ISA Guide - Barclays

ISA Guide - Barclays January 12

Filed under ISA Investment Guides by Isa guides | 0 comments

Next to come under our ISA spotlight is Barclays, which offers three primary kinds of ISA which all benefit savers in different ways depending on their outlook and requirements.

The bank describes its Mini Cash ISA as a kind of “umbrella”, sheltering the interest you earn on your savings from the predatory advances of the taxman. This investment lets you save up to £3,000 per annum without paying tax on the interest, and prides itself on the instant access a saver has to their money. It also has a tiered set of interest rates - meaning that the more somebody saves, the more they earn.

Barclays’s Five-Year Protected FTSE Plan is an altogether vaster offering aimed at customers “who want to benefit from the growth potential of the FTSE 100 Index but want to protect their initial investment”. The returns on investment are linked directly to the FTSE 100 Index’s performance and promise to equal 115 per cent of any rises it experiences compared with the averaged-out 12-month level of the Index. It does have a potential early maturity option, with a plan able to mature early if, on September 14th 2009, the FTSE 100 Index’s level is 20 per cent or more above the initial index level. An enhanced return equal to 23 per cent of the initial investment is promised in such instances.

The plan is not suitable for people who want regular returns on their money or wish to add to their savings regularly, along with those who might want to access their cash over a five-year period.

Barclays Stockbrokers also offers a range of self-select ISAs based on a broad range of tradable products and investing tools - allowing up to £7,000 per year to be invested and allowing the investor to enjoy tax-free profits at any time in his or her life. Self-select ISAs - available both in maxi and mini varieties - are ideal for those who would like to gain the tax benefits of a regular ISA but desire to have control over their investment choices. Stocks and shares, Funds, Covered Warrants and Investment Notes are among the areas into which money can be stored, leaving a wide range of options open to the more creatively-minded investor.

When an investor trades more than ten times in a quarter the commission rate sinks to as low as £7.50 per online trade from its standard £12 - demonstrating that this kind of ISA is well and truly beneficial for the proactive and dynamic individual.

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.