A guide to getting started
Investment companies are a type of collective investment which allows you to spread your risk and access investment opportunities that you wouldn’t be...
A guide to getting started
Find out what makes an investment company tick
Time to consider investment companies for your portfolio?
An introduction
Investment companies are a type of collective investment which allows you to spread your risk and access investment opportunities that you wouldn’t be able to invest in on your own.
There are around 400 investment companies, many of which have existed for more than 50 years. They include:
Be prepared to hold onto your investments for the long term.
What are investment companies?
Investment companies are a type of collective investment fund. A collective investment fund is an investment vehicle where a group of investors pool their money and invest in a portfolio of assets to spread risk.
Investment companies are primarily intended as long-term investments and can be higher risk. You should be prepared to hold them for at least 5 years, and preferably 10 or more. You should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose.
The general benefits
Flexibility and convenience while spreading your risk
Investment companies, like other collective funds, give you:
A way to spread your risk
Investment companies own a range of investments, so you get access to a diversified portfolio. As you are not dependent on the success of just one or two investments, this spreads your risk.
Economies of scale
Managing your own portfolio can be expensive, as you have to pay dealing costs and other fees, which can eat away at the value of your investment. With investment companies, all the investors pool their money and benefit from economies of scale.
Expert management
Investment companies use professionals to manage their portfolios. Most use an external fund management group to do this, but a few employ their own staff.
Flexibility and convenience
You can invest lump sum amounts or on a regular basis, from as little as £25 a month, and stop and start at a time that suits you.
Investment companies offer a wide range of investment opportunities.
Easy access through the stock market
You buy shares in investment companies on the stock market. Today’s online share dealing services mean you can buy and hold investment company shares very easily and economically, often more cheaply than other funds.
A wider range of investments
Because the shares of investment companies are traded backwards and forwards on the stock market, the portfolio manager does not have to hold cash, or sell investments, to give you your money when you decide to sell.
Being ‘closed-ended’ means investment companies can invest in less liquid asset classes that other funds cannot offer, such as private equity, infrastructure and commercial property. These have the potential to deliver better long-term returns or higher levels of income.
More choice for a higher income
Investment companies have a number of advantages over other types of fund when it comes to paying a regular income in the form of dividends. They can keep some of their income back in good years to maintain or boost dividends in leaner ones. Investment companies can also invest in a far wider range of income-producing investments.
Though higher levels of income can come with increased risk, many investment companies have been able to increase their dividends for decades.
Looking after your interests
Investment companies have independent boards of directors which look after your interests as an investor. The directors meet several times a year and monitor the company’s performance. They can even replace the fund manager if the performance of the company is not satisfactory.
Magnifying performance
Investment companies can borrow money to make additional investments (‘gearing’). The idea is that the additional investments make enough money to meet the costs of the debt and make a profit on top. If it works, the more the company borrows, the more profit it makes. If the investments fall in value, however, the more the company borrows, the more it loses. Gearing offers the potential for higher profits, but also increases the risks. However, not all investment companies use gearing and most only use modest levels.
Market sentiment
An investment company’s share price is mostly driven by the value of its portfolio. However, it can also be affected by general sentiment towards the company and other factors. As a result, the share price may be higher (‘at a premium’) or lower (‘at a discount’) to the value of the underlying investments. So, depending on when you buy or sell your shares, the returns you get may be better or worse than you might expect.
How to invest
Advice could end up saving you a lot of money in the future
With or without advice
If you are not sure whether, or which, investment companies might be suitable for you, you should consider talking to a financial adviser.
They can talk over your situation, needs and recommend appropriate investments. Though you will need to pay the adviser for their time, it could save you a lot of money in the future.
If you invest without advice, you will need to select and buy your own investment companies. You can either do this by buying shares directly through a stockbroker or an online share dealing service, or you can invest via a wrapper scheme.
Wrappers can be a valuable way to protect your investments from tax.
Wrapper schemes
Wrapper schemes are not investments in themselves. They are a way to buy and hold shares and other investments easily and cheaply. Often they offer tax breaks to encourage people to save and invest.
There are several different types of wrapper schemes:
You can find details of all the wrapper schemes run by the AIC’s members and their managers on the AIC’s website. Alternatively, there are many online share dealing sites which offer these types of scheme.
Regular saving
Depending on the type of wrapper scheme you choose, you can choose to save regularly – from as little as £25 per month. Regular savings are an excellent way of reducing the risks of stock market investment. You can use them to put away a little each month, invest large sums gradually to smooth out stock market fluctuations or ease into riskier investments.
Regular saving helps smooth out ups and downs in the market.
Costs
Check how costs could affect your investment progress
Costs are an important consideration when investing. The greater the costs, the harder your investments have to work to deliver you a return. There are a number of different types of costs you might incur depending on how you choose to buy investment companies.
Dealing costs
Brokerage
You buy investment company shares through the stock market using a broker, perhaps online or over the telephone.
Charges for these services will vary, and could be a fixed fee or a percentage of the cost of the transaction.
Dealing spread
The dealing spread is the difference between the price you can buy and sell investment company shares for. The bigger the spread, the more the price has to rise for you to make a profit.
Stamp duty
If you buy shares in UK based investment companies, you will normally have to pay 0.5% stamp duty on the value of the shares. There is normally no stamp duty on overseas-based investment companies. There is no stamp duty on the sale of shares.
Wrapper scheme costs
If you hold your shares through a wrapper scheme, such as an ISA, there may be costs to provide this wrapper. These costs will be set out in the literature you will receive from the wrapper provider.
Costs of running the investment company
You can find out about all the costs incurred by an investment company in its annual accounts, including any fees paid to the portfolio manager.
To help you compare investment companies more easily, the AIC also provides ‘Ongoing charges’ information for all its members on its website. This is a measure of the regular running costs of an investment company, expressed as a percentage.
You can buy investment company shares easily and cheaply online.
Key things to remember
Be prepared. Make sure you understand the benefits and risks of investment companies before you invest
- Investment companies offer you access to a much wider range of investments than other funds.
- Though these have the potential to outperform in the long term, they can be more risky, particularly in the short term.
-
Investment companies have some unique advantages when it comes to delivering a regular income, but should not be considered a substitute for deposit type investments.
-
Investment companies are primarily intended as long-term investments. You should be prepared to hold them for at least 5 years, and preferably 10 or more.
-
With investment companies, your income and capital is at risk and may fall as well as rise. You may not get back the full amount invested and, for higher-risk investment companies, you may get back nothing at all.
-
If you are uncertain about whether, or which, investment companies might be suitable for you, you should take financial advice.
If you are uncertain about whether, or which, investment companies might be suitable for you, you should take financial advice.
To find out more, read our other guides:
Available here or by calling 0800 707 707
