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Beginner Friendly Guide to Investing in Ireland
Are you ready to leap investing in Ireland? Whether you’re a complete novice or just looking
Diarmaid Blake
5 August 2025
Regular Saver Investment Plans
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Turn everyday savings into long-term gains.
Benefits Summary
🔸 Potential for higher returns than bank or credit union savings.
🔸 Choose investment plans to match your risk level, and avoid your money being eroded by inflation by leaving it to sit in your bank or credit union.
🔸 Stop, pause, or increase contributions anytime.
🔸 Save any amount, collect at any time.
🔸 Full flexibility for withdrawals.
🔸 Wide range of plans tailored to your goals.
🔸 Personalised strategies from expert financial advisors.
🔸 Monthly investing helps smooth out market highs and lows.
Why Start a Regular Saver Investment Plan?
Because your money deserves more than sitting idle in an account that earns little to no interest.
Whether you’re aiming for:
- A new car
- A dream holiday
- A deposit on your first home
A Regular Saver Investment Plan can help you reach your goal faster while giving your savings the potential to grow. By investing regularly — even in small amounts — you allow your money to benefit from long-term growth and investment performance, without sacrificing control or flexibility.
Who Can Apply?
- Residents of Ireland
- 18 years and older (under 18s require legal guardian consent)
- Maximum maturity age: 75 years
- Policy terms available: 5, 10, 15, or 20 years
THE SMARTER WAY TO SAVE
With a super-flexible, high-return, and low-risk Regular Saver Investment Plan, you can:
- Save monthly over the medium to long-term
- Seek higher returns than typical bank accounts
- Stay in full control of your money
wHY IT WORKS
Making consistent contributions helps your money grow steadily over time. Even small amounts, invested regularly, can grow into a significant sum — and your plan remains under your control every step of the way.
Inflationary Risk of Not Investing Your Savings
Inflation is the increase in the price of everyday goods and services — the rising cost of living over time.
A typical €100 today will not buy the same amount in the future. If your savings aren’t invested and earning at least a net 2% return, inflation is quietly reducing their value.
By investing your savings, you create a strategy to maintain or even enhance the purchasing power of your hard-earned money.
The danger? Not investing allows inflation to erode your savings gradually — a hidden risk that often goes unnoticed until it’s too late.
Savings Versus Investing – What’s the Difference?
While saving in any form is wise, investing those savings over the long-term can be an even more powerful financial decision.
When you invest regularly into a Regular Saver Investment Plan, you allow your contributions — and any returns they generate — to compound over time. This compounding can create a snowball effect, significantly increasing the value of your savings in the long run.
Please see below a comparison of a €50,000 investment over 15 years generating gross annualised return from 5% to 13%.
COMPARISON OF REGULAR SAVERS INVESTMENT PLAN OVER 15 YEARS VERSUS SAVING IT IN A BANK
Without Monthly Contributions
|
Initial Contribution
|
Term (Years)
|
Annualised Average net % Returns
|
Total Gross Savings Plan Value After 15 Years
|
Value of Saving in Bank a/c if you don’t invest
|
Variance
|
€50,000
|
15
|
5%
|
€103,946
|
€50,000
|
€53,946
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
€50,000
|
15
|
6%
|
€119,828
|
€50,000
|
€69,828
|
|
€50,000
|
15
|
7%
|
€137,952
|
€50,000
|
€87,952
|
|
€50,000
|
15
|
8%
|
€158,608
|
€50,000
|
€108,608
|
|
€50,000
|
15
|
9%
|
€182,124
|
€50,000
|
€132,124
|
|
€50,000
|
15
|
10%
|
€208,862
|
€50,000
|
€158,862
|
|
€50,000
|
15
|
11%
|
€239,229
|
€50,000
|
€189,229
|
|
€50,000
|
15
|
12%
|
€273,678
|
€50,000
|
€223,678
|
|
€50,000
|
15
|
13%
|
€312,714
|
€50,000
|
€262,714
|
Figures are for illustration purposes only and do not represent guaranteed returns.
