-
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 The Best UK Junior Stocks & Shares ISAs
| JISA Provider | JISA Account Fees | DIY or Managed | Minimum Deposit | GMG Rating | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 0.5% per year | Managed | £10 | See JISA Capital at Risk |
|
 | £0 | DIY | £1 | See JISA Capital at Risk |
|
 | £0 | DIY | £1 | See JISA Capital at Risk |
|
 | 0.25% per year | DIY | £500 | See JISA Capital at Risk |
|
 | 0.75% | Managed | £500 | See JISA Capital at Risk |
|
 | 0.75% | Managed | £500 | See JISA Capital at Risk |
|
 | 0.6% | Managed | £1 | See JISA Capital at Risk |
|
 | 0.2% | DIY | £1 | See JISA Capital at Risk |
|
 | 0.45% | Managed | £1 | See JISA Capital at Risk |
Our picks of the best junior stocks and 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
- Their own experiences testing the junior ISA accounts with real money
- In-depth comparisons of the stand-out features of each provider
- Good Money Guide’s exclusive interviews with the JISA company CEOs and senior management
- We take our review process and criteria seriously. You can find out more in our How We Rate Providers page.
Summary:
- Beanstalk: Best overall Junior Stocks & Shares ISA provider
- Wealthify: Start investing in a Junior Stocks & Shares ISA from just £1
- Interactive Investor: Get a free self-select JISA for ii customers
- 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
- Bestinvest: Good for JISA investment advice & low costs
- Nutmeg: Best JISA for simple investment options
- Moneyfarm: Good Junior Stocks & Shares ISA for simple risk-based portfolios
- Gohenry: Simple child-friendly investment ISA
Beanstalk: Best Overall Junior Stocks & Shares ISA Provider
🏆Award Winner🏆
- Investments: Cash & funds
- Minimum deposit: £1
- JISA account charge: 0.5%
- Dealing fee: £0
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.
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’s Junior ISA won our award for the best JISA in 2023 and 2022 as 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 invesments.
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
-
Pricing
(4)
-
Market Access
(3.5)
-
Online Platform
(4.5)
-
Customer Service
(4.5)
-
Research & Analysis
(3.5)
Overall
4Wealthify: 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
Wealthify’s junior ISA, lets you invest in either an original portfolio of investments from the UK and overseas or choose an ethical investment plan made from a blend of environmentally and socially responsible investments.
Wealthify JISA 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.
Wealthify JISA 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.
Wealthify Review
Name: Wealthify
Description: Wealthify is a digital wealth manager or “robo-advisor” that offers low-cost pre-made portfolios through their Original or Ethical investment plans. Wealthify is now owned by Aviva, and customers can set their own risk/reward threshold and invest through a general investment account, stocks and shares ISA, junior ISA or pension.
Capital at risk
Is Wealthify good for investing?
Yes, Wealthify is a great investment option for people who want a simple, low-cost investment account. They offer pre-made diverse portfolios to invest in where you can set your own goals, risks and potential returns. Fees are low at 0.6% of your portfolio value, but there are also investment costs of on average 0.16% for original plans and 0.7% for ethical plans. Fees do drop to 0.3% above £100k for pensions though.
Pros
- Owned by Aviva
- Simple investment options
- Low-cost
Cons
- Cannot buy individual shares
-
Pricing
(4.5)
-
Market Access
(4)
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Online Platform
(5)
-
Customer Service
(5)
-
Research & Analysis
(4)
Overall
4.5Interactive 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
If you have an investing account with Interactive Investor, you get a free Junior stock and shares ISAs account for your children. 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.
ii JISA 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.
Interactive Investor Review
Name: Interactive Investor
Description: Interactive Investor or II as its known is one of the UK’s largest self-determined investor platforms. II can trace its roots back to 1995 and the startup floated on the London stock exchange back in the year 2000 before being bought by the Australian business Ample in 2002. Today, Interactive Investor is a owned by abrdn with assets under administration of more than £50 billion and 400,000 customers to whom II offers share trading and investment services including, ISAs SIPPs and share dealing, alongside research and analysis. Including model portfolios, selected funds and thematic investments.
Why we like them
Interactive Investor differs from other investment platforms as it charges a fixed account fee, rather than a percentage of the funds you have on account. Which, over time, could save you thousands in costs.
Pros
- Fixed account fees
- Easy to use
- Good research
Cons
- No Lifetime ISA
- Expensive for very small accounts
- No derivatives for hedging
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Pricing
(4)
-
Market Access
(4)
-
Online Platform
(4)
-
Customer Service
(4)
-
Research & Analysis
(4)
Overall
4Hargreaves 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
Hargreaves Lansdown currently tops our list as the best JISA as there are no account costs and your money can be invested in the stock market.
An HL JISA is one of the best around. There are no charges for a Junior stocks and shares ISA with Hargreaves Lansdown. There are also no dealing costs for shares, funds or bonds. This and Hargreaves Lansdown’s high customer satisfaction in our awards surveys make it a great place to invest for your children.
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.
