I realised that I needed to make my money work harder. My financial adviser explained that the way to do that was to have a diversified investment portfolio that included a holding of quality shares. If like me, you considered the sharemarket too risky, you'll be interested in the answers I got to my questions.
Shares do go up and down in value in line with the economy and business and world events.
Nobody can tell in advance what your return from shares will be over the next twelve months. However shares do offer the potential for greater returns than other investment sectors. You can do this in two ways. Spread your shares across a number of different companies in different industries. Remember the old adage, don t hold all your eggs in one basket .