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Important information - Investments can go down in value as well as up in your child's Junior ISA, so your child could get back less than you invest. The information on this page isn't personal advice - if you’re not sure if an investment is right for you or your child, please ask for financial advice. Junior ISA tax rules can change and their benefits depend on individual circumstances.

What is a Junior ISA?

A Junior Stocks and Shares ISA is a tax-efficient investment account for children under 18. Any returns are free from UK income and capital gains tax.

Parents or legal guardians can start a Junior ISA for their child. Family and friends can then add money too.

When your child turns 18 they will get access to the money - it could help give them a head start on university fees, their first home or a future nest egg.

In this video, we explain the key benefits of using a Junior ISA and how you can invest for your child’s future.

Invest up to £9,000 this tax year

How much can I invest in a Junior ISA?

In the 2023/2024 tax year (6 April to 5 April) there's a limited amount of money that can be put into your child's Junior ISA.

This tax year the Junior ISA allowance is £9,000.

Tax rules for ISAs can change and their benefits depend on individual circumstances.

HL Junior ISA charges and interest rates

Enjoy better value family investing with the HL Junior ISA.

We've removed our account charges so that more of what you pay in will benefit the child. Depending on the investments chosen, other charges could still apply.

See our JISA charges and interest rates

New

The kids can
now go free

Junior ISA investment options

To open a Junior ISA for your child you will need to know what to invest the money into. With us, you're free to choose your own investments (including funds, shares, bonds and more), pick a ready-made portfolio or you can pay a financial adviser to choose investments for you.

  • Ready-made investments
  • Over 3,000 funds
  • UK and overseas shares
  • Investment trusts
  • Bonds
  • Exchange-traded funds (ETFs)

Explore more Junior ISA investment ideas

Invest by Direct Debit

Set up a Direct Debit to automatically pay into a child's Junior ISA. Payments are taken on the 7th of the month.

Choose where to invest each month, or build up money and decide where to invest later.

Log in to get started

Get started from as little as£25per month

Think about a Junior ISA if:

  • You want to save or invest tax-efficiently for your child’s future, without impacting your personal ISA allowance
  • You want to give your child a head start when they turn 18
  • You want to transfer money away from an existing Child Trust Fund or Junior ISA

Think about alternatives to a Junior ISA:

  • You want to save more money for your child than the Junior ISA allowance allows (£9,000 per year)
  • You need to access the money sooner than your child’s 18th birthday
  • You want control over how your child uses the money once they turn 18
  • Your child already has a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA or Child Trust Fund and you don’t want to transfer it
  • You want to keep the money in a Child Trust Fund – your child can only have a CTF or a Junior ISA, not both

How to open a Junior ISA

Once you've decided to open a Junior ISA, it takes less than five minutes to get started. You'll just need a debit card and your national insurance number to hand, as well as the child’s national insurance number (if they have one). Remember that all investments can go down as well as up in value, so your child could get back less than you put in.

Two simple ways to start a Junior ISA

Open a Junior ISA

Your child is eligible if they're a UK resident, under 18 and don't already have a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA or Child Trust Fund. If they do, you'd need to transfer instead.

You can open a Junior ISA from £100 or as little as £25 per month.

Transfer a Junior ISA or Child Trust Fund

If your child already has a Child Trust Fund or Junior ISA, it's easy to transfer to an HL Junior ISA.

Join over 150,000 clients already using the HL Junior ISA

  • Security - we're a FTSE-listed company and the largest investment platform in the UK for private investors, with £127 billion in assets under administration, and trusted by over one million clients
  • UK-based helpdesk - speak to our customer support team if you have any questions
  • Family-friendly - it's easy to link and manage all your family's accounts in one place
  • Award-winning - we've won over 200 awards
  • Expertise - investment ideas for Junior ISAs from our expert analysts
  • Personalised financial advice - for extra help planning and investing for your child's future, you can pay for flexible financial advice
Easy, consistent and prompt.

MR BIRDSALL, Tadcaster

Learn more about Junior ISAs

  • How do I link a Junior ISA to another account?

    You can link a child’s Junior ISA to your own account. To get set up:

    • Log in to your account.
    • Your name will be displayed above an overview of your account. Click the ‘Add linked account’ tab next to it
    • Click the 'Add Account' button.
    • Enter your child's username, date of birth and security details.

    Once the accounts are linked, the name of the linked account will appear in the tab next to yours.

  • How to add money to a Junior ISA?

