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Original poster

New stocks and shares ISA- which funds?

45 replies

user04 · 06/04/2025 07:57

So I’m rather nervous but have decided to stick with my plan of putting £20k into a stocks and shares ISA this week.

Im 51, already have £120k in cash ISAs.

clearly over the past week things have been in turmoil. I’m now completely confused about what to do. I will probably use trading212 since that is where my cash isa is. If you were putting in 20k today into a stocks and shares isa what would you put it into?

OP posts:
Original poster
user04 · 06/04/2025 08:02

Should clarify that I won’t do anything until the end of the week or at least until we have a better idea of what the EU reaction to the tariffs is going to be

OP posts:
Mercurial123 · 06/04/2025 08:08

I opened a Vanguard stocks and shares ISA last month with £20,000. It's already lost £1,000.

Plexie · 06/04/2025 08:10

Well, I wouldn't be putting in £20k as a lump sum in the first place. But not sure how I would drip it in. Maybe £5k at a time over a few months?

Can't advise on funds as mine are all ethical ones.

billysboy · 06/04/2025 08:19

Think of it as a buying opportunity with stocks and shares on a sale
i am in a similar position looking to place £20k soon , however I may wait a week or two to see how this pans out
i may stick to SMT which is a u it trust for some and some on BAE which is defence with the rest split into other higher risk such as Palantir or Robinhood as they are both AI
Not investment advice only an opinion, do your research , very hard to call the bottom of the market

Oriunda · 06/04/2025 08:25

Individual stocks or funds? I've just bought some more KO for me; I already hold it and they pay huge dividends. I've bought a North American fund for both DS and I to take advantage of the lower prices. There's obviously a risk they'll go lower still, but they're still cheaper right now than they were before this nonsense started.

I've looked at Dassault and other EU defence manufacturers; already got BAE.

TheOneWithUnagi · 06/04/2025 12:41

I’d put it into a global tracker fund.

It sucks at the moment, and I’ve “lost” £££s but really my funds are where they were 12 months ago right now and I’m not withdrawing at the moment. Some will say it’s a good time to buy as it’s cheap.

long term my investments have well outperformed cash ISAs (which would have lost buying power when inflation was above 10%)

no need to drip feed IMO. You already have your safe cash. But I’d agree and give it a couple of weeks at least..

LauraNorda · 06/04/2025 12:44

I invest in VWRL on Vanguard.

ChipsChips · 06/04/2025 13:03

I'm in the same boat, OP. My thoughts as follows-

  • Part of me just wants to go for a global tracker. That has been my approach over the last decade and obviously it's done very well.
  • However even before the current turmoil I've been worrying about US exposure and, in particular, exposure to the Mag7- which again have done brilliantly, but it's not exactly great diversifying if so much of your money is in these 7 stocks which are all likely to move together.
  • I rarely buy managed funds as I think in general they don't outperfrom trackers and they are expensive (obviously it's easy to find funds that have outperformed trackers after the event, just not beforehand!). But I'm starting to wonder whether in these tricky times there is something to be said for managed.
  • I am also thinking about value more than growth and I'd like a dividend.

I have been looking at Fidelity Enhanced Income (acc). Not decided anything yet though. Maybe half in there and half in VLS100. Obv what you should do will depend on your other holdings and timeline though.

ChipsChips · 06/04/2025 13:11

(I’m also thinking about bond funds.)

billysboy · 07/04/2025 06:24

Based on the Asian market this morning I would wait a while for things to settle

Birdist · 07/04/2025 10:35

Yes, hard to know when to buy. I'm generally not someone who tried to time things at all (v much of the opinion that a little learning is a dangerous thing when it comes to investing and amateurs are best off with buy and hold) but I'm not buying today.

Lifestooshort71 · 07/04/2025 12:16

I took a real knock back with my S&S ISA during covid lockdown and the value didn't recover. I did then change from high risk to medium which may have had something to do with it but I'd had enough of any risk! I gave it 2 years and swapped for fixed rate cash ISA and don't regret it but, in my 70s, I can't really do long term.

SomethingSScintillating · 07/04/2025 12:55

I'm jealous op this is a rare buying opportunity.
Agree with pp drip it in a little

SomethingSScintillating · 07/04/2025 12:57

@Lifestooshort71 what were you invested in? Mine recovered and much more...

All equities indexed funds.

Even now it's higher than had been for years

Lifestooshort71 · 07/04/2025 13:26

SomethingSScintillating · 07/04/2025 12:57

@Lifestooshort71 what were you invested in? Mine recovered and much more...

