6 minute read
If you’re aged under 40, you’re eligible to open a Lifetime Individual Savings Account (LISA) to help you save for a home or your retirement. Here, we explain the LISA rules.
Who's it for? All investors
The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you could get back less than you invest. If you’re not sure about investing, seek independent advice. Tax rules can change and their effects on you will depend on your individual circumstances.
The Lifetime ISA (LISA) is designed to help younger generations get on the property ladder, or to save for their retirement – or even both.
To be eligible to apply for an account, you must be aged over 18, but under 40.
Here, we look at how the LISA works and how it could help you achieve your savings goals. Bear in mind that these tax rules might change over time and that their effects on you will depend on your individual circumstances.
You can save up to £4,000 a year into a LISA, with a government bonus of 25% on top of the money you put in. The maximum bonus that you can get is £1,000 each year.
You’ll get a bonus on any savings you make up until you reach 50 years of age at which point you won’t be able to make any more payments into your account.
If you saved the maximum £4,000 a year from the age of 18 until the age of 50, you’d receive a total bonus of £32,000 from the government.
You will be able to have any combination of different ISA types and a LISA at the same time. For example, if you have a cash ISA and an investment ISA already, you can also have a LISA.
You can’t pay in more than the annual ISA allowance however, which in the 2024-25 tax year is £20,000, with a maximum of £4,000 going into the Lifetime ISA.
Find out more about our Investment ISA
If you already have a Help to Buy ISA, you’ll be able to transfer your balance into a LISA at any time if the amount doesn’t exceed £4,000.
Alternatively, you could keep your Help to Buy ISA and open a LISA, although you’ll only be able to use the bonus from one of these accounts to buy your first home.
LISAs can hold cash, stocks and shares qualifying investments, or a combination of both. The option that’s right for you will depend on your approach to risk, your investment time-frame and how confident you are making your own investment decisions.
For example, if you’re saving for a house deposit, chances are your time horizon will be relatively short and you’ll need your savings within the next few years, so a cash LISA might appeal.
However, if you’re using the LISA for retirement and have several decades to go before you’ll stop work, an investment LISA may appear a more attractive option.
The main appeal of investments is that they offer the potential for higher returns than those offered by savings accounts. However, with this potential comes greater risk, so you must be prepared for the fact that investment values can fall as well as rise so there are no guarantees you’ll get a higher return, or even get back what you invested.
You will be able to use funds held in a LISA after 12 months to buy a first home valued up to £450,000. You must be buying your home with a mortgage.
Alternatively, after your 60th birthday you’ll be able to take out all your savings from your LISA tax-free, for use in retirement. A LISA can be accessed like a normal ISA at any time for any reason, but if not used as above you’ll have to pay a withdrawal charge of 25% of the amount you withdraw (being the government bonus plus a penalty of 5%)1.
However, this withdrawal charge won’t apply if you decide to cash in your account during the first 12 months after its launch.1
If you want to use your LISA to save for a property as well as for retirement, once you’ve bought a home, you’ll be able to continue saving into your LISA as you were previously. You’ll continue to receive the government bonus on your contributions until you reach the age of 50.
Bear in mind that the LISA is designed to boost your retirement savings, not to replace pensions, so if you can afford to, it may be worth considering making the most of both pensions and LISA allowances.
Remember, the value of investments can fall as well as rise, and you could get back less than you invest. Tax rules can change in future. Their effects on you will depend on your individual circumstances.
Please bear in mind that this article is for general information purposes only. If you’re unsure, seek professional financial advice. Barclays does not currently offer a LISA.
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The value of investments can fall as well as rise. You may get back less than you invest. Tax rules can change and their effects on you will depend on your individual circumstances.
Easy, tax-efficient, low-cost investing
Grow your money in a tax-efficient ISA. Invest up to £20,000 per year with a simple low annual charge and dedicated customer support.
Get started in minutes and secure your annual allowance with a debit card, a monthly Direct Debit or by moving money from your Barclays account. There’s no charge to hold cash if you need some time to decide where to invest.
You can also transfer an existing ISA2 to benefit from our award-winning ISA service.3
Once you’re confident your finances are in order, you need to start planning your investments. Get started by setting financial goals. Are you investing for growth? Or income? We'll help you answer these questions and more in this section.
If you’re new to investing, knowing where to start can be a daunting task. Here, we guide you through your investment journey, from what to consider before you start, the different types of investment account, which might suit you, and the various asset classes. You’ll also learn why it’s important to focus on the long-term as an investor, and create a diversified portfolio which includes a range of different investments.
