Funds

Are you new to investing or entering a new market? Do you want professional management for some or all of your portfolio?

When you invest in a fund, your money is ‘pooled’ together with the money from other investors and this is invested on your behalf by a professional Fund Manager. So, if you aren’t yet confident about making your own investment decisions, or are looking to move into a different market, funds can be a great place to start, as the investment decisions are made by experts on your behalf.

Barclays Stockbrokers has a broad range of funds offered at discounted charges to choose from, to help you to build a portfolio to meet your objectives.

The value of funds and the income they generate can vary and the amount that you get back may be less than you invested. If you are in any doubt about investing in funds, you should consult your financial adviser.

Find out more about funds

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Corporate Bonds & Gilts

Always thought of investing as too risky? Some investments are less risky than others and gilts (UK government bonds) or corporate bonds could be a good place to start. Bonds are effectively an IOU from a government or a company; the contract runs for a fixed length of time and pays a regular and predictable income.

As governments are generally considered to be more creditworthy than companies, gilts generally pay a lower rate of interest than corporate bonds.

The returns you receive from gilts and bonds take the form of regular interest payments. However, the value of the bond can go up and down and your capital could be at risk. Among other things, the value of bonds and gilts depend on the perceived ability of the company or government to repay the investment and on changes in interest rates.

The value of Corporate Bonds & Gilts can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than the amount you invested. Fixed income investments depend upon the ability of the issuer to repay its debts at the maturity date. If you are in any doubt about investing in bonds, you should consult your financial adviser.

Find out more about Corporate Bonds & Gilts

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Exchange Traded Commodities

Investing in gold does not have to mean stashing bars of gold under your mattress! Exchange Traded Commodities (ETCs) allow you to invest in commodities, such as precious metals like gold; natural resources such as oil; or crops including wheat or cotton – without physically buying (and storing!) the product itself.

ETCs can ‘track’ either the performance of a single commodity (e.g. gold), or an index which reflects the price movements of a sector – such as energy or industrial metals. You can trade them just like shares – they are listed on the London Stock Exchange and they can be bought and sold during trading hours.

The value of ETCs can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than the amount you invested. If you are in any doubt about investing in ETCs, you should consult your financial adviser.

Find out more about ETCs

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Exchange Traded Funds

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are a low-cost and flexible way to diversify your portfolio. Most ETFs are designed to track the performance of investments in a geographical region, industry sector or index, such as the FTSE 100. Through a single trade, an ETF can spread your risk by diversifying your investments, so you don’t have all your eggs in one basket and ETFs are flexible and straightforward to trade – like a share.

The value of ETFs can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than the amount you invested. If you are in any doubt about investing in ETFs, you should consult your financial adviser.

Find out more about Exchange Traded Funds

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Investment ISA

Think of an Individual Savings Account (ISA) as a handy tax-proof box for your investments – once they are inside, you don’t pay tax on any growth or income they generate.

You can shelter up to £10,200 in an Investment ISA this tax year (2010/11). You pick the types of investment you want, from the wide range on offer and you can change that mix any time you like.

The value of investments and their income can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than the amount you invested. If you are in any doubt about investing in an ISA, you should consult a financial adviser.

The value to you of the favourable tax treatment ISAs offer will depend on your individual circumstances. You should bear in mind that that tax rules may change and that this favourable treatment might not continue indefinitely.

Find out more and learn how to open an Investment ISA

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MarketMaster®

Buying and selling investments is simple with MarketMaster®, the online trading account from Barclays Stockbrokers. With a MarketMaster® account you also get access to a range of investment services and information – including stock market news, research and trading tools – all designed to help you make the right investment decisions. You can set up an account in just a few minutes and then use it to view how your investments are performing whenever you like.

The value of investments and their income can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than the amount you invested. If you are in any doubt about investing, you should consult a financial adviser.

Find out more and learn how to open a MarketMaster® trading account

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PensionMaster

Barclays Stockbrokers has found a pension manager you can trust, it’s you!

If you have the necessary expertise to make your own investment choices in your pension planning, you can take control of your retirement planning. PensionMaster – our Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) – puts you in the driving seat.

As with all pensions, investing in a SIPP offers significant tax benefits. It is also extremely flexible. You can choose from a wide range of investments to hold in your PensionMaster and change them as and when you please.

The value of investments and their income can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than the amount you invested. If you are in any doubt about investing in a SIPP, you should consult your financial adviser.

The value to you of the favourable tax treatment SIPPs offer will depend on your individual circumstances. You should bear in mind that that tax rules may change and that this favourable treatment might not continue indefinitely.

Find out more and learn how to open a PensionMaster account

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Shares

Shares are probably the most familiar type of investment. If you buy shares in a publicly owned company like Sainsbury’s, you become a shareholder. This basically means you own a part of the company. Shares are bought and sold on exchanges such as the London Stock Exchange (LSE). The easiest way to buy or sell shares is to do it yourself using an online stockbroker like Barclays Stockbrokers.

The value of shares and their income can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than the amount you invested. If you are in any doubt about investing in shares, you should consult your financial adviser.

Find out more about shares

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Structured products

Stock markets rise and fall – that’s a given. So, consider an investment that would let you take advantage of upturns but still offer to repay your capital at the end of a fixed term. This is exactly what some structured products are designed to do.

The returns and capital repayment of a structured product are based on the performance of a particular market, for example the UK stock market, emerging markets or commodity prices as measured by an appropriate index. Structured products are issued by leading financial institutions. It is important to be aware that if these institutions fail to meet their obligations, you will get back less than is due to you, or nothing at all.

Some structured products offer full repayment of your capital at maturity, plus the promised return based on the performance of the relevant index. Other types of structured products combine potentially higher returns with a higher degree of risk and you can lose money should certain specific events occur. Benefits are only paid at maturity. You can sell a structured product before maturity but the price will be the current market value and that may be less than the price you invested at, irrespective of the performance of the relevant market.

The value of investments can rise as well as fall, and you may get back less than the amount you invested. If you are in any doubt about investing in structured products, you should consult your financial adviser.

Find out more about structured products

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