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Richard Berry
- Updated
Junior stocks and shares ISAs (JISAs) let you invest in a tax-efficient wrapper for your children which they can only access at age 18. For the 2024/25 tax year, you have until 5th April 2025 to invest up to £9,000 tax-free for each of your children.
Good Money Guide has tested and ranked the best junior stocks and shares ISA providers and accounts in the UK that are regulated by the FCA.
Compare Top-Rated UK Junior Stocks & Shares ISAs
| JISA Provider | JISA Fees | DIY or Managed | Customer Reviews | GMG Rating | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | £0 | DIY | See JISA Capital at Risk |
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 | £0 | DIY | See JISA Capital at Risk |
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 | 0.25% per year | DIY | See JISA Capital at Risk |
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 | 0.6% | Managed | See JISA Capital at Risk |
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 | 0.75% | Managed | See JISA Capital at Risk |
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 | 0.5% per year | Managed | See JISA Capital at Risk |
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 | 0.45% | Managed | See JISA Capital at Risk |
Our Picks Of The Best Junior Stocks & Shares ISAs (JISAs)
❓Methodology: How Good Money Guide Chose The Best Junior Investment ISAs
To shortlist the top JISAs for the UK, our review team used:
- 30,000+ votes and reviews in the prestigious Good Money Guide annual awards
- Hands-on experience testing the junior ISA accounts with real money
- In-depth comparisons of each provider’s stand-out features
- Good Money Guide’s exclusive interviews with CEOs and senior management of top JISA companies
- We take our review process and criteria seriously. You can find out more in our How We Rate Providers page.
Our Top Rated JISAs:
- Hargreaves Lansdown: Excellent no-fee DIY junior isa with lots to invest in
- AJ Bell: A well-rounded & good-value low-cost JISA investing account
- Wealthify: Start investing in a Junior Stocks & Shares ISA from just £1
- Interactive Investor: Get a free self-select JISA for ii customers
- Moneyfarm: Good Junior Stocks & Shares ISA for simple risk-based portfolios
- Gohenry: Simple child-friendly investment ISA
- Beanstalk: Best dedicated Junior Stocks & Shares ISA provider
AJ Bell: A Well-Rounded & Good-Value Low-Cost JISA Investing Account
- Investments: Shares, ETFs, bonds & funds
- Minimum deposit: £500
- JISA account charge: 0.25%
- Dealing fee: Shares £3.50 – £5, funds £1.50
Product Name: AJ Bell Junior ISA Product Description: AJ Bell is one of the cheapest self-select JISAs with account fees of only 0.25%, although it is not free. Fees are capped at £2.50 per month for shares, investment trusts ETFs, gilts and bonds, but there is no cap for holding funds. You also have dealing charges of £1.50 for funds and £9.95 for shares. It is more expensive than Hargreaves Lansdown’s (now free) JISA and providers a relatively similar service. Does AJ Bell Offer A Junior ISA (JISA)? Yes, AJ Bell offers a stocks and shares junior ISA where you can invest in the stock market for your children. Fees: AJ Bell charges 0.25% of the value of your for a Junior ISA. Share account fees are capped at £2.50 a month. Dealing costs are £1.50 for funds and £5 for shares but drop to £3.50 where there were 10 or more online share deals in the previous month. Special Offers: Pros Cons
Good Money Guide Review
Capital at risk.
Get a free subscription to Shares (worth over £220 per year) by maintaining a balance of £4,000 or more across your AJ Bell investing accounts.
Overall
4.9
Hargreaves Lansdown: Excellent No-Fee DIY Junior ISA With Lots To Invest In
- Investments: Shares, ETFs, bonds & funds
- Minimum deposit: £1
- JISA account charge: 0%
- Dealing fee: Shares £0, funds £0
Good Money Guide Review
Product Name: Hargreaves Lansdown Junior ISA
Product Description: Hargreaves Lansdown has one of the best JISA as there are no account costs and your money can be invested in the stock market. Hargreaves Lansdown is one of the largest investment platforms in the UK, and have recently removed their Junior ISA fees. You also get the widest selection of UK and international shares as well as bonds, ETFs, VCTs, gilts and bonds to invest for your children.
Capital at risk.
Junior ISAs are now free on Hargreaves Lansdown
Since Hargreaves Lansdown removed the fees from of its JISA (Junior ISA) account it is now one of the cheapest ways to invest for your children.. This is good news as Hargreaves Lansdown is generally acknowledged to be not only the largest provider of direct-to-consumer investment services but also the most expensive.
