With only 5 weeks until the end of the tax year, time is running out to maximise the valuable tax benefit of your 2015/16 ISA allowance, before it is lost forever. We have been helping ISA savers for well over a decade, and history shows us that many investors will be looking for the opportunity to receive tax-free income from their ISA allowance. With the current tax year ISA limit of £15,240 only available to use before 5th April, now could be a great time to make the most of tax-free income opportunities, as well as looking towards income ISA options for the new tax year ahead.
Why seek income from your ISA allowance?
When it comes to investing, generating an income is one of the most common demands we put on our capital, and so the opportunity to receive tax-free income is one that investors will not want to miss out on. As record low interest rates continue, and the returns available from fixed rate bonds remain largely unappealing, many are considering taking on more risk with their capital. Therefore, it is perhaps understandable why many investors are turning to income generating investment opportunities. Using your ISA allowance allows you to receive this income tax-free, thereby protecting more of your hard-earned capital from the taxman.
Take advantage of ISA transfers
Another priority at this time of year is to review your ISA transfer options. Reviewing any existing ISAs is sensible to do at regular intervals, to make sure you don’t squander the valuable tax efficient benefits of your ISA savings. Checking for low interest bearing Cash ISAs or poorly performing Investment ISAs is a prudent measure, and if you find that your current ISA is no longer offering a competitive deal, most ISAs permit you to transfer existing ISAs to them without charge – although don’t forget to check whether there are any penalties from your existing provider.
Frequency of income payments
There are many options to consider when seeking income from your capital via an ISA, including the level of income offered, degree of risk, and frequency of income payments. Investments can offer the option of annual, bi-annual or quarterly payments, but for those seeking regular income, a plan which offers monthly income payments is often the most appealing.
Defined return, defined risk
We feature two plans below, both of which offer you a defined return for a defined level of risk, which means that you know the exact terms of each plan prior to investing, and exactly what needs to happen in order to provide you with the stated returns. They also include what is known as conditional capital protection, whereby your original capital is returned at the end of the plan term, as long as the underlying investment has not fallen by more than a specified amount, normally a percentage of its starting value.
Investors can then decide based on the likelihood of this happening in combination with the income on offer. This is a unique feature of structured investments and is in contrast to other income investments where your capital is exposed to day to day stock market risk and fluctuations in value. As savers continue to face the impact of record low savings rates, this feature could be an attractive option for those considering taking on investment risk with some of their capital.
Tax-free income options using your ISA allowance
All of the investment plans featured on www.fairinvestment.co.uk are available as New ISAs and accept ISA transfers (as well as non-ISA investments) although note any application deadlines that may apply. The income paid from an investment held within an ISA is not then subject to tax, thereby resulting in the potential for an attractive stream of tax free income. To help you compare ISA investment options for income, here are two of our ISA season income best-sellers:
5.28% fixed income, monthly payments
The FTSE 100 Enhanced Income Plan from Investec has been one of our best selling income investments for a number of years, and it is particularly popular during the ISA season. The main appeal of the plan is that it offers a fixed income which is paid to you each month, regardless of the performance of the FTSE 100 Index. The annual income is currently 5.28% (paid as 0.44% each month).
The plan will also return your initial capital at the end of the term unless the FTSE falls by more than 50% during the plan term. If it does, and fails to recover by the end of the term, your initial capital will be reduced by 1% for each 1% fall, so you could some or all of your initial investment.
Fair Investment view: “One of the attractions of an ISA is that it allows income to be generated that would otherwise be subject to income tax. Should you invest in this plan directly (i.e. outside of an ISA), the income would normally be subject to income tax. Using your ISA allowance therefore offers basic rate tax payers the equivalent of 6.60% each year, and for higher rate taxpayers this rises to 8.80%.
The high level of fixed income and the monthly payment frequency are popular features and combined with a fixed term, means the investor knows exactly how much they will be paid, when, and for how long, whilst also having some capital protection against a falling stock market. The current issue of the plan also offers a Double ISA option, with the opportunity to invest using both your 2015/16 and 2016/17 ISA allowances.”
Click here for more information on the Investec FTSE 100 Enhanced Income Plan »
Up to 7.0% yield, quarterly payments
The Focus FTSE Quarterly Contingent Income Plan offers the potential for up to 7.0% annual income dependent on the performance of the FTSE 100 Index. The plans pays a quarterly income of 1.75% provided the value of the Index at the end of each quarter has not fallen by more than 25% from its value at the start of the plan. If the Index is below this level, no income would be paid for that quarter.
Your initial capital is returned at the end of the plan provided the FTSE has not fallen by more than 40%, measured at the end of the fixed term only. If it has fallen below this level, your capital will be reduced by 1% for each 1% fall, so you could lose some or all of your initial investment.
Fair Investment view: “It’s has been a while since we’ve been able to talk about the potential for up to 7.0% income from a plan based on the performance of the FTSE, but the latest issue of this popular income investment offers exactly that. The 25% barrier means that the FTSE can fall up to 25% at the end of each quarter and you would still receive 7.0% annual income. With typical yields on UK equity income funds feeling the strain at the moment, this investment could be a timely addition to those seeking high yield investment opportunities.”
Click here for more information on the Focus FTSE Quarterly Contingent Income Plan »
Don’t miss out – use it or lose it…
For those looking for income it has perhaps never been more important to manage your savings and investments carefully, and making the most of your tax-free ISA allowance should be a top priority. With only 5 weeks to go until the end of the tax year and the ISA investment deadline, it’s important to make the most of this opportunity, as well as planning ahead to maximise your tax-free income for the forthcoming tax year.
The income investments detailed above are available for individuals to use their ISA allowance and will also accept ISA transfers (from both Cash ISAs and Stocks & Shares ISAs) and non-ISA investments, with minimum investments from £3,000. The current issues of both plans also offer a double ISA option, so investors can use this year’s and next year’s ISA allowance on one application form. For the current tax year (2015/16) the annual New ISA allowance is £15,240 and this is also the limit for the next tax year (2016/17) which starts on 6th April 2016. You can therefore invest up to £30,480 into new ISAs that give you the opportunity to receive a regular tax free income.
Click here to find out more about the Investec Enhanced Income Plan »
Click here to find out more about the Focus FTSE Quarterly Contingent Income Plan »
No news, feature article or comment should be seen as a personal recommendation to invest. Prior to making any decision to invest, you should ensure that you are familiar with the risks associated with a particular investment. If you are at all unsure of the suitability of a particular investment, both in respect of its objectives and its risk profile, you should seek independent financial advice.
Tax treatment of ISAs depends on your individual circumstances and legislation which are subject to change in the future. ISA transfer charges may apply, please check with your provider.
Structured investment plans are not capital protected and are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) for default alone. There is a risk of losing some or all of your initial investment. There is a risk that the company backing the plan or any company associated with the plan may be unable to repay your initial investment and any returns stated. In addition, you may not get back the full amount of your initial investment if the plan is not held for the full term. The past performance of the FTSE 100 Index is not a guide to their future performance. These investments do not include the same security of capital as a deposit account.