INVEST INTO YOUR CHILD'S FUTURE WITH AN AFFORDABLE STOCKS AND SHARES JUNIOR ISA

Both my sister and I had personal junior ISA accounts set up by mum when we was born. Over the years, these bank accounts saw birthday, Christmas and savings being invested into the account. Truth is, I blew the money when I turned 16 and had access to the account, so it has really got me thinking good and hard about my own child's future.

If I hadn't of blown that money, I could have used for driving lessons, to buy a car or as part of a deposit for a future house. However, when you are 16, broke one day and then blessed with the access to a few grand in a account that is all yours, it can be hard to listen to your parents and leave the money untouched. 

Ricky and I will definitely be saving for our son's future with a Junior ISA. I would love to see him buy his first car when he's 17, get his University acceptance letter and put money towards a deposit to buy his own house one day. However, it's a tough world out there and it's not easy to do any of these things at such a young age. 

Building up a nest egg for our child when he turns 18 is so important to us and something we plan to set up very soon... as soon as he is here and has a name! However, it can be easy to feel like you are putting away money from birthdays and holidays and getting no real benefits from opening up a bank account than you would keeping it in a large money box at home. 

Having looked further into investing into our son's future, I came across Stocks and Share Junior ISA. Not only are you putting money away for your child's future, but you're investing it too and gaining something back. How it works is by investing funds into things like bonds, property and commodities. It allows you to build up a giant pot of money over 18 years, with as much or as little monthly investments as you like. Even better, the parent(s) can withdraw the money at anytime, so if you really do need the cash back for something, then you know it is not locked for 18 years.

Affordable investing is what I am all about and it is something that I am seriously considering for our son's financial future. Having looked further into it, I cannot believe how affordable and more beneficial it seems than regular junior ISAs. However, it can be pretty confusing and overwhelming at first, so it is recommended to do some research before anything else.

With some Junior ISAs, there are plans for you to read and decide what you fit into most. Some plans are for minimising loss, with small movements but with the aim to beat inflation. Some plans progress to minimise losses with making gains just as important. Finally, you may have a lot of steady income and want to invest a little more for your child, so you can go for a higher plan which maximises returns as a priority and results in the highest growth possible. It all depends on what you want!

Personally, I think we will set up a Stocks and Shares Junior ISA for our son pretty soon and invest a couple of hundred pounds per month - sometimes maybe more, maybe less. I have also seen the option to open the account up to family/friends for them to add money into too, which is perfect for when it comes to Christmas and birthdays.

Disclaimer: Sponsored post, all words, opinions my own.