Paul Sommerville: Building and managing an investment portfolio

While brokers do provide a service, they also incur fees. However, there is an alternative that will save you money – going it alone. Here, markets expert Paul Sommerville offers a DIY guide for the self-investor and reveals the pitfalls to avoid

You will never find an estate agent who says it is not a good time to buy a house, or an insurance salesman who says it is a bad time to take out insurance – and you certainly will never find anybody in the financial industry who says it is a bad time to invest.

Within two minutes of engaging in conversation with a stockbroker, you are likely to hear Warren Buffett mentioned. ...