The Junior ISA is aimed at those under the age of 18 and is designed to encourage long-term saving on behalf of children and teenagers. Those goals have received a boost with Hargreaves Lansdown removing its fees on the Junior ISA.
Junior ISAs, which are often managed by parents, grandparents or guardians, on behalf of a young person, will now be able to trade or invest in funds and ETFs, UK and overseas shares, gilts and other bonds, free of charge.
If those deals are transacted online or as part of a regular savings plan via direct debit.
Charges will still apply if orders are placed over the phone with the Hargreaves Lansdown’s dealing team, or via the firm’s postal dealing service.
Hargreaves will also waive charges associated with account opening or closing, transfers of stock or cash, and the production of quarterly statements.
Though the firm will retain some credit interest to cover its administrative expenses.
UK and Irish Stamp Duty charges and the UK PTM levy will still apply to qualifying equity trades, as will purchase and financial taxes on certain French, Spanish and Italian securities.
Hargreaves Lansdown’s biggest rival is AJ Bell, who charge 0.25% on the value of shares held in a Junior ISA, though that fee is capped at £2.50 per month.
AJ Bell also has a custody fee of 0.25% per annum and a variable fee schedule for trading.
Regular online investments attract a charge of £1.50, as do dividend reinvestments and trades in unit trusts.
Online trades in equities, investment trusts, ETFs, Gilts and bonds are charged at £9.95 per trade.
Though that can fall to just £4.95 if the account traded 10 times or more in the prior month.
Telephone orders at AJ Bell are charged at £29.95 per trade.
AJ Bell’s Lifetime ISA charges 0.25% of the value of shares held in the account, capped at a maximum of £3.50 per month.
Once again custody charges of 0.25% also apply.
Though if an investor is holding more than £250,000 in funds, within their AJ Bell Lifetime ISA, then the custody charge falls to 0.10%.
And if they hold £500,000 or more in fund investments there are no custody charges levied.
Over the long term, fees can negatively affect the performance of an investment portfolio. So for Junior ISA holders and those that manage the accounts, a no-fee solution is a very positive step.
And one that will hopefully encourage parents, grandparents and guardians to invest on their charges’ behalf, and to choose Hargreaves Lansdown as they do so.
Which, is no doubt what the no-fee offer is designed to encourage.
However, there is no cash Junior ISA at HL. Hargreaves Lansdown only has a stocks and shares junior ISA, but you can receive interest on your uninvested cash (essentially making it a cash ISA).
Pros
- Thousands of UK and international shares, bonds & funds
- Ready-made portfolios with different levels of risk
- Excellent research and analysis
- An established and listed company on the LSE.
Cons
- Not a cash ISA
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Pricing
(5)
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Market Access
(5)
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App & Platform
(5)
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Customer Service
(5)
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Research & Analysis
(5)
Overall
5Wealthify: Invest In A Junior Stocks & Shares ISA From Just £1
- Investments: Pre-made portfolios
- Minimum deposit: £1
- JISA account charge: 0.6%
- Dealing fee: £0
Good Money Guide Review
Is Wealthify's junior ISA ethical or risky?
It’s both! When you invest in a junior ISA through Wealthify, you have the choice of an ethical investment plan. But as you are investing in ethical elements of the stock market, there is a risk that the value of your child’s portfolio could go down.
Fees: It costs 0.6% to start investing in a junior ISA with Wealthify, which is one of the cheapest robo-advisor general investment account fees. There are also investment costs of on average 0.16% for original plans and 0.7% for ethical plans.
Special Offers:
- £50 when you refer a friend – You can get a unique link when you have a funded Wealthify account to use to recommend them to friends. To get the £50 bonus, your friend needs to invest at least £250 for three months.
Pros
- Managed portfolios
- Low minimum deposit of £1
- Low account fee of 0.6%
Cons
- Cannot trade individual shares or ETFs
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Pricing
(4)
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Market Access
(3.5)
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Online Platform
(4.5)
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Customer Service
(4)
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Research & Analysis
(4.5)
Overall
4.1Moneyfarm: Good Junior Stocks & Shares ISA For Simple Risk-Based Portfolios
- Investments: Pre-made portfolios
- Minimum deposit: £500
- JISA account charge: 0.75%
- Dealing fee: £0
Good Money Guide Review
Product Name: Moneyfarm Junior ISA
Product Description: Moneyfarm smart tech allows you to monitor your JISA’s performance from anywhere, automate your monthly deposits so you’ll never miss an opportunity again, and their team of dedicated investment consultants are on hand to answer any queries you may have via anytime calls, chats, or emails.
Capital at risk.
Can you invest for your children in a Moneyfarm JISA?
