Barclays Wealth has launched a new guide to structured products as part of an ongoing initiative to broaden understanding among intermediaries.

The free guide, available through www.barclaysinvestors.com/ifa, aims to enhance knowledge of both modern and more traditional structured products and how they can be used effectively as a key portfolio planning tool. It looks at what structured products are and how they are created, how they have evolved, current designs and features, their use in portfolio planning and what to check for when assessing them.

Colin Dickie, director at Barclays Wealth, said: “Structured products have come a long way from the simple “FTSE-or-your-money-back” solutions of old and now offer retail investors protected access to an ever-increasing range of assets and in a way which is more in tune with their risk profile. Our new guide reflects recent innovation in product design and explains how today’s investments are constructed, and how instrumental they can be as part of a well balanced and modern portfolio.”