Funds & Investment

When the rest of the world was going into recession, China was growing at a rate of 10% or so, year on year. Although many small investors are understandably keen to jump on the bandwagon, there is concern about the transparency of the Chinese system or are aware that there are some quite draconian restrictions on foreign ownership of China investments. So is there a way of investing in China without getting burned? More >

There are good historical reasons why emerging markets will make an investor rich. However it’s not always clear how to get into these markets. There are many ways open to the small investor who looks hard enough. Here, we show you how to tap into the investment potential in emerging markets. More >

With profits funds offer investment through insurance companies, and have existed as a form of investment for private individuals for some time. However, With-profits funds do not always perform as predicted… More >

Tracker funds offer a low cost, low risk way to look for gradual growth through investment in the stock market. But just what do Tracker funds track, and how? Read on for the basics of Tracker funds. More >

In recent years, structured products, such as absolute return funds and capital guaranteed funds, have become increasingly popular. This is because the recent volatility in the financial markets has led many investors looking for less risky ways to invest their money. Structured products range from the very simple to the devilishly complex, and do not provide the flexibility offered by certain other types of investment. In this article, we give you a potted history of structured products, and take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of investing in them. More >

REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) are an increasingly popular type of stock that allows investors to make money from the property market without having to purchase any properties themselves. They can provide strong dividends, and relatively stable growth over long periods, but their inherent complexity means that you have to be extra careful when you are investing in this type of stock. Here, we discuss some of the ins and outs of real estate investment trusts, in order to help you decide whether they would make a good addition to your portfolio. More >

Managed funds offer a way to invest in complex financial instruments, without the Wall Street experience and the PhD. But just what are these funds, and how are they managed? The basics of managed funds are explained here. More >

Whether you are an experienced investor or a stock market novice, forming an investment club can be a great way to earn money from the stock market, and have some fun into the bargain. Greater economies of scale and the spreading of risk ensure that investment clubs make sense from a financial standpoint, but they can also be a great way to make friends and learn about investing. Here, we show you what you have to do to set up an investment club, and explain some of the benefits in detail. More >

US investments are part of the most developed investment market in the world. In general, US investments thrive on an open and welcoming environment for foreign investment with a transparent legal system, and English spoken. In this article, we show you how to profit from investing in the USA. More >

Fund supermarkets are a type of brokerage service for funds, similar in many ways to price comparison websites for other financial products. They contain a range of features that can make it a lot easier to keep tabs on your investments, and their bargaining power means that they are able to negotiate cheaper deals on behalf of their clients. In this article, we explain exactly how fund supermarkets work, and show you what to look out for when choosing a fund supermarket. More >

Combining the simplicity and speed of exchange of stock market investment with the benefits of diversification that come with mutual funds, an ETF (Exchange traded fund) is an increasingly popular way to invest in the money markets with relatively low risk. More >

Investing in Africa has great potential, and great danger. There are ways to make investments in Africa, but it should be done carefully. The article discusses some of the many routes into the continent.

Africa investments are often seen as having unbelievable potential. Figures back this up. Outside India and rural China there is no greater amount of very poor people, and as economic history has shown us the times of fastest economic growth are when the majority of the population goes from being extremely poor to moderately poor. This is one part of the case for investments in Africa. More >