In the UK, Cash ISAs are far more popular than Stocks and Shares ISAs. This points to the fact that we’re generally a nation of savers rather than investors, at least compared to the US.
Fortunately, with interest rates higher, the landscape for savers is a lot more favourable than it was a few years ago. The flip side to this, of course, is that inflation has eaten horribly into purchasing power.
So, is a Cash ISA an attractive place to have money right now?
Looking back
The obvious answer is that it depends on what the money is for. If it’s for a forthcoming wedding or a property, then it’s definitely not wise to have it in shares.
That’s because, while going up over the long run, the stock market can tank without warning. Unlike cash, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get a positive return, especially with individual stocks (which have individual risks).
However, if the goal is the long-term building of wealth, then there’s no comparison. Between February 2024 and February 2025, the average Stocks and Shares ISA returned almost 12%, according to Moneyfacts Group.
A Cash ISA? More like 3.8%.
This was an individual year, of course, so can’t be taken as a given moving forward. In the same 12-month period in 2022/23, when the stock market struggled, the return was negative (almost -3.3%).
Looking back further though, the reality becomes much clearer. The FTSE 100 and S&P 500 have returned 79% and 85% respectively over the past five years, with dividends reinvested.
In contrast, cash savers have lost to inflation in real terms.
Looking forward
Let’s assume someone locks £5,000 in a one-year fixed Cash ISA today. What would they get by July 2027?
Well, the average rate today is roughly 4.5%. Therefore, at this rate, they would get back £5,225 in total.
Whether that would be any good compared with the stock market is unknowable at this point. But it’s worth point out that the FTSE 100 is already up 7.5% year to date, excluding dividends.
So £5,000 invested in the Footsie at the start of 2026 would be comfortably ahead of cash. It’s the same story with the S&P 500.
This is working out well
My strategy is to invest every month — or whenever I have spare money — in individual shares. One that has worked out well for me recently is 3i Group (LSE:III).
Since I bought more shares in May, the FTSE 100 stock has jumped almost 30%.
For those unfamiliar, 3i is a private equity group with a long history of finding businesses, helping them grow and build value, before selling them on at a profit.
In recent years, discount retailer Action has been the standout performer. During 3i’s investment, it has gone from 250 stores to more than 3,300 across 15 European countries. It’s aiming for over 4,650 in future.
However, Action now makes up a huge part of the portfolio, so it could be a curse if growth slows. News this week that it’s growing strongly reassured investors.
Is 3i still worth considering today? I think so, yes.
The stock’s not as obvious a bargain as it was a couple of months ago. But it’s still trading at a 15% discount to net asset value and offering a 3.1% dividend.
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Ben McPoland owns shares in 3i Group.
