Online stockbroker and fund supermarket Interactive Investor (www.iii.co.uk) has responded to the publication today of the IMA figures for the fund management industry for April.

Rebecca O’Keeffe, head of investment at Interactive Investor, said:
“The latest IMA statistics confirm that investors have been using tax efficient accounts more than ever, in particular ISA accounts. The parlous state of UK plc gives investors the incentive to use annual allowances – and they can do that with existing holdings as well as with new money. April and May saw a continuation of people Bed & ISAing existing holdings thereby securing their ISA allowance and ensuring that holdings won’t be exposed to future capital gains tax – before the emergency budget on June 22nd.

“The IMA stats also confirm the increasing popularity of fund platforms, which demonstrates that many investors are taking control of their own finances. As we enter a period of enforced austerity, investors need to continue to plan their finances carefully. Making use of all available tax allowances and tax efficient accounts is an integral part of that.”

Key facts about the services Interactive Investor offers its ISA and fund users:
• No ISA fees, management fees or any other administration fees
• Free regular share trading service until 30 June 2010
• Full trading platform for investing and trading shares, ISAs, self select ISAs and SIPPs - ability to hold UK, EU, and US stocks, funds, ETFs, Investment Trusts and cash within a self-select ISA or SIPP
• Over 1700 funds available to choose from – the funds account for around 95% of the money invested in funds in the UK
• A range of tools for the novice and more sophisticated investor to select the right ISA for them
• Fund and stock filters that allows investors to search by fund provider, sector, performance, and risk rating