Advantages of investment funds

You can invest like a professional from as little as €10.

It's not only major investors who have access to investment funds. Nowadays, everyone can use them. In fact, they're a favourite product with Spanish investors. At Bankinter you can start investing from as little as €10.

You don't need to be an expert investor.

One of the great advantages of investment funds is that you can delegate management to the experts. So the only things you need to be clear about are the return you are looking for, the risk you are willing to assume and your time horizon. Risk and return are the two crucial factors for deciding your investor profile.

Transparency and control.

Every investment fund has what is known as a Key Investor Information Document (KIID) for customers outlining the investment policy, fees, liquidity and fund performance. The depositary company supervises the fund manager. The competent regulatory body in Spain is the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV).

They are liquid assets.

Most investment funds offer high liquidity, making them an ideal option for investors who want to be able to access their money at all times. But remember, if you withdraw your money before the recommended time horizon, you could increase the risk of getting back less than you invested.

Whenever you assume a greater risk in your investments, you should think about the long term to reduce the risk of possible losses during downturns in the market.

They are subject to strict regulation.

All fund managers and depository companies are regulated by the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV). Every fund sold in Spain has to be authorised and registered in advance with this body, which also supervises the periodic management reports that fund managers are obliged to send to their unit holders.

The tax treatment is highly beneficial.

One of the great advantages of investment funds is their tax treatment. Unlike other products, investment funds are only taxed when your redeem your shares and collect a profit. Besides, this profit is treated as an increase in income from assets, which means that it is taxed progressively.

Another fiscal advantage of investment funds is that you can choose the most beneficial time to make a redemption and pay tax on the profit. So you can fit it in with the income tax bracket that's best for you.

But that's not all: when you transfer shares from one fund to another, you don't pay any tax.

You can diversify your investment.

Diversification is the best way to reduce risk in an investment. The ability to maintain a sound diversified portfolio will be conditioned by your financial capacity. Not everyone has enough money to invest in a wide range of products, but even if you can only acquire two or three products, make sure there is some degree of diversity.

You can invest while you save.

Investment funds allow you to set up regular contributions based on your savings capacity. You'll hardly notice it, but your money will be working little by little and at your pace. You'll also get a higher return from your investment because of the multiplier effect of compound capitalisation: the return obtained in investment funds is automatically reinvested.

Remember, the value of investment funds can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you invest.