Yes, the Moneyfarm junior ISA has the same portfolios as the standard GIA, ISA and pension account. So you can invest tax free for when your children turn 18.
Fees: Moneyfarm junior stocks and shares ISA account fees are scaled between 0.75% for accounts between £500 and £50,000, then above £100k are 0.45% to 0.35%. Average investment fund fees are 0.2% and the average market spread when buying and selling is 0.10%
Pros
- Risk-based JISA portfolios
- Low-cost investing
- Easy-to-use
Cons
- Limited amount of individual shares
- No US shares available
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Pricing
(5)
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Market Access
(4.5)
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Online Platform
(5)
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Customer Service
(5)
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Research & Analysis
(4)
Overall
4.7Interactive Investor: Free Self-Select JISA For II customers
🏆Free JISA🏆
- Investments: Shares, ETFs, bonds & funds
- Minimum deposit: £1
- JISA account charge: £0
- Dealing fee: £3.99 – £5.99
Good Money Guide Review
Product Name: Interactive Investor Junior ISA
Product Description: With an ii JISA you can invest in over 40,000 shares, bonds, funds or pre-built portfolios. So if you are looking for a free self-select JISA it is one of the cheapest and most flexible investment ISAs for children on the market at the moment compared other large investment platforms like AJ Bell (who charge 0.25% a year). You also get one free trade per month, after that it costs £5.99 per deal, compared to AJ Bell’s £9.95 per share deal.
Capital at risk.
Is the Interactive Investor junior ISA (JISA) any good?
Yes, Interactive Investor’s JISA is a great way to invest for your children if you have an investing account with ii as it’s free and you can invest in a huge range of shares, bonds and funds.
If you have an investing account with Interactive Investor, you get a free Junior stock and shares ISAs account for your children.
Fees: *II JISAs are free for customers who have already opened an ISA or Trading Account. Dealing commissions are a free trade every month, then UK Shares and Funds, US Shares charged £7.99 or upgrade to a £19.99 “Super Investor” account 2 free monthly trades and deal for £3.99. Regular investing is free.
Special Offers:
- One free trade per month – One buy or sell order is free every month, after that, the cost is between £3.99 and £5.99 depending on what plan you are on.
- Free investing for your friends and family – You can give up to five people a free investment account subscription with Interactive Investor’s Friends and Family plan. You pay a single extra fee of £5 a month, and their monthly cost is zero. Each member can invest up to £30,000 in an ISA or a general investing account with free regular investing and no account fees. However, they will still pay normal dealing commissions when they buy and sell investments.
- Get £200 when you refer a friend to Interactive Investor – Recommend a friend or family member to ii and get a £200 reward. Your friend will get their first year’s service plan for free – saving £120. To qualify, your friend must transfer or fund their account with at least £10,000 in combined cash/investments. However, your friend will not receive the usually monthly free trade.
Pros
- Pick your own investments or use their model portfolios
- £1 minimum deposit makes it easy to get started
- £0 account fee*
Cons
- You have to pick your own investments
- Only free if you have an II trading account
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Pricing
(5)
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Market Access
(5)
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Online Platform
(5)
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Customer Service
(5)
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Research & Analysis
(5)
Overall
5Beanstalk: Best Dedicated Junior Stocks & Shares ISA Provider
🏆Award Winner🏆
- Investments: Cash & funds
- Minimum deposit: £1
- JISA account charge: 0.5%
- Dealing fee: £0
Beanstalk JISA Review
Name: Beanstalk
Description: Beanstalk is an investment app that helps you invest for your children through a Junior ISA. It was founded by the team behind Kidstart (a cashback site for children’s shopping) and won our 2022 & 2023 award for Best Junior Stocks & Shares ISA as they make setting up an account to invest for your children’s future cheap, easy, flexible and accessible for you and for others to contribute to.
Summary
Beanstalk has won “Best Junior Stocks and Shares ISA” in our 2024, 2023 and 2022 awards. They offer one of the easiest ways to invest for your children and you can quickly move money between cash and the stock market to manage the amount of risk/reward you want to take.
They provide a simple yet effective way to invest for your children’s future. Friends and family can also make deposits directly into your child’s account via the app. The investment options are split between cash and the stock market enabling parents to adjust the level of risk they are prepared to take. It’s a good option for parents who want to investment for their children, but don’t want to pick individual investments.
