AAA Display options

The new force combining Age Concern Wales logo & Help the Aged in Wales logo

Investment advice

older lady smiling on telephone

If you have more money coming in than going out or a lump sum, you may be thinking about how to make the most of it.

It is important to understand the difference between savings and investments. Savers usually want a safe place for their money where they can get at it easily. Investors tend to want their money to grow by at least the rate of inflation and accept that it may be ‘tied up’ for some time.

Investment principles

There are two basic principles when you invest your money:

  • The greater the risk, the greater the potential for reward or loss.
  • The greater the ease of access, normally the lower the reward.

Before you invest, think about whether you could get back less than you originally invested because of changes in the financial market.

Also be aware that if you give your money to someone else to manage and invest, there is a danger you could lose it because of mismanagement or fraud. It is vital to look carefully at the strength and reputation of any financial company you are considering investing with.

Never risk any sum of money you cannot afford to lose.

Seeking financial advice

If you have money to save or invest we recommend that you seek professional advice from an independent financial adviser. Only ‘authorised’ financial advisers can advise on certain types of investment, including pensions, life assurance, shares, unit trusts and ‘lifetime mortgage’ equity release schemes.

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) authorises such firms of advisers. To check if a firm is authorised, call the FSA Consumer Helpline on 0845 606 1234 or visit opens link in new window the FSA website and follow the Firm Check Service link.

opens link in new window UKIG20 - Money matters - August 2010 (PDF 2.61MB)

Your Age Cymru

Set your location to see what Age Cymru offers in your local area.

Age UK Advice:
0800 169 6565

Useful website

  • The Financial Services Authority is the independent watchdog set up by the Government to regulate financial services and protect your rights. They have booklets, factsheets and a consumer helpline giving advice on saving, investing or generally looking after your money.

 

Useful information to download

 

Help with downloads

Downloads

What is a download?

A download is a document (like a research report, a leaflet, or an application form) that can be transferred from our website to your computer. You can download a file, view it on your screen, print it, or save it to your computer.

What is a PDF?

PDF stands for ‘portable document format’.

Most downloads on this website are PDFs. We use this format to ensure that the document looks the same on everyone’s computer (website pages, by contrast, appear differently depending on how people have got their computer set up).

How do I download a PDF?

Computers use a program called Adobe Acrobat Reader to download PDFs. If you try clicking on a link to download a PDF and it doesn’t work, you will need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader onto your computer.

How do I install Adobe Acrobat Reader?

The process is quite straightforward and is free.

  1. Go to opens link in new window http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/
  2. Click ‘Download’.
  3. Wait for the window to offer you the option to ‘Run’, then choose this option.
  4. Click ‘Next’.
  5. Click ‘Install’
  6. Wait for the window to offer you the option to ‘Finish’, then choose this option.

How do I change a download?

PDFs cannot be changed. If you need to be able to type into a downloaded document (for example, if we are offering a letter template that you need to put your name on) we will provide it as a Microsoft Word document rather than a PDF. You can then download it, type into it and save it to your computer.

How do I print or save a download?

Downloads will open on your computer in a new browser window.

Inside this window (below all your web browser menus), there will be a toolbar with options for you to print or save the document.

Close the browser window to return to the Age UK website.

Can my screen reader read PDF downloads?

We have made every effort to make our PDFs accessible to screen readers. Here is an overview of your accessibility options available in Acrobat Reader. Please ensure that you have downloaded the latest version of Acrobat Reader from the Adobe Reader website to ensure that they are included in your version of the programme.

You can use Adobe Reader to read a PDF out loud with the following shortcut keys:

  • Read the document: Shift +Ctrl+Y
  • Read the open page only: Shift +Ctrl+V
  • Read to the end of the document: Shift+Ctrl+B
  • Pause: Shift+Ctrl+C
  • Stop Shift+Ctrl+E


You can also convert a PDF into a web page by following these steps:

  • Copy the URL (web address) of the document (right-click on the link and select ‘Save target as’ or ‘Copy link’).
  • Open the Adobe online conversion tool in your browser and paste the URL into the URL box.
  • Tick the HTML box on the Format option and click ‘Convert’.


You can convert a PDF document into a text file for use with other software and hardware such as Braille printers by opening the PDF and choosing ‘Save as text’ from the File menu.

calculator

Making your money work for your future - £8.99

This book covers how to plan your future income with easy-to-follow advice. Visit our 'Books' section for details of how to order, and for other Age UK publications.

Close window
Display options

Set the appearance of this website so you can read it more easily

Text size

Background/foreground


To see information relating to England, Northern Ireland or Scotland set your preference below: