Investing for the long-term
After scoring some great deals and saving money during Black Friday, you might be wondering what to do with those extra savings. While it’s tempting to let them sit in a savings account, investing that money can offer more benefits in the long run.
Savings and investing
While saving is essential for short-term needs and emergencies, investing is crucial for long-term financial growth and security. For most people it’s about finding the right balance between the two, based on your financial goals.
Think of it as three boxes, each of which contains a ‘pot’.
The first is for day-to-day spending, paying household bills and credit card debts.
The second is all about planned and unplanned spending as well as saving up for a bigger expense, such as a new car or big holiday.
When it comes to the third pot - long-term goals and building wealth for the future – you should think about investing.
Which box do your financial goals fall into?
Day-to-day spending
Planned and unplanned spending
Investing for the future
Why Investing is better than just saving
Investing gives you the potential for higher returns, savings accounts follow the Bank of England base rate which affect the interest rates bank offer, which means your money grows slowly.
Whereas, investing gives you access to things like stocks, shares and bonds, which can provide higher returns, helping your money grow faster.
You also need to be mindful of inflation. Inflation is the rise in prices over time, which reduces the purchasing power of your money. Savings accounts often don’t keep up with inflation, meaning your money loses value. Investing in assets that grow in value can help you stay ahead of inflation.
A great thing with investing is compounding growth. Investing gives you the potential for more growth as assets and markets move. You will also benefit from compounding, where your earnings generate their own earnings, leading to faster growth over time.
Your savings are typically kept in one place, like a bank account. Investing allows you to spread your money across different assets (stocks, shares, and bonds), potentially reducing risk and increasing returns.
Will I lose money from my investments?
With so much ongoing uncertainty in the world, it’s understandable that you’d want to know if you might end up worse off.
The short answer is that there is always a potential risk with investing.
Your money in investments fluctuates as it’s linked to the markets, so sometimes you will be up and sometimes down. Investing should always be viewed as for the long-term (five years or more). This allows potential short-term ups and downs to be smoothed out over time.
The exception here is if your personal circumstances have changed. Taking money out of investments earlier than planned should only ever be a last resort, as you could end up with less than you put in.
The key is keeping a long-term perspective. Look ahead, exercise patience and focus on the bigger picture.
As with all investments, your capital is at risk, and you may get back less than you invest. Investments should be held for the medium to long term (5+ years).
Taking the plunge
There’s more than one way to invest.
You might want to just give it a go yourself, pick a fund, and look to invest a lump sum, perhaps from savings you’ve built up or an inheritance. Alternatively, you might set money aside on a regular basis for example, each month by Direct Debit. If you’re newer to investing this can be a good way to get into the habit, helping you to grow in knowledge and confidence as an investor over time. You may want to use a combination of both.
If you still don’t think investing is for you, there are financial advice options available to you. If you have a larger pot of money to invest, you could see a financial adviser who will look to understand your needs and help you on your financial journey. There is also the digital adviser who will ask a series of interactive questions to help you on your financial journey.
Both advice options come with fees.
Learn more about investing
Why invest with Santander?
Source: Santander UK plc as at October 2024
The Investment Hub and the Stocks and Shares ISA are provided by Santander ISA Managers Limited. Registered in Scotland No. SC151605 at 287 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5NB, United Kingdom. Telephone 0800 328 1328. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Services Register number 171448.