Isa season approaches maximise your allowance before april deadline

The end of the financial year is fast approaching, and with it comes the need for UK investors and savers to make the most of their Individual Savings Account (ISA) allowances before 5 April. Each year, individuals are entitled to shelter up to £20,000 from tax in an ISA, but this allowance operates on a use-it-or-lose-it basis. Unused amounts cannot be carried forward into the next financial year. For savvy investors, this deadline represents a critical moment to protect both capital gains and income from the taxman.

Data released by AJ Bell, one of the UK’s largest investment platforms, offers insight into investor behaviour in the months leading up to the end of the tax year. Unsurprisingly, popular choices among Stocks and Shares ISA holders have included global tech powerhouses like Nvidia and eyebrow-raising picks such as MicroStrategy, a company heavily tied to Bitcoin investments. British companies in sectors such as housebuilding, insurance, and travel have also attracted attention. JD Sports and EasyJet are among the well-known firms seeing activity, despite undergoing significant share price drops over the past year.

According to investment expert Dan Coatsworth at AJ Bell, recent activity among ISA users has centred around three key investment types. High-risk, dynamic sectors like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies have continued to draw attention, while more conservative investors have turned to stocks paying robust dividends, such as Phoenix Group. Some have also looked for opportunities in undervalued companies, betting on a market recovery.

Beyond individual shares, there has been a growing preference for funds that provide a broad market spread. Passive funds such as the Fidelity Index World and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF have proven popular, reflecting a trend towards low-cost, diversified investment strategies. Actively managed funds appear to have lost appeal, with only 31 per cent of such portfolios outperforming their passive counterparts over a decade. Investors seem to be shunning costly management fees in favour of reliable market tracking alternatives.

Holding investment trusts remains another popular choice for ISA enthusiasts, with several offering high yields amid weakened share prices and discounts to Net Asset Values. Trusts such as City of London Investment Trust, which currently boasts a yield of 4.7 per cent, and The Renewables Infrastructure Group, offering a yield of 10 per cent, highlight opportunities for income-seeking investors willing to wait for levels of trust discounting to correct.

Making informed decisions ahead of the tax year deadline could prove rewarding. Mixing dynamic growth-oriented opportunities with reliable income streams and tax-efficient wrappers like ISAs allows investors to protect their wealth from rising inflation and market volatility. The quest to maximise returns will undoubtedly dominate the final days leading up to 5 April.