Investing for children

Self-directed investing

Give your child or grandchild a head start in life by investing in their future with our range of flexible options.

Junior ISA

With a Junior Investment ISA, you can invest up to £9,000 on behalf of each child in each tax year. There’s no income tax or capital gains tax due on your returns, and the money’s locked away until the child turns 18.

Benefits of investing in a Junior ISA

Regular investing made easy

Set up a direct debit from as little as £25 a month to help make regular savings into the child’s account.

Higher returns

As your money is invested in the stock money, it has the potential to deliver higher returns than savings accounts. But it’s important to remember that investments aren’t guaranteed. The value of your investments could fall, and you may get back less than you invested.

Ready access to your investments

View your portfolios 24/7 with our easy-to-use online portal. You can also access your account through the BPS app.

Key features of a Junior ISA

Only parents or guardians can open an account. But anyone can contribute.
Money can only be accessed when the child turns 18 years old.
You can invest up to £9,000 on behalf of each child each tax year.
All resulting dividends and capital gains are tax free.

Open of transfer a Junior ISA

Bare trust

A Bare Trust allows you to invest as much as you like for your child or grandchild’s future. By appointing yourself as a trustee, you can retain some control over what the money is used for.

No investment limits

Invest from as little as £500. As there are no limits to how much you can invest into a Bare Trust, it can be a suitable option for parents and grandparents looking to invest large amounts of money. Any gains or income uses the child’s personal tax allowances for income and capital gains tax.*

The money’s locked away, but there’s some flexibility

The child can’t access the money until they’re 18. But it can be used for their benefit in limited circumstances – for example, you could use it for education. Returns may be taxed.

Long-term investing

The account can remain open beyond the child’s 18th birthday.

Regular investing

Set up a direct debit from as little as £25 a month. This helps you make regular savings into your child’s account.

* An exception is gifts for parents – if the income exceeds £100, the full income for the account will be taxed as if it belongs to the parent.

Download the Bare Trust application form

Child Trust Fund

Child Trust Funds (CTFs) were offered by the government to children born between 2002 and 2011. Children received cash vouchers of £250 (or £500 if you were on a low income), which were added to their CTF by the government.

New CTFs can no longer be opened, but your child may still have one. You can add up to £9,000 a year into it, or you can transfer a CTF into a Junior ISA. To do this, simply open a Junior ISA and complete a transfer form.

Should I transfer my Child Trust Fund to a Junior ISA?

There are some potential benefits:

CTFs have limited investment options compared to Junior ISAs. Our Junior ISA currently offers 11 different portfolio options.
Some CTF providers only allow accounts to be managed via post or over the phone. Our Junior ISA can be managed online 24/7, as well as via phone and post.
Even if you’ve utilised your full CTF allowance, you can still transfer into a Junior ISA.

Open of transfer a Junior ISA

Why choose RBC Brewin Portfolio Service (BPS)?

We have over 250 years of experience in helping people grow their wealth, taking a long-term view of investment and client relationships.

BPS is an execution only, non-advice service. We provide pre-determined portfolios which are designed by our in-house experts. We take on the hard work of picking what assets are in these portfolios, so you don’t have to. You just need to choose your investment style and risk category – we will do the rest.

Expert management, simple fees

You get access to our expert investment thinking through a range of pre-determined portfolios. Our simple fee structure ensures you know exactly what you’re paying, while you can track performance any time via our app or online.

A human touch

We know how important the human touch is, so you’ll always speak directly to a member of the team. Our UK-based experts are on hand when you need them to answer any questions you may have.

Call us on 0333 207 9003
Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm
Saturday 8am to 12pm

Email us at customer.services@brewin.co.uk

Write to us at:
Brewin Portfolio Service
Sixth Floor, Atria One
144 Morrison Street
Edinburgh, EH3 8BR

Common questions on investing for children

No. The investment is exposed to risk. The value of the underlying stock market investments can fall as well as rise.

As BPS is a non-advised service, you should be comfortable making your own investment decisions. Our friendly, UK-based BPS Customer Service team is here to help. We can answer any questions you have about the service or portfolios we offer.

You can call us on 0333 207 9003 or send us an email at customer.services@brewin.co.uk, opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9pm to 5pm.

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This does not constitute tax or legal advice. Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client. It may be subject to change in the future. You should always check the tax implications with an accountant or tax specialist.