Personal Investment in an Uncertain World aims to provide a sound introduction to personal financial investment. It considers the co-evolution of financial products, markets, regulation and socio-economic change. The challenge for individual investors is how best to negotiate this difficult and shifting terrain over a lifetime of varying choices and responsibilities. The purpose of the book is two-fold: to endow the reader with a fundamental knowledge of financial markets; and to equip them with the skills necessary for achieving their financial goals through investments.An expert author team from The Open University uses a sociological perspective to show how people can adapt to the increasing 'financialisation' of their lives, due in a large part to the shift in financial responsibility from the state to the individual. They also highlight the increasing degree to which financial markets, and the various products that are sold in those markets, affect economic stability. The book shows how personal investment decisions are located within, and influenced by, a myriad of factors in the wider world of finance and trade, and how available tools and resources can be used effectively to manage personal investments and risk. Key financial principles, practices, instruments and institutions are explained, drawing on a range of international examples and comparative case studies.Companion Website: http://www.palgrave.com/busines