Your Guide to Simple Investing

In simple terms, this is what you need to do.

Decide your goal, open an account like a Stocks & Shares ISA, choose your investments (shares, ETFs, bonds, or REITs), and start investing regularly for the long term.

There is no minimum. Many start with £25–£100 per month.
A general rule:

• Invest whatever amount you can comfortably leave invested for 3 to 5+ years.

• Only invest money you don’t need for short-term emergencies.

A Stocks & Shares ISA is a tax-efficient investment account that allows you to invest and everything you earn inside it, including capital gains, dividends, and interest, is tax-free.

You can invest up to £20,000 per tax year (current allowance).

The right choice depends on your goals, risk level, and time frame, so the decision has to be down to you.
However, most people choose from a few common options:

• Individual company shares – Higher potential returns but higher risk.

• Diversified ETFs or index funds – Low cost, spread risk across many companies, good for long-term investing.

• Bonds – Lower risk and provide steady interest, but slower growth.

• REITs – Property-based investments that often pay regular dividends.

There is always some risk with investing, your investments can go down as well as up.

However, if you stick with safer, more diversified investments that have been proven over time, the risk of losing money drops significantly.

Compound interest is when your money earns interest and then that interest also starts earning interest.

Over time, this creates a snowball effect where your money grows faster and faster.

Example:
If you invest £1,000 and it grows by 5% each year, you earn interest on both your original £1,000 and the growth from previous years.

The longer you let it grow, the more powerful the compounding becomes.

There isn’t a single “best” app, it depends on your goals, experience, and what you want to invest in.

Check our our own personal recommendations here.