Your guide to understanding ISAs

Transcription

1 Your guide to understanding ISAs Your money. Our expertise. This guide is for information purposes only. It should not be seen as advice. Investments in the stock market may fall as well as rise, and it is not an appropriate place for short term investments. You may get back less than you paid in. All investment carries risk and it is important you fully understand these risks and are willing to accept them. The tax advantages of ISAs may change in the future and also depend on your individual circumstances.

2 Investing in ISAs We understand that choosing to invest your money can seem daunting, especially with so many investment options available. If you re starting to think about saving or investing, an Individual Savings Account (ISA) could be a good place to begin. We ve put together this guide to help you understand what an ISA is, how it works and the different options available to you. Contents What is an ISA? 3 What are the different types of ISAs? 4 How much money can I put into an ISA? 5 The benefits of having an ISA 5 Deciding which ISA is right for you 6 ISA questions answered 7 Can I move my ISA to? 8 What happens if I pay too much money into my ISA? 8 Why invest with? 9 How to contact 10 Glossary 11 2

3 What is an ISA? An Individual Savings Account (ISA) is a taxefficient way to save or invest. Each year you have an allowance which you can choose to save or invest in an ISA. The benefits of a Stocks and Shares ISA are that you pay no Capital Gains Tax on any profits. You also pay no tax on dividends or any tax on income from interest received. In 2017/18 this allowance is 20,000, so to improve your tax efficiency, you should consider utilising your full ISA allowance each year. ISAs at a glance Cash ISA Savings It s tax-efficient Ideal if you want to access money quickly Generally low risk with a set interest rate Stocks and Shares ISA Investment It s tax-efficient A medium to long-term investment if you are able to invest money for at least three years Higher risk with higher potential return, where you might not get back the amount you invest Available from 16+ Available from 18+ 3

4 What are the different types of ISA? 1) Cash ISA A Cash ISA is very similar to an ordinary savings account, with the added benefit that you don t pay tax on the interest you earn. The simplest way to describe it is as a tax-free savings account. Cash ISAs are offered by banks and building societies, and you need to be a UK resident aged 16 or over to open one. You can start saving into one with as little as 1. There are two types of Cash ISA available, which vary depending on how quickly you might need to access your money. An easy access ISA. This pays a variable rate of interest (so the interest rate could go up or down) but you will be able to withdraw your money whenever you want to. A fixed rate ISA. This pays a fixed interest rate for a set period of time. For example, an ISA might pay up to around 2% fixed for three years. Fixed rate ISAs often pay higher interest than easy access ISAs, but you have to be prepared to lock your money away, and there s usually a penalty for early withdrawal. 2) Stocks and Shares ISA A Stocks and Shares ISA is a tax-efficient wrapper where your money is invested in the stock market. You do not pay any Capital Gains Tax on any profits made from your investments. Any income or dividends received within a Stocks and Shares ISA are also tax-free. For higher or additional rate taxpayers this could be a significant saving. If you choose to invest in a managed service like a Stocks and Shares ISA, our specialist Investment Team will take care of everything on your behalf. This includes the creation and ongoing management of suitable investments that are designed to meet your investment goals. As with any investment, it s important to realise there s a risk that the value of your investments can go down as well as up, so you may not get back as much as you originally invested. The tax advantages of ISAs may change in the future and also depend on your individual circumstances. A Stocks and Shares ISA can be opened by UK residents aged 18 or over, and should be considered a mid to long-term strategy, when you are able to put your money away for three years or more. This is the type of ISA that offers. 4

