F&C Asset Management : UK savers demand simplicity in DIY investing movement

For immediate release

PRESS RELEASE UK Savers Demand Simplicity in DIY Investing Movement: F&C Study

 Eighty-two per cent of investors seek to be actively involved in managing their investments

 Seventy-two per cent of investors would choose simple investments over complex products that offer larger returns

LONDON, December 19, 2014 - F&C Investments (F&C) today released its second annual study on consumer attitudes towards investing. According to the study, savers are taking their financial futures into their own hands and relying on self-conducted research to choose where to put their money; however, they continue to struggle to understand available investment options.

The survey of 2,009 people, conducted by YouGov, found that the majority of respondents expect to be actively involved in their investment decisions. Eighty-two per cent of investors said they are or would be somewhat or very involved in managing their investments, with 45 per cent believing that investments are an important part of their long term financial planning. A further fifth (18 per cent) of savers would like to start investing but do not know where to begin.
F&C's study found that a lack of clarity around explaining products can act as a deterrent to investing. Nearly half (47 per cent) of individuals said investments are confusing and hard to understand, and almost three-quarters (72 per cent) would rather invest in something that is easy to understand and could perform well than something they do not fully understand but could perform better. When asked what would encourage people to invest, simplifying the way products and options are explained was the top belief among savers, cited by almost half (47 per cent) of respondents.
"As individuals are increasingly taking on more responsibility for their own financial decisions, it makes perfect sense that they are looking for simple and easy to grasp products and investment options," said Ross Duncton, Head of Direct to Consumer at F&C Investments. "The onus has to be on product providers to explain investment options in plain English, so savers can make well informed decisions and don't miss out on suitable opportunities to grow their savings."
To help combat confusion in the savings market, F&C has partnered with 'For Dummies', which has published more than 250 million guides on 'making everything easier', to produce two jargon- free guides: 'Dummies Guide to Investment ISAs' and 'Investing for Children for Dummies'. These are available on the F&C website, at www.fandc.com/direct.

About F&C Investments, a part of BMO Global Asset Management

F&C is focused exclusively on managing money for its clients. It manages assets for a combination of insurance clients, institutional investors, intermediaries and private individuals. F&C invests across all major asset classes - equities, fixed income and property - and has specialist expertise in asset allocation, alternative investments, liability driven investments, multi-manager, private equity funds and Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) Investing. The F&C Group includes F&C REIT, a global real estate asset manager.

www.fandc.de

F&C has a strong footprint in the U.K. and the rest of Europe with assets under management of approximately £83 billion as at June 30, 2014. F&C has a rich heritage that dates back almost 150 years and can be traced back to the founding in 1868 of the Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust.
F&C is a part of BMO Global Asset Management, a global investment manager delivering service excellence from 24 offices in 14 countries to clients across five continents. BMO Global Asset Management had approximately US$272 billion in assets under management, as of October 31,
2014. BMO Global Asset Management is a part of BMO Financial Group (NYSE:BMO), a fully diversified financial services organization with C$522 billion total assets and more than 47,000
employees as of October 31, 2014.

YouGov

YouGov is the most quoted research company in the UK. They provide accurate data and insight into public opinion and consumer behaviour all over the world. They deliver valuable research to companies, governments and institutions enabling them to better serve the people that sustain them.

Disclaimer

Past performance should not be seen as an indication of future performance. The value of investments and income derived from them can go down as well as up as a result of market or currency movements and investors may not get back the original amount inve sted. The information, opinions estimates or forecasts contained in this document were obtained from sources reasonably believed to be reliable and are subject to change at any time. F&C Group Companies may from time to time deal in investments mentioned herein on behalf of their clients. The source of information in all graphs is F&C unless otherwise stated. F&C Management Limited is a uthorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FRN: 119230 F&C Management Limited is a member of the F&C Group. The F&C Group is wholly owned by BMO Global Asset Management (Europe) Limited, which is itself a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank of Montreal. F&C, the F&C logo, REO and the 'reo' logo are registered trademarks of F&C Asset Management plc. F&C Investments and the F&C Investments logo are trademarks of F&C Management Limited. © Copyright F&C Management Limited 2014. All Rights Reserved. Neither this document nor any part of it may be reproduced by any party whether by photocopying or storing in any m edium by electronic means or otherwise without the prior approval of F&C Management Limited.

F&C Management Ltd accepts no liability in respect of the information or any views expressed herein which may be subject to c hange without notice at any time.

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