PAT Testing (portable appliance testing) can be an important area when it comes to health and safety in the workplace. PAT Testing consists of a series of tests designed to make sure portable appliances are fit for purpose and can be used safely. The Electricity at Work Regulations of 1989 states that all appliances must be maintained so they are safe to use. This means that business owners are responsible for making sure that appliances are safe to use. They are liable should problems arise from the use of appliances that are faulty.
Below are some areas of employment where PAT Testing can be useful (or are required), both for the safety of the employees and customers.
IT Companies
This is one of the most obvious areas where PAT testing can help to keep employees safe. Unsurprisingly IT companies usually have many computers and it is important all of these are maintained. Although it is rare that a PC or laptop causes any major harm, the more you have the more the risks increases.
Hospitals
Hospitals contain much electronic equipment. From heart monitors to drip’s and computers in the reception area, appliances can be found all over the place for a variety of reasons. Electrical appliances can help save lives but everything possible must be done to make sure they are kept safe so they can serve their purpose without problems.
Restaurants & Cafe’s
Ovens, microwaves and many other appliances are used in restaurant and cafe kitchens. Kitchens are often extremely busy but it is always important that safety comes first. Because everyone is in a rush and because there is water potentially involved the likelihood of appliances going wrong is relatively high. It is therefore important that every possible precaution is taken.
Manufacturing Industries
More and more computers and other electronic equipment are being used in factories. Therefore electronic safety is more of an issue than ever. It is important that things are always working from businesses point of view as they often play such a pivotal role in production. But it is also important from employee perspective to make sure they are always operating in a safe way. Accidents can easily happen in many manufacturing industries so it is important all is done to avoid them where possible. Of course not all machinery in factories are portable appliances, but many industries will use them.
Retail Outlets
Most retailers will use computers in their offices. These aren’t the only things that should be PAT tested though. If tills on the shop floor develop faults that are not spotted then the safety of both the staff and employees can be at risk. Most shops now use portable, hand-held computers to record the levels of stock they have. They are used both in the stockroom and on the shop floor, again meaning customers as well as employees can be at risk should faults arise.
Cleaning
Much cleaning equipment consists of portable appliances, with vacuum cleaners being the best example. PAT testing can be even more necessary with industrial cleaning equipment as faults are more common. Safety is paramount for cleaners, but also for any other employees or customers who are around when premises are being cleaned.
Andrew Marshall (c)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Why you need a solicitor for a divorce
Some would question whether a solicitor is necessary when going through a divorce. It is not a legal requirement but it is advisable. How important using a solicitor is will depend partly on the nature of the divorce proceedings. For example, it is more important in a contested divorce than an uncontested one.
One reason why you might deem it necessary to hire a divorce solicitor is that you ex-spouse might have done. This may give them an advantage over you. Ideally couples separate amicably, and some do, however many are unable to. A divorce is often fraught with high strung emotions and it is not always easy for the two sides to put aside their differences. Therefore you don’t want you ex-spouse to have an advantage. Many divorces end up going to court, and if you find yourself in this situation then a solicitor is definitely advisable.
When going thorough divorce proceedings much depends on the personal situations of the former couple. If they owned a home together then this complicates things. It will have to be decided who should get the home and whether or not this person should compensate the other party. It may be deemed the home should be sold, and if so it will need to be established how the profits from the sale are distributed; should it be split down the middle or should one party be given more than the other. If one half of the former couple worked and other did not then the one who did may have to pay a significant amount of their income to their ex-spouse, or pay them a one-off payment. How finances should be split in general must also be established, as must anything else owned between the two. A solicitor can help to get the best possible outcome in all areas.
If there are children involved things can be much more complex. This can be the major concern. Having a good solicitor can therefore become even more important. The most complex, and heartbreaking, situation is if the former couple are fighting over custody of their children. Sometimes children will live with their divorced parents half of the time each, but in most cases one or the other will be given primary custody. When this is the case it will need to be established how often the other parents will see the children, and a legal agreement will need to be established. It is likely that parties would like to see their children as much as possible and a solicitor can put across the best case possible. Child support can be another issue; with the parent not living with the children full-time possible required to pay maintenance to help the other parent bring them up.
How facts are put across can be very important. You want to be understood as you intent. Solicitors know how to help you with this and can advise you on how to express yourself. The way things are phrased can make a big difference. Saying the wrong things can mean the other side and the judge misinterprets you. In some ways like this, a solicitor is also an advisor. The opposing solicitor might try to put pressure on you to answer a question in a way you don’t intend and incriminate you. If this is the case your solicitor will protect you and object to this.
Possibly the main reason why you should use a solicitor is that they have the knowledge that you don’t. They know your rights in certain situations and can make sure you get what you deserve after the divorce. They know the law and how to use it to protect and help their clients. It is important to use a family law solicitor as they know this particular field and have the specific experience necessary to help. There is no point using a criminal solicitor or banking lawyer for a divorce.
Andrew Marshall (c)
SKS Law - Divorce Solicitors London
Steel & Shamash Family Law London
One reason why you might deem it necessary to hire a divorce solicitor is that you ex-spouse might have done. This may give them an advantage over you. Ideally couples separate amicably, and some do, however many are unable to. A divorce is often fraught with high strung emotions and it is not always easy for the two sides to put aside their differences. Therefore you don’t want you ex-spouse to have an advantage. Many divorces end up going to court, and if you find yourself in this situation then a solicitor is definitely advisable.
When going thorough divorce proceedings much depends on the personal situations of the former couple. If they owned a home together then this complicates things. It will have to be decided who should get the home and whether or not this person should compensate the other party. It may be deemed the home should be sold, and if so it will need to be established how the profits from the sale are distributed; should it be split down the middle or should one party be given more than the other. If one half of the former couple worked and other did not then the one who did may have to pay a significant amount of their income to their ex-spouse, or pay them a one-off payment. How finances should be split in general must also be established, as must anything else owned between the two. A solicitor can help to get the best possible outcome in all areas.
If there are children involved things can be much more complex. This can be the major concern. Having a good solicitor can therefore become even more important. The most complex, and heartbreaking, situation is if the former couple are fighting over custody of their children. Sometimes children will live with their divorced parents half of the time each, but in most cases one or the other will be given primary custody. When this is the case it will need to be established how often the other parents will see the children, and a legal agreement will need to be established. It is likely that parties would like to see their children as much as possible and a solicitor can put across the best case possible. Child support can be another issue; with the parent not living with the children full-time possible required to pay maintenance to help the other parent bring them up.
How facts are put across can be very important. You want to be understood as you intent. Solicitors know how to help you with this and can advise you on how to express yourself. The way things are phrased can make a big difference. Saying the wrong things can mean the other side and the judge misinterprets you. In some ways like this, a solicitor is also an advisor. The opposing solicitor might try to put pressure on you to answer a question in a way you don’t intend and incriminate you. If this is the case your solicitor will protect you and object to this.
Possibly the main reason why you should use a solicitor is that they have the knowledge that you don’t. They know your rights in certain situations and can make sure you get what you deserve after the divorce. They know the law and how to use it to protect and help their clients. It is important to use a family law solicitor as they know this particular field and have the specific experience necessary to help. There is no point using a criminal solicitor or banking lawyer for a divorce.
Andrew Marshall (c)
SKS Law - Divorce Solicitors London
Steel & Shamash Family Law London
Friday, March 19, 2010
Custody of Children after a Divorce
Over the course of history women have been given custody of children after a divorce more often than men. This used to be seen almost as an automatic right. This has changed slightly in recent times though, with Fathers given significantly more rights when it comes to looking after children post-divorce. This applies to both custody and visitation rights if their ex-wife has been given custody. A Father’s role in the development of children is taken much more seriously than in previous times. Family Law states that Fathers have equal rights to Mothers and each decision should be made on its specific merits.
Statistics show that women get custody more than men though. What is the reason for this? It could be that there is still some bias towards women by judges, who assume that Mothers make better parents. On the other hand it could just be that Mothers tend to more often be in the position where the children living with them would be more appropriate.
After a divorce there are many factors that are taken into consideration when deciding which parent should get custody of the children. Each parent’s employment status can be a very important factor. If one parent works full-time and the other doesn’t work at all, it may be deemed best that the children live with the parent who does not work. This is because (s)he has more time to be able to devote towards the children. This may be one reason why women gain custody more often than men; it is more common for women to be stay-at-home parents than men, although this is not as common as it once was. A decision is most likely to be based on this reason if the situation was the same when the couple were married, and this parent has spent more time with their children as a consequence. The decision can in some cases be made the other way round, with the parent who does work being deemed to be in a more financially stable situation. This is not always the case because this parent will usually be required to make maintenance payments to help the other parent bring up their children.
The situation each parent finds themselves in and the stability of this situation is also important. This can depends on employment as well as other factors, such as lifestyle. If one parent has medical or psychological problems, then they may not be deemed the best parent to bring up the children. If one parent has re-married it could work either way. It may be seen as a negative to have someone else playing a part in their upbringing so soon after their parents have separated, but it could also be decided that this is a better family environment to bring children up in. A criticism of the system is that too much of the decision comes down to the opinions of a particular judge, and no matter how much Family Law stipulates what should happen, everyone has certain biases.
Andrew Marshall (c)
Statistics show that women get custody more than men though. What is the reason for this? It could be that there is still some bias towards women by judges, who assume that Mothers make better parents. On the other hand it could just be that Mothers tend to more often be in the position where the children living with them would be more appropriate.
After a divorce there are many factors that are taken into consideration when deciding which parent should get custody of the children. Each parent’s employment status can be a very important factor. If one parent works full-time and the other doesn’t work at all, it may be deemed best that the children live with the parent who does not work. This is because (s)he has more time to be able to devote towards the children. This may be one reason why women gain custody more often than men; it is more common for women to be stay-at-home parents than men, although this is not as common as it once was. A decision is most likely to be based on this reason if the situation was the same when the couple were married, and this parent has spent more time with their children as a consequence. The decision can in some cases be made the other way round, with the parent who does work being deemed to be in a more financially stable situation. This is not always the case because this parent will usually be required to make maintenance payments to help the other parent bring up their children.
The situation each parent finds themselves in and the stability of this situation is also important. This can depends on employment as well as other factors, such as lifestyle. If one parent has medical or psychological problems, then they may not be deemed the best parent to bring up the children. If one parent has re-married it could work either way. It may be seen as a negative to have someone else playing a part in their upbringing so soon after their parents have separated, but it could also be decided that this is a better family environment to bring children up in. A criticism of the system is that too much of the decision comes down to the opinions of a particular judge, and no matter how much Family Law stipulates what should happen, everyone has certain biases.
Andrew Marshall (c)
Who can benefit from Colocation?
Colocation is a type of dedicated web hosting. Dedicated Hosting means a website is hosted on its own server, and not shared with any other sites. With colocation clients have their own dedicated server which they control, but hire rackspace at a data centre. They use the data centre’s infrastructure and pay a free for it.
Here we take a look at who can benefit from using Colocation hosting.
WEBSITES THAT HAVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC
Share hosting is not sufficient for sites that have a high amount of traffic. It is therefore necessary for these sites to be hosted on a dedicated server. This is simply because if a website is sharing everything, including bandwidth, with other sites there is unlikely to be sufficient bandwidth available to host a site that receives an extreme amount of traffic.
THOSE WITHOUT THE FACILITIES TO HOST THEIR OWN SERVER
Many website owners would like to have their own server but simply don’t have, and are unable to have, the necessary facilities. This could be due to infrastructure or the lack of enough physical space. Colocation for these people, is the perfect solution. They have their own server as they wish but are able to use a data centre’s facilities, so overcome the problem of not having this infrastructure themselves.
THOSE WHO WANT CONTROL BUT DON’T HAVE THE BUDET TO HOST THEIR OWN SERVER
Colocation is cheaper than some other forms of dedicated hosting as the clients are performing the hosting and maintenance tasks themselves. Hosting your own server is an expensive business though. There needs to be investment in the facilities for them only to be used by themselves. If the server is hosted at a data centre, then many of the facilities can be shared with their other clients and this reduces the costs.
ANYONE WHO NEEDS THEIR HOSTING TO CONSTANTLY RUN SMOOTHLY
A dedicated server is a lot less likely to encounter problems than a shared server, as websites are not affected by other sites. So if a website owner can simply not afford to have problems then colocation is one of the options available to them.
BUSINESSES THAT ARE EXPECTED TO GROW
It is not advisable just to think about the present; you also need to think about the future. If a small business, or start-up business, is expecting to grow in the future it is best to take this into consideration when choosing their hosting. Hosting requirements may be minimal to begin with – the website might be small with little traffic – but if there is a dramatic rise in the business’s success then they could encounter problems if they have only chosen basic hosting. With Colocation clients sometimes only have to pay for the bandwidth, electricity, and other factor, they are using. With other types of dedicated hosting they need to choose a particular package and therefore if they are using less than predicted they will still be paying for it. The advantage of colocation for growing businesses is that they will only have to pay a small amount when they are using a limited amount of these variables, but can then use more if they unexpectedly need to.
Andrew Marshall (c)
Interoute is a provider of Colocation services.
Here we take a look at who can benefit from using Colocation hosting.
WEBSITES THAT HAVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC
Share hosting is not sufficient for sites that have a high amount of traffic. It is therefore necessary for these sites to be hosted on a dedicated server. This is simply because if a website is sharing everything, including bandwidth, with other sites there is unlikely to be sufficient bandwidth available to host a site that receives an extreme amount of traffic.
THOSE WITHOUT THE FACILITIES TO HOST THEIR OWN SERVER
Many website owners would like to have their own server but simply don’t have, and are unable to have, the necessary facilities. This could be due to infrastructure or the lack of enough physical space. Colocation for these people, is the perfect solution. They have their own server as they wish but are able to use a data centre’s facilities, so overcome the problem of not having this infrastructure themselves.
THOSE WHO WANT CONTROL BUT DON’T HAVE THE BUDET TO HOST THEIR OWN SERVER
Colocation is cheaper than some other forms of dedicated hosting as the clients are performing the hosting and maintenance tasks themselves. Hosting your own server is an expensive business though. There needs to be investment in the facilities for them only to be used by themselves. If the server is hosted at a data centre, then many of the facilities can be shared with their other clients and this reduces the costs.
ANYONE WHO NEEDS THEIR HOSTING TO CONSTANTLY RUN SMOOTHLY
A dedicated server is a lot less likely to encounter problems than a shared server, as websites are not affected by other sites. So if a website owner can simply not afford to have problems then colocation is one of the options available to them.
BUSINESSES THAT ARE EXPECTED TO GROW
It is not advisable just to think about the present; you also need to think about the future. If a small business, or start-up business, is expecting to grow in the future it is best to take this into consideration when choosing their hosting. Hosting requirements may be minimal to begin with – the website might be small with little traffic – but if there is a dramatic rise in the business’s success then they could encounter problems if they have only chosen basic hosting. With Colocation clients sometimes only have to pay for the bandwidth, electricity, and other factor, they are using. With other types of dedicated hosting they need to choose a particular package and therefore if they are using less than predicted they will still be paying for it. The advantage of colocation for growing businesses is that they will only have to pay a small amount when they are using a limited amount of these variables, but can then use more if they unexpectedly need to.
Andrew Marshall (c)
Interoute is a provider of Colocation services.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
History of VoIP
VoIP has been around for about fifteen years, but most of its rise in popularity has come in the past five years. The first company to provide a product using VoIP technology is thought to be the Israeli company, Vocaltec, when they first bought out their service in 1995. It ran on a PC and was used by listening through the PC’s speakers and taking through a microphone. All early VoIP worked this way, and some still does. The Vocaltec service was referred to as an ‘internet phone’. The quality was poor by telephone standards. It was mostly used for personal use and not really suitable for business.
VoIP technology grew over the next two or three years. People began to see the potential for this cheap alternative and experimented with different ways of using, and improving, this technology. Larger telecommunications companies started to think about developing VoIP services, and how it could also be used for business rather than just a cheap, poor quality service.
With early VoIP it was only possible to make calls from PC to PC. As the technology improved it became possible to make calls from a PC to telephones. This allowed users to call anyone, but they would have to use their PC to make these calls. It is now possible to use an internet connection but talk through a telephone or telephone like device, using VoIP adapters and VoIP phones. VoIP adapters allow users to use their existing telephone to talk over IP, and VoIP phones are devices that use the internet connection but look and feel just like a telephone. These have developed as providers have looked to improve not just VoIP’s quality but also the user experience, meaning it is more likely to be taken up by a mass market.
VoIP’s quality is something that has improved significantly. The growing popularity of broadband has been crucial to this. A high percentage of internet users now use broadband, which is important as the internet connection is the most important factor in the quality of VoIP. This has meant that more people have access to quality VoIP. The growing competition within the VoIP industry has meant they are all trying to improve quicker than their competitors. This has lead to a better all round service for customers. There are now many Business VoIP providers who provide a quality service, while still cheaper than the equivalent telephone providers.
Skype is probably the best known cheap VoIP provider. Calls with Skype are free PC to PC, and calls from a PC to a telephone are very cheap. It is mostly useful for personal use calling friends and family, but not suitable for business. There are sign though, that they are looking to move into this area.
