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Risk Warnings

Funds and ISAs

Buying, selling and investing in funds is never without risk; whether you buy them within an ISA or on their own.

Introduction

Buying, selling and investing in funds is never without risk; whether you buy them within an ISA or on their own. The shares selected by the fund may not perform well and could even collapse. In addition, the market as a whole can go down as well as up. Both of these factors could result in losses in your investment.

To help protect yourself against serious financial losses, make sure you do your homework and research your investments thoroughly. Do not invest more than you can afford to lose and do not 'put all your eggs in one basket'. In other words, consider investing in a number of options in order to spread your risk.

What it means for you

Under Financial Services Authority (FSA) rules you are classed as a retail customer and, because of that, you get greater protection than other 'more qualified' clients. 

Before deciding whether to invest, you need to be aware of the following:

General risk warning

  • Past performance of an investment is no guide to its performance in the future.
  • Investments, or income from them, can go down as well as up.
  • Risk can be brought about by the performance of world markets, interest rates, taxes on income and capital, and foreign exchange rates.
  • You may not necessarily get back any of the amount you invested.
  • Funds that invest in smaller company shares take on the risk that those shares can be relatively illiquid; meaning they could be harder to trade, which means the funds themselves carry a higher risk.
  • Content and information about potential investments are designed for general use and so cannot be considered personal to your circumstances or your financial position.
  • This site does not offer advice.
  • If you are unsure about any investment or financial decision, you should seek expert independent advice.
  • This site and its services are only directed at persons in the United Kingdom.

Full Risk Warning

Version: 17 December 2003
  1. The content relating to the past performance of an investment is not necessarily a guide to its performance in the future. The value of investments or income from them may go down as well as up. As stocks and shares are valued from second to second, their bid and offer value fluctuates sometimes widely. The degree of fluctuation of fund values varies significantly and the value of higher volatility funds may change suddenly. The value of investments may rise or fall due to the volatility of world markets, interest rates and capital values or, for investments held in overseas markets, changes in the rate of exchange in the currency in which the investments are denominated. You may not necessarily get back the amount you invested.

  2. Levels and bases of, and reliefs from, taxation are subject to change as UK legislation and regulations and the UK tax regime are amended from time to time. Any content on this site referring to such legislation, regulations or tax regime should not be relied upon.

  3. All content provided through this site is only for your personal information and use, and is not intended to address your particular requirements or to be relied upon in making (or refraining from making) any specific investment or other decision. Such content shall not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us.

  4. Where you are unsure about any specific investment or other decision, you should obtain appropriate expert independent advice.

  5. Unless otherwise stated, this site is directed only at, and the services provided through this site are only available to, persons in the United Kingdom. Persons outside the United Kingdom should not use or rely upon any content or services provided through this site.

  6. Nothing included in this site constitutes an offer or solicitation to sell investments to anyone in any jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom in which such offer, solicitation or distribution would be unlawful.

  7. For further information on the rights and obligations of both you and us in relation to the use of this site please refer to the General Site Conditions which you agreed to when you accessed and used this site.

  8. Interactive Investor does not currently offer a CAT standard ISA.