Viewing posts categorised under: Investments

August update for expats in Spain

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 17th August 2022

17.08.22

I hope you are well and managing to keep cool, stay safe and ‘push back’ a little if possible. This month we cover the following topics (if there is anything you would like to understand more or would wish to see covered in these Newsletters don’t hesitate to ask):

Covid Update (the last one ?)
Golden Visa Changes in Europe
An Update on having a UK bank/investment/building society account

Covid Update
A quick Covid update to start things off – The Catalan health department have announced that people who have Covid-19 symptoms will be able to request an automatic 5-day sick leave. This announcement was made as a response to the seventh wave of Covid here in Catalonia, which has seen an increase in visits to primary care centres. The measures allow residents of Catalonia to fill out a form on the website of the Catalan health department, ‘La Meva Salut’, explaining why they feel ill.

The measures will not require a Covid test to be taken, and will be automatically lifted on the fifth day. This could prove particularly beneficial for those who are sick and cannot work remotely. The idea behind the new measure is to simplify the process and reduce in-person paperwork for someone who may not be able to attend a health centre.

Golden Visa Changes
The European Parliament is considering implementing changes to the ‘golden visa’ scheme, which is prevalent in many EU countries, including Spain. The scheme allows families who invest over €500,000 into residential property or qualifying investment schemes to receive citizenship and/or residency in the respective country.

Some MEPs have demanded a ban on ‘golden passports’ and specific rules for ‘golden visas’ to fight money laundering and corruption. MEPs have become concerned that EU membership is for sale and have pledged to regulate this area throughout Europe. This includes stringent background checks, reporting obligations for member states and requirements surrounding minimum physical presence in the country for applicants.

Book a telephone call or zoom chat with Chris now

Banks Accounts, Savings and Investments accounts in the UK
There have been reports of UK Financial Institutions requesting Non-Resident UK clients to close their bank, savings and investment accounts in the UK.

National Savings & Investments, home of the NS&I accounts and Premium Bonds which is government backed, is reminding clients that they need a UK bank account to retain their accounts. That would be fine in itself as many people who have lived in the UK still have one of these, however, there have also been reports of Barclays asking clients with EU residential addresses to close their accounts. Therefore, this is having a knock-on effect – for example, to have an account with NS&I you need a UK bank or building society account in your name. If this account is closed (imagine if you had an account with Barclays) then you cannot have an NS&I account also.

This may be a little unsettling if you are living here in Spain and have bank, savings or investment accounts in the UK, but do not worry. If you are affected or concerned by this then feel free to get in contact with me. There are good alternatives to Savings & investment accounts that are Spanish compliant, meaning your money is likely to be more tax efficient and remains with UK based institutions.

If you would like any more information regarding any of the above, or to talk through your situation initially and receive expert, factual based advice, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can book an initial consultation via my calendar link below or email/send me a message.

Book a telephone call or zoom chat with Chris now

Are you paying too much on your investments?

By Jeremy Ferguson
This article is published on: 19th July 2022

19.07.22

Paying too much for something is never a good idea!

Unless you have been spending all your time either on the beach or playing golf, it would be almost impossible not to have seen what´s been happening in the financial world at the moment.

Stock markets have had their worst start to a year in 50 years. Almost every day all you see and hear is doom and gloom about rising inflation, rising food prices, rising fuel prices, rising interest rates, supply chain issues, falling consumer confidence. And on and on it goes.

As usual with such issues, it can affect retirees who live here the most, as their Pensions and Investments are normally exposed to the stock markets and various other investment instruments, pretty much all of which are falling at the moment. How much worse can it get? Who knows.. When will it recover? Who Knows.. How long will it take to make up for all of my losses this year? Who knows…!

Nobody does, and looking at history can give a good indication as to the likely answers, but as I keep saying, this could well be history in the making, as opposed to history repeating itself.

Looking at history can help calm the nerves and add perspective. Over the last 150 years there have been 13 major stock market crashes. In 1877 markets fell by 33%, in 1970 they fell by 25% and again in 1974 by 39%. The latest memorable events were the financial crisis of 2008 which resulted in losses of 49% and the Covid lockdown period, which again resulted in heavy losses.

