Saving and investing have never been more important for every one of us, particularly in ensuring we have a level of income in retirement that we are happy with. We are, on average, living longer, meaning we will have to accumulate a larger amount of savings to see us through our retirement. There is also more responsibility on each of us to manage our retirement financially with the move away from defined benefit to defined contribution pension schemes and there no longer being an obligation to buy an annuity after we retire.
Retirement is far from the only financial goal we have in life, however. Our other financial objectives might be anything from buying a flat, house or car, paying off the mortgage, going on a dream holiday, paying school fees or helping our children go to university.
Unless you receive a windfall or an inheritance, you might want, and indeed need, to invest, whether in stocks and shares, funds and property, to grow your savings to achieve one of these goals or to produce a regular income, notably for your retirement.
How do you navigate the world of investment? First of all, we encourage you to embrace it and not fear it. After all, investing provides you with the opportunity to achieve your financial goals and enrich your life.
We appreciate that initially the investment industry and financial markets can appear complex, full of jargon and even be intimidating. This section is designed to help you by providing an introduction to investment, the benefits of investing and an explanation of common investment and financial words, terms and phrases.