Learn more about Junior ISAs

What is a Junior ISA?

A Junior ISA is a tax-efficient way to save and invest on behalf of your child.

Payments into a Junior ISA are different from adult ISAs, because the money you put in belongs to your child. Once you put money in, you can’t take it out again, except in exceptional circumstances, and your child can only get access to their money when they turn 18.

There are two types of Junior ISA:

• Junior Cash ISAs: earn interest like a savings account. The interest rate is fixed and typically based on the rate set by the Bank of England.
• Junior Stocks & Shares ISAs: (Also known as Junior Investment ISAs), these invest in financial markets with the aim of earning returns for investors that are greater than those you would get in a Junior Cash ISA. Returns are not guaranteed, and the value of your investments can go down as well as up.

Your child can have one or both types of Junior ISA and you can deposit up to the annual limit of £9,000 into them in any combination you like.

For example, you could pay £3,000 into a Junior Cash ISA and up to £6,000 into a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA, or vice versa. You can split the allowance however you want to between the two accounts.

The benefit of a Junior ISA is that you or your child won’t pay tax on any interest, returns or dividends they receive.  

Wealthify only offers a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA.  Any money paid into a Junior ISA will belong to the child, but they cannot access it until their 18^th birthday.

How does a Junior ISA work?

Junior ISAs allow your child to keep more of their money by protecting any positive returns they receive from income tax and capital gains tax.

Only a child’s parent or legal guardian can open a Junior ISA account on their behalf.

Your child can have one Junior Cash ISA and/or a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA at any time, into which you can currently contribute a maximum of £9,000 per tax year, per eligible child. You can split the amount however you choose between a Junior Cash ISA and a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA as long as the combined amount doesn’t exceed the annual limit.

You don’t need to use the same provider for your child’s Junior Cash ISA and Junior Stocks and Shares ISA, so you’ve got flexibility to choose the best option for you and your child.

At the start of each new tax year, on 6 April, the child’s annual Junior ISA allowance re-sets and you can start another year of tax-efficient saving for each child.

Your child will only be able to access the money within their Junior ISA when they turn 18.

When they turn 18, the Junior ISA is automatically changed into an adult ISA. At this point, they can choose to keep saving or investing, or they can withdraw some or all of the balance to help pay for things like university, or a new car.

Who is a Junior ISA for?

If you want to build an investment pot for your child that neither you or they can touch until your child turns 18, then a Junior ISA could be the answer. Any money paid into a Junior ISA belongs to the child and cannot be withdrawn by anyone other than the child when they turn 18.  

Junior ISAs are available to children who:

• Are under the age of 18
• Are residents of the UK, or are dependants of a crown employee (e.g. army employee based overseas)
• And don’t already have a Child Trust Fund (CTF).

You can transfer your Child Trust Fund over to a Wealthify Junior ISA, but your child cannot have a CTF and a Junior ISA at the same time. When transferring a CTF to a Junior ISA, the full balance must be transferred.   

Who can open a Junior ISA?

Junior ISAs can only be opened by the parent or legal guardian of a child under the age of 18 who fits the eligibility criteria. Once opened the parent/guardian will become the registered contact for the account.

As the registered contact for a Junior ISA, you are the only person authorised to make decisions about the management of the account. You’ll also need to keep Wealthify informed if the child’s personal details change; e.g. if they change their name, address, contact number, or get married. 

When the child turns 18, they will become the registered contact and their Wealthify Junior ISA will change into an adult ISA. They can either keep investing, move it somewhere else, or withdraw some or all of it e.g. to help pay for university, or a car.

The money in a Junior ISA will never belong to the parent/guardian. It belongs to the child, but they won’t be able to access it until their 18^th birthday.

How does someone get access to become a contributor?

You’ll need to log in to your Wealthify account and invite them – the invite will include all the details they need to know in order to get started. They’ll then need to sign up and create a Wealthify contributor account (they can skip the signing up bit if they already invest with us!)

From their Wealthify dashboard, they’ll be able to verify their identity either through a text message we’ll send them or a PIN code you provide. Once they’ve completed verification, they’ll be able to add to your child’s Junior ISA.

If they’re new to Wealthify then they’ll need to set up their bank details to get started, but this will be saved for future contributions.