Thursday, 7 July 2016

Dizzy ISAs


 
Turning a good political policy into a successful financial product rests on getting the detail right……something there seems to be little of for the new Lifetime ISA.
 
Many of the details around how the Lifetime ISA will work are undecided yet they will launch in just 10 months.
 
Chancellor George Osborne has set a launch date of April 2017 and has outlined the basics. However, plenty of details are yet to be decided that could have a significant impact on the savings and pensions markets……and those that might actually use them (little old you and me).
 
The onus is on the Treasury to address these issues quickly. April may seem a long way off, delivering on such a big project will require much preparation.
 
The issue at its most basic is that the Lifetime ISA looks, feels and smells too similar to a Pension. As Pensions Minister Ros Altmann stated perfectly…… “ISA is not a pension and a pension is not an ISA’.
 
A lack of clarity creates confusion. Confusion will simply mean that people just won’t use Lifetime ISA’s.
 
Is it too much to ask for some finer detail please?

No comments:

Post a Comment