Stocks and shares ISA

Remember that investments go up and down in value, and you could lose money as well as make it. How you’re taxed will depend on your circumstances, and ISA and tax rules can change. We don’t offer investment advice, so you’ll need be confident you can manage your ISA yourself.

Stocks and shares ISA at a glance

A Stocks and shares ISA is an easy, efficient way to invest. It’s completely tax-free to open and add money, so more of what you make stays in your pocket. And since you can access your pot whenever you like, it can be a useful rainy-day fund too.

Money grows tax-freeNo income or capital gains tax, letting you keep more of your returns for yourself.

Invest up to £20,000 a year Each tax year, you can invest up to £20,000, which counts towards your overall ISA allowance.

Anytime withdrawals It’s free to withdraw money from your Stocks and shares ISA whenever you need to.

Start investing from just £25Once you've funded your account, you’re ready to go. Set up a £25 monthly Direct Debit, make a one-off £250 payment, or transfer an ISA for free.

Stocks and shares ISA rules let you pay in up to £20,000 each tax year. You’ll get a new allowance every tax year – but what you don’t use doesn’t roll over.

Invest up to £20,000 a year

Why choose AJ Bell as your Stocks and shares ISA provider?

We’re one of the UK’s largest and best regarded investment platforms, trusted by over 561,000 customers. Here are some of the reasons why investing in an ISA with AJ Bell feels so good.

You’re in controlWhether you use a financial adviser or manage your investments yourself, we offer a range of easy-to-use products and services to help you hit your financial goals.

You’re in safe handsWe’re listed in the FTSE 250, so you know you’ve got one of the UK’s largest and financially secure Stocks and shares ISA providers behind you.

You get great valueOur low charges make AJ Bell one of the cheapest Stocks and shares ISAs in the market - you'll never pay more than 0.25% to hold your investments. With options to suit all kinds of investors, you can be sure you’re getting one of the best value platforms in the UK.

You get top serviceWe’re here to help. Whether it’s over the phone, email or webchat, our friendly team will always be straight-talking and transparent.

Which? Recommended Provider for Stocks & Shares ISA, 2025

0.25% annual account charge

You’ll never pay more than 0.25% to hold investments in your account. And you can buy and sell investments from as little as £1.50.

Managing your account

Mobile app – manage your ISA portfolio anywhere with our iOS and Android app

Wide choice – pick from a vast variety of investment options, including over 2,000 funds, and shares across 25 markets

Regular investing – grow your ISA gradually by putting in as little as £25 a month with our regular investment service

Live UK prices – deal when it's right for you with live UK pricing

Free investment magazine – all AJ Bell customers enjoy full access to Shares magazine

The AJ Bell app supports a wide range of modern devices

What can I invest in?

With an AJ Bell Stocks and shares ISA, how you choose to invest and manage your portfolio is down to you. If you're in need of inspiration, take a look at our investment ideas, but if you know what you're looking for, you can choose from a wide range of shares, funds, investment trusts, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and more.

Funds

You can choose from more than 2,000 funds, helping you build a diversified portfolio.

Invest in thousands of companies on UK and international markets.

Investment trusts

Pick from more than 450 investment trusts across a broad range of sectors.

Exchange-traded funds

Choose from a range of ETFs which track your choice of index or benchmark.

Three ways we can help you invest

AJ Bell funds

Leave the hard work to us. Just choose your fund, and how much to put in.

Leave it to an expert

Starter portfolios

Hit the ground running. Choose an AJ Bell Starter portfolio and manage it yourself.

Choose your portfolio

Favourite funds

Narrow the field. Choose from our rigorously researched shortlist of global funds.

View funds

Apply for an ISA View ISA charges

Good to know about Stocks and shares ISAs

How many stocks and shares ISAs can I have?

You can hold multiple Stocks and shares ISAs: for example, one with us and another with a different provider. Just remember to keep track of what you pay in so you don’t go over your ISA allowance for the tax year (£20,000 across all ISAs).

Learn about opening multiple ISA accounts.

Are stocks and shares ISAs a good investment?