Pros
- Switch between stocks and cash
- Low cost & tax efficient
- Easy to use & contribute
Cons
- JISA funds can only be accessed when your child turns 18
- App only, no website access
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Pricing
(4)
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Market Access
(3.5)
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Online Platform
(4.5)
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Customer Service
(4.5)
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Research & Analysis
(3.5)
Overall
4GoHenry: Simple Child-Friendly Investment ISA
- Investments: Pre-made portfolios
- Minimum deposit: £10
- JISA account charge: 0.45%
- Dealing fee: £0
GoHenry JISA Review
Name: GoHenry
Description: GoHenry is a pocket money app that helps children learn about money by giving them the independence to make their own choices about what they spend their cash on. They also have a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA that lets you invest in your children’s future. Once you invest in a JISA the money is held in a tax-efficient account and can only be accessed by your child when they turn 18.
Summary
GoHenry is a great way to combine educating your children about the future value of money along side giving the financial independence with their pocket money app. When you invest in the GoHenry Junior ISA you are buying Vanguards LifeStrategy 60% Equity Accumulation Fund, which contains a mixture of stocks and bond
Pros
- Investments by Vanguard
- Low cost and easy to use
- Get contributions from friends and family
Cons
- Children cannot make their own contributions from pocket money.
- More expensive than investing direct
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Pricing
(4)
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Market Access
(3.5)
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Online Platform
(4)
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Customer Service
(4)
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Research & Analysis
(3.5)
Overall
3.8✅ FCA Regulation – What You Need To Know
- All junior stocks and shares ISA providers that operate in the UK must be regulated by the FCA
- The FCA is the Financial Conduct Authority and ensures UK junior investment ISA platforms are properly capitalised, treat customers fairly and have robust compliance systems
- Good Money Guide only features JISA providers regulated by the FCA, where your funds are protected by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme)
What Is A Junior Stocks & Shares ISA (JISA)?
A junior stocks and shares ISAs is an investment account for your children where you can invest up to £9,000 a year. Profits from JISAs are tax-free and can only be accessed by your child when they turn 18.
Junior ISAs are based on the same principle as its adult peers. It’s a government-sponsored tax-free savings vehicle, within which up to a predetermined sum of money can be invested and not be subject to income or capital gains taxes while it remains in the shelter.
It is important to note that, unlike an adult investment ISA, you can only have one junior investment ISA account rather than multiple plans with different providers. However, you can transfer funds between providers.
Junior stocks and shares ISAs offer better potential returns than cash ISAs as they are investment accounts rather than savings accounts. However, it’s important to remember that the stock market can go up as well as down.
Pros & Cons Of Junior Stocks & Shares ISAs (JISAs)
Pros
- Tax-free-profits: Any profits made in a Junior Investment ISA over its 18-year term are completely tax-free, offering a huge advantage over standard accounts. That would be very difficult to achieve outside of the vehicle
- Money for Milestones: JISAs are designed for saving to give kids a lump sum at 18, perfect for university, a car, or other big goals. Funds stay locked until then, so there’s no early temptation
- Better potential returns: JISAs offer more investment flexibility than savings accounts, making them ideal for long-term capital growth
Cons
- Poor performance: JISA investments can go down as well as up, so there’s a chance of losing money instead of growing it
- Account fees: Unlike cash ISAs, Junior Investment ISAs come with account fees, which can eat into returns
- Money locked away: Money in the JISA stays locked until the child turns 18, so you can’t access it in case of emergencies
How Much Could A JISA Be Worth At 18?
Hargreaves Lansdown (which offers a free JISA) recently calculated that by investing as little £25 a month for 18 years this could result in a JISA of £10,831, assuming an annual return of 7%. This would be a huge boost for when your child goes to university, travels the world on a gap year, or starts full-time work.
You can use our JISA returns calculator to see how much you can save when investing for your children.
Please note these returns do not incorporate account or underlying investment fees. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Junior Stocks & Shares ISA Fees
Here’s a quick breakdown of the main fees you’ll encounter and how much of an impact they will have on your children’s investments:
Account fees
This is how much an investment platform will charge to hold your investments in a JISA. At the moment, Hargreaves Lansdown is the cheapest investment JISA as they do not charge an account fee. Some providers, like Wealthify, charge quite a lot for a JISA. Their JISA fees are 0.75%, which means if you put in £10,000, you will be charged £75 a year for the account.
Dealing charges
This is the fee for every time you buy and sell investments. Again HL’s JISA does not have dealing charges, but others like ii give you one free trade a month. Otherwise it can cost as much as £3.99 when you add investments.
Other charges
- Exit fees: a penalty some investment providers levy for leaving their platform (you should avoid these companies)
- Phone dealing charges: Some firms like AJ Bell charge an additional fee for buying and selling investments over the phone
- Withdrawal charges: for some times of withdrawals (like CHAPS payments) investment providers can charge an additional admin fee.
What Can You Invest In Through A Junior Stocks & Shares ISA?
Unlike a cash ISA, the junior investment ISA has much more freedom to invest and indeed it’s specifically designed to allow parents to invest in:
- Stocks and shares
- Managed funds
- ETFs
- Bonds
- Gilts
- Pre-made portfolios
The full list of instruments you can invest in on behalf of your child or loved one will vary from provider to provider. It’s definitely worth checking out what is and isn’t permissible with a particular manager before you apply for a Junior Investment ISA. That helps ensure the type of investments you have in mind are covered by that provider.
For example, Hargreaves Lansdown offers Junior Investment ISA accounts access to 3000 funds, UK and overseas shares and a range of investment trusts and ETFs. Whilst Nutmeg is more suitable for those not confident enough to pick their own investments by offering Junior Investment ISA accounts a choice of pre-built managed funds with varying risk profiles to invest in.
Funds
There are some of the most popular funds bought for JISA accounts on the Hargreaves Lansdown platform in the 2024/25 tax year:
- Fundsmith Equity
- Lindsell Train Global Equity
- Legal & General International Index Trust
- Legal & General US Index
- Rathbone Global Opportunities
Shares
For those wanting exposure to individual companies, Hargreaves Lansdown customers favoured the below shares for their children’s junior stocks and shares ISA in the 2024/25 tax year.
JISA Alternatives:
A junior stocks and shares ISA is not always appropriate as the main drawback is that once money is deposited it can only be withdrawn when the child turns 18 (and only by them).
There are a few alternative ways to invest for your children as opposed to junior stocks and shares ISAs including:
- GIA: a general investment account lets you invest as much as you want, and funds can be withdrawn at any time – although there are no tax benefits
- Junior SIPP: if you want to invest some money for when your children return because you are worried about them wasting it when they turn 18, you can open a junior SIPP (self-invested personal pension). Here your children can only access the money when they hit retirement age. There are also considerable tax benefits
- Cash ISA: If you are worried about the stock market going down and your children’s investments potentially losing money, there are some very good interest rates in savings accounts for cash ISAs at the moment. Although there is a limit on the tax free benefits.
Junior Stocks & Shares ISA FAQs:
Yes. The FSCS or Financial Services Compensation Scheme was set up by Parliament and is funded by the financial services industry. It can compensate eligible investors in the event of fraud or insolvency. Under current legislation, the scheme can pay out up to £85,000 for savings accounts and £50,000 on investment accounts. A junior investment ISA would fall into the latter category, so in the event of the provider of the ISA or the custodian of the assets becoming insolvent, the FSCS would step in.
The implicit guarantee provided by the fund and the tax-free benefits of the shelter certainly helps to make the junior socks and shares ISA an attractive proposition when considering investment for the next generation.
A stocks and shares junior ISA can provide better returns.
There are almost one million children’s ISAs in the UK, and only around 30% of them are invested in the stock market as opposed to 70% which are invested in cash savings accounts.
Historically the stock market has provided much better returns that cash savings accounts, but there are risks involved. Here are the key differences between cash and investment junior ISAs.
With a junior cash ISA money is held in a savings account and you receive interest. With a Junior stocks and shares ISA your money is invested in the stock market. This can result in better returns, but also comes with risk and you may get less back than you put in if the market underperforms.
Personally, the three junior ISAs I have for my children and main invested in the stock market, as these are longer-term investments over five years and I’m prepared to take on the risk of the market dips.
Ultimately though, the stock market can go down, so with a cash JISA you are guaranteed to get back at least what you put in. If your money is invested in the stock market you can get back less than you originally invested.
It’s important to remember that past performance is not an indication of how well a stock and shares ISA account will do in the future. One way to ensure you get the right performance for you is by using a DIY JISA where you pick and choose exactly what investments you want for your children.
Or, view our comparison of Junior stocks and shares ISA accounts and visit the providers to see their individual performance.
Money can be invested in a Junior Investment ISA for a maximum of 18 years during which time it has the potential to compound and grow.
Money invested in a Junior Investment ISA cannot be withdrawn until the child’s 18th birthday when it reverts to the child.
Yes, you can open a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA for your grandchild if you are their legal guardian. However, if you are not only their parent or legal guardian, you can open a JISA. Children cannot open their own JISA or pay into it as those under 18 are not allowed to invest.
Richard Berry
This article contains affiliate links which may earn us some form of income if you go on to open an account. However, if you would rather visit the junior stocks and shares provides via a non-affiliate link, you can view the product pages directly here: