What is the best and safest way to invest, say £18,000?

Question

Serious answers please. In my back pocket or wallet will not do :)

Answer 1

Think about what it is that you want. What are your goals for this money?

Do you know anything about investing, mutual funds or the stock market?

Diversify. Do not put all your eggs in one basket. Split your money between the following types of investment:
Low Risk - High Interest Bank A/c (4% - 6% p.a.)
Medium Risk - Mutual Fund / Index Fund (8% - 12%)
High Risk - Individual Stocks / Strategies (20%+)

Investing tends to only get exciting when you make money quickly or you see the end result of a good investment over a fairly long period of time 15 - 20 years or longer.

The more risk we are prepared to take, the more we can expect to make. That is why the stock market will generally return more than a savings account.

To be successful you will need patience, discipline, and wisdom. But most importantly you need a plan and you need to define your goals.

It may prove expensive to acquire that much needed wisdom on your own. Learn by other peoples mistakes. Learn from other peoples successes. Read some books. Visit your local book store and find a book that you like and feel comfortable with.

Some of the titles I have on my bookshelf include:
One Up on Wall Street by Peter Lynch
How to make money in Stocks by William J. O’Neil (Founder of Investor’s Business Daily)
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J Stanley and William D Danco

Check out web sites like fool.com and yahoo finance.
Investigate trading strategies with a proven track record over 3, 5, 10, and 15 years.

Pick something that you understand, find easy to use and will help you realise your goals. Pick a strategy where you can take responsibility for your investments and be in full control of your capital.

Systems like the Stocks Monthly system are definitely worth investigating once you are up to speed with the nuts and bolts of investing.

Answer 2

Best yes, safest ? No.
Stay with companies that give regular dividend and those that have been in business long term. Banks, insurance companies, J&J, P&G, IBM are some to name a few.

Otherwise, your best option is under the mattress. It is not so good, is it?

Safest? There are no safe investments. Put it this way: A ship is safe if it does not leave it's port. It has to leave the harbor to go places but, there is risk involved. Get my point?

Answer 3

If it were my money, I would split it into four parts.
1. Buy a high rated corporate bond at 5000 pound yielding at least 6%
2. Put another 5000 into steady stocks that pay good dividends like BP or a utility that you are familiar with.
3. Put another 5000 into growth stocks like CRH or EBAY. I think SBUX is also excellent but it is a little risky.
4. Invest the remainder in a sector mutual fund that you like. (Such as Tech or Pharma or Finance or Local Issues).