S+S ISA - Want to invest but COMPLETELY baffled

InvestInPoker

Hi,

I would very much like to invest in a Stocks and shares ISA for this tax year, however I am utterly bamboozled by everything (and I mean COMPLETELY lol). I just have no idea.

What I do understand is levels of risk and how to manage money generally, so don't worry about that but I don't know even how to start here. I have two S+S ISA's from many years ago with Fidelity (these were through a financial advisor, yes I know please don't lecture me on that I would like to do it myself this time and with a different company). These have done well enough to keep me happy but I would like to invest with a different company and in different things this year.

I cannot find a good site giving some comparisons or any information I can comprehend really, has anyone got any advice at all? I am very put off by a lot of the Jargon sorry.

Are this lot any good? *NOT ALLOWED TO POST LINKS - ITS HARGREAVES AND LANSDOWN* This is all I can come up with at the moment

Thanks for reading and apologies for being such a noob.

dunstonh

these were through a financial advisor, yes I know please don't lecture me on that I would like to do it myself this time and with a different company

No-one is going to lecture you about using an adviser. It is common sense if you dont know what you are doing.

These have done well enough to keep me happy but I would like to invest with a different company and in different things this year.

The idea of a fund supermarket is that you use the same company but use different fund houses.

Are this lot any good? *NOT ALLOWED TO POST LINKS - ITS HARGREAVES AND LANSDOWN* This is all I can come up with at the moment

Yes but their charges model needs to change before the end of the year.

Archi_Bald

You need to select the funds / shares you want to invest in first - - i.e. create your portfolio.

When you know what you want, you can then decide who you would like to manage your investment - i.e. select a platform.

Monevator is a great site to help you with both. However, there are many other sites, like motleyfools, and books such as Tim Hale's "Smarter Investing".

Personally, I found the monevator site excellent, so here are some links for you:

http://monevator.com/category/investing/passive-investing-investing/

http://monevator.com/compare-uk-cheapest-online-brokers/

Archi_Bald

dunstonh wrote: »

No-one is going to lecture you about using an adviser. It is common sense if you dont know what you are doing.

Using an adviser if you don't know what you are doing is one alternative. Educating yourself further is another.

I would suggest that educating yourself must be priority 1 for any would-be investor - - - only once you have a really good understanding of what you want to achieve can you actually tell a good adviser from a bad (note, I am making no judgement on the IFAs who regularly post on MSE).

psychic_teabag

http://www.candidmoney.com/ might have some useful introductory stuff. Run by an ex-IFA IIRC.