“The subject of money is not taboo in our household”
Claire Saunders
Hooray! I'm excited as I was featured in the ISA special n the Daily Mail Money Mail talking about Junior ISAs.
I'm excited because:
This is my first piece of national press – yay me !
It has prompted lots of people to ask me about Junior ISAs – yay to learning about JISAs!
And so with just a few weeks to go before the current tax year finishes, today's email is a fabulous opportunity for me to tell you more about Junior ISAs and how, depending on your personal situation and goals, including them in your plans may benefit you and your family.
Let's do this!
What is a Junior ISA?
Junior ISAs (also know as a ‘JISA’) are tax-efficient savings accounts that are designed to help parents save for their children's future.
Love that!
Right, here are a few key things to know:
✔️ You can pay £9,000 into a JISA per tax year (currently).
✔️ Interest earned on savings or gains within the JISA is tax free.
✔️ The money belongs to the child, but they can’t withdraw it until they turn 18 (other than in exceptional circumstances).
✔️ ISAs (junior or otherwise) are designed for long-term savings goals.
✔️ Junior ISAs can be cash or stock & shares JISAs, or both and split between the two.
✔️ Other family members can contribute to a child's Junior ISA too. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and godparents can all help to boost a child's savings, giving them an even greater head start in life.
Here are some top tips when it comes to Junior ISAs:
The earlier you start the better - As with any longer term saving, the more time the money has to grow the better. Starting as soon as possible help to maximise the benefits of compounding.
Do your research - Junior ISAs can be invested in a variety of ways. Consider your goals, and child's goals, when deciding on the best investment option for their Junior ISA.
Only use funds you won’t need to access - Remember that once invested, you can’t get to the money until your child is 18, and then the money is theirs.
Review regularly - Check the savings rate is competitive, or make sure you are happy with how the JISA is invested.
Keep your child involved - this is my favourite one. You will notice my quote at the beginning of this blog:
“The subject of money is not taboo in our household”
It is so important to talk about money at home.
In my home ....
We are using Junior ISAs to save for our children’s further education.
We involve our children in the process.
We show them how their investments are doing.
We discuss what the money is for and how it will support them.
We talk about the benefits of saving little and often.
They have even chosen a few places to invest that interest them for example one of my children wanted some of their investment in green energy to help the world and so we looked into that and made an ethical investment together.
Teaching our children about the importance of saving and investing, and involving them in decisions (where appropriate of course) can help instill good financial habits for their future.
Want to find out more?
Book a mini FREE 121 with me to chat about ways I can help you plan for the future and manage your family money.
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