Professional advice can help avoid the traps of investment on behalf of children. It's time to review your investments and set your financial goals January marks the halfway point of the financial year and, with the threat of the millennium bug firmly behind us, is the perfect time to review your investments and get your personal finances in order. Last year proved to be an eventful year for the economy and financial markets. Listed property trusts experienced disappointing returns as a result of the rise in long term interest rates. Overall, they are undervalued and offer an attractive investment opportunity for the long term investor seeking predominantly an income investment.
Australian shares continue to offer the potential for sound returns for long term investors.
However, over the shorter term, uncertainty over the direction of interest rates may cause weakness. This may be an attractive opportunity for investors to take advantage of lower prices to make an investment in shares, if they have a long term horizon. International shares offer attractive diversification benefits, particularly when combined with Australian shares. Over the long term, they can add to the returns of a portfolio while reducing the overall risk. Investors should revisit their portfolio to ensure they are taking advantage of these and other investments opportunities.