The amount of time you save has a significant impact on your returns. So start as early as you can and develop a disciplined savings habit.

To leverage the effect of compounding, you need to reinvest your returns each year, as this drives the compounding behaviour which leads to greater returns.

This principle applies equally for wealth accumulation and decumulation. So construct and adjust your portfolio so you can capture market returns for as long as possible.

Your investments should ideally be diversified across different asset classes (think stocks, bonds, property and cash) and different geographies too.

You should also carefully consider the wisdom of investing in single company stocks. Investing in funds that include the shares of many businesses, spreads the risk of a single company failing.

If you do wish to gain exposure to speculative assets like currencies, commodities, cars, art or even crypto currencies, you should limit this to a small percentage of your portfolio.

The higher the costs, the less money there is invested and consequently, the lower the return. So limit costs to maximise returns.

It can be difficult to obtain a clear picture of the costs associated with some international investment products. A lack of disclosure can result in product complexity. Simple is preferrable here.

The charges incurred inside a fund are also important. Some fund managers trade excessively and this can increase costs and reduce returns. Always screen for this.

Trying to make entirely rational decisions is difficult. Our emotions get in the way. Better to adopt a reasonable approach. Acting reasonably is something you can live with for longer, which is essential to the creation of returns.

Time in the market, always beats timing the market. Reacting to volatility and selling investments is the road to ruin. It’s impossible to judge the right time to sell, or the right time to buy back in.

A long-term, reasonable approach to investing is easier to maintain as a discipline, than an entirely rational one. It will help minimise future regret by helping you avoid making unnecessary decisions under pressure.