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I've been investing through a stocks and shares Isa for around six months, but I haven't seen much return yet.

How do I know if that's just a normal part of long-term investing or if I should be reviewing my strategy?

What annual returns should I expect over the long term and how do you avoid making emotional decisions when markets are flat or declining? R.J., via email

Sam Bromley, of This is Money, replies: According to research published in July 2026 by the investment management company Vanguard, 68 per cent of UK savers say they plan to start investing in the next two years.

However, confidence is a huge barrier to making that first move, with around 70 per cent saying that they don't have faith in their investment knowledge.

It's easy to see how fears around complexity, losing money and where to begin scupper many at the first hurdle.

It's great therefore that you've taken that first leap. You told me you also decided to choose your own investments using a platform that doesn't charge account or dealing fees, rather than picking a managed option.

ETFs have become a popular way for beginners to start their investing journey

This is very cost-effective and will likely save you huge sums over the course of your investing life.

Others starting out can read more in This is Money's guide to the best investment platforms for beginners.

Your investment portfolio consists mainly of exchange-traded funds – ETFs – which track the performance of markets, such as the S&P 500 and emerging markets. You can read more about ETFs here.

Many experts suggest keeping your money invested for at least five years, so six months is still early in your journey. We spoke to two experts to get their take – and both agree that constantly checking investment performance is a fool's errand.

Duncan Ferris, investment analyst at Freetrade

Duncan Ferris, investment analyst at Freetrade says: The short answer is that six months is far too short a period to assess your Isa portfolio. Investing through a stocks and shares Isa means playing the long game.

This is money you do not need for at least five years, so sweating about month-to-month performance is just creating a rod for your own back.

Of course, having near-instant access to your portfolio and its varied array of green and red arrows through the smartphone in your pocket can make checking in weekly, daily, or even hourly something of a compulsion.

My message would be to resist this urge. It's too easy to be spooked by a downward line and end up doing something impulsive, only to find you have bought high and sold low.

It's key to have a portfolio that suits your objectives, time frame, and tolerance for risk. Don't have the stomach for big market swings? A more cautious portfolio with a lower equity exposure might suit you better. Proper diversification, or making sure your portfolio is not too reliant on one company, sector, country, or investment theme, is crucial too.

Some investment platforms offer ready-made portfolios tailored to different risk tolerances. These professionally constructed and diversified funds can take the stress out of investing if you find yourself suffering sleepless nights.

That leads us on to returns. Returns depend on your risk tolerance, the makeup of your portfolio, the fees you pay, and how markets perform. For a diversified portfolio weighted heavily toward stocks, a mid-to-high single-digit figure like 8 per cent might be a realistic goal.

Just bear in mind that this is an average, and likely not something your portfolio can or will hit every year. Average annual returns will gloss over a lot of ups and downs, fallow years and golden eras. Day-to-day, the stock market can be a wild ride, but over the longer term that bumpiness tends to smooth out.

A bad six months is not necessarily a reason to rip up your portfolio and start again. What's more important is whether it is still suitable for your goals, whether it is properly diversified, and whether its fees are reasonable.

Camilla Esmund, head of investor campaigns at Interactive Investor

Camilla Esmund, head of investor campaigns at Interactive Investor, says: Investing requires discipline and this builds over time, and with experience. So, don't be discouraged.

Research consistently shows that a slow and steady approach to investing has proven to be effective over the long term. Interactive Investor customers have seen portfolio growth of around 47 per cent in the last six years of investing in the markets.

Pretty impressive, and even that is still not a huge amount of time. That growth is much lower over smaller timeframes – you need compounding returns to really grow your money.

Stock markets are very resilient over the long term, so even if markets slump, they can and do bounce back over time. Especially if you are sufficiently diversified across sectors, regions, and asset classes in your portfolio.

You state that you're invested in global markets through ETFs, so it's likely that you'll be diversified across a fairly broad basket of shares tracking those indexes.

ETFs have grown in popularity for that very reason – offering broad diversification for lower cost. That said, ETFs are not trying to 'beat the market' because they are often passively managed (tracking an index). Actively managed funds or trusts, by contrast, which usually come at a higher cost, are designed to deliver more growth in the near-term through a fund manager running that money.

It sounds as though you have a solid long-term base through these ETFs serving as your 'core holdings'. So, as time goes on, you could gradually start to explore some 'satellite holdings' where you can take a bit more risk. These could be actively managed funds or trusts that try to deliver more short-term growth or income.

Ultimately, though, you're six months into a long investment journey – and it's healthy to be asking these questions about your investment strategy and to review these from time-to-time, ensuring it's suitable for your timeframe, goals, and tolerance for risk.

It's not about constantly monitoring your portfolio, it's about building a sustainable habit and staying focused on the end goal which is growth over the long-term.

Sam Bromley, of This is Money, adds: The last six months have seen geopolitical events such as the conflict in the Middle East and fears over an AI bubble affect the markets, but as Duncan and Camilla mention, the key is to ignore the noise.

Even top fund managers find it difficult to time the market, and sticking to investing a monthly sum helps to mitigate the risk of investing all your funds when markets are riding high.

There's no set rule on how often to check your investments, and keeping an eye on them regularly isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, it can be if it leads to making rash decisions.

It's better to consider your goals, including when you expect to need the money and how much risk you can live with in return for growth, before making tweaks.