How to open a Junior ISA and what to invest in

A Junior ISA is an account you open for a child. The money grows and belongs to them at 18. Pick a provider and open one. Which one matters far less than how soon.

Vanguard -- the cheapest option. Good if you want to set it up and forget about it.
Hargreaves Lansdown -- slightly more expensive but well known and easy to use.
Fidelity -- a reasonable middle ground, good customer service.

Once you have opened it, what do you buy?

One fund. A global index tracker. It owns a tiny slice of thousands of companies around the world, costs almost nothing to run, and has historically been the best-performing option for most long-term investors.

You do not need to pick stocks, time the market, or make any further decisions. Set up a monthly direct debit and do not look at it again until they are 17.

Here is what to search for on each platform:

Vanguard -- FTSE Global All Cap Index Fund
Hargreaves Lansdown -- Vanguard FTSE Global All Cap
Fidelity -- Fidelity Index World Fund

That is it. The account is open, the fund is chosen, the direct debit is set up. You are done.

When the time comes, here is a letter you can give them at 18 that explains what you did and why.