ISAs in a nutshell

An Individual Savings Account (ISA) is a tax efficient ‘wrapper’ designed to help you save money.

Simply put, you can place cash or investments into an ISA and the interest or gains you make are tax-free.

But things are rarely simple when tax is concerned, hence the need for a guide like this. Changes made to the system over the past couple of years, aimed at simplifying your options, make it essential that you know just what you can invest, where and how.

The problem is that there are a bewildering variety of ISAs on the market and all offer many different products and investment opportunities.

Our aim is to try and guide you through the ISA minefield and give you important pointers to finding a product that suits you. In other words we want to help you help yourself.

To avoid wasting your ISA allowance you need to take up your annual ISA entitlement by the end of the current tax year on April 5.

So don't dilly-dally - read the rest of this guide today.