Is it best to invest in a ftse tracker or an equity fund when i invest in a childs trust fund?

hey you. YES YOU!!!!!! what is the difference and which one gives better returns??

You are asking the wrong question as the answer is irrelevant to your financial goal of ensuring your child gets his/her education paid for.

Which return is higher in the future is impossible to predict. Of far greater impact and importance is that you are putting enough money into the plan on a regular basis and that you don't stop. For example the action of stopping monthly contributions now when you are scared about the markets, will have a far greater (and negative ) impact on this goal then whether you are in an equity fund or a FTSE etf.

If you're child is young (0-7) I would say either of these is absolutely fine. If they are a bit older use one of these but add a little fixed income and increase the older they are to the goal date.

i really dont know i just want 2 answer something

Ftse tracker is an index fund. It means its value goes up or down along with the index. Equity fund is a mutual fund managed by so called professional managers and the cost of entry etc is higher than an index fund. Historically index funds have always been better performers than equity funds. For more basics check out the link below.
http://www.stockinvest.in/investing-for-...

I'll tell you in 5 years time.

This is a question that is difficult to give a correct answer to. The FTSE tracker is an equity fund so in that respect it is not necessarily an either or question. If you have in mind an index fund that tracks the FTSE 100, there is a couple of points you need to carefully consider. 1. The fund is unmanaged relatively speaking. That means that if Royal Dutch Shell has a problem (currently 8.2% of the assets) you could be in for a rough road. On the other hand since it is unmanaged your expense ratio will be a small fraction of that of a managed fund. 2. 10 stocks make up 48% of the value of the index--not very diversified. 3. The FTSE is tied to the British pound, which could mean a currency risk.

Some other equity fund may have problems of its own, depending on which one you might select. It might be poorly managed. You might select one that although it has had a good record in the past and is well managed, but may not be a good choice because its investment methodology diverges from what are currently hot investments.

If you are a fiduciary who has the responsibility for a child's trust fund, you need to have some knowledge of what you are doing. If you don't, I suggest seeking professional advice as the child will lose if you try "learning on the job."