I was recently approached by one of my long-standing clients about an investment that they had done with another adviser a while back, and they were not terribly satisfied with what the other adviser had done as the returns from the investment were poor.

Now we can all say in hindsight that we wouldn’t have picked this fund or that fund, and it is far too easy that we would have done something different, but what my main objections were about this, was that ALL of the client’s money – and it was £50,000 – was in one single fund and that is something that I would never do. I am a great believer of not putting all your eggs into the one basket, never have been, and what I would have done is to put this money into 10 funds, as I usually do a minimum of £5,000 per fund.

The other thing to bear in mind with some advisers is that the client as I said was only ever invested in one fund but it had been there since the investment began some 7 years ago, and to me that is totally wrong. The only thing that is guaranteed in life is that EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE, and the research that was done some 7 years ago to justify putting a clients’ money into ONE fund, would not have stood the test of time, and something should have happened to change this – but some people invariably don’t want the hassle of changing funds when they don’t make much if anything from that.

The way that MAP does investments, is to use a platform with a wide range of funds, where switching funds is very easy and inexpensive, but it allows our IFA’s to keep on top of a clients money at all times, so that we work hard to maximise returns. Why else do you invest money after all, but to make a good profit and, as we charge for ongoing advice, the bottom line is that if we can increase a persons’ investments then we in turn benefit form that as well, so it’s a no-brainer.

If you are going to invest any money at all – ISA’s – pensions or investments, please look for an adviser that gives you an ongoing service. MAP does.

The material is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Links to external sites are for information only and do not constitute endorsement. Always obtain independent professional advice for your own particular situation. Money Advice & Planning Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. For any enquiries, contact Andrew on 07957 836211 or enquiries@mapfinances.co.uk