We have some exciting news to share! The Motley Fool UK has now become The Twelfth Magpie -- an independent, UK-owned company, led by our long-serving UK management team — Mark Rogers, Chris Nials and Heather Adlington. In practical terms, it’s the same team you know, now fully focused on serving our UK readers and members.

Just as importantly, our approach remains unchanged: long-term, jargon-free, and on your side. This site is our new home, and there will be extra tweaks made across the coming few days as we settle in. So if anything looks a little off, please bear with us!

Turning an empty ISA into a £20,294 annual second income for life!

How far might a few hundred pounds a month put into an ISA go when it comes to setting up a future second income? Christopher Ruane looks at the numbers.

| More on:
Two elderly people relaxing in the summer sunshine Box Hill near Dorking Surrey England

Image source: Getty Images

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Twelfth Magpie’s Premium Investing Services. Become a member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn more, and get a free 'Best Buy Now' stock!.

Ever wondered what you might be able to earn in future by squirreling money away in a Stocks and Shares ISA now and accumulating blue-chip dividend shares?

The answer can be quite substantial…

Should you buy Standard Life shares today?

Before you decide, please take a moment to review this report first. Despite ongoing uncertainties from US tariffs to global conflicts, Mark Rogers and his team believe many UK shares still trade at substantial discounts, offering savvy investors plenty of potential opportunities to learn about.

That’s why this could be an ideal time to secure this valuable research – Mark’s analysts have scoured the markets to reveal 5 of his favourite long-term ‘Buys’. Please, don’t make any big decisions before seeing them.

From zero to £20,294 a year

For example, imagine somebody has an empty ISA now. Or perhaps they do not even have an ISA, so decide to set one up this July.

If they put in £500 a month and compound the value of the ISA at 6% annually for 25 years, it ought to be worth around £338,240. At a 6% dividend yield, that could generate some £20,294 a year in passive income.

The same approach could work with less (or more) money and a different timeline – but the size of the second income would be correspondingly different.

Is 25 years a long time to wait? Maybe, depending on what your objectives are. As I see it though, this is the sort of approach that someone still working could take as a way of building towards a second income later in life.

Something I see as good about this approach is that once the period of contributing ends (I use 25 years as an example, but in reality the investor can decide that for themselves), the income could hopefully flow for the rest of their life without them needing to put in another penny.

Earning high-quality dividends while you sleep

In fact, they could earn more than that, or less, as dividends are never guaranteed to stay the same. That is why it makes sense to diversify the ISA across a range of carefully chosen blue-chip shares.

Instead of going for the highest yield, or the fastest-growing dividend, I try to look at the underlying business and also its current valuation.

Do I think the business has long-term potential to generate sizeable free cash flows that could be used to fund dividends?

Do I think the share price offers good value? This matters even when income not capital gain is the objective, as if the price is too high then I may end up losing money when selling the share down the road, despite having had lots of dividends while owning it.

This blue-chip, high-yield share’s caught my eye

One FTSE 100 income share I think merits consideration right now is financial services group Standard Life (LSE: SDLF).

Is this a thrillingly exciting growth stock? No – and that is part of its appeal, in my view.

It has long-established, proven businesses that benefit from enduring demand for pensions and retirement savings products.

With one in five British adults a customer, the company benefits from economies of scale, deep financial markets expertise and the likelihood of ongoing strong client demand.

That translates into solid cash flows that support its juicy dividend. Standard Life has grown its dividend per share annually for years already — and aims to keep doing so.

One risk I see I see is financial markets turbulence. This could hurt the valuation of some of the firm’s assets, such as its property portfolio. That may eat into earnings.

Taking a long-term approach to investing though, I see a lot to like about Standard Life.

What income stock do we like better than Standard Life right now?

One of our Share Advisor analysts has just released a brand new stock report that we think is a must-read for any investor looking to try and generate potential income.

And the best bit is that you can see if for yourself, right now, absolutely free of charge!

No jargon. No hard sell. Just a clear look at an income share we think is worth your time.


Christopher Ruane does not hold any positions in the companies mentioned.

More on Investing Articles

Young Asian woman with head in hands at her desk
Investing Articles

A year later, they’re still down – is it time for me to dump my Greggs shares?

With underwhelming results and no growth for over a year, our writer questions whether he should hold on to his…

Read more »

Thoughtful man using his phone while riding on a train and looking through the window
Investing Articles

How much would a 35-year-old need to put in the stock market to retire early?

Christopher Ruane explains how someone could invest in the stock market with the goal of potentially knocking years off their…

Read more »

Diverse children studying outdoors
Investing Articles

£2,130 buys 1,000 shares in this 10%-yielding FTSE 250 passive income stock!

Building a passive income portfolio requires dedication, patience and a portfolio of solid dividend-paying stocks. Is Ithaca Energy one of…

Read more »

British Pennies on a Pound Note
Investing Articles

This little-known 37p penny stock could rocket 60%, says 1 broker

Ben McPoland explores a penny stock that has more than quadrupled from lows in 2024. Might an Andy Burnham government…

Read more »

The flag of the United States of America flying in front of the Capitol building
Investing Articles

As the AI trade and weak jobs data hits the S&P 500, I’m taking Warren Buffett’s advice

The S&P 500’s under pressure following this week's US jobs report. Mark Hartley looks for wisdom from one of the…

Read more »

Aerial shot showing an aircraft shadow flying over an idyllic beach
Investing Articles

Here’s how investing £99 a month could help someone aim for a second income of £54,990 a year

This writer reckons a trio of factors can transform the potential of using dividend shares as a second income idea.…

Read more »

House models and one with REIT - standing for real estate investment trust - written on it.
Investing Articles

After 30 straight years of rising dividends, £10,000 in this FTSE 250 REIT could pay £740+ a year

For investors seeking consistent passive income, a FTSE 250 REIT with a 7.4% dividend yield might be one of the…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Should I load up on SpaceX at $160 inside my Stocks and Shares ISA?

With SpaceX down 28%, our writer is wondering if he should rush to add the rocket and AI company to…

Read more »