Investment trusts

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12. Where to find information about ITs

You can get information about ITs from most stockbrokers, from IFAs, or direct from the ITs themselves, but perhaps the best starting point for investors with a reasonably self-reliant attitude is to review the information produced by the Association of Investment Trust Companies.

The AITC publishes a 'Monthly Information Service' (MIS) which classifies ITs into categories and provides comprehensive information on their features and past performance, including:

• Classes of shares issues and their current status
• NAV over the past 1, 3, 5 and 10 years
• Historic performance of share price
• Discount (i.e. share price relative to NAV) and how it has moved over the period of the ITs life.
• Geographical allocation of funds
• 5 year dividend growth
• Yield - the income you could expect in the current financial year
• Wind-up date of each IT

This information is provided in a form which allows you to compare the attractions of each and get closer to making a selection. You can contact the AITC by visiting their website, by telephone on 0207 7282 5555 or by post at Durrant House, 8-13 Chiswell Street, London, EC1V 4YY.

Three other websites that are worth visiting are Trustnet, Ample Interactive Investor and Moneyworld.

1. What are investment trusts? 2. What does an IT do? 3. Difference from unit trusts 4. IT specialisation 5. Tax advantages 6. Discounts: the share price of ITs 7. Gearing 8. Split capital trusts 9. Warrants 10. Ways of investing in an IT 11. Factors to consider when choosing an IT 12. Where to find information about ITs 13. Conclusion