Child Trust Funds can be a mine field to navigate though. Here are ten simple
things to know about Child Trust Funds before taking one out.
1. While similar to ISAs, child trust funds are designed to help children in the long term. They are a government backed, tax free saving scheme.
2. Parents only receive their child's CTF voucher once he or she has been registered for Child Benefit. As such, a birth certificate is required. Remember, Child Benefit is available to every child, regardless of parental income.
3. Once you have the voucher, time is money. It makes sense to begin taking advantage if a Child Trust Fund as early as possible. So get reading.
4. You can find full details about the scheme at the government's Child Trust Fund site here http://www.childtrustfund.gov.uk/
5. Children gain full access to their CTF when they turn 18.
6. The pre-budget report indicated that you'll be able to roll a CTF into an ISA, once it matures, meaning that your child's money could benefit from the tax free status for many years.
7. Child trust funds and usually be transferred between providers at will and at no incurred cost.
8. If you don't invest the voucher within 12 months, the government will open a stakeholder account for you.
9. Child trust funds can be contributed by family members to the sum of ?1200 per annum.
10. If your oldest child is eligible for a CTF, and you were to pay just his/her Child Benefit into the account, it would equal a contribution of around ?907 to the account per year, or ?75 per month. Subsequent children could contribute ?608, or around ?50 per month.
Another important point to remember is that money invested in a CTF is not subject to the ?100 rule. Normally, if a child earns any interest over this sum on money given to him or her by a parent, the parent is taxed on it at their highest rate. This does not apply to the CTF, meaning that your child could save the maximum ?1,200 per year, whilst saving elsewhere, too.
Which Child Trust Fund
This means that for the seven-hundred and fifty-thousand children whose parents did not open the Child Trust Fund themselves, the opportunity to gain one year's worth of interest is lost. In fact, the accumulated loss of interest for all those Funds that have not been opened amounts to an estimated ?15 million!
The Child Trust Fund is a long-term savings and investment plan set up by the Government to encourage parents to save for their children's future. The Child Trust Fund is available to all children born on or after 1 September 2002 . Children will receive an initial ?250 in vouchers to open their Child Trust Fund accounts, with a further ?250 when they reach seven years of age. In addition to this money, parents, family and friends can contribute up to ?1,200 each year into the Fund.
Although opening a Child Trust Fund is relatively straightforward, choosing one can be more difficult. With three types of accounts (cash, stakeholder or shares) available from numerous banks and building societies each with their own offers, terms and conditions and rates, finding the right Child Trust Fund for their children leaves many parents confused. Recent research from The Actuarial Profession has shown that most parents are simply overwhelmed by the huge amount of information they receive. Often, the just need concise information which simplifies and compares the various accounts available.
Currently, there are several websites that compare only Cash Child Trust Funds, but only MyEggNest.com leads the way by providing a comparison table of all three types of Child Trust Funds: Cash, Stakeholders and Equity (or Shares) Child Trust Funds.
MyEggNest.com has an all-inclusive, easy to understand comparisons of all Child Trust Funds provides parents the tools they need to make informed decisions about the best ways to compare Child Trust Funds available or to see how their children's current Child Trust Fund compares to others on the market.
Joe Luong, Marketing Director for MyEggNest.com said, "Our feedback has shown that many parents are overwhelmed by the multitude of leaflets and fliers from financial bodies available regarding Child Trust Funds. Some even believe it is too much that they don't even know where to start."
"What parents of newborns need is clear and concise information explained in simple English on how best to compare their children's Child Trust Fund. With MyEggNest.com, new parents are able to research everything they want to know about the Child Trust Fund from one reliable source. On one site, they can seek guidance from other parents in the form of a Child Trust Fund discussion forum, look at product reviews and learn how best to compare Child Trust Funds."
To further relieve some of the other stresses and strains for new parents, MyEggNest.com recently introduced a simple table of Child Trust Funds available where parents can simply click and download Child Trust Fund E-brochures of their choice in a PDF format. Each brochure provides information specific to that particular Child Trust Fund. Access to this information on this one site saves parents the hassle and time of having to find every website for each product to investigate further.
The message from the Government is clear. Parents who decide to invest their children's Child Trust Fund voucher and earn interest on that investment will be better off than the 25% of parents who choose not to do anything at all. So ACT NOW! and start comparing the best Child Trust Funds for your children before you miss out on even more interest!
Both Katie Brown & James Demarco are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Katie Brown has sinced written about articles on various topics from Mortgage Insurance, Auto Insurance and Finances. Give your child a head start by saving for their future with a Child Trust Fund from ASDA Finance. Katie Brown's top article generates over 27100 views. Bookmark Katie Brown to your Favourites.
James Demarco has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Modelling and Finances. Director, Joe began his working life as a purchase ledger clerk rising to the level of Financial Controller. Joe also spent a year managing the finance department of a 4 star hotel in the oil region of Kyzylorda ?Kazakhstan, if you want to know more abo. James Demarco's top article generates over 1900 views. Bookmark James Demarco to your Favourites.
Chiyoda Technip Joint Venture With five people promoting five different websites all interrelated you have a huge and powerful money making and list building tool. Simple but effective