Which? Recommended Provider
“A simple way to invest, at a fraction of the cost of its rivals”
Learn moreWhat is a Junior ISA?
It’s an investment account for children that comes with some serious tax benefits. Any returns are tax-free.
Only a parent or legal guardian can open and manage a Junior ISA, but anyone can pay into it – up to a total of £9,000 a year. Perfect if you have relatives or friends who’d like to help out.
The money in a Junior ISA is locked away until your child turns 18, giving it plenty of time to grow. Once your child is 18, the money is theirs. They can continue investing, or withdraw the money – whether it’s for university fees, to travel the world or something else entirely.
Why choose our Junior ISA for your child
Straightforward
Our range of funds gives you a low-cost and easy way to diversify. And opening an account takes just 10 minutes.
Low cost
We keep our fees low so you keep more of your returns. Our account fee is just 0.15% of your investments.
Over 45 years of experience
We’ve been taking a stand for investors for over 45 years. Now over 50 million clients worldwide invest with us for their future.
Open an account in 3 steps
1. Enter a few personal details
We just need some basics about you and your child, like date of birth and National Insurance number (if they have one).
2. Choose your funds
Pick your investments from over 85 Vanguard funds or choose a ready-made portfolio.
3. Decide how much to invest
Start investing from £100 a month or a one-off £500.
Choose how you want to invest
Pick a ready-made portfolio
Keep things simple and pick one of our ready-made portfolios. Each portfolio balances risk and reward by mixing bonds and shares. Pick the one that suits your goal and attitude to risk.
Build your own portfolio
If you’re a hands-on investor you can build your own portfolio using our individual funds. You can choose from a wide range of fund types to suit your investment style and attitude to risk.
Good habits start young
Starting when your child is young can help their money grow as fast as they do. It’s also an opportunity to teach them about investing.
Imagine you invested £2,500 on your child’s 9th birthday and added £100 each month (increasing it by 2% each year for inflation). By their 18th birthday they’d have over £17,000*. That’s a good start in life, and an important lesson in the value of investing.
*Source: Vanguard calculations. Based on a 5% average rate of return on their Junior ISA investments. Not including costs. This example is hypothetical and does not reflect real or guaranteed future results.
Helping your grandchild fulfil their dreams
As a grandparent or relative, you can help your niece, nephew or grandchild by contributing to their Junior ISA. It could be better than giving a cash gift, as interest may not keep up with inflation.
It's easy to gift money. Just have the Junior ISA account number handy of the child you'd like to send your money to.
Could our Junior ISA be the right choice for your child?
Yes. There are two types of Junior ISA and you can have one of each per child:
- Junior Stocks and Shares ISA – invest for your child’s future
- Junior Cash ISA – save money for your child’s future
We only offer a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA at Vanguard, but you can always have a Junior Cash ISA with another provider at the same time. Just remember to keep an eye on both accounts so they do not go over the overall £9,000 Junior ISA allowance.
If you’ve already got a Junior Cash ISA with another provider, you can transfer it to us and we’ll turn it into a Stocks and Shares Junior ISA.
On the day that your child is 18 years old, the Junior ISA will turn into a normal Stocks and Shares ISA in your child's name. So from that point, the ISA belongs to them and they'll have full control over the account. They can decide what to do with it, whether they want to carry on investing or withdraw the money.
Anyone who is a parent or legal guardian of a child and is a UK resident can open a Junior ISA account for their child. You cannot open a Junior ISA for your child if they already have a Child Trust Fund account.
No, but a grandparent or other relative can gift money into a child’s Junior ISA. Gifting money can only be done via debit card. Once the invested money has arrived in the Junior ISA account, the money can be invested manually by the registered contact.
A child can only have one Stocks and Shares Junior ISA opened for them. They can have a Cash Junior ISA as well, although we do not offer them.
No, only the account holding child can withdraw money from their Junior ISA. And it’s not possible to make withdrawals until the child turns 18. That’s when they’ll get control of the account and can decide what to do with it.
You can invest up to £9,000 into your child’s Junior ISA each tax year.
The Vanguard Junior ISA is a Stocks and Shares ISA.
Important documents
Read these documents carefully before you apply to open an account or invest.
Have another question?
Search our FAQs, ask our chatbot or send us a message.
Go to help and supportWe also offer
Personal Pension
Make your retirement savings go further with our simple low cost pension.
Stocks and Shares ISA
A low cost and tax efficient way to invest. Invest up to £20,000 per tax year.
General Account
Invest without limits. This account could be ideal if you’ve already used up your ISA or pension allowances.