Your SSAS can invest in Company ‘Share’. These shares are very often publicly traded on stock exchanges but they could also be shares in private limited companies. Very often these companies can provide excellent growth but it does come with the risk that if the company ceases trading or is unsuccessful in business your shares could lose value or become worthless.
The stock market and shares are the traditional way for pension funds to be invested. These investments could be individual shares as part of a ‘Fund’ managed by a professional fund manager. Typically Funds are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority of equivalent.
Funds are managed by a fund manger who typically take an initial charge on your investment and charges a management fee for deciding which shares to buy or sell and when.
You may also appoint a Financial Adviser to help manage these investments. The objectives that are set for the Adviser and agreement to the charges they make for their service is decided by the Member Trustees
With a SSAS pension you can take control of your funds and manage the funds and shares via an ‘online platform’ for simplicity and efficiency. You may make these investment using a Financial Adviser or by yourself.
There are many online tools available for you to choose which funds to invest in depending upon your skills, investment risk profile, your age and your fund size.
The Personal Investment Management & Financial Advice Association (PIMFA) is the trade association for firms that provide investment management. The site contains a wealth of information for those wishing to understand the business of investments and investment advice
The PIMFA 'Private Investor Index' Series is the industry standard asset allocations for certain investor risk profiles. This series is used by Wealth Managers, Financial Advisers, Regulators and Ombudsman to assess what investment types could make up the portfolios of certain clients. This is not a replacement to Financial Advice but for those wishing to understand what the professional use its a good starting place
