Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is there a way to invest £5k in savings

32 replies

Aoap78 · 04/03/2026 04:10

As the title says, any options rather than just in bank account, that is actually worth it ?
TIA

OP posts:
Original poster
Aoap78 · 05/03/2026 00:51

ThisOldThang · 04/03/2026 22:18

This.

@Aoap78 are you planning to invest on a regular basis or is this a one time windfall that you're looking to grow?

Will you need access to the money at short notice? Are you likely to panic if your investments go down during a market crash or would you be willing to ride things out?

If you don't plan to make regular investments, avoiding ongoing charges would be desirable.

Most ISA providers charge either a management charge or a funds charge or both.

Interactive Investor charges a set monthly fee no matter how much you have invested - but you don't have a huge investment, so it might end up being quite high as a percentage of your holdings. They have free regular investments, which is good if you're investing each month.

AJ Bell charges a percentage of your holdings, but it's capped. They also charge a percentage of any funds holdings, but not for stocks and shares. They charge £1.50 for any regular investments.

iWeb (now Scottish Widows) are free to open an account. They have zero ongoing charges for stocks and shares. They charge £5 a trade, but don't offer a regular investment option. They charge a percentage for holding funds.

If you're planning to just buy a global tracker ETF (I invest in a legal & general ETF LGGG), iWeb might be best. You'd pay £5 to buy £5000 (which is 0.1%) and then you'd have no further ongoing platform charges. It could sit there for years and you wouldn't have fees eating away at your capital.

If you're planning to make monthly contributions, then Interactive Investor or AJ Bell might work out cheaper over the year. You'd have to work out the likely annual fees and make a decision.

Edited
Show quote history

Thanks for your reply. Could add monthly yes.

OP posts:
Original poster
Aoap78 · 05/03/2026 00:55

Lancrelady80 · 04/03/2026 23:28

Be careful with LISAs...it's been reported that quite a lot of people have found they have been caught out by the rules around this:

You'll have to pay the government withdrawal charge if you:

  • Take the money out within 12 months of your first payment (12-month rule)
  • Withdraw the money for anything other than your first home or for life after 60
  • Use your lifetime ISA for a home above the property cap of £450,000 (or buy without a mortgage)

The withdrawal charge isn't even just the 25% bonus paid by the government, you actually end up worse off.

Premium bonds - dh has some (no idea how many) and in 50 years has received not a single penny from them.

I'd look into a standard ISA - either Stocks and Shares or Cash depending on how long you think you might leave it.

I think I’m unlikely to exceed the cap re house price given the circumstances :)

OP posts:
Original poster
Aoap78 · 05/03/2026 00:57

Thanks a lot for the advice, lots to look into.

OP posts:
BarbieKew · 05/03/2026 01:28

Definitely a LISA. Put £4k in it this month (before the end of the financial year) and the government will give you a £1k bonus. Then pay in another £4k by April 2027, get another gov bonus, et voila you have £10,000 towards a house.

ThisSunnyBee · 05/03/2026 02:44

FiveGoMadInDorset · 04/03/2026 05:22

Premium Bonds are worth a look at

Not for 5 grand they're not

dailyconniptions · 05/03/2026 03:14

LISA definitely if it's to be used as a deposit on a house.

Thechaseison71 · 05/03/2026 04:18

rainbowunicorn · 04/03/2026 23:11

They really aren't. Premium bonds are not investments. There are some circumstances that they may be worth having e.g if you have used your full ISA allowance for the year and are a higher rate tax payer. Neither of these seem to apply to the OP. Even sitting in a normal savings account is likely to give far better return than 5K in premium bonds.
Really cant understand the obsession with Premium bonds on here.

Show quote history

Lol Ive had some premium bonds for over 50 years. Think I've won't the great total of £50 on them

New posts on this thread. Refresh page