What’s a JISA?

If you’re thinking about saving or investing for your child’s future, you may have come across the term Junior ISA, or JISA. But what exactly is it, and how does it work?

A Junior ISA is a tax-free savings or investment account for children under 18. It’s designed to help parents, grandparents, and other family members put money aside for a child’s future — and because it’s tax-free, every penny earned stays with the child.

There are two types of JISA:

• A Cash JISA, which works like a savings account and earns interest.
• A Stocks & Shares JISA, where the money is invested in funds, so it has the potential to grow more over the long term, though the value can go down as well as up.

Here at Propelle, we only offer Stocks & Shares JISAs, because we believe investing is the best way to give your child’s money a chance to grow over many years.

Each child can have one of each type of JISA, and the total combined allowance is £9,000 per tax year (2025/26). Contributions can come from you, grandparents, or anyone else who wants to chip in. Once the limit is reached, no more can be added until the new tax year begins.

The money in a JISA is locked away until your child turns 18. At that point, the account automatically becomes an adult ISA in their name, and they get full control of it. That means the money is theirs to use — whether that’s for university, buying a first car, or getting on the property ladder.

The big advantage of a JISA is time. The earlier you start, the longer your child’s money has to grow. Even small, regular contributions can add up to something significant by the time they turn 18.

At Propelle, we make it simple to set up a Stocks & Shares JISA, choose from carefully selected funds, and invite family and friends to contribute too. It’s one of the most powerful ways to give your child a financial head start in life.

Remember that when you invest, your capital is at risk.