Increasing ISA Allowances

Judith asks:

How do I go about taking up my increase ISA allowance? I’m 52 and we try to put as much in as possible. Is it actually worth it whilst the rates are this low? Is it time to invest in something more tangible like gold?

As I always say, investment decisions depend entirely on an individual’s circumstances and attitude to risk, so you really ought to sit down with a qualified IFA to discuss your particular investment decisions. What I will say more generally, though, is that balance in an investment portfolio is crucial unless you are a major gambler.

The stock market looks pretty heated up at the moment and I think it may be ripe for a bit of a fall soon, although lots of commentators are still talking very bullishly about the market and financial services stocks in particular. If you are into mineral investments, you may have noticed a lot of noise in the papers recently about diamonds – one of the hardest fallers in recent months (because it is not regarded as a traditional safety investment like gold for example), but an investment which some at least say is ripe for increases as the new world economies like India and China start to take an interest.

Good luck with it!