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Investment Summary

Here is a summary of the different types of investments. There are nine different categories:

Investing in shares and other equity investments
Investing in property
Index-linked investments (linked to a prices index)
Investments you can get out immediately or within a few days
Investments for which you have to wait a week to a month
Investments for which you have to wait from a month to a year
Investments with money back in 1 to 7 years
Longer term investments suitable for 8 years or more
Getting a monthly income

Sometimes a long term investment can make short term profits but it can also mean short term losses. All are listed alphabetically. The best are marked with a * or *. Some are poor value.

Money back at once or in a few days No penalty

Bank and Building Society Cash Card Account
Bank and Building Society Cheque Account With Interest
Bank and Building Society Children's Account *
Bank and Building Society Instant Access Account
Bank and Building Society On-line Banking
Bank and Building Society On-line Deposit Account *
Bank and Building Society Postal or Phone Account
Bank and Building Society Telephone Banking
Bank and Offshore Bank Foreign Currency Account
Bank and Offshore Bank Foreign Currency Debit Card
Offshore Bank Instant Access Account
National Savings Easy Access Account
Offshore Single Foreign Currency Fund
Offshore Sterling Currency Fund
Unit Trust or OEIC Cash Trust

Money back at once or in a few days

Small penalty

Bank and Building Society 30 Day Notice Account
Bank and Building Society 50 or 60 Day Notice Account
Bank and Building Society 90 Day Notice Account
National Savings Ordinary Account

Money back in a week to a month

No penalty

Bank or Building Society Monthly Income Account
Bank or Building Society 30 Day Notice Account
National Savings Easy Access Account
National Savings Investment Account
National Savings Premium Bond
Offshore Bank Notice Account

Money back in more than a month but less than a year

Bank or Building Society Term Account
Bank or Building Society 50 or 60 Day Notice Account
Bank or Building Society 90 Day Notice Account
National Savings Income Bond
Offshore Bank Notice Account
Stock Government Fixed Interest
Stock Government Index Linked
Stock Private Index Linked
Stock US Government Inflation-Indexed
Stock France Inflation-Indexed OATi

Investments probably suitable for 1 to 7 years

ü Period allowed under terms of investment.
  1 yr 2 yrs 3 yrs 4 yrs 5 yrs 6 yrs 7 yrs
Bank or Building Society Cash ISA ü ü ü ü ü ü ü
Bank or Building Society Escalator Bond       ü ü    
Bank or Building Society Term Account ü ü ü ü ü    
Bank or Building Society Perpetual Subordinated Bonds ü ü ü ü ü ü ü
Bank or Building Society Stock Market Bond         ü    
Investment Trust ISA ü ü ü ü ü ü ü
Investment Trust Zero Dividend Shares ü ü ü ü ü ü ü
Life Insurance Fixed Growth or Income Bond ü ü ü ü ü ü ü
Local Authority Fixed Term Loan ü ü ü ü ü ü ü
National Savings Fixed Interest Certificates   ü     ü    
National Savings Fixed Rate Savings Bond ü   ü   ü    
National Savings Income Bond ü            
National Savings Index Linked Certificates     ü   ü    
National Savings Pensioners Bond ü ü ü ü ü    
Offshore Bank Term Account ü ü ü ü ü    
Offshore Stock and Bond Fund ü ü ü ü ü ü ü
Shares SAYE Share Option     ü   ü   ü
Stock Government Fixed Interest ü ü ü ü ü ü ü
Stock Corporate Bonds   ü ü ü ü ü ü
Stock Eurobonds   ü ü ü ü ü ü
Stock ISA
Stock Self Select ISA 		ü ü ü ü ü ü ü
Stock £ Fixed Interest Unit Trust ü ü ü ü ü ü ü
Stock Eurobond Fund ü ü ü ü ü ü ü

Investments probably suitable for 8 years or longer

Friendly Society Building Society Linked
Gold Coins
Investment Trust ISA
Investment Trust Shares
Investment Trust Savings Plan
Investment Trust Split Level Trust
Life Insurance Equity Bond
Life Insurance International Bond
Life Insurance Mixed Bond
Life Insurance Property Bond
Life Insurance With Profits Bond
Life Insurance With Profits Endowment Policy
Life Insurance Traded Endowment Policy
Life Insurance With Profits Flexible Policy
Offshore Investment Fund
Offshore Managed Currency Fund
Pension Buy Out Bond
Pension Director's Pension
Pension Personal Pension
Pension Stakeholder Pension
Property Commercial Direct Investment
Property Residential Direct Investment
Shares Enterprise Investment Fund
Shares Ordinary Quoted
Stock Convertible Loan
Stock Government Index Linked
Stock Private Index Linked
Stock (Unit Trust Invested in Foreign Currency Stocks and Bonds)
Unit Trust or OEIC Ethical Trust
Unit Trust or OEIC Index Tracker
Unit Trust or OEIC ISA
Unit Trust or OEIC Savings Plan

Getting a monthly income

Not all the companies under each heading pay income monthly.
Bank or Building Society Monthly Income Account
Life Insurance Annuity
Life Insurance Equity Bond
Life Insurance Fixed-Interest, Gilt, Money or Convertible Bond
Life Insurance Mixed Bond
Life Insurance Property Bond
Life Insurance With Profits Bond
National Savings Income Bond
National Savings Pensioners Income Bond
Offshore Bank Notice Account
Unit Trust or OEIC Invested in Shares

Investing in shares

Bank or Building Society Stock Market Guaranteed Bond
Investment Trust ISA
Investment Trust Savings Plan
Investment Trust Shares
Investment Trust Split Level Trust
Investment Trust Warrants
Life Insurance Equity Bond
Life Insurance Stock Market Guaranteed Bond
Life Insurance Variable Capital Growth or Income Bond
Life Insurance International Bond
Life Insurance Unit Linked Savings Plan
Offshore Exchange Traded Funds (iShares)
Offshore Investment Fund
Pension Director's Pension
Pension Free Standing Top Up Plan
Pension In-House Top Up Plan
Pension Personal Pension
Shares AIM and Unquoted
Shares Contracts for Differences
Shares Enterprise Investment Fund
Shares Equity Option
Shares Exchange Traded Fund (iShares)
Shares Ordinary Quoted
Shares Self-Select Stocks & Shares ISA
Shares Spread Betting
Shares Traded Options
Shares Unquoted
Shares Venture Capital Trust
Stock Convertible Loan
Unit Trust or OEIC Index Tracker
Unit Trust or OEIC Ethical Trust
Unit Trust or OEIC Invested in Shares
Unit Trust or OEIC Stocks & Shares ISA
Unit Trust or OEIC Savings Plan

Investing in property

Life Insurance Property Bond
Property Commercial Direct Investment
Property Ground Rents
Property Residential Direct Investment

Index-linked investments

National Savings Index Linked Certificates
Stock Government Index Linked
Stock Private Index Linked
Stock French Government Inflation-Indexed
Stock US Government Inflation-Indexed
Last updated 7 June 2008 Previous chapter Next chapter
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