What is an ISA?

An Individual Savings Account (ISA) is a tax efficient way of growing your money, allowing you to invest up to £20,000 per tax year, whilst providing you with more control over your investments.

There are 4 types of ISA – Cash ISA, Lifetime ISA, Stocks and Shares ISA and Innovative finance ISA. The ISA available through James Hay is called the Modular ISA and this is a Stocks and Shares ISA. This allows you to hold investments as well as cash.

Investments or cash held in an ISA grow in a tax-efficient way like a pension but gives you the flexibility to withdraw your money whenever you need to and no matter what your age.

What are the main benefits?

The main benefit of a stocks and shares ISA is that you can grow your investments without capital gains tax and income tax, helping you to get the most from your investments. In addition, you have complete control on where your money is invested, with the option to withdraw any amount, at any time. A popular option is to hold an ISA alongside your Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP), supporting your holistic retirement wealth planning whilst giving you even greater flexibility.

What are the requirements for opening a stocks and shares ISA?

If you are over 18 years old, a UK residentSomeone who is resident in the UK and so subject to UK tax. Whether you’re UK resident usually depends on how many days you spend in the UK in the tax year (6 April to 5 April the following year). Please see gov.uk for further details and not bankrupt then you will be able to open a stocks and shares ISA. To open a Modular ISA, you will need to have a Modular iSIPP in place.

How do I manage a stocks and shares ISA?

The Modular ISA is available through the Modular iPlan, our retirement wealth planning solution. With the Modular iPlan, you can monitor the performance of your investments and control where your money is invested at any time. Our services are online and available 24/7 to help give you the flexibility you need.

For more information about the Modular ISA, you can view our key features document and terms and conditions to help you decide if it’s right for you. It’s important that you understand that investments can go down as well as up in value, so you could get back less than you put in. At James Hay, we are unable to provide financial advice so if you do not currently have a financial adviser, we would recommend you seek advice. You can search for a regulated financial adviser in your area via www.unbiased.co.uk or by calling 0800 023 6868.

Further information