Tips for tax-efficient investing.
Our experts share their top tips for making the most of your money.
> Take stock of your finances
> Make the most of your tax allowances
> Get more from your ii account
Important information - This page aims to provide you with a summary of the different investment options, tools, apps and services available to ii customers. The investments referred to may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, an investor should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser. Please remember, the value of your investments, and the income derived from them, may go down as well as up. You may not get back all the money that you invest. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future.
Tax-efficient investing is crucial in today's environment of red hot inflation and lower interest rates. Investors need to make tax centre stage when planning how to minimise risk and maximise returns.
ii offers three tax wrappers - a Stocks and Shares ISA, a Junior ISA, and a Self-Invested Personal Pension - each with their own set of benefits, allowing investors to choose the most suitable investment solutions for their circumstances.
Below you will find our own experts' top tips for managing your investments ahead of tax year end and beyond.
Take stock of your finances.
ii expert tip #1.
Review your pensions and investments.
Make a list of your old pensions and investment accounts and find out what you’re paying in fees - it may surprise you. It’s not just about investments - money sitting in interest-bearing savings accounts could be losing value under the weight of inflation. Could that money be working harder in an ii SIPP or ISA?
ii expert tip #2.
Save when you bring your investments together.
With ii, you can have all your investments under one roof for a low, flat monthly fee. What’s more, having all your accounts together in one place can save you time when it comes to managing your investments. Don't pay more than you have to.
ii expert tip #4.
Keep calm and pay less tax.
Shrinking tax allowances have made protecting your wealth from the taxman, inside an ISA or pension, even more important. The Capital Gains Tax (CGT) allowance reduced £6,000 to £3,000 in April 2024. Make sure you understand how this affects you and what it means for your investment plan.
ii expert tip #5.
Broaden your investment horizons.
Investing internationally means you can access household names like Apple, Microsoft and Tesla, as well as lesser-known growth stocks not available on UK markets. ii's multi-award-winning international service gives you access to more investments than any other provider in the market.
ii expert tip #6.
Engage with your investments.
You may have heard that knowledge is power, and at ii we have a growing catalogue of expert tips, news and insights to help you invest smarter. Our daily insights and ideas take the form of articles, videos and podcasts – so you can stay up to date while on the go, or in the comfort of your home.
Make the most of your tax allowances.
ii expert tip #7.
Take full advantage of your ISA.
This year's adult ISA allowance is £20,000 – so if you have cash to spare and unused allowance, or shares in a Trading Account, now is the time to make your money work harder. The more you pay in now, the more time your money has to grow. With ii, you only pay a low monthly flat fee for your entire subscription and not for each account.
ii expert tip #8.
Save for a better retirement.
You can contribute up to 100% of your annual earnings to a pension (capped at £60,000 - or £10,000 if you've started drawing flexible income from your pension) and get tax relief at your marginal rate. So if you have spare cash lying around in savings or leftover monthly income, it could be working harder in your pension. Even an extra 1% of your salary can mean an extra £25,000 in retirement.
Check out our SIPP calculator to see if you are saving enough for retirement, and our pension drawdown calculator to find out how long your pension could last.
ii expert tip #9.
Plan for your children’s future.
There are many ways you can help support your children’s financial future - teaching them about pocket money, saving in an ISA to help pay school fees, or by opening a Junior ISA to give them a helping hand once they turn 18. You can add Junior ISAs to your ii account at no extra cost, and you can contribute up to £9,000 per child per year.
Get more from your ii account.
Not only do you get our Stocks and Shares ISA and Trading Account for £4.99 a month – we also provide a range of tools and resources to help you become a better investor.
ii expert tip #11.
Invest little and often with regular investing.
Regular investing means topping up your investments monthly - a bit like putting money into savings. It carries a smaller risk than investing a lump sum, because you won't be as exposed to sudden price drops. You also stand to gain more from the upswings. With ii, you can start from as little as £25 per month, and it’s free with your service plan.
ii expert tip #12.
Let the experts do that hard work for you.
Our team of expert analysts and writers have put together a range of tools and information to help you become a better investor.
- Quick-start Funds - a simple starting point for investing, each offering a different level of risk.
- Super 60 investment list – our rated list of quality investment options, designed to suit all investors.
- ACE 40 sustainable list – our list of sustainable investments, narrowed down from our long list.
ii expert tip #13.
Invest in line with your values.
Climate change has accelerated the pace of innovation across all sectors of the economy, and a growing number of investors are leading the charge by investing sustainably. Sustainable investing is personal and subjective and ii makes it easy to find investments that are aligned to your values.
Enhance your ii experience.
The value of your investments may go down as well as up. You may not get back all the money that you invest. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment product or service, you should seek advice from an authorised financial advisor.
Open an account
Whether you are looking for a general trading account, an ISA or a SIPP, we’ve got you covered with a low, flat fee.
SIPP.
Take control of your pension with our £5.99 a month Which? Recommended SIPP.
The best things in life are free trades.
Get the new tax year off to a flying start, with £100 worth of free trades when you open an ii ISA by 30 April.
That means we'll cover the first £100 worth of your trading fees when you invest in anything, from Amazon to Zoom.
New customers only. Capital at risk. Other charges apply. Terms apply.
Please remember, SIPPs are aimed at people happy to make their own investment decisions. Investment value can go up or down and you could get back less than you invest. You can normally only access the money from age 55 (57 from 2028). We recommend seeking advice from a suitably qualified financial advisor before making any decisions. Pension and tax rules depend on your circumstances and may change in future.