Back to: Understanding investing

 

You have a wide range of investment options available to you – and ways to manage those investments.

You can invest in all the major asset classes:

Cash Fixed interest Property Shares

You can invest in these assets within either the general investment environment or the superannuation environment which offers significant tax advantages. In either case, the investment principles are the same.

Westpac provides many vehicles through which you can access these asset classes:

Term deposits Direct shares Managed funds Wrap platforms Superannuation Margin lending

Term deposits
Term deposits and traditional savings and investment accounts can provide you with a competitive interest rate for short–term investing.

Direct shares
With direct shares you can invest in all the companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). Online direct broking services can provide a cost effective way to manage your own share portfolio.

Back to top 

Managed funds
Managed funds enable you to invest in shares or other assets chosen by professional analysts. Benefits include a greater ability to diversify your investments. Managed funds provide simple consolidated tax reporting and an ability to easily add regularly to your investments.

Wrap platforms
Wrap platforms "wrap" your investments together, offering you a single point of access to a wide range of investment options including an extensive selection of wholesale managed funds and direct shares (including all ASX listed CHESS sponsored securities.)

We also offer a Super Wrap to take care of your superannuation investments which must be kept separate from your general investments.

Back to top 

Superannuation
Superannuation is a tax effective vehicle that you can use to save for your retirement. It can be quite complex and it is important to know that your super is working as effectively as possible for you so that you maximise your income in retirement. The investing concepts relating to general investing also apply to superannuation. There are added considerations around making additional contributions to your super and what super fund is appropriate for you.

Margin lending
Margin lending is simply borrowing money to invest in shares or managed funds. You use your existing cash, shares or managed funds as security and we lend you more money to invest. It is similar to buying a house, where you provide an asset in the form of the house, and the lender loans you money to pay for the house.

Back to top