Are Cash ISAs worth the investment?

After the Bank of England (BoE) cut interest rates to reassure the market following the Brexit vote, cash ISA returns plummeted.

According to Telegraph Money cash ISA returns fell by as much as 35% in the six months after the BoE’s decision. A quick Google shows the best rates on offer currently are just over 1% for an easy access cash ISA (meaning you can withdraw your money at any time) and 1.4% if you’re prepared to lock your savings away for three years. 

So are cash ISAs still worth the investment?

Before you decide, there are a couple of other factors to consider. The weaker pound – a by-product of Brexit – is driving up inflation. According to The Office for National Statistics: inflation has been steadily increasing since 2015 and hit 2.3% in March 2017. The BoE has predicted it could reach 2.8% by the middle of 2018.

With interest rates at record lows, this is bad news for savers; inflation eats into the value of your savings, so unless you’re earning a higher rate of return, you effectively lose money.

The Personal Savings Allowance (PSA) which was introduced in April 2016. It lets you earn up to £1,000 in interest tax-free on your savings if you’re a basic rate taxpayer and £500 if you’re an higher rate taxpayer (additional rate taxpayers don’t receive a PSA). This cancels out some of the benefits offered by a cash ISA – earning tax-free interest on your savings – especially since the annual limit is only £20,000 (in the 2017-18 tax year).

Of course, there may be cases when a cash ISA makes sense. If you switch to a higher tax bracket in the future, you might lose out on some or all of your PSA. And if you’re already an additional rate taxpayer, then it’s the only way you can earn interest on your savings tax-free. Another benefit that may not be available with other types of savings products is that your spouse or civil partner can inherit the money you hold in a cash ISA tax-free.

You need to decide whether or not a cash ISA is right for you based on your personal financial situation, but while interest rates remain low, it might be worth considering investing in a stocks and shares ISA instead. These bring with them an element of risk of course, but there’s also the potential for greater return. Stocks and shares ISAs are considered medium to long-term investments and you should be prepared to invest for at least five years.

The tax efficiency of ISAs is based on current rules. The current tax situation may not be maintained. The benefit of the tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances. The value of your stocks and shares ISA and any income from it may fall as well as rise. You may not get back the amount you originally invested.

For advice on ISAs and other types of investment planning, please get in touch.