are forms of pension insurance entitling you to an income for life.  How much you receive is determined by the rate the annuity provider offers.  Annuity rates are determined by gilt rates and life expectancy.  The types available are single-life which covers just you or a joint-life which pays an income after you die to your partner or spouse unti [..]

is the ability or capacity to take a risk on investments.  This will depend on your overall personal circumstances.  Only you can judge what level of risk to take and feel comfortable with.  All investments carry a degree of risk so you should never invest more than you can afford to lose.

is a tax that is levied on the profit from the sale of property or investments (chargeable assets) that have increased in value, with the exception of gifts to your spouse, partner or charity and NISA’s, UK government gilts, premium bonds, betting, lottery or pools winnings.  If you have disposed of chargeable assets and the gain falls below the cu [..]

advise clients about financial products that meet their current and future needs, such as investments, pensions and protection.  The Chartered status enables them to demonstrate their professional commitment to raising standards of knowledge, capability and ethical practice.  They offer the highest quality of service.

are an important investment class and are issued by a company wishing to raise finance.  When an investor buys a corporate bond they are making a loan to the company as the bond issuer.  By doing this the investor is guaranteed a regular income from the interest payments on the bond.  Upon maturity of the bond the amount of investment is repaid to [..]

is an insurance product whereby the insurer is contracted to make a lump sum cash payment if the policy holder is diagnosed with one of the specific life threatening illnesses on a predetermined list.  The policy may also be structured to pay regular income.  Policies may require the policy holders to survive a minimum amount of days after first di [..]

is the amount that shareholders own in the form of stock.  It is the risk-bearing part of the company’s capital.  There are two types of equity, ordinary shares which have voting rights and preference shares which do not. Preference share holders rank ahead of ordinary shareholders in a liquidation.

are funds that are traded on the stock market.  The funds are usually index tracking in nature.  They are continuously priced open ended index funds and as such trade throughout the day.  They typically have higher daily liquidity and lower fees making them an attractive alternative for individual investors.

allows you to withdraw retirement income from your pension fund from your 55th birthday, as and when you like, whilst keeping your remaining pension savings invested.  Usually the first 25% can be taken as a tax free cash sum, with the remaining income being taxable.  This flexibility is only possible with schemes that offer flexi-access drawdown. [..]

is an investment professional who oversees the investments within a managed portfolio.  They will supervise a team of analysts who perform research on the investments and then make recommendations as to whether to buy or sell. When you invest in a fund part of the fees you pay go towards the fund manager and their team which must be disclosed in th [..]