There are so many different investment opportunities available to UK consumers that it is difficult to know which one has the most advantages. Unfortunately, many funds and investment schemes are affected by income and capital gains taxes that have a detrimental impact on the earnings you take home. However, ISA accounts, which were introduced in 1999, allow you to have as much as £10,200 to invest in cash as well as stocks and shares, and the interest or income you receive from these savings will be completely tax free. So, why does this make an ISA account a desirable opportunity to consider? This article aims to find out.

What makes ISA accounts so alluring can be that more or less anyone can benefit from an account. For cash ISAs, where a maximum of £5,100 can be held, you must be older than 16 years of age to open an account in your own name. Meanwhile, for stocks and shares ISAs, where you are allowed to invest another £5,100, you can additionally use the allowance of your cash ISA to create a total investment fund of £10,200.

Mixing and matching both stocks, shares and cash within your allowance is not a problem either, and it can also reduce the risk of placing all of your assets into the markets. Because of how investment portfolios including stocks and shares ISAs can produce losses as well as gains, the minimum age of an applicant is 18, and it is urged that the account holder is fully aware of the implications of one of these ISAs in advance.

Many funds will provide prospective investors with a factsheet full of information about the performance of the fund in recent years. Due to the statistical nature of these documents, it can be hard to get an idea of how some funds are expected to perform in the future, and this is why you will be able to read a fund manager’s report on most factsheets. This is where the executives at the helm of each investment opportunity provide insights into performance over the past few months, while also confirming the direction and improvements that are going to be made in the immediate future. Investing up to £10,200 into one of these funds is a serious commitment, and this is why you should use these factsheets to be assured of their reputation as serious investors who are intent on getting good returns without jeopardising your assets unnecessarily.

Now we have considered the factors you should review before applying for an ISA, what are the purposes that such a savings account could have in your long-term financial prospects? First of all, it is important to plan out what role your savings will have in the future. If you have a nest egg for your children’s tuition fees in 10 years, a five-year fixed-rate ISA is ideal because you are certain that the money will not need to be accessed. However, if your plans are subject to change, getting an instant-access ISA over a shorter timeframe will ensure you can take back your money. Withdrawing savings from an ISA account before maturity can mean you forego the interest gained beforehand. For those who can place money aside to grow over the long-term, fixed-rate ISAs will provide a higher rate of interest that can lead to more generous tax-free returns.

Sometimes, having savings that you can’t touch won’t be practical, particularly in this unfortunate economic climate when unemployment levels are high. Opening an instant access account can be the best ISA for many people who want to have some financial protection to pay their bills in the event of redundancy. In addition, the savings in a high-interest, tax-free account can also provide funds for unexpected repairs, the excess on your insurance, or something more pleasant like a holiday.

Despite the use of traditional bank branches being in decline among everyday consumers due to the rise of Internet banking, talking to a financial advisor or an expert in your local area may allow you to get a clearer picture of the opportunities in front of you. Indeed, you could find that you are entitled to exclusive ISA deals because you are already an existing customer.

If you are unfamiliar with this form of saving money, you should try to obtain as much research as possible, and this is why the alternative of opening an online ISA account can be just as convenient as meeting an expert face-to-face. Thanks to the wealth of reputable information online, you will be able to take all of the time you need to decide which ISA is most appropriate for your assets, and all in the comfort of your own home.

In some ways, you could say that the world of ISAs is a buyer’s market, with all sorts of banks, building societies and financial institutions vying for your attention. To do this, they may lure you in with introductory offers, where you might receive a preferential interest rate for the first 12 to 18 months of the account. Don’t hesitate to review these thoroughly as you compare ISAs available to you; these deals could make your money go even further.

The final thing to consider is this: with cash ISAs, you don’t have to have £5,100 ready to place in your account immediately. As an alternative, you are more than welcome to deposit money into your account in monthly increments so the value of your ISA increases throughout the year. It is advisable that you have a minimum investment of between £500 and £1,000 to make yourself eligible to open accounts with the best interest rates. Even though you can open an ISA with less, you may find that the return you earn on your savings isn’t as generous. Because of the Bank of England’s low base rate at present, making the AER or APR on your account as high as possible should be paramount.