Barclays Stockbrokers can help you take the next step in your trading. For example, you might be:. Your reasons for investing will help you work out your investment goals and influence the way you manage your investments. Investing for growth means using your money to invest in products that are likely to have the potential to increase in value over time. Though of course, you also risk losing your money. The aim is to grow your money by investing in funds whose units or shares aim to increase in value over time, so long as market conditions are favourable.

Why should I invest?

Funds invest your money in a wide range of assets e. There are thousands of funds available, each with its own objective — e. With some funds, your money is invested in a wide range of assets without you needing to buy each of the underlying components. Like most investments, funds are designed to be held for at least five years. This is because in a typical economic cycle, it is hoped that five years may be enough time to recover from downturns in the market.

Another way to invest for growth is through buying company stocks and shares , also known as equities. The aim is to grow your money by investing in profitable companies whose shares rise in value.

They are also likely to pay dividends to shareholders. You can choose to reinvest the dividends — i.

Investing directly in individual stocks and shares is very risky. You can do this through buying shares in a number of different companies, and by investing in other types of assets , such as gilts and bonds. You also benefit from professional managers choosing the individual companies. For these reasons, most people who invest in shares do so through funds.

You could put your money into a cash savings account that pays regular interest, instead of an investment. Although, as interest rates in recent years have been lower than inflation, there is a risk of the real value of cash holdings eroding over time. Fixed-income investments like gilts and bonds are popular investments. These are issued by the UK Government and by companies who then make regular interest payments which can provide a steady income.

If you invest in them when they are first issued, your capital will also be repaid at a set date in the future, known as the redemption date.

There is always a risk that that those who issue these investments may not be able to make payments due under them, or to repay the capital on maturity. If this happens, you might not get some or all of your money back. You can buy gilts and bonds from an individual issuer, e. However these are fixed-term investments and if you sell before the term ends, you may get back less than you invested. You can also invest in gilts and bonds through funds.

This spreads your money across a mix of assets, so your risk is spread too. These types of funds are popular with new investors and those who hold individual shares in their portfolio, as they help bring balance to the portfolio. Compared with some other investments, funds holding gilts and bonds have historically been considered to be relatively stable.

As a result, and because their value rises as interest rates fall, they were very popular in the wake of the economic crisis when share prices fell significantly.

Of course, when interest rates rise, the value of these investments would be expected to fall and you should take this into account when choosing to invest in these. If you have a few goals — e. Investments generally rise and fall in value. Since , record-low interest rates and inflation at rates higher than these have reduced the real value of cash savings. So while you always get your money back, you might not be able to buy as much with it. So you might select investments and hold them in a tax-efficient Investment ISA stocks and shares ISA or a personal pension.

Remember, though, that the value to you of these tax concessions will depend on your individual circumstances and eligibility, and that the beneficial rules around them could change in the future.

As you know, investments should always be considered as a minimum five-year commitment. These accounts are considered to be safe investments, where the interest rate is guaranteed for the term of the deposit. Withdrawals are not permitted during the term however, or there may be penalties for early redemption.

If you can invest for at least five years, your portfolio might contain more traditional investments, e. In a typical economic cycle, it is hoped that five years may be enough to recover from downturns in markets and provide positive returns. If you have 20 or 30 years or more before your retire, you might want to consider riskier investments.

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Remember, there are no guarantees with investing. As you get closer to retirement, you might sell off your riskier investments and move to safer options that aim to reduce the risk to your investment and returns. Hopefully you can now see how your timescales can have a big impact on your investment decisions.

Portfolio - a selection of different investments held by you. Diversification - mixing a variety of investments within a portfolio with the aim of managing risk. Usually this is paid as pence per share. Asset classes - different types of investments with varying degrees of risk, e.

Individual Savings Account ISA - a tax-efficient account that you can use to hold either cash or investments. Call costs to numbers may vary — please check with your telecoms provider. Calls may be recorded so that we can monitor the quality of our service and for security purposes. Our opening hours are 7. Our dedicated Client Service Team can help you get started. To find a stock simply start typing the stock's symbol i.

BARC or stock name in the search box above. Try reducing the number of letters to increase the search, for example 'ba' instead of 'barclays'. Skip to site navigation Skip to content. Quick Quotes Site Search. Home get started Get started Get started Understanding investing Choosing investments Choosing an account How to invest. Advanced Trading Visit the Barclays Trading Hub. Portfolio management Consolidated view Account view Cash manager Regular Investment Service My details Virtual portfolio Virtual portfolio Corporate actions Corporate actions summary Mandatory Corporate Actions.

Deal Buy or sell UK stocks and shares with a range of flexible order types. Deal stocks Buy or sell from our Funds Market or the Barclays Wealth Global Markets. Deal funds Trade in Primary Market Equity IPOs and Fixed Income New Issues.

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Consider investing for growth or investing for income - and think about timescales. Reasons for investing Get started 4 Steps to investing Understanding investing Reasons for investing Risk and return Diversification Tax-efficient investing Costs of investing Investing during market volatility Choosing investments Choosing an account How to invest.

For example, you might be: What are your investment goals? When it comes to setting your investment goals or strategy, there are two main options: Investing for growth Investing for growth means using your money to invest in products that are likely to have the potential to increase in value over time. Growth investing with stocks and shares Another way to invest for growth is through buying company stocks and shares , also known as equities.

Spreading your money and your risk You can also invest in gilts and bonds through funds. Short-term investing As you know, investments should always be considered as a minimum five-year commitment. Medium-term investing If you can invest for at least five years, your portfolio might contain more traditional investments, e. Long-term investing If you have 20 or 30 years or more before your retire, you might want to consider riskier investments.

Jargon buster Portfolio - a selection of different investments held by you. Learn more Discover how diversification can be used to help reduce the risk of investments.

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Sitemap About us Privacy Policy Legal Information Cookie policy Terms of Use Security Forms Corporate Accounts. HTMLContent2 Learn more Discover how diversification can be used to help reduce the risk of investments.

Learn about diversifying your portfolio Like to speak with someone?