A beginner’s guide to investing in stocks

Savings rates may be at decade highs but you could still be better off taking a bit more risk with your money by investing in stocks.

You could earn a slice of the biggest companies in the world such as Amazon and Microsoft or discover growing or unloved companies by purchasing stocks and shares.

If a company’s share price increases, you will share in the growth, plus some companies may even make extra monthly or quarterly payments to shareholders, known as dividends.

There is, of course, a risk of losing money if the share price of a company you are invested in falls, but research shows that typically outperforms leaving money accounts over the long-term, plus the returns tend to be higher than inflation.