What are my options?

Choosing what to do

There are three options for you to consider for your Child Trust Fund investment. You don’t have to decide immediately – the funds will stay invested until you’re ready.

Continue investing

Withdraw your Investment

A combination of both

Continue investing with Columbia Threadneedle

Continue to invest for your future with Columbia Threadneedle by moving your investment into our range of savings plans for adults, with no transfer charges. We’ve also reduced the annual charge on our adult products until you turn 21, meaning you’ll benefit by keeping the same rate as the CTF Shares product (£25 + VAT) rate for up to three years. Please note the CTF Stakeholder & the Matured CTF Stakeholder product charges are 0.7%. See below to find out more about our savings plans.

Taking your investment out

When you turn 18 you can decide to withdraw the invested money. There’s no charge to withdraw and if you later put the money into an ISA, it would be treated as a new subscription, losing the benefit of reduced fees until you’re 21.We recognise that a house deposit, wedding costs or a retirement pot are goals that seem a long way off. However, we firmly believe that it’s better to prioritise longer-term goals when navigating the uncertainties of the future.

A combination of both

You can transfer some of your shares into one of our adult savings plans and withdraw the rest. Choose what works best for you for the full amount of your investment.

For the undecided

It’s okay if you need more time to decide what you’d like to do with your account. You don’t have to tell us your decision straight away. Your CTF will continue as a “matured CTF” and your account will stay in the same funds as it’s currently held in.

The fees will continue at the same level as a as a Shares Child trust Fund (£25 +VAT) or for the Stakeholder Child Trust Fund (0.7%) and will be taken from the funds in the account. This will reduce the overall value of your holdings over time. Should the value of your holdings reach nil, the account will be closed.

Let's talk about risk

The value of your investments and any income from them can go down as well as up and you may not get back the original amount invested. Tax allowances and the benefits of tax-efficient accounts are subject to change and tax treatment depends upon your individual circumstances.

Our adult Savings Plans

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I find out how much is in my account?

You can register for online access to your account through our Investor Portal. Any letters from us will have your account number on them.

Alternatively, you can contact our Investor Services Team – our details are shown at the bottom of this page.

Already registered? Why not download the CT UK App by searching ‘CT UK‘ on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to give you access to all of the below from your mobile or tablet:

View valuation and summary of accounts held
Retrieve account and fund information
View transaction history
View account cash holdings and balances
View primary contact details

How much is my Child Trust Fund worth?

You may have started with as much as £250 from the Government when your Child Trust Fund was opened. The current value depends on the amount of money invested from then to now, with the average CT Child Trust Fund worth £8,000. Find out how much yours is worth by visiting the Investor Portal.

Is there a minimum amount I can transfer into a new account?

We want to make sure that any amount you transfer gets the best chance to work for you. As a result, the minimum balance that you need to be able to transfer into the CT ISA, CT Lifetime ISA or CT General Investment Account (GIA) is £100 so you’d need to have at least that amount in your account now, or after you’ve made any withdrawal that you want to make.

If you don’t have that much, we could let you transfer over less as long as you are making a top-up payment, or setting up a regular direct debit, at the same time. To do this you’ll need to download and fill out the relevant top-up form and send it into us alongside your election form.

Is there a minimum amount I can withdraw?

There’s no minimum withdrawal, but whatever you decide to do, you must tell us what you want to do with the whole of your Child Trust Fund, i.e., you can’t make a partial withdrawal and decide what you want to do with the rest later.

What if I no longer live in the UK?

Selling shares – You can sell, and withdraw the proceeds. We will only pay proceeds out in Sterling. If you have a UK bank account, we can pay the proceeds directly into your bank account. If not, we will send the proceeds by cheque to your registered address.

Transferring shares – You can still transfer your shares to a CT ISA or a General Investment Account. If you live in the USA and/or are classed as a US Person, you also need to provide proof of your tax status (see below). You can also transfer to another provider but you should check their eligibility criteria.

Making further contributions – Only UK residents, or those working for the Crown, are eligible to make further contributions into an ISA. We can accept contributions from those living overseas into a General Investment Account (unless in USA or Canada) as long as those contributions come from a UK Bank account in your name.

What if I am classed as a US Person?

We consider investors who are resident in the United States, or who are treated as residents for US tax or regulatory purposes, to be US Persons.

If you choose to transfer into a CT ISA or General Investment Account, we’ll write to you to explain what this means to you in more detail but in summary:

We cannot buy any further shares for you
We’ll need evidence of your tax status (a W8 or W9 form) within 30 days of the transfer or we have to sell your shares.

What do you mean by tax residency?

Whilst many of our investors are simply resident in the UK for tax purposes, we can’t make that assumption. For investors in our General Investment Account (ISAs and CTFs are exempt), we need you to confirm which country/ies you are classed as being tax resident in.

If you are only resident in the UK, you just need to write “UK” in the Country/Countries of Tax Residence box. You can leave the Tax Identifier Number box blank in that circumstance.

If you are tax resident in another, or multiple countries, then please follow the instructions on the form.

Can I top up into the FTSE ALL Share Tracker fund?

We can transfer your existing shares into the CT ISA or General Investment Account but you can’t currently buy any more shares in that fund.

You would be welcome to top-up, either by lump sum or monthly direct debit, into one of our investment trusts now.

Can I sell some shares now and then sell some more later?

You can’t sell some shares and leave some within the Matured CTF. However, you can sell some and transfer the remainder into a CT ISA or General Investment Account. You would then be able to make withdrawals from your new account in the future. (Please note that there are dealing charges if you instruct by post in both the CT ISA and General Investment Account. Dealing charges are waived if instructed via the investor portal. You can check all the details about our charges on the Key Features Documents for these accounts).

Can I sell some shares now and transfer to an account I have with another provider?

You can certainly tell us of your intention to do so, but we can’t act on your sale instruction until we’ve had the transfer instruction from your new investment provider so contact them first to find out what they need you to do to transfer to them.

Can I move my investment to a Lifetime ISA?

Yes, but unlike an “adult” ISA, it does count towards this year’s annual subscription limit. The subscription limit for a Lifetime ISA is £4,000 for the 2024/25 tax year. So, if you have more than £4,000 in your account, you’ll need to decide what to do with the rest of your investment.

Can you accept my instruction before I'm 18?

No, we can’t accept advance instructions.

If we receive the instruction too early, we’ll return it to you so it might actually cause you more delay.

We can accept your instruction from the date of your birthday.

Your Financial Future

How to plan for a future you can’t see yet

Find out more

Information in this section of the Website is directed solely at persons who are located in the UK and can be categorised as retail clients. Nothing on this website is, or is intended to be, an offer, advice, or an invitation, to buy or sell any investments. Please read our full terms and conditions and the relevant Key Information Documents (“KID”) before proceeding further with any investment product referred to on this website. This website is not suitable for everyone, and if you are at all unsure whether an investment product referenced on this website will meet your individual needs, please seek advice before proceeding further with such product.

Your Child Trust Fund options

Choosing what to do

Continue investing with Columbia Threadneedle

Taking your investment out

A combination of both

For the undecided

Let's talk about risk

Ready to make a decision

Our adult Savings Plans

CT General Investment Account (GIA)

CT Individual Savings Account (ISA)

CT Lifetime Individual Savings Account (LISA)

Frequently Asked Questions

Your Financial Future

Find out more

Your questions answered

Contact us

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