As independent Financial Advisers we have the opportunity to choose from any of the hundreds of investment funds available. While each company is happy to tell you that its products are "the best", this is not usually the case.

We select our funds on the basis of a number of criteria, such as past performance the cost/charging structure of the fund, the quality of administration the stability of the fund management team, and a series of technical measures.

Past performance is only one of the criteria, by which we judge a fund, but it is a significant one, and we concentrate on finding funds with a consistent record of above average performance. One-off, or short-term appearances at the head of the "league tables" are given little e weight in our deliberations. Very often a fund which is never number one will outperform over the medium to longer term a fund which has a short period at the top of the tables, then fades away. We feel that our approach will produce the results you are looking for over the medium and longer term.

There are also many different types of investments including Individual Savings Accounts, Personal Equity Plans, Investment Bonds, Unit Trusts, Open-ended Investment Companies and Investment Trusts, as well as Corporate Bonds, Gilts and Property. As well as different investments, there are also different geographical areas for investment, such as the UK, Europe, America and the Far East, to name but a few. Different investment types as well as their geographical location carry with them certain levels of risk and volatility. What we aim to do is to match the investment type and geographical location to your personal circumstances, including your attitude to risk, age, income tax bracket, residency status, income requirements, etc. As you can imagine not a investments suit everyone.

As our investment clients have often remarked, we don't have any "standard" investment portfolios. A I our portfolio are "bespoke", that is to say designed on an individual basis. This is to reflect the unique investment requirements of each and every client; after all everybody is different!