Making the Most of Your Lifetime ISA (LISA)


If you’re in the UK and looking for a smart way to save for your first home or retirement, the Lifetime ISA (LISA) could be a game-changer. This special savings account allows you to invest up to £4,000 per year, and the government will top it up with a 25% bonus (that’s up to £1,000 free money each year!).

If you’re eligible, this is an opportunity you definitely don’t want to miss out on. In this guide, we’ll break down how you can make the most of your LISA and grow your savings over time.

Note: I’m not a financial advisor, and this article reflects my personal opinion. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.

LISA Key Features

Choosing Your Investment Strategy

Your investment strategy should depend on your goals:

Most research shows that very few fund managers consistently beat market indexes like the S&P 500 over long periods. Rather than stressing over picking individual stocks, a simpler approach is to invest in low-cost index funds tracking either the S&P 500 or a global index for better diversification. These funds have historically returned around 10% annually on average over the past century (before inflation). At that rate, your money could potentially double every 7.2 years through the magic of compound interest!

What Could Your LISA Be Worth? A Practical Example

Let’s look at a real-world example of how a LISA might grow over time:

Imagine Mr. Smith starts investing in a LISA at age 35. He contributes the maximum £4,000 each year until age 50, receiving the £1,000 government bonus annually. He invests this combined £5,000 in global index funds that return an average of 10% per year.

By age 50 (after 15 years):

Since Mr. Smith can only access this money penalty-free after turning 60, the investment continues to compound for another 10 years without additional contributions:

That’s an impressive return on his original £60,000 investment!

LISA Stocks & Shares platforms

Here are some popular low-fee platforms offering Stocks and Shares LISAs:

Funds

Includes unit trusts, OEICs and structured products

PlatformAnnual chargesDealing FeeBest For
Dodl0.15%
(min £1/month)
NoneLow fee
Hargreaves Lansdown0.25%
tiered charges
NoneNo dealing fee
AJ Bell*0.25%£1.50

Shares

Includes ETFs, investment trusts, gilts and bonds

PlatformAnnual chargesDealing FeeBest For
AJ Bell*0.25%
(£42/yr max)
£5Cheaper
Hargreaves Lansdown0.25%
(£45/yr max)
£11.95

* referral link with discount bonus

While Dodl charges a lower percentage fee for funds, AJ bell become more cost-effective for shares and ETFs as your investment grows due to their fee caps.

Low-Cost Investment Funds

Here are some low-fee global index funds available on each platform:

FundOngoing ChargePlatformDescription
Legal & General International Index Trust Class C0.08%(HL)
0.13%(AJ)
HL AJFTSE World
(ex UK)
Fidelity Index World P Acc0.12%HL AJMSCI World
HSBC FTSE All-World index fund0.13%HL AJ DodlFTSE All World

If you bullish on the US market lower fees S&P 500 funds are even cheaper:

FundOngoing ChargePlatform
SPDR S&P 500 ETF0.03%Dodl
iShares US Equity Index0.05%HL AJ
Legal & General US Index0.05%HL

Low-Cost Exchange Traded Funds (ETF)

Based on AJ Bell ETF screener, some low-fee global ETF available

ETFOngoing ChargePlatform
L&G Global Equity ETF GBP0.10%AJ
SPDR MSCI All Cntry Wld ETF GBP0.12%AJ
SPDR MSCI World ETF GBP0.12%AJ

Some low-fee S&P 500 ETF available

ETFOngoing ChargePlatform
SPDR S&P 500 ETF USD Acc GBP0.03%AJ
Xtrackers S&P 500 ETF 4C GBP0.06%AJ
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF USD Acc GBP0.07%AJ

Final Thoughts

Starting a Lifetime ISA could be one of the smartest financial decisions you make. The government bonus of 25% is essentially free money that can significantly boost your savings, whether you’re planning to buy your first home or saving for retirement.

Remember these key takeaways:

The most important step is simply to begin. Even if you can’t contribute the full £4,000 annually, any amount you can save will benefit from the government bonus and potential investment growth over time.

Your future self will thank you for the financial foundation you’re building today!