Taking the median of all of these 15 events, an average fall of 33% has taken on average of around 2 years to recover. So, although I have said this may well be history in the making, what we can all be sure of is that things will eventually get better. It’s just a question of how quickly, and that again is an unknown. The speed of recoveries is always quite impressive. Many people miss the fact that if you lose 50% on something, that something has to double in value to return to where you were.

Paying too much for something is never a good idea!

One thing I do know though, is that if you have Pensions and Investments which are expensive, trying to reduce the costs incurred is one thing that will have an immediate positive effect on your returns, and can have an incredibly positive effect on the long-term returns.

Something else that is also relevant to costs, is the type of investments retirees are in. One of the first things to assess when I meet a client is what risk they are prepared to take with their investments. Typically, (as most are retired), I think being driven by caution (or fear) rather than greed is paramount, meaning a client should typically be very concerned about protecting their capital, and therefore their investments should be at the lower end of the risk scale.

Therefore, it makes perfect sense if you are looking to achieve a certain annual return that reducing the annual costs as best you can will mean you can take less risk to achieve your objectives, and therefore see better capital protection.

Many people are coming to me asking if we can take a look at their existing arrangements, and very often we are able to offer a solution to reduce the costs and achieve a more suitable strategy in view of where we find ourselves.

In these times of rising costs, every penny helps, and very often just talking through situations like this and having someone to listen to your worries can be a great help, so if you would like a quick chat in confidence about your financial situation, please get in touch.

Investment portfolios | The Principles of Success

By Mark Quinn
This article is published on: 18th May 2022

18.05.22

The world of investments can be intimidating, even for the most seasoned investor. Here, we will put aside the jargon and push past the hype of ‘the next big thing’, and instead focus on the key principles that every investor should know when building a portfolio of investments; irrespective of how engaged or involved you wish to be.

Ideally, you should look at your assets as a whole – your pensions, property, savings and investments, rather than at each area or structure in isolation. This way you can apply the principles to your wealth as a whole and be in the best position to potentially meet your financial objectives.

Asset allocation is key to investment success
Asset allocation is the percentage of each type of asset class making up your overall investment portfolio. In turn, asset classes are groupings of similar types of investments such as cash, equities, commodities, fixed income, or real estate.

The key principle behind asset allocation is to include asset classes that behave differently from each other in different market conditions to reduce risk and generate potential returns. For example, if equities are falling in value, certain fixed income assets may be rising.

The goal here is not solely to maximise returns but to blend your holdings to meet your goals, whilst taking the least amount of investment risk. The right allocation for you will depend on several factors such as your willingness and ability to accept losses, your investment time frame, and your future needs for capital – unfortunately, there is no one size fits all.

Many studies have shown that asset allocation is the most important driver of portfolio returns, so getting this first step right is critical.

Diversification to reduce risk
Once you have decided on the right asset allocation for you, you must then pick the individual types of holdings or investments within each asset class. Each asset class is broken down into subclasses, for example, fixed income includes holdings such as fixed deposits, gilts and government or corporate bonds.

It is not enough to simply own each type of asset class; you must also diversify within each asset subclass. For example, taking corporate bonds which is a type of fixed income asset class, you can hold them in many different types of companies, industries, currencies, countries, or long or short term.

Rebalancing
As assets perform differently over time, the initial percentage asset allocation will deviate over time. A typical example is the huge increase in the US stock market over the last couple of years which, whilst good for investors’ returns, will have increased the level of share exposure. This increase in the value of equity holdings because of the sustained rise will lead to increased risk across the portfolio as a whole.

This can be solved by regular rebalancing to ‘reset’ the portfolio to your original asset allocation. This involves selling holdings that are overweight and buying ones that are undervalued.

Rebalancing also provides the ideal opportunity to revisit your financial goals and risk tolerance, and to tweak your asset allocation accordingly.

Long term perspective and discipline
As humans, our emotions can lead to poor decision making when it comes to investing. Decisions that seem logical in daily life can result in poor investment returns, with many retail investors selling through fear at the very point they should be buying at lower prices, and conversely, buying at much higher prices during a gold rush.

It is vital for most investors to keep a disciplined approach as it is easy to get caught up in the daily noise of the markets.

Minimise costs and maximise tax efficiency
Einstein described compounding as the 8th wonder of the world and the effect of compounding applies to fees. A charge that might seem small at the beginning can turn into a significant cost over time and research has shown that lower-cost funds tend to outperform in the longer term.

