Saving money is a great way to prepare for unexpected expenses and investing your money can have the potential for higher growth than saving.
A lot of people put their money in a savings account and leave it there to accumulate interest. While this is a good strategy in the short term, you potentially risk losing out on higher returns in the long run, while also struggling to keep up with inflation. However, investing is a good approach if you have long-term financial goals and want to earn more money than you could by saving it.
What’s the difference between saving and investing?
With saving you are setting aside cash for future use, while investing means using cash to buy assets that you expect to produce a profit or income. The biggest difference between saving and investing is the level of risk. With saving you will always get back at the very least what you have put in, as well as any interest on your deposits. You won’t lose any money, making it a less risky option.
Investing your money means it will rise and fall over time and there is a chance you could lose some of your initial investment. Your financial adviser will be able to help you make sure you’re aware of the risks and the minimum time you should consider investing for. A longer timeframe (at least five years) will give your investment more time to recover if there are any sudden market swings.
Investing can beat inflation
Investing is a better option if you’ve got longer-term goals because inflation can erode the value of cash savings over the medium to short term, and your money may not have the same spending power as when you first put it away.
For example If you have £2,000 in savings and the bank offers a 1% interest rate, each year you will get back £20. However, if the inflation rate is 6% the cash in your savings account will fall in value. After one year your cash would be worth £1,887. After five years it would be worth only £1,495.
Types of investments
The main types of asset classes that investors could choose from – which your adviser can go into detail with you – are equities, bonds, and property. Different asset classes have different levels of risk and return. Usually, the safer an asset is the lower the returns will be, while the riskier an asset is, the higher the returns.
Property
This could be investing in commercial property through investment funds, including retail, office, and industrial property. It makes a good long-term investment and is effective at beating inflation. Property can add diversification to your portfolio as it tends to perform differently to other assets in response to different market conditions. However, property does come with its risks, including a risk of a fall in value as well as the maintenance costs.
Bonds
Sometimes called fixed-term investments, bonds are issued by governments and companies looking to raise money. A bond is essentially a loan made to a company or a government by an investor for a set period – usually several years. In return they pay you a regular income in the form of interest over the life of the bond, after which they must repay your loan. Bonds typically offer stable returns and are a lower risk than equities, although they tend to offer lower returns in the long term.
Equities
Also known as stocks and shares, equities are issued by a public limited company and can be bought and sold on stock exchanges. When you buy an equity, you are basically buying a piece of that company and become a shareholder. Equities can make you money through increases in share price or you can receive income in the form of dividend payments. The disadvantage is that returns are not guaranteed, and the share price could fall below the level that you invested.
Speak to your financial adviser to find out about a range of investment opportunities to help you meet your financial goals.
The value of investments and any income from them can fall as well as rise and you may not get back the original amount invested.