Who we help
After selling your business: investing the proceeds with a plan
Selling a business can turn decades of work into a single lump sum overnight. How you invest it decides whether that wealth lasts.
The challenges
- A large sum to deploy and a lot of people keen to help you spend it.
- The habit of concentrated, high-conviction bets that worked in business.
- Losing the income and identity the business provided.
- Deciding between managing it yourself, using a manager, or both.
How a disciplined process helps
Slow down first
There is rarely a reason to invest everything in the first month. Holding the proceeds safely while you build a plan costs little and protects you from rushed decisions.
Use the time to learn how portfolios are built, not just which funds to buy.
Use different rules from your business
Concentration and conviction build businesses. Diversification and position limits protect wealth. Decide the maximum you will put into any single investment, including the next private company or property project you are offered.
Our guide to investing a lump sum covers the trade-offs of investing in stages.
Know what management costs you
On a large portfolio, a 1% annual fee is a large number of pounds every year. Compare what you would pay with what you would get, and consider whether you could manage part of it yourself with a clear process.
Our charges simulator shows the long-term effect.
Where to start
- Charges simulatorSee how much a 1.5% charge costs compared with 0.25% over 15 years or more.
- What 1% a year really costsWealth management fees and their long-term effect.
- Guide: Do you need an adviser?When advice is worth paying for, and when a process of your own may be enough.
- Guide: What works in investingThe research behind a factor-based, rules-driven approach.
Questions people ask
Should I invest the proceeds all at once?
Both lump sum and phased investing have trade-offs. Our lump sum page sets them out; the right choice depends on your plans and temperament.
Should I use a wealth manager?
Many people do. Understanding a process yourself helps you choose a manager, judge their results and decide what to keep under your own control.
Can I learn to manage it myself?
Many entrepreneurs do, because the skills of analysis and discipline carry over. The programme teaches the investing-specific process.
Important: this page is education and information only. It is not financial advice or a personal recommendation, and it does not take your circumstances into account. The value of investments and pensions can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you put in. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. If you are unsure what is right for you, speak to a regulated financial adviser.