As a simple example, assume a €100 investment and no growth. After 10 years, an annual charge of 2% will result in €82, a 0.2% charge would result in €98.

Focus on minimising fund, structure and adviser fees. In the world of investing, more expensive does not necessarily mean better.

Tax is an often-overlooked cost, which if minimised can lead to the same positive compounding effects over time. This is done by ensuring that your investment portfolio is structured correctly for your resident status, and it might be different planning for normal residents, Non-Habitual Residents, or depending on if your move to Europe is for the rest of your life or if you intend to return to your home country in the future.

Withdrawal strategies
If you are taking income from your investments, you should consider the way in which you do this and the order. Not only will this affect the type of investments you hold within your portfolio, but it could also affect how you hold your portfolio and provide tax planning opportunities or pitfalls.

Focus on total return
With interest rates at historically low levels, it is difficult to rely solely on income returns in this investment environment. The total return is a truer picture of performance and takes into account the capital appreciation as well as the income received.

Be boring!
To quote Warrant Buffet, one of the world’s most successful investors: “Lethargy, bordering on sloth should remain the cornerstone of an investment style”.

Do not try to chase returns or the trends in investments – stick to tried and tested assets. At Spectrum, we only use investments that have worked over the long term, are easy to understand, daily tradable and transparent.

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5 reasons cash might not be king

By Mark Quinn
This article is published on: 16th May 2022

16.05.22

In the words of Warren Buffett, “The one thing I will tell you is the worst investment you can have is cash”.

If one of the world’s most successful investors believes this, let’s look at some of the reasons why holding large amounts of cash is bad for long-term financial planning.

Inflation
We all need access to cash for daily spending and emergencies, so it is important that you hold enough cash on deposit for if the boiler breaks! But holding large amounts of cash over long periods is damaging when the interest rates are well below the rate of inflation.

To illustrate this in real terms, if your annual spending was £10,000 in 2011, you would need £12,968 in 2021 to make the same purchases as inflation averaged 2.6% p.a. However, during that same period, the average savings account interest rate was 1.6% p.a. so the same £10,000 in a bank account would only have grown to £ 10,160.

Low-interest rates
Interest rates offered by banks to customers rarely beat inflation, so using this as a long-term savings strategy is not ideal.

According to the most recent data available provided by the Bank of England and Portugal, the average UK deposit interest rate offered in December 2021 was 0.3% and the average rate in Portugal was 0.06% as at December 2020.

With inflation currently sitting at 5.4% and 3.3% for the UK and Portugal respectively, we can see that inflation will rapidly erode the value of your savings.

Taxation
One of the commonly overlooked factors when making any investment is the tax consequence. In the UK there are great tax-free savings vehicles such as ISAs, but here in Portugal, the choice is much more limited but that does not mean that tax-efficient savings are not available.

For those with NHR, there is not so much of a concern as foreign earned interest is tax-free. However, for normal residents, all interest paid is taxable at 28%. Please note, interest from bank accounts held in blacklisted jurisdictions such as Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man is always taxable at 35%.

Investments usually outperform cash in the long-term
Most people feel more comfortable holding cash, maybe because they do not understand the stock market or they are reluctant to seek financial advice.

It is true, investing in the stock market does carry some risk and you will experience volatility which can be unnerving, but over the long-term markets have outperformed cash.

The Barclays Equity Gilt Study 2019 analysed cash, equity and gilt performance from 1899 to 2019 and it found that £100 invested in cash in 1899 would be worth £20,000 in 2019; a stark contrast to the £2.7m it would worth if invested in equities over the same period.

We might not all live to see returns over 120 years, but even with the global health and economic crisis today, many global stock markets finished the year higher than they started. For example, Morningstar’s Global Markets index was up nearly 15% by mid-Dec 2021, whilst banks were offering returns below 1%.

Dividends
Stocks and shares pay dividends in addition to the expectation that their price will increase. Cash only pays interest, and with inflation, there is a near-certain expectation our cash value will erode in real terms over time.

Lastly, what are the alternatives? Simply put, investing. What you should be investing in and where will be dependent on several factors such as your goals and the risk you can, and are prepared to, take. If you would like to discuss your options, please get in touch.

Are you interested in our seminars & webinars about tax & financial planning in Portugal?

Bonds – still a low-risk investment?