    Anyone can add money to a Junior ISA, including grandparents, friends and relatives. Please read the key features and terms and conditions (including tariff of charges) first.

    Add money online or with the HL app

    Log in to your child’s Junior ISA online or with the HL mobile app. Select ‘Top up’ from under ‘Actions’ and follow the instructions to add money with your debit card.

    Gifting money online: Select ‘Top up a Junior ISA’ and follow the instructions to add money with your debit card. You’ll need the child’s client number and date of birth to hand.

    Add money by phone or post

    To add money by phone, call us on 0117 980 9950.

    To add money by post, complete a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA Top-up form and send it to us at Freepost HARGREAVES LANSDOWN with a cheque made payable to HLAM Junior ISA Client A/C.

    If you’re gifting money by post, please include your full name, address and date of birth. To make investment instructions as well as gifting money, please make sure your letter is also signed by the account’s registered contact.

  • How to withdraw money from a Junior ISA?

    Only your child can withdraw money from their Junior ISA, and only from their 18th birthday.

    The money can also be withdrawn in the case of terminal illness or the death of the child.

  • What are the different types of Junior ISA?

    A Junior ISA is an Individual Savings Account (ISA) for a child under 18. There are two types of Junior ISA. With a Junior Cash ISA you can save cash for your child. With a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA you can invest for your child. Like all ISAs, money in a Junior ISA is free from UK Income and Capital Gains Tax. Tax rules can change and benefits depend on personal circumstances.

    Your child can have one or both types of Junior ISA, but not more than one of each type. Only your child can take money from their Junior ISA, and only after they turn 18.

    We offer a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA, which we’ll convert into a regular Stocks and Shares ISA for your child when they turn 18.

  • Who can open an HL Junior ISA?

    A parent or legal guardian can open an HL Junior ISA.

    You can open an HL Junior Stocks and Shares ISA for your child if they:

    • Are UK resident
    • Under 18 years old and
    • Don’t already have a Child Trust Fund or Junior Stocks and Shares ISA elsewhere

    If your child has a Child Trust Fund or Junior Stocks and Shares ISA elsewhere, you'll need to transfer it to HL rather than starting a new one.

    Unless they’re the legal guardian of the child, grandparents and other family members can’t open a Junior ISA for a child. But they can add money to one once it's open.

  • What is the Junior ISA allowance?

    In the 2023/2024 tax year, the Junior ISA allowance is £9,000. The deadline to add money each tax year is midnight 5 April.

  • Who can pay into a Junior ISA?

    Although the Junior ISA has to be opened by a parent or legal guardian, anyone can make a subscription up to the annual limit e.g. parents, grandparents, friends and relatives.

    Hargreaves Lansdown will not obtain consent from the registered contact before accepting subscriptions to a Junior ISA. Payments will remain as cash in the account pending an investment instruction from the registered contact.

  • Who is eligible for a Junior ISA?

    You can start a new HL Junior Stocks and Shares ISA for your child if they are a UK resident, under 18 years old, and don’t already have a Child Trust Fund or Junior Stocks and Shares ISA elsewhere.

    If your child has a Child Trust Fund or Junior Stocks and Shares ISA elsewhere, you'll need to transfer their ISA rather than starting a new one.

  • Can you invest by Direct Debit for a Junior ISA?

    Yes, it’s possible to set up a monthly Direct Debit from £25 a month.

    To set this up:

    1. Log in to your account and choose the account in which you'd like to set up a Direct Debit
    2. Click 'Monthly Savings'
    3. You'll need your bank details to hand

    Find out more about investing by direct debit

  • What happens when the child turns 18?

    When the child reaches age 18 their Junior ISA will be converted into a Stocks and Shares ISA.

    At age 18 the child will receive full access to their investments and savings and can withdraw their money if they wish to.

  • What’s the minimum I need to start an HL Junior Stocks and Shares ISA?

    You can open an HL Junior Stocks and Shares ISA from £100, or with a monthly Direct Debit from £25 a month.

  • Should you save or invest your child's Junior ISA?

    Cash is usually used for short-term savings, where you need the money in less than 5 years. But if you’re saving for your child your outlook might be longer than this. Investing in the stock market using a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA could help your child’s money beat inflation. It also offers the potential for greater rewards in return for accepting a higher level of risk. Still not sure whether to save or invest? Find out more here.

More Junior ISA FAQs

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MR THOMPSON, Hampshire

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Help and support

If you have any questions about the HL Junior ISA, you can speak to one of our client support experts by calling 0117 900 9000.

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