5 Investments For Your Portfolio

The following 5 investments are ones which I’ve personally made over the last decade and have performed proportionally to their risk profile. This is not financial advice.

1. NS&I Premium Bonds — 100% backed by the HM Treasury (in the UK) you are allowed to invest a maximum of £50,000 from a minimum of £25. Each £1 invested also acts as a ticket in a monthly lottery where prizes range from £25 to £1 million (all tax free). All of the cash you invested can be withdrawn at any time, however it will not earn any interest and your only chance of increasing your principle investment is by winning prizes. Winnings can be redeemed or re-invested if you are still below the £50,000 limit.
2. Stocks & Shares ISA — allows you to build a portfolio of stocks and funds (from any jurisdiction) and keeps the principle and any capital gains or interest earned tax free for when you withdraw the funds. You can add up to £20,000 a year in cash and buy what you please (e.g. Apple shares or tracker funds such as the MSCI world index or government bonds). It’s worth noting that the value of your investments can go up or down however and there will be transaction & account maintenance fees to be pay.
3. Buy to Let property — purchasing any property and letting it out is a great way to invest. You can earn rental income from the property by letting it out to tenants and capital appreciation should your property increase in value over time. It’s worth noting that there are lots of tax considerations (capital gains, second home, income etc.) so you should seek professional advice before making any commitments.
4. Crypto Currency — a new asset in relative terms and one of the riskiest assets around. You can purchase tokens (such at Bitcoin) which are held in your physical or virtual wallet. The price of the token is driven by supply and demand on exchanges. It is largely unregulated but the tokens with the largest market caps are becoming more mainstream. As an asset with a much higher risk profile, your investments can go up and down significantly; as it is a new asset class, it can be very volitile. Please note, tax considerations on any capital gains with crypto currencies will apply depending on your jurisdiction.
5. Gold — The USD used to be pegged to gold, before it become a belief system. Gold was a medium of exchange for centuries and capital does tend to return to gold as a ‘safe haven’ when capital markets are uncertain or inflation is high. Physical Gold coins, such as the Gold Sovereign are legal tender and therefore free from capital gains tax and a good way to invest in gold. Alternatively you could invest via a fund into your stocks and shares portfolio if you don’t want to hold physical gold.

Disclaimer: This is not financial advice.