Our Investment Service

Like everything else, we tailor a solution to your personal circumstances.  We take account of your need for income or growth, the likely time your money will be invested, your attitude to risk and your tax position before carefully selecting the right type of investment(s) and the most appropriate tax wrapper(s). 

It doesn’t really matter what the type of product selected is, once chosen, where possible, we seek to tailor a portfolio of investments to suit you.  Our process is outlined below.  Once established, we proactively monitor your investments to ensure that the overall quality is maintained and that the portfolio is adjusted in line with changing circumstance.

Portfolio Management

Once the facts have been established, decisions can be made as to how the portfolio is split across the major asset classes, (equities, fixed interest stock, commercial property, commodities and cash).

Portfolios are built from the bottom up and the foundation is cash, as whilst nothing is entirely risk free, it does offer a great deal of security.  There is no set formula for determining this but at the least, clients need to give consideration as to what they will need in cash to cover any contingencies that might arise in the short term, (simply defined as anything that they think might arise within 5 years).  Once the cash element has been determined the balance of funds available are probably best invested in asset backed investment.  In this medium, values can fall as well as rise on a day to day basis, but it is likely to produce the best returns over the longer term.  By this we mean that you should only be prepared to invest, if you are comfortable that you will not require access to your capital in the short term as defined above, although technically, usually you will be able to get at it, if required. 

Historically, this form of investment has proved to be the best way of combating inflation and producing real growth in both capital values and income.

Once the split between cash and asset backed investment has been established, we need to select top quality funds and ideally we want a platform that allows us to switch them with impunity and with the minimum of fuss in the future.  In today’s market, there are a number of platforms that provide just this.  These platforms also provide a wide range of product wrappers.

Risk management

We seek to use the best quality funds as determined by our own research and that of independent research sources, (see below).

The key to managing risk is good diversification and we seek to spread your investments across the principal asset classes mentioned above after due consideration of your risk profile and our view of the world at any particular time.  We seek to create portfolios that are made up of a wide range of quality funds from across the available spectrum of fund management groups.  Most fund groups and often the fund managers themselves have their own take on how best to manage your money and we ensure that there is no reliance on one particular stance.  We also think that it is important to provide a good geographical spread as reliance entirely on the UK market presents dangers.

Fund selection

When selecting funds, we take account of available research from independent sources such as M & E’s own research team, Morningstar, Citywire, OBSR and S & P and seek to invest in funds with the best chance of achieving the stated goals.  (Please remember that past performance may not necessarily be repeated in the future).

Ongoing management

Once the portfolio has been established, it needs to be monitored and adjustments made as circumstances dictate.  Accordingly, we provide valuations on a 6 monthly basis with comment and suggested changes as required.  Client meetings are arranged as necessary as and when you want them.