Running around the shops Christmas eve wondering what to buy your loved ones is no fun. Here’s an idea - Swap the Burberry jacket, Apple iPad or a family sized Cadbury's dairy milk for shares in the companies that make these products. Sounds crazy but they could be thanking you in a few years. 

Tell me more… 

Say you buy £100 of shares in companies and did so every Christmas, after ten years it could grow to £1,420 or more (based on a moderate return of at least 5% a year). 

What's the downside? 

A guaranteed 'return' is not wrapped in a big red bow because the shares may lose value if the company does badly. BUT most Christmas presents lose their value by Boxing Day anyway so comparably it's still a better buy! 

Anything else? 

Stocks and shares are not just for Christmas. They can also be an excellent way to invest for your kids via a Junior Stocks & Shares ISA. The plan is to build investments for your children to access when they are 18 years old. 

MOXI Top Tip: Investing over a longer period is an advantage because it means you can ride out times of volatility. And, if you have an idea of when you want to cash-in your investment, say when your child is 18 or for your pension, you can strategically change your portfolio to lower risk products in the last years to drastically reduce the chance of loss.