ISA stands for individual savings account. ISAs are an efficient way to save and invest as you pay little or no tax on the interest you earn up to the annual ISA allowance.
Whatever your savings goals, having an ISA could be a good idea.
Some ISAs give you instant access to your money, offering you a more flexible way to save and plan your finances in the shorter term.
There are also Fixed Term ISAs designed to give you 1 or 2 years Fixed Interest.
If you have longer term savings goals, ISAs can help you save and invest in a tax-efficient way. Stocks and shares ISAs are supposed to be a medium to long-term investment. This means they should be held for at least five years.
Your ISA allowance applies to you as an individual. Being married or living with your partner, for example, won’t affect your allowance.
There are four types of ISAs available but not all providers will offer each one:
Our Instant Access ISA is an instant access savings account with variable interest rates. This means the interest rate can go up or down. Must be 16 or over and UK resident.
We offer a 1 or 2 fixed rate ISA, meaning the interest rate is fixed for whatever period you choose. You can’t pay in or take money out once the term has started. If you do, an Early Closure Charge may apply. Must be 16 or over and UK Resident. Minimum deposit required.
Paying into an ISA is known as subscribing. You can subscribe to one of each type of ISA in a tax year, providing that you don’t subscribe more than your ISA allowance across all of them. The 2020/2021 tax year runs from 6th April 2020 to 5th April 2021. Your allowance for this year is £20,000.
If you have our Instant Access cash ISA, you can’t withdraw money and then reinvest it in the same tax year if it means your total deposits would be more than your ISA allowance.
For example: The ISA allowance is £20,000. If you pay £16,000 into your cash ISA and take out £500, you can only save up to £19,500 by the end of the tax year.
If you have our Fixed Rate ISA, you can’t take money out during your one or two-year term. To access your money, you’d have to close your account and an Early Closure Charge may apply.
You can only pay into one cash ISA per tax year. If you want to switch your ISA to another provider, there’s a process in place which safeguards your tax-free entitlement. Transfers can take up to seven working days.
Visit our ISA transfer page to find out more.
It can take up to 30 days to complete the transfer of a stocks and shares ISA to a cash ISA. Your stocks and shares ISA provider will sell your investments and send the cash to your new provider. Your new provider will put the cash into your account, keeping it within the ISA wrapper. Your tax-efficient entitlement will be safeguarded by the transfer process.
Visit our ISA transfer page to find out more.
If you haven’t deposited money into your cash ISA for a full tax year, and you want to pay into it again, you need to reactivate your account.To reactivate a cash ISA, just fill out our online reactivation form.
If you already subscribe to a cash ISA, you can carry on saving into this account as long as you don’t go over your annual ISA allowance. Or you can open and transfer to a new ISA.
Great decision. To make the most of your ISA allowance, try and open your new ISA before the last day of this tax year (5th April 2020).
If you're unsure ISAs are the right savings accounts for you we offer other ways you could save with us.