HL JISA Fees:
Hargreaves Lansdown has recently reduced the cost of their Junior ISA and JISA are now free for HL customers. There are also no fees for buying and selling funds and shares.
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
Name: Hargreaves Lansdown
Description: Hargreaves Lansdown is one of the largest investment platforms in the UK. They offer investing, savings, ISAs and SIPP account to over 1.8 million clients with 142bn in assets under management. The company was founded by Peter Hargreaves and Stephen Lansdown in 1981 and is now listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Is Hargreaves Lansdown a good broker?
Yes, Hargreaves Lansdown is one of our best-rated stock brokers and investment platforms. HL offers access to a huge range of investment types, through a wide range of general and tax-efficient accounts and is suitable for almost all types of investors.
Pros
- Wide range of investments
- Most investment account types
- Excellent research and analysis
Cons
- There are cheaper options for fund investing
- Limited portfolio hedging tools
-
Pricing
(4)
-
Market Access
(5)
-
Online Platform
(5)
-
Customer Service
(5)
-
Research & Analysis
(5)
Overall
4.8AJ 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
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.
AJ Bell JISA 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.
AJ Bell JISA Special Offers:
- Recommend a friend, and you’ll both get £100 gift vouchers – When you recommend a friend to AJ Bell Youinvest that invests more than £10,000 in a SIPP or ISA, you and your friend can get One4All gift vouchers worth £100.
- Switch your share dealing account and receive up to £500 to cover exit fees – If you transfer your share dealing general investment account valued at more than £20,000 to AJ Bell they will help cover any exit fees charged by your current provider. They will cover £35 per investment moved and up to £100 for general exit fees, up to an overall maximum of £500 per person.
- Free subscription to Shares Magazine worth £220 – 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.
AJ Bell Review
Name: AJ Bell
Description: AJ Bell is an award-winning, low-cost online investing platform for UK DIY investors. Founded in 1995, AJ Bell has grown to become one of the UK’s leading investment platforms. Today, it has more than 440,000 customers and assets under administration (AUA) of over £150 billion.
Summary
AJ Bell is an excellent full-service stock broker that offers access to UK and international shares, bonds and funds with some of the lowest fees in the industry.
Pros
- Wide range of investments
- Low account costs
- Discounts for frequent investors
Cons
- High charge when you deal over the phone
-
Pricing
(4.5)
-
Market Access
(4.5)
-
Online Platform
(4.5)
-
Customer Service
(4.5)
-
Research & Analysis
(4)
Overall
4.4Bestinvest: Good For JISA Investment Advice & Low Costs
- Investments: Shares, ETFs, funds
- Minimum deposit: £1
- JISA account charge: 0.2% to 0.4%
- Dealing fee: Shares £4.95, funds £0
Bestinvest has combined low-cost online investing and share dealing with personalised expert advice to help clients choose the right investments for their junior ISAs. A good choice for parents that want to pick their own investments with a bit of advice.
Bestinvest JISA Fees:
0.2% account fee is for holding ready-made portfolios. above £500,000 it reduces to 0.1%. For other investments, the account fee is 0.4% up to £250k. Dealing commissions £4.95 per online share trade, fund dealing is free.
Bestinvest Junior ISA Review
Name: Bestinvest Junior ISA Review
Description: Bestinvest has combined low-cost online investing and share dealing with personalised expert advice to help clients choose the right investments for their junior ISAs. A good choice for parents that want to pick their own investments with a bit of advice.
Capital at risk.
Summary
- Investments: Shares, ETFs, funds
- Minimum deposit: £1
- JISA account charge: 0.2% to 0.4%
- Dealing fee: Shares £4.95, funds £0
Fees: 0.2% account fee is for holding ready-made portfolios. above £500,000 it reduces to 0.1%. For other investments, the account fee is 0.4% up to £250k. Dealing commissions £4.95 per online share trade, fund dealing is free.
Pros
- Expert advice from professionals
- Low minimum deposit of £1
- Very low account fees from 0.2%
Cons
- No bond investing
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Pricing
(4)
-
Market Access
(4)
-
Online Platform
(3.5)
-
Customer Service
(4)
-
Research & Analysis
(4.5)
Overall
4Nutmeg: Best JISA For Simple Investment Options
Approved by Nutmeg on the 11 September 2023
- Investments: Pre-made portfolios
- Minimum deposit: £100
- JISA account charge: 0.75% – 0.45%
- Dealing fee: £0
Capital at risk. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change in the future
Approved by Nutmeg on the 11 September 2023
Nutmeg’s Junior ISA is good for parents who do not need such a wide range of investment options from platforms like Hargreaves Lansdown, Interactive Investor and AJ Bell as you cannot buy individual stocks or funds. Instead, you invest in pre-made portfolios built up from low-cost ETFs. This is a great way to build a cheap and diverse investment ISA for your children for investors who are willing to take on some level of risk. There are no dealing costs, and the fully managed account costs 0.75% per year.
Nutmeg JISA Fees:
Nutmeg charge 0.75% for their managed portfolios which drops to 0.35% for balances over £100k. For their fixed allocation portfolios, they charge 0.45% dropping to 0.25% for balances over £100k. For all portfolios, there is an additional charge by the investment fund managers of around 0.2% and the market spread on buying and selling portfolios is currently between 0.04% and 0.09%.
