How to kick the cash habit and pick a stocks and shares Isa

Times

7 days ago

The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, wants more of us to reap the rewards of investing but many savers just do not want to invest or do not know where to start — now is a good time, though.
Last week the Bank of England cut the base rate to 4 per cent, the lowest it has been since March 2023. Where the base rate goes, cash Isa rates tend to follow — so how can savers missing out on the stock market make the jump? Here, Money explains why a stocks and shares Isa might work for you, how to pick one and how to start investing.
Savers ploughed more than £41.6 billion into cash Isas in the 2022-23 tax year, compared with £28 billion into the stocks and shares equivalent. Reeves thinks cash savers are missing out on better long-term returns.
The chancellor's reforms, described as the 'widest-ranging' in a decade, will give banks and financial firms powers to push savers towards the stock market. Risk warnings will be watered down, while a government-backed advertising campaign will sell the benefits of investing.
Reeves is also understood to be pondering a shake-up of the Isa rules in her autumn budget, and could slash the cash Isa annual allowance to incentivise more people to use stocks and shares Isas instead.
Every adult has an annual £20,000 allowance to invest in an Isa every year, with all returns free of income tax and capital gains tax.
• All we have in common is our love for the cash Isa
Typically offered by banks or investment platforms, such as Hargreaves Lansdown or AJ Bell, stocks and shares Isas allow you to invest in shares, funds and bonds.
Unlike cash Isas, which offer a guaranteed interest rate, stocks and shares Isa are invested in the stock market, which is more volatile. This means there is a chance of losing money, but it should bring you higher returns in the long run.
Despite this, most people tend to opt for the cash Isa, seeing it as a safer home for their savings. In 2022-23, 7.8 million savers put money into a cash Isa account, more than double the 3.8 million who invested in a stocks and shares equivalent.
Jason Hollands, from the investment platform Bestinvest, said: 'While cash savings may seem secure, there is a risk that if you get a low return that doesn't keep pace with inflation, you will be worse off in real terms.
'Investment in the stock market over a reasonable time horizon, at least five years, has nearly always provided better returns than cash savings.'
There are many things to consider when deciding on which investment platform to hold your Isa with. The range of investments on offer, the information provided, the fees and how easy the platform is to use all vary significantly.
The independent comparison site Investing Insiders has rated 45 of the biggest stocks and shares Isa platforms across ten categories, including fees, ready-made portfolios and customer service.
Its top pick overall for a stocks and shares Isa is Invest Engine, which scores five out of five on its rating system.
Antonia Medlicott from Investing Insider said: 'This is the lowest-cost Isa on the market, and there's a fully managed option available, as well as DIY investing with zero account fees. It's a nice app, and past performance figures on their managed portfolios is strong.'
AJ Bell is the second pick, with Medlicott commending the wide range of markets available. XTB is rated third because of its low price, excellent investment options, and the fact that you can earn 4.5 per cent interest on uninvested cash.
• The cheap and easy way to invest (without the risk)
Costs are key when it comes to choosing where to put your money, because platforms often charge a management fee, usually a percentage of your pot each year. Some have no fees at all and others charge as much as 1.5 per cent of what you hold.
Investing Engine is the cheapest platform as of January this year, according to Investing Insiders, charging no fees at all. Trading 212 is next cheapest, with investors having to pay £30 in fees on a £20,000 Isa allowance where they invest all of it in a one-time stock trade in UK or non-UK stocks.
On the other end of the scale, according to Investing Insiders — which includes annual management and foreign exchange fees in its calculations — is Interactive Investor, with a £20,000 investment costing £363.87, while the same investment with Hargreaves Lansdown would cost £239.45.
You can also sign up for a stocks and shares Isa through your bank, for example at Santander, Lloyds or HSBC. In some cases only ready-made investment Isas are available — for example, NatWest customers can choose only from five ready-made funds rated from low to high risk, and the bank charges 0.55 per cent of your investment.
Others, such as Halifax and Barclays, allow customers to pick from a wide range of international shares, funds and bonds, similar to an investment platform. Barclays charges 0.25 per cent for accounts under £200,000, and Halifax charges £36 a year, not including dealing fees.
Medlicott said: 'Banks can suit some investors, but you'll usually get more choice with a specialist platform. For simple fund investing through an Isa, your bank may be fine — just watch out for hefty foreign exchange fees on international trades.'
Some funds provide a flat fee for investors, which can be attractive for those with bigger pots, as percentage fees on large portfolios can add up.
Analysis by Kepler found that if you invested £50,000 in funds growing at 10 per cent a year into a platform that charges no fees, your portfolio would be worth £336,000 after 20 years. If that investment was on a platform charging 0.45 per cent, your return would be £30,000 less.
• Banks to push cash savers towards investing
Ed Monk from the investment platform Fidelity said: 'Cost is really important when it comes to picking your platform because investors will have to pay something whether their investment goes up or down, and fees can make a big difference over the long run.
'There is no hard or fast rule with this, but a lot of investors try to keep the cost of investing between 0.5 and 1 per cent.'
Stocks and shares Isas can be largely split between two categories: ready-made and do-it-yourself.
Ready-made or managed Isas are typically tailored for you depending on your investment goals and risk appetite. While more than 20 platforms provide this option, providers such as Nutmeg, Moneyfarm and Wealthify specialise in it.
These can be popular with beginner investors or those who are time-strapped. Once the money is in, investors don't have to do anything else but watch their investment grow.
Analysis by Investing Insiders rates Moneybox the top performer for ready-made Isas, with 37.4 per cent returns over the past five years. This is based on an initial investment of £20,000 and an annual top-up of £5,000. Saxo was second at 26.4 per cent, with AJ Bell third at 23.6 per cent over the same time.
• Read more money advice and tips on investing from our experts
If you are more keen to take control of your investments and have the time, a DIY stocks and shares Isa could be a good option.
This is simply an investment account within an Isa account wrapper, which gives you the freedom to invest in whatever you want. These are usually more popular with more experienced investors as they allow you to buy funds and pick stocks within your Isa wrapper.
'I would put AJ Bell or Trading 212 as my top picks for DIY stocks and shares platforms — they are both well priced and provide a good choice of assets,' Medlicott said.
For Laith Khalaf, from AJ Bell, the most essential thing is to get your money into an Isa, particularly in the present climate. He said: 'When you look at taxes rising everywhere else, to have this oasis of tax protection is incredibly valuable.'