Structured investment products come with a number of advantages, which might suit your individual investment needs if:
- You don't foresee needing access to your money for the term of the investment (often 5-6 years)
- You want to gain access to commodity prices, hedge funds and other investments which are not always available with traditional products
- You want to diversify your investment portfolio
- You want some or all of your capital to be protected
But, structured investment products might not be right for you if:
- You're looking for guaranteed returns on your investment
- You want to make regular additions to your investment
- You do not want your returns linked to index performance
- You think you might need instant access to your cash during the term
If structured investment products sound like something you want to add to your portfolio, check out our investment comparison table to find the best products for you and apply online.
The safety of your original capital depends on the ability of the counterparty (the institution providing the underlying assets, rather than the product provider) to repay your investment at the end of the term. You can assess the strength of a counterparty, and therefore the relative risk to your investment, by comparing their credit rating score, from AAA to D, using a credit rating agency such as Standard & Poor's (www.standardandpoors.com) or Fitch (www.fitchratings.com).