Making regular contributions, even alongside a lump-sum investment, can significantly accelerate growth over time. The table below compares a one-time investment of €50,000 with the same initial amount plus €500 monthly contributions over 15 years.
WITH €500 MONTHLY CONTRIBUTIONS
|
Initial Contribution
|
Monthly Contribu tions
|
Term (Years)
|
Annualised Average net % Returns
|
Total Gross Savings Plan Value After 15 Years
|
Value of Saving in Bank a/c if you don’t invest
|
Variance
|
€50,000
|
€500
|
15
|
5%
|
€233,418
|
€140,000
|
€93,418
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
€50,000
|
€500
|
15
|
6%
|
€259,484
|
€140,000
|
€119,484
|
|
€288,726
|
€500
|
15
|
7%
|
€50,000
|
€140,000
|
€148,726
|
|
€50,000
|
€500
|
15
|
8%
|
€321,521
|
€140,000
|
€181,521
|
|
€50,000
|
€500
|
15
|
9%
|
€358,290
|
€140,000
|
€218,290
|
|
€50,000
|
€500
|
15
|
10%
|
€399,497
|
€140,000
|
€259,497
|
|
€50,000
|
€500
|
15
|
11%
|
€445,662
|
€140,000
|
€305,662
|
|
€50,000
|
€500
|
15
|
12%
|
€50,000
|
€140,000
|
€357,357
|
|
€497,357
|
€500
|
15
|
13%
|
€555,218
|
€140,000
|
€415,218
|
Figures are for illustration purposes only and do not represent guaranteed returns.
This shows how consistent investing in a Regular Saver Investment Plan can deliver far more growth potential than leaving your money in a low-interest savings account.
THE S&P 500 PERFORMANCE SINCE 1950
Below is a chart of the actual returns of the S&P 500 since 1950. The S&P 500 is an index that tracks the top 500 companies in the United States. Although there have been good and bad years, the average return from 1950 to 2025 is 10.83%
Choosing a Provider
Before starting a Regular Saver Investment Plan, it’s essential to compare all available providers in Ireland so you can make the most informed decision and choose the one that best suits your needs.
As a fully Central Bank-regulated multi-agency financial brokerage, we only recommend providers who are also fully Central Bank of Ireland-regulated, giving you extra protection and peace of mind.
Regular saver investment plans in Ireland are typically provided through Life Assurance Companies.
The most common and trusted providers include:
- Zurich Life
- Irish Life
- Aviva
- New Ireland Assurance
- Royal London
- Standard Life
To help you make the best choice, we compare all providers in the following key areas:
- Fees & Charges – allocation rates, annual management charges, policy fees, and any hidden costs
- Investment Fund Options – range of choices and long-term track records (5–10 years)
- Flexibility – access to funds, withdrawal terms, and potential penalties
- Customer Service – ease of accessing policy information, userfriendliness of online portals, and responsiveness to queries
Once you’ve chosen your provider, we’ll guide you through every step — from completing paperwork to activating your plan — so you can start saving and investing with confidence.
Below is a table of actual average annual returns over the past 10 years generated from some popular investment funds offered by these main providers for all savings plans.
ACTUAL AVERAGE 10-YEAR PERFORMANCE FROM A RANGE OF POPULAR MULTI-ASSET FUNDS WITHIN THE RISK CATEGORY(MEDIUM)
Please note that actual return can go up and down, and past performance is not a true indicator of future investment performance.
ACTUAL AVERAGE 10-YEAR PERFORMANCE FROM A RANGE OF EQUITY FUNDS WITHIN THE SAME RISK CATEGORY (HIGH)
Please note that actual return can go up and down, and past performance is not a true indicator of future investment performance.
ACTUAL AVERAGE 10-YEAR PERFORMANCE FROM A RANGE OF POPULAR MULTI-ASSET FUNDS WITHIN THE RISK CATEGORY(HIGH)
Please note that actual return can go up and down, and past performance is not a true indicator of future investment performance.
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Ready to Explore Your Options?
If you would like assistance in starting a Regular Saver Investment Plan or comparing providers to find the one that best suits your needs, please schedule a call with one of our highly qualified financial advisors.
Money Maximising Advisors Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland – C154250