Investment Planning

Investment Planning

When we speak of investment planning we mean the way in which oneplans for the future by ensuring that your financial resources are in line with your financial goals and dreams. Investment planning is a key part of the process of financial planning in general.

The first step is understanding what your end financial objectives are. This is a critical step in order to ensure that the actions that you take now will take you closer to your end goals. We can help you to create measurable, achievable and realistic financial objectives by choosing the most appropriate investment mix for your personal situation. And our support doesn’t stop there – we will be with you every step of the way, sense checking that your plan still meets your needs and making changes where necessary to ensure that you are still on track to achieve your goals.

Of course, the key part of the investment planning process is building a smart investment plan that works for you. Here are some important questions that you need to ask yourself upfront:

• • Are you seeking safety, income or growth? Perhaps you are looking for some immediate cash flow, or maybe you want to choose an investment which will grow, for you to call upon in your retirement.

• • What is your realistic investment budget? Some people have a lump sum to invest whereas other prefer to make ongoing regular contributions to their funds. As some options require a minimum investment amount upfront, do your homework before committing. If you are lucky enough to have a larger lump sum, you may choose to spread your funds across different investments to minimize the risk. You will also need to decide how much to allocate to stock and how much to bonds.

• • What is your attitude to risk? We all have different risk appetites so make sure that your investment choices match this. High yield investments can look attractive but come with particularly high risks which many people feel are just too high for them. Consider diversifying your portfolio and spreading your investments to protect yourself.

• • When will you need access to your funds? Creating a realistic investment time frame is important as short-term capital requirements suit very different investment options to long term ones. Generally speaking, if you are looking to put the money away for the longer term, you can afford a little more short-term risk as your priority is that your money grows for the future.

• • What should you invest in? The key point here is to take your time! There are so many options and products out there that it is crucial to weigh up your choices and go for investments that suit you.