Even though the surprise cut to eurozone interest rates last week will boost businesses, banks and mortgage holders, it is not good news for savers.

As we show in this supplement, a one-year fixed term interest rate can range from a high of 2.15% to a low of 1.50%. And the outlook for that rate to improve is poor as economists predict it is unlikely for ECB rates to rise before 2016.

With interest rates on cash deposits at such low levels, investors need to look outside banks to make a return and ensure value is not lost in real terms. A diversified portfolio is the safest way to invest and should include traditional areas like cash, equities and bonds. Spreading investments over other geographies ensures that returns are not solely linked to fortunes in Ireland.

Equity markets have performed very well in the past 12 months, with the combined Kerry, Glanbia and Aryzta share price increasing by an average of 26%. This year, there has been a mixed performance in the agri sector.

Aryzta continues to perform with the share price up 25% since 1 January. Kerry and Glanbia are up 13% and 3%, respectively, while Origin is up 13%.

FBD is down by almost 13% since the start of the year affected mainly by the poorer weather in January and February.

In this supplement, we address a broad cross section of topics for all investors. We examine some of the options to consider before investing, the tax implications and the importance of diversifying your investment portfolio.