Investor Snapshot - Denis Jackson, CEO - Law Debenture

What was your first experience of investing?

I did not grow up in a household that spoke about investing. It wasn’t until I was on a trading floor of 600 in my early career that I became aware that I should be doing something with my money besides spending it. Being a 20-something man in that environment meant I made some pretty poor decisions early on. I put all of my savings into four companies, three of which made a significant loss and one of which just about broke even. After that I understood why a fund might be a more sensible option for me.

Has there been a person or resource you have found most helpful in your investment journey?

For me the fund managers themselves have been the most helpful. In my late 20s my university friend set up a hedge fund and from 1997 to 2014 this outperformed the market quite significantly. This was during some really challenging economic periods so watching his approach was a great way to better understand market dynamics. These days James Henderson and Laura Foll, Law Debenture’s own fund managers, are my go to. They are great at explaining their approach and their results speak for themselves. There are lots of platforms that really shine the spotlight on fund managers so it is well worth listening to what they have to say and, coupled with their performance, deciding which approach resonates for you.

What has been the riskiest investment you have made, or considered?

That early investment of all of my savings into four companies was the riskiest, and it didn’t pay off. Since I have moved to a fund-based approach the risk level has naturally reduced. However, I remain happy to take a bit of a risk and have a well-balanced portfolio that supports that. What I try to do is to understand the risks that I am taking, if I don’t understand it, I don’t invest in it.

What’s next for your investing journey? 

I am always looking to the future. When it comes to investing that means following current market trends, listening to those experts I mentioned earlier and keeping a look out for things that really interest me. I am aligned with James and Laura’s confidence in the UK market and, given my role, am heavily invested in Law Debenture which is UK focused.

I have three children who are themselves starting to be interested in investing. It is interesting to hear what they are thinking of and the resources they use. I can’t see myself taking advice from TikTok but as many established, regulated brands are using social media to reach a new investor audience I think it is well worth keeping an eye on.

What would you tell your 20-something self about investing?

Find a good fund manager. I was fortunate to have had a very good experience in this regard. My advice would be to make sure you learn from each experience, particularly the losses.

Thanks Denis!

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