Getting started with investing

So you’ve decided to take charge of your own money. But before you invest a penny, you need to think about how you are going to put together your investment portfolio.

Taking on debt can give companies several advantages. But too much debt can be disastrous. So what is the tipping point, and what should investors watch out for? Tim Bennett explains.

The more shares you have in your portfolio, the less damage any single disastrous investment will do to your wealth. But how many is too many? Matthew Partridge explains.

The way to make money from investing is to buy when markets are cheap and sell when they’re expensive. Here, John Stepek explains one simple way to tell when that is.

Unlike most actively managed funds, investment trusts often beat the wider market. Here, Phil Okaley explains what they are, and how you can find the right investment trust for you.

Where can you go for higher rates of income on your savings? Phil Oakley looks at two possible alternatives – ‘prefs’ and ‘pibs’ – and outlines their advantages and pitfalls.

Demand for corporate bonds has soared among private investors lately. But what are they, how do they work, and what should you look out for? Phil Oakley explains.

The most important measure of how a company is doing is not necessarily profit. What ultimately matters, says Phil Oakley, is cash. Here, he explains why.

For some asset-rich companies, it’s not necessarily their earnings that makes them attractive investments, says Tim Bennett. Here, he explains the best way to work out how much you should pay for them.