By Jozef Spiteri
This article is published on: 5th May 2022

05.05.22

Are bonds going out of fashion?

Bonds, which are fixed income instruments, are probably one of the most popular asset classes along with equities, and have been used by organisations to raise funds for many years. Because these instruments pay regular interest (coupons), they are attractive to investors, but are bond investments really as good as people think they are?

Let’s begin by defining what bonds actually are. A bond is a debt instrument, meaning that the organisation that issues them, be it a government or a private corporation, is obtaining a loan from the general public. The reason for opting to get a loan from the public rather than a traditional bank is simple; they will pay less interest making it a much cheaper method to finance a project. An example of a bond would be one maturing in 10 years’ time, paying an annual interest rate (coupon) of 2.5%. This simply means that if an investor had to purchase €1,000 worth of this bond issue, they will receive €25 per year for 10 years and they will get the initial amount (principal) of €1,000 back at maturity. The fact that money is being received every year tends to deceive investors. The truth is, for a coupon as low as 2.5% they will just be moving in line with inflation, which has been around 2-3% in recent years and has started to creep up in recent months. This means that with such an investment they are not adding value to their wealth and actually risk losing value.

After reading this you might be wondering what investments could help you beat inflation.

Over the past 10 years the asset classes that have performed the best have been US equities and REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) (www.blackrock.com/corporate/insights/blackrock-investment-institute/interactive-charts/return-map).

Debt, or bonds, has been one of the weakest performers across the board, and this has contributed to the fall in popularity of this asset class. The best approach would be to invest in a diversified basket of assets with well-established fund managers, with a track record of good returns. This will not only reduce the risk of bad performance and value destruction thanks to inflation, but will also give you exposure to higher returns.

If you are interested in discussing this matter further, or any other topic, feel free to reach out to one of our advisers. We will be more than happy to sit down with you and go over all the questions you might have.

We do not charge any fees for our initial consultations and there is no obligation to proceed further.

Saving tax in Spain

By Pauline Bowden
This article is published on: 19th April 2022

19.04.22

Thank goodness for the Spanish compliant investment bond!

It is a very efficient way that we can legitimately avoid taxation in Spain, as long as we purchase the correct financial products.

In the UK most people are well aware of the tax-saving nature of pension plans and ISA’s. The Spanish compliant investment bond is a tax-efficient investment solution that can be used to invest in a wide range of fully licensed and regulated investment funds while also reducing or negating your Capital Gains Tax liability.

Spain has a reputation for being a relatively ‘high-tax’ country. As a result, many UK Expats manage their affairs in such a way as to ensure the continuation of UK tax residence. The situation is becoming a greater challenge for those that find themselves spending more time in Spain each year. The Spanish tax authorities now require individuals to show concrete proof of time spent outside the country. Brexit has exacerbated the issue further; anyone who finds themselves in an ambiguous position should take professional advice to clarify their status.

Those that have chosen to take up permanent residency in Spain may find that their UK investment platforms, though tax efficient in the UK, are not so in Spain. Meeting a fully licensed Financial Adviser here in Spain could help review your current investment holdings and advise on their suitability for tax efficiency in Spain.

Based on our expectation that most people are looking for a positive return from investment markets over the medium to long term, our recommendation is that the investment product is held for a period of 5 to10 years. Whilst the appropriate holding period for each individual client will be determined by their personal investment objectives the term should be sufficient to recover from short term volatility in investment markets.

Download our guide to Tax in Spain

Investing During War Times

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 7th March 2022

07.03.22

Off the back of the current situation in Ukraine, many of my clients have been asking me what this means for their investment and pension portfolios. Irrespective of the size and scope of the conflict, any declaration of war has global repercussions. Instability in one area of the world will result in a ripple effect, effecting other areas of the world regardless of the countries involved. Yes, this is likely to affect your investments and your pensions but the key takeaway is that you should not worry. If you are panicking, please reach out to me and we can have a conversation about it. There are even areas of opportunity in war times and stocks in certain sectors have even bucked the trend and outperformed. In this article, I will discuss investing in war times, including the current conflict in Ukraine, and the impact that this has on the stock market performance and the wider economy.