A stocks and shares ISA isn't an investment in its own right, but an account or ‘wrapper’ that lets you hold investments such as shares and funds tax-free. You might also see a stocks and shares ISA called a trading ISA or self-select stocks and shares ISA. If you’re not sure where to invest your money, our investment ideas page can help you to get started.

How long should I hold a stocks and shares ISA for?

In a stocks and shares ISA, you can access your money when you like. But just as with any type of investing, it’s always good to set your sights long term, if you can (five years or more). That gives your investments a better chance of riding out any bumps in the market.

Are ISAs flexible?

Our ISA isn’t flexible, so any money you withdraw then pay back in during the same tax year will count towards your ISA allowance. Before opening an account, please read our ISA key features, risks and terms and conditions to make sure it’s right for you.

Invest up to £20,000 into our
Stocks and shares ISA today

Open an account

Read about our ISA charges

Frequently asked Stocks and shares ISA questions

What are the charges for my Stocks and shares ISA?

How much your account costs depends on whether you hold funds or shares, and how frequently you deal.

When you buy or sell an investment you’ll pay a dealing charge. You’ll also pay a account charge for holding an investment. Dealing and account charges differ for funds and shares.

To calculate your overall charges, you can use our charges calculator on our charges and rates page, where you’ll also find a full list of our charges.

Once a year, we’ll send you a costs and charges statement, outlining all the charges we’ve collected from your account, as well as any applied by fund managers. You can read our guide to your costs and charges statement if you're not sure what any part of your statement means.

We collect the charges for your ISA from the cash you hold within it. However, you can ask us to take your ISA charges from your Dealing account instead. Learn more about paying charges from outside your ISA.
Can anyone open a Stocks and shares ISA?

To open an ISA, you need to be over 18 and ordinarily resident in the UK. You can also open one if you're a Crown employee working overseas (e.g. a member of the Armed Forces or a diplomat), or their spouse. You'll need to open an ISA in your name only – you can't have one in a joint name.
If I transfer in a Stocks and shares ISA will it count towards my annual ISA allowance?

No, it won’t. Transferring an ISA directly from one ISA provider to another doesn’t affect your overall annual ISA subscription allowance for the current tax year.

However, be careful when transferring a Stocks and shares or cash ISA into a Lifetime ISA. While this won’t affect your overall annual ISA subscription allowance for that tax year, it will count towards your annual Lifetime ISA subscription limit of £4,000.
Can I open an ISA with an initial lump sum and top up at a later date?

Yes, you can. The minimum lump sum investment for an ISA is £500, and you can top it up again later.

Remember to stay within the annual ISA allowance, which is £20,000. ISA allowances renew every 6 April, though any unused allowance doesn’t roll over.

You can use your ISA allowance by funding one lump sum, or in smaller amounts. Our regular investment service lets you invest as little as £25 a month.
Do you offer a cash ISA?

No, we offer a Stocks and shares ISA only. But you can hold cash in your account while you’re deciding what to invest in. Learn about the other types of individual savings account that we offer.
Do you offer a flexible ISA?

No, an AJ Bell Stocks and shares ISA isn’t flexible. That means you can take money out, but it’ll count towards your subscription limit if you pay it back in the same tax year.
How do I transfer to AJ Bell?

Transferring to AJ Bell is easy. First you’ll need to open the account you want to transfer to us, if you haven’t opened it already. It takes less than ten minutes to open an account, and you can do it online. During the application, you'll be asked to enter the details of the account(s) you want to transfer.

If you already have an account you want to transfer into, you can start the transfer process by logging in and from the ‘My account’ menu, choosing ‘Transfers’ and entering the details of the account(s) you want to transfer.

Once we’ve received all the details, we’ll handle the rest of the admin from there, letting you know if there are any hiccups. You can check back on the ‘Transfers’ page in your account to see the progress of your transfer.

We don’t currently accept transfers from other providers under the ISA additional permitted subscription allowance.

Find out more about transferring to us.

Learn more about our Stocks and shares ISA

Understand the basics

Grasp the basics before you begin.

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Guide to Stocks and shares ISAs

All you need to know about investing in an ISA.

Stocks and shares ISA calculator

Saving for a rainy day? See how much your ISA could be worth.

Stocks and shares ISA