Investments: where do I start?

I would like to start investing but I’m unsure of the right investment vehicle. I’ve heard of different types of funds and unit trusts but I’m not sure which would be the right one for me. What are the factors I should

Pierre Puren at PSG Wealth, Jeffrey’s Bay, responds: It's

advisable to start with an end goal in mind. What are you saving for, and how much will you need to meet your goal(s)? Once determined, the next step will be to choose the correct asset class or mix to execute your goal.

Asset classes, in their simplest form, can be broken up into fixedinterest instruments, equities and property.

Fixed interest investments (think money market funds) are generally best suited to meet short-term needs as they offer certainty and very low volatility. Equities and property are best suited to address longer-term needs as they deliver inflation beating returns.

This does, however, come with much less certainty and greater volatility over the short term, so be sure to stay the course to reap the rewards.

Once the asset class or classes have been determined, you need to consider an appropriate investment vehicle. The investment vehicle will determine factors such as access to your capital and how your investment will be taxed. Investment vehicles such as retirement annuities, endowments, tax-free savings accounts and fixed-term guaranteed products offer limited access to capital, whereas a voluntary investment such as a unit trust fund offers full access at any given time.

It's advisable to employ the services of a Certified Financial Planner [subs: caps pls] that will be able to assist in determining your goals, recommend the appropriate asset class and investment vehicle to ultimately execute on your specific goals.