The Current Conflict in Ukraine
In the case of the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the heavy sanctions inflicted on Russia already have and will continue to heavily effect the global economy. The sanctions are amongst the harshest sanctions ever imposed on a country, and include preventing the Russian Government from accessing up to 600 billion USD in foreign cash reserves which they hold in foreign banks around the world, banning Russia from SWIFT (thus preventing Russians from using various credit and debit cards to make payments) and the freezing of the assets of some Russian individuals around the world ranging from bank accounts, property and even private yachts.

Various multinational companies have also ceased or reduced their operations in Russia (at least temporarily). For example, Apple have closed their Russian stores, Shell and BP have sold their stakes or abandoned their Russian operations and a magnitude of aviation companies such as British Airways, Lufthansa and Boeing have either halted their flights to Russia (note that there have also been significant alterations to the accessibility of international airspace) or in Boeing’s case, suspended parts, maintenance and technical support for Russian airlines.

The conflict does not solely impact the Russian economy. A large number of countries throughout the world export products to Russia. If this is no longer possible, then they will see a reduction in profits, which will then go on to affect their balance sheet. Furthermore, many countries in the world import products from Russia. The key product in this case is oil, a vital energy source. Although the supply of oil has not yet been cut, we have already seen a rise in petrol prices in many countries such as the UK. Other popular Russian products such as vodka are likely to be hit. Due to the decrease in supply, we are likely to see both shortages and a rise in price of Russian products such as vodka.

However, it is very difficult to predict exactly what will happen. For this reason, when making personal finance related decisions it is recommended that you engage in a professional discussion with a professional financial adviser. In times of war in particular, it is recommended that people seek the advice of an expert to help them manage their portfolios.

Previous Wars and Their Impact on Stock Market Performance
It’s important that we consider previous wars and the impact that they had on the stock market. Some civil wars and internal conflicts, such as those in Sierra Leone (1991-2002) and the Central African Republic in 2013, caused severe disturbances in those countries’ economies. However, from a global perspective, these wars did not cause disturbances in the stock market of first-world nations such as the USA. On the other hand, large-scale wars such as World War 1 and 2 did effect the US market, even before the US entered the conflict.

Global markets in the past operated very differently from how they operate today. For example, prior to World War 1 every country operated independently and the countries that operated in global trade were seen as at ‘gold standard’ level. London was the world’s financial capital and used in this way when a financial centre was necessary, however the requirements and responsibilities were very different when compared to nowadays.

At the close of World War 2, significant changes were made to the global financial system which increased interdependence between countries. The World Bank and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) were created, and from then on stocks reacted very differently from World War 1 and World War 2 when conflicts arose.

It’s also important to consider the popularity of the war on the home front and the amount of time in which the war goes on for. For example, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War both saw very different stock market outcomes in the USA due to the difference in popularity of the wars amongst Americans. Furthermore, the Afghanistan War lasted almost 20 years. In this 20 years, the markets saw both highs and lows. Ultimately, the longer a war goes on the less reactive a market is to its influence. A war may start to be seen as a ‘Business as usual’ type of operation.

I created the below table, summarising previous wars and their impact on the economy and stock market performance (I used the Dow Jones stock market as a comparison).

WAR	EFFECT ON ECONOMY
World War 1	Nations that imported more than they exported lost gold reserves, negatively impacting their economies, because the slow economic conditions saw greater demand for exports When Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, what is considered as the start catalyst of the war, the stock market was barely effected When Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in 1914, the Dow Jones dropped by 30% and the market had to close to maintain order and stability. When it opened a few months later, it sawed up by 88% and continued to rise until late 1916 When the US declared War in Germany in 1917, the stock market took a hit and continued trending downwards into 1918. It didn’t recover fully until mid 1919, on the news that the war was over
World War 2	The US was just emerging from the Great Depression in 1939 when the war started. In the early days of the war the Dow Jones increased over 10%, offering hope that the geopolitical environment would put an end to the challenging economic times. However, the conflict started to disrupt international trade and after this initial boost, the market started to fall significantly Rapid action from various impacted Governments around the world prevented the stock market from falling further than it did From 1939 to the end of the war in 1945, the Dow Jones was up 50%. Considering the economic conditions, this was a rather unexpected gain. The gain was put down to the various international cooperation agreements which succeeded in stabilising and growing the US economy
Korean War	The Dow Jones dropped around 5% on the first day – the war was a shock to most investors The recovery was fast, and by the time the war ended in 1953 the Dow Jones was up almost 60%. This is thought to be due to a number of Government policies such as increasing taxes and not borrowing money to fund the war.
Vietnam War	The Dow Jones grew by 43% from the start to the end of the war (1965 to 1973), despite its low popularity However, it was not all plain sailing. The Government’s decisions on funding the war caused inflation, setting off a mild recession in 1970
Gulf War	The Gulf War only lasted for 7 months. Due to its shortness, it is more difficult to separate the changes caused by the conflicts from those related to other world events. For example oil prices increased, causing a brief recession, which is an unusual event for war times When comparing the Gulf War with the previous wars, the US economy has changed a lot. The economy changed from processing natural resources and manufacturing capital goods to primarily knowledge based work (producing information and services). This may have meant that the stock market reacted differently during this war compared to previous wars.
Afghanistan War	The Afghanistan War lasted for almost 20 years, making it difficult to measure the impact of the war There were two crashes (2008 Global Financial Crisis and 2020 Covid Pandemic) which were both followed by quick recoveries, however these were largely unrelated to the war Industries such as Real Estate, Data Processing and Information Services and Computer Systems design and related services saw huge growth, suggesting that the war did not influence them. Shares in industry-leading defense contractors also profited significantly during the war.

