I posted something like this already on a different thread as only joined site today and was still figuring out how to start a thread myself. Like many other people I have kept money on deposit in the banks but the rates are so low that this does not seem to make sense anymore as it is not money I need to use for a few years. I had my fingers burned by investments in the past but think that I need to go back in for long term planning. One broker I went to for advice seemed very keen to nudge me towards investing New Ireland's Protected Assets Funds which takes about having a security feature that the fund will never fall below 90% of its highest value in any year. However I do not know if the charges/commission on this are very high and from looking around AAM there seems to be a general caution about funds that offer guarantees in that they often seem to never deliver true growth. I don't know if people can comment on an individual fund like the Protected Assets Fund, but, if they can, does anyone more experienced know anything about it or can they steer me - like the poster above - in the direction of wise and unbiased advice? The other fund I was steered towards (but by an in-house investment manager in Bank of Ireland) was the BNY Mellon Global Real Return Fund which seems slightly higher risk but its performance was being greatly praised. Would anyone have any advice re hidden icebergs lurking on this one. Up to now my version of investment risk was getting mugged on the way to the post office to put money with An Post, which no longer seems like a good idea either.