Nutmeg Review
Name: Nutmeg
Description: Nutmeg were among the first digital wealth managers set up in the UK, known as “robo-advisors”. Despite the term robo-advisors being used, it is an investment team that makes the investment decisions. The term robo-advisors refers more to taking the process of building a diverse portfolio automatically online.
Capital at risk. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change in the future.
Is Nutmeg any good for investing?
Yes, Nutmeg is very easy and low-cost way to invest in a range of diverse pre-made portfolios created by experts and are part of J.P. Morgan.
- Investments: 5 investment styles are made up of 34 individual portfolios
- Account types: GIA, ISA, Pension, JISA, LISA
- Management fee: 0.75% to 0.45%
Fees: Nutmeg charge 0.75% for their managed portfolios which drops to 0.35% for balances over £100k. For their fixed allocation portfolios, they charge 0.45% dropping to 0.25% for balances over £100k. For all portfolios, there is an addition charged by the investment fund manager of around 0.2% and the market spread on buying and selling portfolios is currently between 0.04% and 0.09%. More information on fees and products can be found here.
Pros
- Great for beginners
- Risk-based funds
- Socially Responsible Portfolios
Cons
- High £500 minimum investment
- 0.75%* account fee higher than Wealthify
- Cannot invest in individual shares
-
Pricing
(4)
-
Market Access
(3.5)
-
Online Platform
(5)
-
Customer Service
(5)
-
Research & Analysis
(3.5)
Overall
4.2Moneyfarm: 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
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.
Moneyfarm JISA 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%
Moneyfarm Review
Name: Moneyfarm Review
Description: Moneyfarm is a digital wealth manager that aims to make personal investing simple and accessible. It was launched initially in Italy in 2012 by Italian bankers Paolo Galvani and Giovanni Dapra and entered the UK in 2016 and has big-name financial backers such as Allianz Global Investors, Cabot Square Capital, United Ventures and Poste Italiane.
Is Moneyfarm any good?
Yes, Moneyfarm is more of a digital wealth manager rather than a robo-advisor as the portfolios are put together by investment managers, rather than automatically. The automation, as it where, is fine-tuning your portfolio to match your risk/reward choices. As opposed to other robo advisors you can also top-up your portfolio with individual shares and ETFs.
- Investments: 7 pre-made portfolios
- Account types: GIA, ISA, Pension, JISA
- Costs: 0.75% to 0.6%
Fees: Moneyfarm charges 0.75% to 0.6% up to £100k then 0.45% to 0.35% over £100k. Moneyfarm investing 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
- Easy to use
- Low fees
- Diverse portfolios
Cons
- High £500 minimum investment
- 0.75%* account fee is relatively high
- No individual US shares available
-
Pricing
(4)
-
Market Access
(4)
-
Online Platform
(5)
-
Customer Service
(5)
-
Research & Analysis
(4)
Overall
4.4GoHenry: 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
-
Pricing
(4)
-
Market Access
(3.5)
-
Online Platform
(4)
-
Customer Service
(4)
-
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 is responsible for ensuring that UK junior investment ISA platforms are properly capitalised, treat customers fairly and have sufficient 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 – Long term capital growth could see the money invested into the Junior Investment ISA appreciate over the lifetime of the account, which can run to 18 years. With regular investment and the right market, a Junior Investment ISA could grow very nicely indeed if it’s invested correctly and all those gains will be tax-free. That would be very difficult to achieve outside of the vehicle
- Money when they need it – The Junior Investment ISA is specifically designed to allow minors to save money for a time in their life when they may need a lump sum, perhaps to help towards university tuition fees, to fund driving lessons or the purchase of a car. The funds invested grow inside the tax-free shelter and can’t be accessed until the child’s 18th birthday and remain beyond temptations reach until then
- Better potential returns – A Junior Investment ISA provides much more flexibility than its savings counterpart, meaning the funds invested in the ISA can be optimised for long-term capital growth, which is likely to be the investment strategy most applicable for a minor investing for the future
Cons
- Poor performance – The main risk in using Junior Investment ISAs is the market risk of the investments within it. Stock and shares and associated funds can rise as well as fall in value. If financial markets take a turn for the worse then it’s possible that you could lose money rather than grow it for your children
- Account fees – Unlike cash ISAs you have to pay a fee to hold you investments. That said, risk and reward are two sides of the same coin. Regular saving for the longer term has been shown to be an effective way to grow our money and a well-diversified strategy can often outperform cash on deposit, which is usually seen as the risk-free alternative to stock market investment and saving
- Money locked away – The other consideration is that money invested in a Junior Investment ISA is locked away for the full term of the plan – that is until the 18th birthday of the beneficiary. So, you won’t be able to dip into those funds on a rainy day and top them up later, as they are completely ring-fenced from you
How much could a JISA be worth at 18?
Hargreaves Lansdown (which offers a free JISA) has 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 either 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 is a quick breakdown of the main fees you will 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 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 other wise 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
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