Andrew Marshall (c)
VoIP technology grew over the next two or three years. People began to see the potential for this cheap alternative and experimented with different ways of using, and improving, this technology. Larger telecommunications companies started to think about developing VoIP services, and how it could also be used for business rather than just a cheap, poor quality service.
With early VoIP it was only possible to make calls from PC to PC. As the technology improved it became possible to make calls from a PC to telephones. This allowed users to call anyone, but they would have to use their PC to make these calls. It is now possible to use an internet connection but talk through a telephone or telephone like device, using VoIP adapters and VoIP phones. VoIP adapters allow users to use their existing telephone to talk over IP, and VoIP phones are devices that use the internet connection but look and feel just like a telephone. These have developed as providers have looked to improve not just VoIP’s quality but also the user experience, meaning it is more likely to be taken up by a mass market.
VoIP’s quality is something that has improved significantly. The growing popularity of broadband has been crucial to this. A high percentage of internet users now use broadband, which is important as the internet connection is the most important factor in the quality of VoIP. This has meant that more people have access to quality VoIP. The growing competition within the VoIP industry has meant they are all trying to improve quicker than their competitors. This has lead to a better all round service for customers. There are now many Business VoIP providers who provide a quality service, while still cheaper than the equivalent telephone providers.
Skype is probably the best known cheap VoIP provider. Calls with Skype are free PC to PC, and calls from a PC to a telephone are very cheap. It is mostly useful for personal use calling friends and family, but not suitable for business. There are sign though, that they are looking to move into this area.
Andrew Marshall (c)
Monday, March 15, 2010
An overview of the Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the UK horse racing calendar. It is the climax of the National Hunt season and takes place at Prestbury Park in the middle of every March.
These days the Cheltenham Festival compromised of 26 races over a four day period, running between Tuesday and Friday. Each day consists of either six or seven races, and one championship race. The first race of every day begins around 1.30 and culminates with the final race between 4.30 and 5.30 depending on the schedule and the number of races. Across the four days over 200,000 spectators visit the venue. It is mostly British and Irish Jockeys who take part but the number from elsewhere have increased in recent years. As with any horse racing event gambling plays a huge part, with around £600 million put on races in 2009.
One of the things the Festival is famous for is its strong Irish feel, both on the race course and in the stands. Many of the trainers, horses and jockeys over the years have been Irish, and thousands come across from Ireland to watch every year. Part of the festivities as far as the Irish contingent is concerned is that is coincides with their national day, St. Patrick’s Day.
The history of the Cheltenham Festival now dates back 108 years, with the first festival having taken place in 1902. Until 2005 it had been a three day event. Racing at Prestbury Park dates back even further though – all the way back to 1815. The most successful jockey in the festivals history is Pat Taafe who totalled 25 wins throughout his career. He is in danger of being caught though, with current rider Ruby Walsh only one behind Taafe’s record.
The highlight of the week is the Gold Cup. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is up there with the Grand National and the Melbourne Cup as being synonymous with horse racing. It is contested over three miles and two and a half furlongs and there are twenty two fences to be negotiated. Prize money for this race alone is almost half a million pounds – the first Gold Cup in 1924 had a prize pot of just £624, although this would have been a lot of money at the time. Four horses have won three or more Gold Cup’s; Golden Miller, who won five consecutive, Cottage Rake, Arkle, and Best Mate, who achieved a hat-trick between 2002 and 2004.
The Gold Cup takes place on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival and is one of the four Championship races. The others are the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the World Hurdle, and take place on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday respectively.
Andrew Marshall (c)
For Solicitors Cheltenham visit the Charles Russell website.
For more on the Cheltenham Festival visit http://www.cheltenhamfestival.net/
These days the Cheltenham Festival compromised of 26 races over a four day period, running between Tuesday and Friday. Each day consists of either six or seven races, and one championship race. The first race of every day begins around 1.30 and culminates with the final race between 4.30 and 5.30 depending on the schedule and the number of races. Across the four days over 200,000 spectators visit the venue. It is mostly British and Irish Jockeys who take part but the number from elsewhere have increased in recent years. As with any horse racing event gambling plays a huge part, with around £600 million put on races in 2009.
One of the things the Festival is famous for is its strong Irish feel, both on the race course and in the stands. Many of the trainers, horses and jockeys over the years have been Irish, and thousands come across from Ireland to watch every year. Part of the festivities as far as the Irish contingent is concerned is that is coincides with their national day, St. Patrick’s Day.
The history of the Cheltenham Festival now dates back 108 years, with the first festival having taken place in 1902. Until 2005 it had been a three day event. Racing at Prestbury Park dates back even further though – all the way back to 1815. The most successful jockey in the festivals history is Pat Taafe who totalled 25 wins throughout his career. He is in danger of being caught though, with current rider Ruby Walsh only one behind Taafe’s record.
The highlight of the week is the Gold Cup. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is up there with the Grand National and the Melbourne Cup as being synonymous with horse racing. It is contested over three miles and two and a half furlongs and there are twenty two fences to be negotiated. Prize money for this race alone is almost half a million pounds – the first Gold Cup in 1924 had a prize pot of just £624, although this would have been a lot of money at the time. Four horses have won three or more Gold Cup’s; Golden Miller, who won five consecutive, Cottage Rake, Arkle, and Best Mate, who achieved a hat-trick between 2002 and 2004.
The Gold Cup takes place on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival and is one of the four Championship races. The others are the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the World Hurdle, and take place on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday respectively.
Andrew Marshall (c)
For Solicitors Cheltenham visit the Charles Russell website.
For more on the Cheltenham Festival visit http://www.cheltenhamfestival.net/
Friday, March 12, 2010
What are Investment Trusts?
Investment Trusts are a type of investment scheme, which are managed by an investment company. It allows investment to invest in shares within companies chosen by the trust board and fund managers. Investors purchase shares within the investment trust, which are in turn invested on their behalf.
An investment trust is set up with a fixed amount that makes up the trust total. This is the total amount that will be invested between all those wishing to take part. This full amount is then split into shares, which investors can then purchase. Once all these shares have been sold the total fund amount is invested in other companies’. Investors can by any number of shares they like, from one to several.
A board with a fund manager run the scheme on behalf of the investors. They will decide which stocks and shares the fund is invested in. This is out of the hands of the investors themselves; they are affectively intrusting the board and fund manager to choose the best investment products possible. These will usually be spread over a number of products, so everything is not put towards one thing. This reduces the risk as not everything will be lost due to one poor decision or one unexpected fall in shares.
There are a number of advantages to investment trusts compared to people investing alone. It is a collective investment between many people, meaning more can be invested in total. The increased total amount reduces the risk as opposed to one individual investing the same amount all by themselves. And the more that is invested, the more the potential returns are. In comparison with other investment opportunities it is a relatively cheap way for people to invest in the stock market. It is managed by experts, who are experienced at what they do and know how different markets work. Of course nothing is full proof but this is one of the reasons many people, especially those without the same level of expertise, choose to invest in this way. It is advantageous for those who lack the confidence to make investment decisions themselves.
Investment trusts may not be ideal for those who like to make their own investment decisions. As it is managed by the board and fund managers, the investments chosen are out of the hands of those who are actually investing the money. As mentioned above, there can be benefits to this, but others prefer to have more of a say.
Andrew Marshall (c)
An investment trust is set up with a fixed amount that makes up the trust total. This is the total amount that will be invested between all those wishing to take part. This full amount is then split into shares, which investors can then purchase. Once all these shares have been sold the total fund amount is invested in other companies’. Investors can by any number of shares they like, from one to several.
A board with a fund manager run the scheme on behalf of the investors. They will decide which stocks and shares the fund is invested in. This is out of the hands of the investors themselves; they are affectively intrusting the board and fund manager to choose the best investment products possible. These will usually be spread over a number of products, so everything is not put towards one thing. This reduces the risk as not everything will be lost due to one poor decision or one unexpected fall in shares.
There are a number of advantages to investment trusts compared to people investing alone. It is a collective investment between many people, meaning more can be invested in total. The increased total amount reduces the risk as opposed to one individual investing the same amount all by themselves. And the more that is invested, the more the potential returns are. In comparison with other investment opportunities it is a relatively cheap way for people to invest in the stock market. It is managed by experts, who are experienced at what they do and know how different markets work. Of course nothing is full proof but this is one of the reasons many people, especially those without the same level of expertise, choose to invest in this way. It is advantageous for those who lack the confidence to make investment decisions themselves.
Investment trusts may not be ideal for those who like to make their own investment decisions. As it is managed by the board and fund managers, the investments chosen are out of the hands of those who are actually investing the money. As mentioned above, there can be benefits to this, but others prefer to have more of a say.
Andrew Marshall (c)
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