Investing in an Uncertain Market: What Contractors Should Consider Before and During Volatile Times

Markets move in cycles. Knowing it intellectually is one thing, but feeling it when your portfolio is down, your contract is up for renewal, and the headlines are relentlessly grim is something else entirely.

But here's what the data consistently shows: the people who navigate uncertain markets best are rarely the ones who made the cleverest calls. They're the ones who had a clear plan and didn't let short-term noise derail long-term thinking.

The Irish Savings Problem

With inflation at 2.5%, a deposit account paying 1% or less isn't keeping pace. In real terms, that money is shrinking, quietly, every single month. This isn't a call to abandon savings. It's about understanding what staying invested actually looks like using real Irish fund data.

A real example - €500 a month for 10 years 

The Zurich Prisma 5 fund is one of the most widely used investment funds for contractors and pension investors in Ireland. Here's what happened when someone invested €500 a month from January 2015 to December 2024 — using the fund's actual published annual returns.

Zurich Prisma 5 - Actual annual returns 2015 - 2024 (gross of AMC) 

Note: Returns shown are gross of annual management charges (AMC). Actual policy returns will be lower. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance.

500/Month - Illustrative portfolio growth over 10 years (gross of AMC)

Three investors - Three very different outcomes 

All three invested €500/month for 10 years — total contributions €60,000. All figures are illustrative and gross of annual management charges. Actual returns will be lower due to charges.

What this means for contractors

1. Pension first

Up to 52% tax relief for PAYE/umbrella contractors. Limited company directors can contribute through their company as a pre-tax business expense — making it one of the most efficient financial decisions available to contractors.

2. Keep an emergency buffer

3–6 months liquid. Contracts end. Don't be forced to sell at the wrong moment.

3. Don't wait to feel safe

2019 came after 2018. 2023 came after 2022. The data shows staying invested wins.

4. Match your risk profile

The right fund depends on your goals, income, timeline, and comfort with volatility.

Important Information and regulatory disclosures

Illustration - All figures shown are for illustration purposes only. They do not represent the returns of any specific policy and are not a guarantee, projection, or forecast of future performance.

Gross returns - Fund returns used are gross of annual management charges (AMC). The actual return on any policy linked to this fund will be lower due to the effect of charges, including the AMC and any other policy fees. Charges vary by product and provider.

Past performance - Past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance. The value of investments may go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invest.

Not advice - This material is for general information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. It should not be relied upon as the basis for any investment decision. Individual circumstances vary.

Data sources -

Prisma 5 returns (2015–2024), sourced from Zurich Life Assurance plc, Prisma 5 Fund Factsheet.

Irish household savings and deposit data sourced from the Central Bank of Ireland, Money and Banking Statistics (October 2025 release).

Inflation and household saving figures sourced from the Central Statistics Office, Household Saving, Q4 2025.

Regulation- Icon Wealth Management is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Zurich Life Assurance plc is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Warning: If you invest in this product you may lose some or all of the money you invest. The value of your investment may go down as well as up. Annual management charges apply and will reduce the return on your investment. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance. This product may be affected by changes in currency exchange rates.