The theory is each sector's ups and downs tend to cancel each other out to some degree, while you get the same long-term return.

To accumulate wealth you need to grow your assets at a rate that at least exceeds that at which taxes and inflation erode it. We call this protecting your purchasing power. At Links Wealth Management we will work with you to build an investment strategy that balances your risk tolerances and our rigorous discipline to help you achieve long-term growth while working to ensure you take the least risk possible.

In order to achieve this we look at the following options to decide which investment strategy to take for you.

How long do you want to invest the money?
Are you just putting some money aside for a year or are you looking to invest for the longer term.

What is your attitude towards risk?
Do you want to play it safe, risk it all or somewhere in between.

Do you require access to all or part of the capital in emergencies?
As the unexpected can always happen, how crucial is any investment to your finances.

Do you require an income from your capital?
Are you looking for growth from your money or do you need extra income.

How is the money already invested?
Can we make minor adjustments that will improve your portfolio rather than having to make major changes.

Based on the information that you provide, we can then build an investment portfolio.