Personal Banking Premier Business Wealth Management Corporate Log in Search Menu Principles of investing If you’re new to investing, knowing where to start can be a daunting task. Here, we guide you through your investment journey, from what to consider before you start, the different types of investment account, which might suit you, and the various asset classes. You’ll also learn why it’s important to focus on the long-term as an investor, and create a diversified portfolio, which includes a range of different investments. The value of investments can fall and as well as rise; you may get back less than you invest. If you're unsure about investing, seek independent advice. Recent podcast Investing through life's stages In our latest podcast, our experts talk about how the factors influencing your investment decisions change at different stages of life and share some of their own experiences. Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video tag. Podcast transcript Before you start Tempting as it may be to plunge straight into investing, you may need to address other aspects of your personal finances first. In this section, you'll learn more about some of the things you should take into consideration before putting your money to work. Before you invest Your first steps Once you’re confident your finances are in order, you need to start planning your investments. Get started by setting financial goals. Are you investing for growth? Or income? We'll help you answer these questions and more in this section. Your first steps Reducing unnecessary risk You need to decide how much risk you’re willing to take when you invest. This will largely depend on your financial goals, how prepared you are to accept losses, and how soon you need your money. In this section, we'll help you understand how to manage risk when investing. Reducing risk Staying invested You must learn the art of patience if you want to give your investments the best chance of earning a return. By committing to long-term investments, you give your money the greatest chance to grow. In this section, we take a look at some slightly more advanced strategies to help you stay invested and manage your portfolio's performance. Staying invested Our investment accounts You can find out about our range of investment accounts below. We give you the information to decide which one is right for you, depending on your personal circumstances and financial goals. About our accounts Investment News & Articles Keeping up to speed with the issues that could affect your investments is important for all smart investors. Read our latest articles to discover topical economic and market insight, investment ideas, and some of the trends which are shaping the world today. Our latest articles Barclays investment updates Register to receive updates on the latest news and insights from our experts, plus information on all things Smart Investor and Plan & Invest. Register now Ways to invest Always remember that investments can fall in value. You may get back less than you invest. Plan & Invest Plan & Invest is a service which creates and manages a personalised Investment Plan just for you. Whether your long-term goal is your child’s university education, retirement or just building a nest egg, all you have to do is tell us a bit about yourself and then, if you’re ready to invest, let our experts select and manage your investments. Go to Plan & Invest Smart Investor To choose and manage your own investments from a range of funds, shares, ETFs and bonds, get started today by simply opening up an Investment (Stocks & Shares) ISA, Investment Account or SIPP Account with Smart Investor. Smart Investor accounts Chat Use our online chat service to discuss your query with a member of our team. Chat now Call us If you have any questions, you can give us a call on 0800 279 36671. Exploring investments on Smart Investor You have the choice of thousands of investments to help you achieve your financial goals. Once you’ve opened one of our accounts, we offer you various ways to explore and find the right investments for you. Explore our investments Important information Lines are open from 7:30am to 7:00pm Monday to Thursday, 7:30am to 6:00pm on Friday and closed during weekends and public holidays. To maintain a quality service, we may monitor or record phone calls. 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