There's no escaping it: the UK's obsession with house prices continues to blind many of us to other assets, most notably investing in shares. Fear, greed and a whole load of panic encapsulate much of our relationship with the stock markets.

Yet, as keys to unlocking investment success for the long term, they're the wrong set entirely. Whether you're looking for an equity individual savings account (ISA) to save for a child's future university fees or a unit trust to simply bolster your pension, a much wiser and better approach to the stock market is to plod along instead with an occasionally changing basket of investment funds.  

Now, this is definitely not racy. And it's in no way sexy. But what a sober, reasonable and calm attitude to the stock market does bring is a slow build-up of investment returns that lasts long after the latest downturn or wild upswing have passed by. 

With proper planning that you can do yourself – no need for the inflated fees found at too many independent financial advisers – you can amass a portfolio of funds that match your financial goals without the need to hold on tight and pray for the best during stock market turbulence. It doesn't matter if you're about to pick a stock market fund for the first time, or simply searching for the latest "hot fund", never forget to ask yourself why you're looking to invest right now.  It's all about your personal circumstances.

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