Cast your mind back to when Gordon Brown gave all children UK born between 1st September 2002 and 2nd January 2011 a Child Trust Fund? Ever wondered what happened to those CTFs?
Many mums out there will be smugly nodding their heads as they read this. Glancing their eyes towards that special draw or filing cabinet where all those important documents are kept. They’ve been keeping track. They might even be able to recite each of their children’s blossoming bank balances by heart.
Some mums will be nodding with a slightly unsure look on their face. They’ve definitely seen a letter that said something about a Child Trust Fund in the last few months ….. or years. It must be around somewhere. You wouldn’t recycle anything that important, right?
Then there will be some mums in the last category. The ones who can’t even remember where their children’s Child Trust Fund is, whether their child even qualified for it … and there is a small niggle that they might not have even registered the voucher.
To those mums, do not worry. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In fact, over a million Child Trust Funds have been “lost” in the last two decades. Meanwhile those banks and investment companies have continued to manage your money for their usual fee, despite your forgetfulness. But no more.
Now that the first recipients of the scheme are turning 16, it’s important that their Child Trust Funds are tracked down and used for their original purpose: the encouragement of financial independence among young people.
TwoZeroEighty is a new and innovative financial company that is helping to do just that: empower the generation who received Child Trust Funds to invest towards their futures. Not only will TwoZeroEighty help to track down a Child Trust Fund if it’s wandered off into the asset column of a Child Trust Fund Catcher, but they will also allow the child themselves to have a say over where their money goes once they hit 16.
So if this article has left you scratching your head, here are a few tips to help you track down a Child Trust Fund and start investing in your child’s future.
- If you have a folder or draw labelled “Important Stuff”, then this would be a good place to start looking for that bit of paper about a Child Trust Fund. It doesn’t matter if it’s crumpled, wrinkled or stained with coffee. As long as there is some information about a bank or building society then you are well on your way to tracking down a Child Trust Fund.
- If you don’t have such a draw, or you’ve tipped out said draw onto the living room carpet and still can’t find this key information, then no need to panic. Just tidy all the papers away before your dog walks his muddy paws across your latest tax statement. Then head to https://www.TwoZeroEighty.com/order
- If you have some tidbits of info about the bank you registered with or the account itself, then TwoZeroEighty can do the legwork and find your Child Trust Fund. If you have none of this information then TwoZeroEighty will still track it down for you. It just might take a little longer.
In the meantime, get your children excited about their Child trust Funds (and console the ones who were born too early or too late to get one). Help them set savings goals and aspirations for their future.
The Child Trust Fund scheme gives the child full control over their money when they turn 18. This might mean an average of £1,000 going into the pocket of your child.
If this scares the hell out of you because, as much as you love your child, there is a large possibility that they might waste this money on clothes, technology or a a gift voucher entitling them to 200 chicken nuggets (btw this does actually make an amazing gift) then now is the time to educate them.
TwoZeroEighty allows 16-year olds a controlled amount of agency over their money. Even if they can’t withdraw the cash, they can support businesses and funds that are meaningful to them. Like the Gender Equality fund, which invests in companies with score highly for gender equality. Or the Good UK fund which invests in companies which score highly for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) ratings and excludes companies whose products have negative social or environmental impacts.
So use this opportunity to get your children excited about investing and the potential their money has. And don’t worry if you’ve lost the information about a Child Trust Fund, the account is still there. Just be careful not to let your child know you nearly forgot about hundreds of pounds worth of their money. That’s a tantrum no amount of bribery will solve.
This post was written in collaboration with TwoZeroEighty. Capital at Risk and fees apply.
This communication has been approved by Met Facilities LLP. TwoZeroEighty Limited is an Appointed Representative (FRN: 815904) of Met Facilities LLP, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 587084). TwoZeroEighty Limited is registered in England with registered number 11316230 and the registered office at 17B Kensington High Street, London W8 5NP.