As a professional investor, I’m often asked about where to invest. I enjoy having these conversations and sharing my views on the various asset classes, which invariably include stockmarkets, property and P2P loans.  

Regulatory reasons prevent me from providing specific advice to individuals so I would love to direct them to those that can. However, the problem with good investment advice is that it’s rare!   

Take your average IFA. He/she generally makes a living by advising or managing money in liquid financial assets – i.e. equity and bond funds. Investing in other major asset classes such as Property, Crowdfunding, or P2P loans is rarely on the agenda. Why? Such investments are generally not well understood by IFAs. And, frankly, they don’t generate revenues.  

On the other hand, a conversation with a property specialist about the stock market almost certainly leads to a concern about volatility and uncertainty.            

What does the data show?
We know there is a scarcity of “whole of market”, truly unbiased investment guidance. Which is why looking at historical patterns can be a useful guide. History doesn’t repeat itself but often rhymes.  

With that in mind, I was asked by Property Investor News to do some research on the main asset classes. How do they compare in terms of historical returns, risk and the effort required? 

The majority of private investors will have interest in the following asset classes: