child trust fund

No, because they've only just launched so there's been no performance to track.

"John Redman" wrote in message news:db6p74$la7$ snipped-for-privacy@news6.svr.pol.co.uk...

Not really. The CTF is a wrapper like an ISA or Stakeholder Pension, so performance comparisons are feasible for anything available to go in a CTF. There will be some CTF specific funds (especially for Stakeholder CTFs), though.

IMO the charges for Stakeholder CTFs seem too high. That leaves cash CTFs or equity CTFs. Some of equity CTFs have low charges, but many do not. My advice is to consider either the cash option (as some of the interest rates are very good) or the self-select equity CTF from Comdirect (and maybe one or two other providers). The Comdirect self-select CTF has a 12.50 charge per trade. So, depending on what you invest and how often you trade, it can work out as low as a flat fee of 25 plus stamp duty. As for what to put in a self-select CTF ... that depends on attitude to risk etc., but there are some good, generalist investment trusts around (e.g., RIT Capital Partners, British Empire Securities, Law Debenture) - though several are at a premium at the moment.

Thom

"Thom" wrote

The *child's* 'attitude to risk' ?

Personally, I don't think it will make huge difference among different CTF providers given:

1- most of them are just resellers of others' funds 2- due to the expense/risk restrictions, most of the funds available in CTF are "boring" anyway.

The attitude towards risk of the adult or adults making the decision on behalf of the child. The child can't invest the cash themselves except by consent of that adult or adults. They might (not unreasonably) have a different attitude towards risk for the child's investments than for their own.

Thom

"Thom" wrote

Then, when the child later turns 18, might they not have a case against the parents for (eg) investing aggressively instead of cautiously (or even vice versa)?! :-(