5 How much money can I put into an ISA? In each tax year, you can open one Cash ISA and one Stocks and Shares ISA as long as you don t exceed the overall annual ISA allowance available. For the 2017/18 tax year, the total ISA allowance is 20,000. You can invest your entire allowance in a Stocks and Shares ISA or a Cash ISA. You can also split it between the two (this doesn t have to be an equal split either) just as long as you don t contribute more than 20,000 in total. Take a look at the table below for an example of splitting your Cash ISA and Stocks and Shares ISAs. Amount ( ) 20,000 15,000 10,000 5, % into a Stocks and Shares ISA No investment into a Cash ISA or Stocks and Shares ISA Cash ISA You must use your allowance by the 5 th of April which is the end of the tax year, for it to count for that year. You ll get a new allowance the next tax year, but you won t be able to contribute anything to the previous year s allowance. or Stocks and Shares ISA Cash ISA The benefits of having an ISA ISAs come with a host of key benefits: 1. No tax on profits made: if you have a Stocks and Shares ISA, you are sheltered from Capital Gains Tax (CGT). This is a tax you would normally have to pay on any profits you make when you sell your investments. 2. Any income or dividends received within a Stocks and Shares ISA are also tax-free. 3. If you complete a tax return, you don t need to declare any interest, income or capital gains on an ISA. 4. You have the freedom to withdraw ISA money at any time. 5. If your investment goals change and you want to transfer a Cash ISA into a Stocks and Shares ISA, you can easily do this without losing the tax advantages. If you decide to transfer an existing Stocks and Shares ISA from one provider to another, you may incur transactional charges and dealing fees from your current provider for selling your shares. 5

6 Deciding which ISA is right for you Before you make a decision on which kind of ISA is right for you, you should think about the following: Your attitude to risk, and how comfortable you are with your money going up and down in value. What level of return you are aiming to achieve if you are looking for a higher return, that may mean you will need to be comfortable taking a greater level of risk with your investments. A Cash ISA carries less risk, so your savings will not fall in value, and will typically have a lower rate of return. A Stocks and Shares ISA carries a greater risk, so the value of your investment could go up and down over time, but it has the potential to receive a higher return. Other things to think about with a Stocks and Shares ISA Are you liable for Capital Gains Tax? In the 2017/18 financial year, every individual is able to make 11,500 a year of profit before being subject to tax. If you are likely to exceed this, a Stocks and Shares ISA would exempt you from further Capital Gains Tax. Are you liable for tax on dividends? As of April 2017, all individuals are eligible for a 5,000 tax-free Dividend Allowance, which means that you don t have to pay tax on the first 5,000 of your dividend income, no matter what income you have. Above the Dividend Allowance a basic rate tax payer would pay 7.5%. Higher or additional rate tax payers pay 32.5% and 38.1% respectively. Keeping your investments in an ISA means you are exempt from this tax, which could represent a significant saving. The tax advantages of ISAs may change in the future and also depend on your individual circumstances. All statements concerning tax treatment are based upon our understanding of current tax law and HMRC practice and can be subject to change. 6

7 ISA questions answered If you are considering investing in an ISA, you probably have a number of questions. In this section we have answered some of these for you. Can I switch provider and move my ISA? If you re looking to transfer an ISA, it all depends on what kind it is. The table below gives you a quick reference guide. ISA contributions already made this year Can I withdraw money from a Stocks and Shares ISA? The simple answer is yes as long as the rules of the ISA provider allow you to. If they do, you can have access to your money without losing the tax benefits on the rest of your savings in that ISA. Cash ISA Stocks and Shares ISA The entire amount can easily be transferred to another provider s Cash ISA or into a Stocks and Shares ISA. Or, if you d prefer, you can split it between different providers. As with a Cash ISA, you can transfer the entire amount to another Stocks and Shares ISA or Cash ISA. However, you cannot split your contribution between different Stocks and Shares ISAs. You can only open one Stocks and Shares ISA each tax year. ISA contributions made in previous years Cash ISAs Stocks and Shares ISAs The entire amount can be transferred to another Cash ISA or into a Stocks & Shares ISA. Or you can choose to split it between more than one Cash ISA or Stocks and Shares ISA. You can transfer the entire amount to another Stocks and Shares ISA or Cash ISA. Or you can choose to split it between more than one Cash ISA or Stocks and Shares ISA. 7

8 Can I move my ISAs to? Yes, it s easy. can accept transfers of both Cash ISAs and Stocks and Shares ISAs at any time of the year. Any Cash ISAs transferred to us will be moved into a Stocks and Shares ISA. To transfer an ISA to us, simply open an ISA account, and then download and complete our ISA Transfer Form. As soon as we receive it we can start the process of moving your ISA over from your current provider. We ll work closely with your current ISA provider and ensure that your existing investments are sold and the resulting cash is sent to us, so we can then invest it on your behalf. What happens if I pay too much money into my ISA? In some circumstances, an over-subscribed ISA could become void, which means that you lose the tax advantages of holding investments within an ISA. At we will work with you so that you do not pay too much into your Stocks and Shares ISA. However, one thing you will need to take into account is any money you have already in a Cash ISA with another provider within the same tax year. This is so you don t go over the total yearly ISA allowance. It is important to know that transferring ISAs from a previous year does not count towards your allowance for the current tax year. 8

