Investors opt for safety - Alliance & Leicester

This is a higher ratio than at the same time last year, and undermines the belief stockmarket recovery should have rebuilt consumer confidence. A&L's research finds 53% of UK investors deem a guaranteed return as the most important factor when choosing an investment, up from 49% last year. Good returns and low charges also seem to be the main priorities amongst investors, with 46% and 28% respectively ranking these as most important. Alliance & Leicester's survey also finds 21% of respondents would base their investment choice on a friend's recommendation, while only 3% would cave ...