Do any Patterns Emerge from Historical Stock Market Performance During War Times?
In the early days, there is certainly volatility. For example, both the FTSE and the Dow Jones took a dip last week (25/02/22) when Russia invaded Ukraine, however both have recovered since then. Logic dictates that this volatility continues throughout war times, however history has shown that this is not always the case. Yes, during pre-war times and at the beginning of a war (especially if there is no escalation period and the war breaks out suddenly without warning) stocks prices tend to decline due to shock and uncertainty. However, once war begins, history has shown that the stock market goes up, as has been the case with the Dow Jones and the FTSE this week (as of 03/03/22).

Generally speaking, there is no need to panic. Panic selling stocks and investments at the start of a war could prove to be a very bad move, considering that early sharp drops tend to be followed by steady gains. However, it is also important to note that the world is changing and that historical patterns may not play out again in future conflicts. Economics and the way in which the stock market behaves is very complex and depends on a variety of internal and external factors such as earnings, valuation, inflation, interest rates, and overall economic growth. Regardless of world events, investors should maintain proven strategies to protect and grow portfolios. The best way in which you could do this is to speak with an expert, and have your investment portfolio professionally managed.

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If you would like to speak with an expert, Chris Burke is able to review your pensions, investments and other assets, with the potential to make them more effective moving forward. If you would like to find out more or to talk through your situation and receive expert, factual advice, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Chris via the form below:

What is a good investment return?

By Mark Quinn
This article is published on: 11th February 2022

11.02.22

This was a question posed to me by a client recently. I was taken aback by the question as most clients (rightly or wrongly) tend to have fixed expectations about what a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ return is. It was an excellent question and I answered by saying that ‘good’ isn’t absolute; it is relative to the economic and financial environment in which we live.

For example, I remember walking into Cheltenham & Gloucester, Manchester in 1997 and opening a savings account and earning 7.5% per annum! Back then, the Bank of England base rate was 7.25%. If at the same time you were achieving a 7.5% pa return by investing in say, shares or gold, this would not be a ‘good’ rate of return because you would be taking much more risk to achieve the same return as that offered by the bank and only a few basis points above the base rate.

So, with the Bank of England interest rate currently sitting at 0.50% and the ECB base rate at a negative figure of -0.50%, a 4% or 5% pa return looks very attractive today, even though it would not have done in 1997.

Another factor we need to consider when assessing what a ‘good’ return means is the level of risk we take to achieve the return.

In constructing our portfolios at Spectrum, we always consider performance in the context of risk taken to achieve that return. For example, two funds can both achieve a 5% pa return but one fund may have fallen in value by 20% whereas another fund may be down just 5%. Clearly, the latter is a better fund.

We can analyse this in more detail by considering “scatter diagrams” which is an interesting way of looking beyond headline performance figures.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR A LARGER VIEW

This type of chart shows performance on the vertical axis and compares this with volatility on the horizontal axis, which is a measure of risk.

Ideally, we want a fund that is in the top left of the chart i.e. it has very low risk and a very high return. Unfortunately, we know that we cannot have our cake and eat it and in the real world we have to take risk to achieve return, but the important thing that these types of charts highlight is if you are taking risk and not being rewarded for it.