9 Why invest with? is an online investment service for individuals with 10,000 or more to invest. Your investment portfolio is created and actively managed for you based on your attitude to risk and your investment goals. Our experienced Investment Managers will take care of the hard work and make investment decisions on your behalf. Your investments actively managed by experts Our specialist Investment Team will continuously manage your investment portfolio for you. They take responsibility for making changes to your investments, to help you achieve your investment goals. Their decisions are based on their experienced assessment of market conditions, and supported by the analysis of our in-house Research Team. 180 years of investment experience is part of Investec Wealth & Investment, who have over 180 years of experience managing clients investments. We re also part of the Investec Group, who currently look after over 154 billion* for clients worldwide. So you can feel confident knowing your money is in expert hands. *Funds under management as at 30 Septemeber 2017 Intelligent advice that s specific to you The advice we offer is always specific to you, your attitude to risk and your investment goals. We understand that your situation could change, so you can update your investment goals at any time. This allows our Investment Managers to continuously assess which investments are right for you. We don t just track the market Transparent fees 24/7 Access At, we won t only buy investments that simply track the market. Instead, our experienced Investment Managers, along with the support of our in-house Research Team, will actively aim to beat it. We will select investments that we believe are right for you and your investment goals. At, we believe in being totally transparent with our clients, and our fees are no exception. Fees are an important consideration in determining the long-term performance of your investment portfolio. That is why we keep our management fee as simple and low as possible. You can stay up to date with the performance of your investments whenever and wherever you like. Simply log in to your account online or via the Investec App 365 days a year. Or if you prefer you can call our dedicated support team with any account questions you may have. 9

10 How to contact If you are interested in, visit clickandinvest.com/isa. Alternatively, please call our dedicated support team who will be happy to answer any questions you have about setting up your account. Our team are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Or, if you d prefer, you can speak to us on Facebook or Twitter. Call us or us Follow us Investec Investec Investec Investec Limited is an Appointed Representative of Investec Wealth & Investment Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Investec Wealth & Investment Limited is entered on the FCA register under reference Investec Click & Invest Limited is registered in England, Company Number Registered address 2 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7QP. CLI009_V3.01/18 10

11 Glossary Bond or Fixed Interest Investments A bond is when an investor lends money to a government or company in exchange for regular interest payments, as well as future repayment of the original amount lent. Capital Gains Tax A type of tax applied on capital gains. Capital Gains are the profits that an investor receives when they sell an asset for a price that is higher than the original purchase price. Dividends A dividend is a payment made by a company to its shareholders. The level of dividend payments is determined by both the company s earnings and its management strategy. Fixed Interest Fixed interest is an interest rate such as on a loan that remains fixed either for the entire or for part of the term. Income Money received on a regular basis from investments. ISA Tax-efficient savings or investments that allow you to save and invest a limited amount, each year. There are two kinds of ISA: stocks and shares ISAs, and cash ISAs. All income you earn and capital gains you make on funds and cash held within an ISA are tax-free. Stocks When you own more than one share in a company or several companies, these are called stocks, because stock generally refers to a portfolio of shares. Shares Shares represent a share of ownership in a company and these shares are listed on the stock exchange. If you buy a share in a company, the company can use your money for its own purposes (for example, to expand its business) and in return you own a proportion of that company. The aim is for the company you invest in to grow in value, making your shares increase in value too, or to receive a share of the company s profits in the form of dividends. Tax-efficient Having less of a tax consequence than other similar investments. Wrapper The term wrapper is often used in relation to a tax wrapper. This is when investors can wrap a tax break around their investments which means it is shielded from some or all of the tax that would usually be due on it. A Stocks and Shares ISA is a form of a wrapper around an investment as you do not need to declare interest, income or capital gains on it when you complete a tax return. Interest The charge you pay to borrow money, typically expressed as a percentage of the amount borrowed. A saver or lender receives interest from the person or institution they have lent their money to. 11