AIC gets behind launch of government-backed retail investment campaign
New AIC guide on how to make your first investment in the stock market.
The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has backed the nationwide campaign to encourage more people to invest.
To coincide with the launch of the Take the Next Step Invest campaign today, the AIC has released a new guide on how to make a first investment in the stock market, taking investors through opening an account with an investment platform, funding the account, and making their first investment. This complements the AIC’s existing educational material for those new to investing and its guide to investment trusts.
If people want to take their first steps into investing, investment trusts are a great place to start. They are professionally managed with diversified portfolios, and are easy to buy through platforms and trading apps.
Richard Stone, Chief Executive of the Association of Investment Companies (AIC)
Richard Stone, Chief Executive of the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), said: “This government-supported campaign is an excellent idea which could transform people’s financial lives. We’re proud that Alliance Witan and Janus Henderson Investment Trusts are among the campaign’s sponsors.
“We realise that investing can be daunting. With thousands of funds to choose from, not to mention individual shares and other assets, choice paralysis is a real problem.
“If people want to take their first steps into investing, investment trusts are a great place to start. They are professionally managed with diversified portfolios, and are easy to buy through platforms and trading apps. The average investment trust has delivered a return of £2,448 for every £1,000 invested over the past ten years, compared to £1,092 for the average cash account1. The AIC website has some simple guides and videos to help first-time investors get started.”
Notes to editors
- Source: theaic.co.uk / Morningstar (ten years to 31/03/26). Share price total return on £1,000 of average investment trust excluding 3i and VCTs. Returns of average cash account represented by Morningstar UK Savings 25000+ Invt index.
