By ADRIAN LOWCOCK 01/04/2009
The investment industry has long focused on what it affectionately calls the ‘ISA Season’, the period in March and April when investors make a last-minute rush to secure their ISA allowance before the end of the tax year. Indeed, the ‘ISA season’ accounted for 28% of all ISA investments made in the last tax-year. The ISA Season has become shorter in recent years, with new ISA investments increasingly being concentrated in the last few weeks of the tax-year. We have seen this trend continue this year with a surge in clients investing in the last few days to secure their 2008/09 ISA allowance. Despite volatile markets in recent months, clients appear to be looking for alternatives to low interest cash accounts and want to make the most of one of the few tax shelters available to individuals.
If you’ve left it until the last minute to invest in your 2008/09 ISA but are still unsure about where to invest, don’t panic. Here we make a few suggestions for you to consider.
Bestinvest ISA Model Portfolios
The Bestinvest research team have blended together a series of five ISA portfolios to meet your investment objectives. These models have been designed for investors looking to use their full £7,200 ISA allowance. You can deal online at www.bestinvest.co.uk/isa/riskselection.aspx.
Multi-Asset Portfolios
Alternatively, you might prefer to get the experts to manage your ISA for you, leaving you free to concentrate on other things. Bestinvest offer a solution, our Multi-Asset Portfolios. These invest in 5 different primary asset
classes: Bonds, Equities, Cash, Commodities and Property. And we’ve developed 5 portfolios, each with a different blend of assets and underlying investments, to create an investment strategy for every investor. With no initial commission, every penny is invested to work harder for you. Graham Frost, our Chief Investment Officer and his team actively manage the portfolios to take advantage of market conditions. In these uncertain conditions, Bestinvest Multi-Asset Portfolios are ideal for clients who:
- Are looking for a diversified investment strategy
- Don’t have the time to manage investments themselves
- Want to invest, but are unsure how to take advantage of a changing market
- Minimum investment of £1,000
Find out more at www.bestinvest.co.uk/multiasset/index.aspx.
Cash
For those who want more time to choose their investments they can place their money into an ISA and hold it in cash, waiting for the opportunity to invest to appear. Cofunds offer a Cash Reserve account and you can deal online at www.bestinvest.co.uk/isa/fundsindex.aspx.
Investment Advisers
Still not sure of what to do? Our advisers are on hand. You can call them on 020 7189 9999, 8:30pm to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday and this Saturday we will be open from 9am until 4pm. They are happy to talk to you over the phone regarding your investments. Alternatively, you can e-mail them at best@bestinvest.co.uk.
Don’t forget, whilst many investment firms are now unable to accept your application forms for this tax year, you can invest online at www.bestinvest.co.uk until midnight on Sunday 5 April – and benefit from no initial charges on almost all rated funds.