For example in the above chart, fund B (purple square on the far right) is taking a high level of risk relative to the other funds as it is the furthest right on the horizontal axis and it is achieving a high level of performance as it sits high up on the vertical axis. Now, looking at fund A (aqua square second from the right), it has achieved a higher level of performance than fund B but has experienced much less volatility. It is clearly a superior fund, achieving higher performance with less risk.

The other factors we must also take into account when considering what a ‘good’ return means are the cost of running the investment and the impact of taxation.

Ensure you consider all costs when assessing whether you are getting a good return or not. Each fund manager will charge a percentage ongoing fee, but do not forget to factor in transaction costs on buying and selling investments.

Often more damaging is the taxation. Are you paying capital gains tax on each transaction as it occurs? Could you roll this up instead and benefit from compounding? Or are the tax implications impacting the decisions you make as an investor?

For example, a buy-to-let property that offers an attractive gross yield of 6% per annum looks like a good return on the surface, but once ongoing costs and tax are factored in, your net yield could be much lower, at around 2-3%.

Lastly, when comparing investments, you must always do a like-for-like comparison. So when you are benchmarking your investment ensure it is against its peers, for example, there is no point in comparing the gross return of your buy-to-let property against a BP stock you hold.

Download our guide to Investment Risk

Investment performance and reliability

By Jozef Spiteri
This article is published on: 20th January 2022

20.01.22

Investment decisions can be confusing; there are just so many options! The most important thing to check is that the assets selected suit your profile and needs, and that the company handling your money is financially sound with a solid reputation. One range of funds we find works consistently well for our clients here at The Spectrum IFA group is from Prudential International. These funds are called PruFunds.

PruFunds start off by spreading investments across different asset classes. The various funds on offer contain assets such as equities, bonds, property, commodities and cash. This balances the performance of the funds as a whole, avoiding the volatility that comes when money is invested in a single asset class. This is known as diversification. All PruFund funds are managed by Prudential’s specialist and highly successful multi-asset portfolio management team. The size of these funds allows Prudential to invest in a wide range of assets globally and across many economic sectors, further adding to the diversification.

The second notable and valuable feature of PruFunds is its ‘smoothing’ mechanism. The particular attraction of the smoothing process is that investment profits are held back from market highs to protect your investment from suffering the full lows of market crashes. A steady return is something most investors greatly appreciate.

PruFunds are widely recognised for strong long-term investment performance, reliability of returns and insulation from stock market volatility. This protection from volatility, achieved through the risk-managed smoothing mechanism, is a feature of the funds which is particularly appropriate for investors seeking a balance between capital growth and preservation.

This is just a taste of what PruFund has to offer. If you have further questions, or wish to have a closer look at the various fund options available, feel free to contact us. Our initial meetings are free of charge and entirely without obligation.

Find out more about the PruFund here

Investment options

By Jozef Spiteri
This article is published on: 18th January 2022

18.01.22

Trust in the financial sector

Choosing investments can be daunting to someone who does not have a good understanding of financial matters. It is normal to feel intimidated when facing something you don’t understand, and it is a reaction many people have when considering investing their money.

For these people, the ideal investment is often something they can see and touch. Such investments are usually the purchase of property to let, or the establishment of some sort of business selling goods or services. Done correctly such ventures can be very profitable, but these types of investments require a lot of time and money, so they might not be suitable for most people.

An alternative is investing in financial markets, but how can you overcome the mental block when attempting to allocate your money? The best first step is to consult an adviser who will walk you through the key points of such investments, explaining the potential risks and also rewards of different investment options, and who will take the time to come up with the correct solution for you.

However, the most important step to get more comfortable with financial markets is to actually start investing. An analogy I like to use is of a person who has never been swimming, fearing that something terrible would happen if they were to get into the water. Typically, they would start by dipping their toes and legs in, getting a feel for this un-chartered territory. Once they feel comfortable, they will continue to walk further out, until eventually they will be completely at ease in the water. This is the approach new investors should take when looking to enter this “new world”.

If you are feeling confused or overwhelmed with all the different investment options available to you, feel free to reach out to one of our advisers. In the initial meeting we will be able to help you understand better what will suit you best and can answer all the questions you might have. All initial meetings are free of charge and there is no obligation to proceed with an investment.