Gillian Keith Half Year Update

To coincide with the beginning of the new tax year in April 2016, we launched a campaign for a new or existing client to win their ISA allowance, £15,240, for the year. Many clients entered the competition, making it a success, but one clear winner had to be drawn. The lucky client was Gillian Keith, an Opera Singer from London.

Since the draw, the economy has seen some turbulent times with Brexit, the slow decline of Sterling and mass interest rate cuts in savings accounts. We caught up with Gillian to see how she is doing and how her investment is fairing up.

Since winning the competition, how have you found the experience?

The experience has opened up a lot of ideas for me about investing, and it has helped me to learn a lot about the markets and the types of investments available to someone like me. It has encouraged me to engage with what’s going on in the markets and to take a much closer look at what makes the markets tick.

How have you found dealing with volatility in the market?

I have found dealing with volatility much less stressful than I imagined! Of course something like Brexit has caused the markets to fluctuate wildly over the past few months, and in the past I think I would have been terribly worried, however now that I understand more about my own investments and how they work, I feel I have more control over my money. Having better knowledge of the products and the system gives me greater confidence when things become unstable!

How do you use True Potential Investor? Do you use the app?

I visit my True Potential Investor account regularly online, on my laptop and on my mobile. The app is great for quick checks and accessing the impulseSave® feature.

When we first spoke to you six months ago you told us what you planned on doing with the money and which fund you planned on investing in. Have these changed?

Yes. I’ve decided to keep the money invested to let it grow as much as possible before I absolutely need to access it. I originally thought I would move it into a lower risk fund, but now feel that higher risk will help me achieve greater growth.

How often do you track your progress towards your investments goal?

I try not to obsess about the small gains and losses, but I am always interested to see how external events effect the markets. I try to check every few days to learn about what makes the value fluctuate.

How has the experience of investing been overall for you?

True Potential Investor has been very helpful in guiding me towards confident self-directed investing. Winning the ISA prize was obviously a huge thrill, but overall I am most grateful for the opportunity and encouragement it has given me to take charge of my investing.

If Gillian’s story has encouraged you to begin investing, find out more about our Portfolios and products available at www.tpinvestor.com/portfolios/