Stocks and shares ISA

Millions of investors are failing to see the benefits of stocks and shares ISAs, says Fidelity International.  Recent calculations from Fidelity show that if you had placed the full cash ISA allowance, since ISAs began in 1999, into a £2,500 minimum deposit instant access savings account it would have returned just 21% by the end of last year.  This compares to 305% if you had invested in Fidelity's South East Asia fund through a Stocks and Shares ISA.

Despite the sizeable pot that can be achieved from this type of ISA vehicle, findings from a recent poll, conducted on behalf of Fidelity, show that 67% of people have never considered investing in a stocks and shares ISA.

Rob Fisher, Head of UK Personal Investments comments: "We think now is the perfect time for people to look at the merits of stocks and shares ISAs when considering where to invest prior to 5th April.  Over half of the people polled in our recent survey stated that prospective returns were the most important factor when choosing a stocks and shares ISA; we believe our statistics demonstrate the clear potential there is to generate superior returns to cash throughout the market cycle albeit you have to accept a higher degree of risk."