Investec Click & Invest, the online investment service, today announces it has reduced its minimum investment amount to £2,500. The change, which is effective immediately, advances Click & Invest's mission to broaden its service to more investors. 

Click & Invest believes everyone should have the opportunity to benefit from harder working money and aims to empower more people to take control of their financial futures and think about their long-term investment goals. Though the minimum investment amount has reduced, Click & Invest's high quality online investment service remains the same; clients will continue to benefit from a team of investment experts managing their money, backed by Investec Wealth & Investment’s 180 years of investment experience. 

Jane Warren, Investec Click & Invest CEO, said: “We are passionate about empowering people to understand the opportunities and benefits of investing in the stock market. We also want more people to access active investment expertise, whether that’s through opening up a Stocks and Shares ISA or from a General Investment Account. We know that when it comes to investing, the hardest part is often getting started and the prospect of conducting your own research can be daunting and time consuming. Our service solves that problem by combining premium investment expertise with the convenience of an online service.

“The online investment industry is still relatively young, and at Click & Invest we are continually monitoring for and developing ways of enabling people to discover the benefits of investing. We are pleased to announce a new minimum investment threshold. Not only will it enable more investors to benefit from our commitment to delivering a high-quality active investment service, it also furthers our mission to make investing as straightforward and transparent as possible.” 

In light of the recent defeat of Theresa May’s Brexit deal, Alex Neilson, Investment Manager at Investec Click & Invest, comments on the impact of a no deal: “Our expectation is that the impact of a no deal on a well-diversified portfolio made up of assets from every corner of the global economy would be minimal. The subsequent fall in sterling and the translation that it would have for overseas company earnings would also likely offset UK consumer demand falls within FTSE 100 companies – meaning their prices would likely end somewhat flat. Where UK companies will suffer is if they derive a large proportion of sales from UK domestic sources. With hard Brexit likely to impact consumer confidence and demand, these smaller UK focussed companies could be in for a rough time.

“Yet, as important as strategic diversification is in helping to navigate unpredictable markets, the best antidote to volatility is time. As an investment manager I try to look beyond these short-term fluctuations to see where the true value lies over the long term, it’s worth noting that whatever the outcome of Brexit, companies will overcome the challenge and there will continue to be investment opportunities in the UK.”

As part of Click & Invest’s mission to empower more people to invest, CEO Jane Warren gives her five top tips for first-time investors to start investing in 2019:

1. Know what you’re investing for, set goals

You may have a sense of you want to invest for. This could be a deposit on a house, retirement savings or simply to make your existing savings work harder by utilising your annual ISA allowance. Before you can answer some of the following questions, it’s good to have an idea of exactly what this goal is for you.

2. How long do you want to invest for?

This is about distinguishing between your short and long term goals. If you’re looking to build your pot of money to afford something within the next three years, then your money may be better off in a savings account. We recommend investing for those longer-term goals, which usually means your money is set aside to grow for more than three years. If you can afford to leave it aside for longer, your money could also benefit from the positive impacts of compounding and long-term growth, while helping to protect you from the short term effects of volatility.

3. How much can you afford to invest?

It’s always wise to have some rainy day savings kept aside for any unexpected large payments, such as broken boilers or a car breakdown. Choosing to invest any spare or non-emergency cash over the long term, could offer you higher returns than saving your money in a bank account, and help protect your money from the erosive effect of inflation due to low interest rates.

4. Be realistic about what you are comfortable with

The very definition of risk invariably differs from person to person, and our attitude to financial risk is no different. Understanding the amount of risk you are willing to take with your money is an important step to consider before investing, and if you decide not to do it alone, a service like Click & Invest will build an investment strategy around you, your financial goals and the amount of risk you are comfortable taking.  

5. What service are you after?

If you are happy to invest in the stock market yourself, and take control over buying and selling your own investments, there are what are known as “DIY” services available, which will allow you do this. However, if you would prefer a service where a team of investment experts manage investments on your behalf, or you think you might need some advice on the pot of money you are looking to invest, there are several platforms offering this service. Investing with a service that you can trust is the best start for any first-time investor. That way, you can feel comfortable your money is being invested in the right way by investment experts.

Opinions given within this press release are my own personal views. My views and opinions are effective from the date of publication but may be subject to change without notice.

Alex Neilson, investment manager at Click & Invest gives his outlook for 2019, and why he believes now is the right time for investors to make the leap:

“What makes 2019 unique is the number of factors that are currently causing market volatility. Be it Brexit here in the UK, budget concerns in the EU, rate rises in the US or the ongoing trade renegotiations in emerging markets, there are many political and economic factors that are weighing on market sentiment. In such a climate, the stock market can be an intimidating place, especially for first time investors. However, there is plenty for investors to be excited about in 2019. 

“Our expectation is that 2019 should see positive moves in the US/China negotiations which should set emerging markets up for a decent rally, given that they had a torrid 2018. The Chinese based Hang-Seng index is currently trading close to historic lows on a profit and earnings basis and as such we are bullish on the outlook. Much of this rests on the timeline of the US/China deal, and all eyes are currently on that as we start the year off.

“Long-term investors should be wary of making decisions based on the daily dramas of the news cycle. Recent headlines may suggest an uncertain fate for emerging markets, but we see fundamental value there, which is why we have significantly increased our emerging market exposure towards the end of 2018, with a particular focus on Asia. Some of the funds we’ve picked to gain exposure to emerging markets include the Schroder Asian Alpha Plus fund, which gives us access to a broad stock profile of the best ideas in Asia, and the Hermes Emerging Global Markets, a fund where growth at a reasonable price ensures we don’t get caught out by overly expensive stocks in periods of emerging markets strength.”

Opinions given within this press release are my own personal views. My views and opinions are effective from the date of publication but may be subject to change without notice.