Ownership of shares entitles you to a stake in the future growth of a company, and in many cases, the company's current earnings.

However, deciding which shares to buy can be a complex and time-consuming process.  So we normally recommend investing in collective funds that have a dedicated fund manager, who decides on a daily basis which shares to own on your behalf.

There are several advantages to investing in shares.  They can provide you with growth of capital and also provide an increasing level of income over a long period.  Unlike cash, your money has the opportunity to pay you an income, and grow in value at the same time, keeping the spending power of your money in line with inflation.

However, with potential reward comes risk.  The value of shares, and any income derived from them, can fall as well as rise, and you might not get back the amount invested.  We take pains to avoid recommending overvalued or fashionable areas of the market, to keep the risk of loss within acceptable limits.

We think shares should make up a significant part of most investor's long term portfolio, if capital growth is required.