Frequently Asked Questions

• How long has The InvestR Centre been operating?
• What approaches to investing do you teach and provide advice on?
• What markets and asset classes does The InvestR centre cover?
• What is The InvestR Centre offering?
• How do I get started?
• Why is The InvestR Centre Different?
• Who are The InvestR Centre's services aimed at?
• Does The InvestR Centre show me how to protect my capital?
• How important is it to understand stock market terminology?
• What is the difference between speculating and investing?
• Where are The InvestR Centre's seminars held?
• Traditional or On-line Stockbroker?
• Is The InvestR Centre an Authorised Investment Advisor?
• Is investing in the stock markets time consuming?
• What is the minimum investment I need to get started?
• Should I invest in property or the stock markets?

How Long Has The InvestR Centre Been Operating?

The InvestR Centre (previously known as ILTB) was established in August 2005 by Rory Gillen, a qualified Chartered Accountant with over 20 years experience in the financial markets. Up until September 2009, The InvestR Centre was solely involved in providing stock market training courses. In October 2009, ILTB obtained regulatory approval and since then has been providing both investment training and advice.

What Approaches to Investing do you Teach and Provide Advice on?

We teach direct stock picking approaches for the UK, US and Irish markets. Our approaches are time-tested, which means that you get to see how each particular approach has worked back in time. This is essential to a better understanding and to building confidence in these approaches.

We also teach you how to invest indirectly in the markets using exchange traded funds and investment companies. Both these fund-like products provide instant diversification which is essential to controlling risk in the markets. Our market timing signals can assist you in determining optimum entry and exit levels in markets. Our investment advisory service assists you to implement a definite investment plan. See'Investment Approaches' for more detailed explanations of the particular approaches to investing that we teach and provide advice on.

What Markets and Asset Classes Does The InvestR Centre Cover?

The InvestR Centre's training and advice covers the global markets and all assets classes including investing in equities (shares), property, government and corporate bonds, commodities and alternative assets such as hedge funds and private equity funds. We also advise on Irish-based unit-linked funds as well as other funds such as exchange traded funds and investment companies.

What is the The InvestR Centre's Offering?

The InvestR Centre offers both investment training and investment advice. The core of our investment training is delivered via a 1-day investment seminar  which deals with the ‘3-Steps to Investment Success’. We also offer further training via a one-on-one mentoring service. These services are available to members of the web site only.

We offer investment advice mainly via our weekly investment bulletin, which is accessible via the web site to members. The bulletin combines commentary about current market trends together with practical advice on how to implement the investment approaches taught at our investment seminars. One-to-one investment advice is also available.

How Do I Get Started?

You can subscribe to our web site today via the home page or by emailing us at info@investRcentre  or by calling us at (00353 1 2871140). Membership of the web site gives you access to all of The InvestR Centre's investment approaches, the current stock lists and the model portfolios that we run. You also have access to ongoing training and advice in the weekly comment and to lots of different reports and articles not available to the public. A selection of our 'Featured Articles' are made available to non-members after a time delay.

Alternatively, we hold regular FREE Workshops around the country that you can attend to hear more about what we offer. Or you can book straight on to one of our upcoming 1-day seminars. The seminar costs €499 (and includes a one year subscription to the web site). A synopsis of our 1-day course content can be viewed Here.

Why is The InvestR Centre Different?

We believe that our dual offering is unique - combining training and advice – and gives you the tools and support to be an ‘independent investor’ and to plan your own financial future. Our goals are your goals and we offer a genuine alternative to the services offered by private client stockbrokers and financial advisors, the vast majority of which are product sellers rather than independent investment advisers.

Who are The InvestR Centre’s Services Aimed at?

Our investment training and advice is relevant to five main signature groups;

1. the first time investor who is simply looking to get started
2. the person with a lump sum to invest who is looking for options
3. the existing investor who is looking to improve
4. those who would like to take control of their own pensions
5. those working in the financial services industry who are looking to improve their understanding, performance and possibly job  prospects

Does The InvestR Centre Show me How to Protect my Capital?

