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Understanding investments

Investment guides

Understanding investments | Guides

Whether you’re an experienced investor or just finding out what investing is, we’ve got a range of articles to help you understand more about investing. 

The value of investments can fall as well as rise, and you may not get back the full amount you invest. Eligibility criteria, fees and charges apply.

What type of customer are you?

To help find you the most relevant and supportive content, we’ve separated out our guides in to 3 categories – simply click on the link which is most relevant to you and you'll see guides to help you thrive in your investment journey.

I'm a beginner

If you’re looking to build wealth over time, then investing your money could be a good way to start. We have the tools and information to help you take those first steps. 

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I’m experienced

Wondering what your next move could be?  Whatever your concern we could help you make confident decisions that you’re comfortable with.

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I’m future planning

Investment planning means taking care of your future self. Whether it’s 10, 20 or 30 years down the line, start looking ahead and planning for the life you want.

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Investing for beginners

Things to know if you're new to investing

We dive into the essentials that every beginner should know to start building a strong financial future. 

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Should I save or invest? 

Save or invest? While we should all save some of our money in cash for our short-term goals, investing could serve you better for the longer term. 

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Put your money to work with an ISA

This article delves into the different types of ISAs we have on offer.

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When is a good time to invest? 

Any investment should be looked at as a medium to longer-term goal (five years or more). The sooner you start investing, the sooner your money could be working for you.

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Other related articles

What is inflation?

How inflation affects you?

We all know that prices rise over time – inflation is the economic term used to describe that. And the rate of inflation that you often see reported in the news shows how quickly they’re going up.

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Inflation calculator

See how rising prices could be holding your cash back and what you could do about it.

Experienced investors

Meet the team that manages your money

NatWest Invest is managed by an experienced investment team at Coutts who carefully analyse market movements and position your money accordingly.

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What causes stock market fluctuations

Stock market fluctuation can be affected by factors like supply and demand, uncertainty or consumer confidence.

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Five habits of experienced investors

From being patient, to thinking long term, to taking a diversified approach, we look at habits that experienced investors adopt to help make decisions.  

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Lessons from history: how markets have recovered from previous crises

If recent history has taught us anything it's that equity markets have recovered from previous world events. This chart (click to expand) shows the returns on equities (shares), cash and bonds over a 20-year period. 

Past performance isn’t a reliable indicator of future performance. The value of investments, and the income from them, can go down as well as up, and you may not receive the amount of your original investment.

Explore more from the experts

Market volatility update

Investment outlook

Published: February 2025

Gain insights from NatWest experts on the events shaping investment market volatility.

3 min read

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Monthly market update

Quarterly market update

Published: January 2025

Read the latest update on the market and other investment news and activity.

3 min read

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Investment Outlook 2025

Saving vs Investing

Published: December 2024

Read about global markets and trends in the latest edition of our investment outlook.

5 min read

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Future planning

Pensions for the self-employed

We know retirement planning probably isn’t the most exciting task to think about, but we want to help you understand the benefits it could have on your future. 

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Is a pension an investment?

A personal pension is, quite simply, one of the most tax-efficient ways to put money away for your future. 

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Combine your pensions 

You could bring your pensions together pretty easily, making them more straightforward to manage while potentially saving you money.

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Five ways to get retirement ready

Whether retirement seems a long way off or just around the corner, it makes sense to spend some time thinking about what kind of future you want.

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Get started with NatWest Invest

You’ll need to be a NatWest customer with Online Banking, aged 18 – 84 and a UK residence for tax purposes. 

Click “Continue” to log into the invest portal.