All equities indexed funds.

Even now it's higher than had been for years

I was a beginner with S&S and went with Nutmeg. I should have been braver and stayed at high risk I think.

rainbowunicorn · 07/04/2025 14:01

Lifestooshort71 · 07/04/2025 13:26

I was a beginner with S&S and went with Nutmeg. I should have been braver and stayed at high risk I think.

Show quote history

If you switched from high risk to medium when the value was down you would have crystalized the loss. When you switch between risk profiles you are selling at that value and rebuying, so basically locking in your loss. It would have been very difficult to recover that as you had less to begin with and the lower risk would mean you didn't gain back what you lost.

JHound · 07/04/2025 15:23

user04 · 06/04/2025 07:57

So I’m rather nervous but have decided to stick with my plan of putting £20k into a stocks and shares ISA this week.

Im 51, already have £120k in cash ISAs.

clearly over the past week things have been in turmoil. I’m now completely confused about what to do. I will probably use trading212 since that is where my cash isa is. If you were putting in 20k today into a stocks and shares isa what would you put it into?

I would probably spend sometime researching, listening to podcasts etc. Ignore the turmoil of this week.

Personally I am building my portfolio- 75% core investments which I just put in ETFs and 25% in sexier investments (high reward but high risk.)

Also I stay away from lump sump investing and prefer dollar cost averaging. I use Trading 212 but only have a S&S ISA. I am going to open a cash ISA as the interest is better.

JHound · 07/04/2025 15:38

My UK portfolio is currently across Vanguard S&P 500, iShares cores MSCI world, ishares ftse 100

I am looking for an ETF that excludes the USA for greater diversification.
I also have some individual shares.

To me the current turmoil is the January sales!

Skylark9 · 07/04/2025 18:51

Any recommendations for best podcast that would help me understand better how to invest & save? I’ve tried the books but my brain melts when it comes to how you actually compare one tracker against another etc and this turmoil is a good reminder that I need to wrap my head around it all

YourWinter · 07/04/2025 19:00

Skylark9 · 07/04/2025 18:51

Any recommendations for best podcast that would help me understand better how to invest & save? I’ve tried the books but my brain melts when it comes to how you actually compare one tracker against another etc and this turmoil is a good reminder that I need to wrap my head around it all

Edited

Toby Newbatt
Damien Talks Money
PensionCraft

all on YouTube

Meaningful Money on Facebook

Rebel Finance School are often recommended but I dislike their push towards Vanguard. Not that there’s anything wrong with Vanguard funds or ETFs, but on the Vanguard platform you’re restricted to Vanguard products.

BlumminFreezin · 07/04/2025 22:28

Out of all the times to chuck a lump sum into a S&S ISA, now is not it 😬

'Ignore the turmoil of this week' when markets are in absolute freefall is just bonkers advice to be frank.

JHound · 08/04/2025 10:34

BlumminFreezin · 07/04/2025 22:28

Out of all the times to chuck a lump sum into a S&S ISA, now is not it 😬

'Ignore the turmoil of this week' when markets are in absolute freefall is just bonkers advice to be frank.

It’s not bonkers advice - you just don’t understand investing - and that’s fine. Investments should be undertaken with a long term mindset. If OP plans to hold her positions for 5-10 years she will likely ride out any storms. Especially of she invests in index funds. Now is the BEST time to invest as many products will be at a discount.

Oriunda · 08/04/2025 16:27

So glad I bought some BARC yesterday for DS and I …. Up 6% today. For long-term investors (or decent dividend hunters like me), buying on a dip can make sense. Sure, it could fall more, but I’ve pleased to have locked some in at a cheaper price.

LauraNorda · 08/04/2025 18:37

BlumminFreezin · 07/04/2025 22:28

Out of all the times to chuck a lump sum into a S&S ISA, now is not it 😬

'Ignore the turmoil of this week' when markets are in absolute freefall is just bonkers advice to be frank.

Do you wait until the sale is over before you buy a new settee?

Plexie · 09/04/2025 08:57

LauraNorda · 08/04/2025 18:37

Do you wait until the sale is over before you buy a new settee?

Show quote history

You buy a settee for a functional use, not as an investment that you hope will rise in value.

But to continue your imperfect analogy, would you buy it at the beginning of the sale or wait to see if it reduced in price later in the sale?

The difference with investments being that if you buy during turmoil at a low price, if the turmoil continues and the value drops lower, you've made a loss and have to hope for the value to recover to the level of your initial investment, let alone increase beyond that.