Harness stock market potential in a flexible savings plan

The F&C Private Investor Plan is one of our most flexible investment solutions for long-term savers. If you are looking to pay off a mortgage, save for retirement or just to build up your investment portfolio, the Private Investor Plan (PIP) can help you harness the long-term potential of the stock market to help you achieve your investment goals.

Potential Benefits

Through an F&C Private Investor Plan, you can hold investment trusts which aim to achieve capital growth, income or a combination of both. Your contributions can start from as little as £50 a month or a lump sum of £500 and you can top up at any time.

• Meeting investment goals — The level of flexibility this plan offers can help you meet a range of investment needs. It might be that you are looking to build a rainy day fund or grow a lump sum for your retirement.
• Access to our range of 11 investment trusts — our investment trusts invest in a range of asset types including; equities, bonds, property and private equity, both in the UK and globally. These investment trusts all benefit from the skills and expertise of our team of fund managers.
• Growth and Income solutions — our range contains investment trusts aiming to deliver capital growth, income or a combination of both.
• No maximum limits — there is no annual limit so you can invest as much as you like into a PIP. You can also make regular savings contributions from as little as £50 a month.
• Flexible savings options — you can invest in lump sums payments or monthly via direct debit from as little as £50 per month. You can also top up your investment at any time.

• Tailor to your circumstances — the longer you invest for the more likely that your personal circumstances will change. You may become more or less risk averse for example. And it might be with time that you decide you want a portfolio more focused on income than growth (or growth than income) than the one you originally established. Whatever your needs you can switch investment trusts quickly and easily to suit your current circumstances.

Risks to take into consideration

• Price volatility — the value of shares and the income from them is not guaranteed and can fall as well as rise due to stock market movements. When you sell your shares, you might get back less than you originally invested.
• Exchange rate risk — changes in the rates of exchange between currencies may have an adverse effect on the value, price or income of investments.
• Gearing — investment trusts can borrow money (gearing), which can then be used to make further investments. They can also invest in instruments such as warrants or derivatives, where a small movement in the value or price of the underlying right or asset results in a larger movement in the value or price of the instrument. In a rising market, this ‘gearing’ can enhance returns to shareholders. Correspondingly, if the market falls, losses may be greater.
• Insufficient income — where the income earned by an investment trust is insufficient to cover its charges and expenses, the balance may be charged to capital, which will to that extent, constrain capital growth.
• Investment needs — if you start an investment in order to fund a specific need, for example to pay school fees, if you then do not maintain your contributions or your investment does not grow sufficiently, you may not achieve your target. If you have any doubts about the suitability of this investment, please consult your financial adviser.

Getting started

Investing in the Private Investor Plan is quick and straightforward. You can apply online if in sole name (no joint holders) in minutes or simply complete an application form.

• Choose your investment trusts

Decide which of our investment trusts you’d like into invest.