Stocks, shares, bonds?

Question

Hi, my grandparents want to buy me some kind of stocks or bonds for my birthday soon (because they're depressing and want me to remember them "after they've gone" ) anyway, I can't decide if I would like them to buy me stocks in 1 company, a commodity like gold, a group of penny shares or something else. What are my options? What exactly are bonds?

Answer 1

You have an odd attitude towards someone who cares about you, don't be so facetious and stop being so disrespectful towards your grandparents , if they only knew how you really feel about them they would be very upset.

Answer 2

The web site below has a lot of expert info about investing. I would suggest you look at "Unit Trusts", or "Investment Trusts". These are mostly stock market investments, with your money spread among many companies, so you are taking less risk. They are also recommended for long term investment. But, always keep track of the performance, and compare with other options. You may want to switch sometime in the future.

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/invest

Answer 3

Bonds are not really worth it as it's easier to open a savings account and put money there (I think you could buy bonds directly from the BoE). If you want to buy shares then visit http://www.independentinvestor.co.uk , they compare lots of stockbrokers so you could find the cheapest and most reliable one. The also have information on how to invest in commodities (you need CFDs or financial spread betting account). Try for yourself and good luck.