Lump sum investments

A lump sum investment can be a great way of keeping your capital safe and earning a regular income or competitive interest at the same time. Many people come into a lump sum that they want to invest at various points in their lives. It could be through an inheritance, a salary bonus, from downsizing property or even a lottery win.

There are a wide variety of ways of investing a lump sum including through unit and investment trusts, investment bonds, pension schemes and via open ended investment companies (OEIC’s). The exact method that suits you will be down to your attitude towards risk, the amount of capital you have to invest, the expected returns you hope to accrue and the length of term you are prepared to invest the funds over.

	Can I access a lump sum from my old pensions? A reader wants to know if he can accessa lump sum from one of his two old pensions that he stopped paying into three years ago.
	Big lump sum to save? A reader from Woking has sold her house and has a large amount to put in the bank.
	NS&I launches lump sum savings plans National Savings & Investments (NS&I) is offering savers the chance to earn interest above the rate of inflation with its savings certificates.
	Ethical investments come of age With trust in the banking sector at an all-time low, more consumers are looking for ethical alternatives. James Howard, from ethical investors Emerald Knight explains.
	Consumer confidence rises as borrowing falls by record sum There was a slight rise in consumer confidence this month, while personal debt levels fell by the largest figure ever seen, new statistics have shown.