The quick answer is yes. But it is important to understand what stage of your financial journey you are at. If you are in the early stages, and accumulating capital, then regular investing through good and bad market conditions is an acceptable way to deal with the volatility. If, however, you already have capital built then protecting that capital is most likely to be your overriding concern. We teach a number of market-timing signals that can assist in limiting your risk to big market declines, which are very infrequent but occurred twice within the 2000-09 period.

How Important is it to Understand Stock Market Terminology?

You don’t need to be an expert in stock market terminology to invest successfully in the stock markets. It helps to demystify the terminology and we do that at our 1-day investment seminars. In addition, we have a section of the web site where members have access to an easy-to-follow booklet on ‘Stock Market Terminology’, which explaines some key terms you may have to deal with. This booklet, along with other e-Books can be purchased by non-memebers with a credit card. 

What is the Difference Between Speculating and Investing?

In a nutshell, an investor ‘owns’ assets where as a speculator ‘trades’ assets. Speculating or trading in the stock markets is an attempt to obtain returns over a short term horizon. Most people will fail at this because in many cases it is close to gambling. The InvestR Centre's training is geared towards teaching you how to invest for the medium term rather than trade for the short term. Our follow-on investment advice is consistent with this. See our related article on'The investor v The Speculator'.

Where are The InvestR Centre's Seminars Held?

The majority of our 1-day investment seminars are held in the main urban areas of Dublin, Galway, Cork, and Kilkenny. However, we have also run seminars in others areas like Cavan, Monaghan, Waterford Castlebar and Limerick. If you have an interest in attending a seminar and there is none planned in your area in the near future, then drop us an email to info@investRcentre.com  and we will let you know when the next seminar nearest you is planned.

Traditional or On-line Stockbroker?

If you wish to deal in shares or investment products such as exchange traded funds and investment companies you will need to open an account with a stockbroker. If you are more likely to invest through Irish unit-linked funds, which many Irish people do, then you will not need a stockbroking account.

Whether you opt to open an account with a traditional stockbroker or an on-line stockbroker is entirely up to you. Traditional brokers charge higher commissions but they offer many additional services. With on-line stockbrokers the cost of dealing is substantially lower but it is a no frills, no advice service.

Our mentoring services, which are available to anyone who has completed the 1-day seminar, train you in on-line dealing.

Is The InvestR Centre is an Authorised Investment Advisor?

Yes, The InvestR Centre is an authorised investment advisor regulated by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority, IFSRA.

Our training seminars are accredited by the Institute of Bankers and qualify for CPD hours from this organisation. But our training content is relevant to many other organisations and professions and you should be able to claim CPD hours for The InvestR Centre's training from your own institute or ‘body’. This includes the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Institute of Taxation and the Law Society among other relevant bodies.

Is Investing in the Stock Markets Time Consuming?

Investing in the stock markets does not have to be time consuming and it really depends on what approach you adopt. For example, if you decide to manage your own savings or pension through exchange traded funds, then a couple of hours a year will see you through. On the other hand, if you adopt a more active approach to investing more time may be required.

Many people enjoy the market process and like to keep up to date with market-related news and events. Obviously this takes more time. The important point to understand is that more time does not mean better results.

What is the Minimum Investment I Need to Get Started?

The minimum amount required to get going is largely dictated by the costs of dealing. If you are going to deal through a traditional stockbroker then the minimum investment required to get started is probably in the order of €1,200. If, however, you are happy to deal through an on-line stockbroker then the minimum is lower and probably in the order of €800.

Should I Invest in Property or the Stock Markets?

You can invest in property as well equities (companies) and many other assets classes like commodities, government bonds and alternative assets through the stock markets. There is a range of property companies (which themselves invest directly in property) and property funds (which either invest directly in property or in other quoted property companies) quoted on the stock markets and you can get exposure to property in many different geographic regions in this way. It is much less onerous from a tax and legal standpoint to invest in property through stock market-listed funds than the alternative of buying an apartment or building directly in a region you are unfamiliar with.