AIC - Guide to investment companies

Guide to investment companies

Investment companies offer investors a good way of investing in a single vehicle to gain exposure to a diversified portfolio of investments. To appreciate their full benefits you need to understand a little more about them. This guide will help you find out some of the things you need to know.

What are investment companies?

Investment companies are companies which invest in a diversified portfolio of assets. By investing in an investment company you gain access to a wider range of investments that you could normally buy yourself.

Preparing to invest

Before you invest, an important part of the financial planning process is to look carefully at your current financial situation.

How to invest

Investment companies are listed on the stock exchange. Therefore, the buying and selling (trading) of investment company shares is done via the stock exchange.

Choosing a company

There are hundreds of investment companies to choose from, but you can narrow the choices by being clear about why and how you’re investing.

Getting financial advice

When you're choosing an investment company to invest in you should make an informed decision. The right independent financial adviser (IFA) can give you all the information you need.

Factsheets

We publish a range of factsheets which are available to download.

Glossary

The explanations in this glossary specifically relate to information within this site.