How I’d aim for a £1m Stocks & Shares ISA starting with £10k

Jon Smith explains why it’s not a pipedream to aim to become a Stocks & Shares ISA millionaire, even from a standing start today.

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

Abstract bull climbing indicators on stock chart

Image source: Getty Images

There are plenty of Stocks and Shares ISA millionaires in the UK. Given the lack of tax that’s imposed when selling stocks for a profit or receiving a dividend, it’s an attractive way to grow wealth. I don’t have an ISA worth £1m at the moment. But if I was starting off with just £10k ready to go, here’s how I’d try and make it a reality.

Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of tax advice. Readers are responsible for carrying out their own due diligence and for obtaining professional advice before making any investment decisions.

The right time to be getting involved

To begin with, I think it’s a good time to start out with an ISA. The UK stock market has been treading water for much of this year. Even though company fundamentals have been good, pressure has been put on the market thanks to high inflation and rising interest rates.

However, I believe we’re close to the end of the interest rate hiking cycle. Further, the past few months have been encouraging, with lower inflation data releases.

What this means is that now could be a smart time to start investing, being ready for a potentially optimistic mood in the market for 2024.

A risk to my view is if the UK slips into a recession next year. This could spark a slump in stocks.

Deploying the £10k

I’d take my initial funds and split it 70% in growth stocks and 30% in value stocks. The reason I’m being so aggressive with my allocation to growth ideas is because I’m targeting an ISA value of £1m. In order to go for this, I do have to take on risk. In order to hopefully strike it gold with a stock that exponentially grows in value over the next decade, I have to go for it.

At the same time, I’m not being stupid. I’ll not put more than £1,000 in any one company. The reason for this is so that my initial portfolio is diversified.

Putting £3,000 in value stocks is the lower-risk part of the portfolio. The aim here is that over the coming years, the share price of these firms should increase back to a fair value. This would result in a profit.

Going from £10k to £1m

The big question is how to take the ISA to the next level. The initial £10k will get me going, but it’s a far cry to £1m.

Interestingly, if I just had that £10k and assumed an annual growth rate of 8%, in 20 years my ISA would be worth just under £50k.

To increase the pace, I’m going to need to invest on a regular basis. I can put in £20k per year for the ISA. Assuming that I do this (on a monthly basis), the pace of my ISA growth jumps. In fact, by year 20, my ISA should be worth £1.03m.

There are a lot of variable factors that could change things. For example, I could have some growth stocks that provide massive gains, which means my average growth rate is higher than 8%. Or I could find that I can’t invest as much as I had planned. This would mean that I could still reach £1m, but it might take 25 or 30 years instead.

Jon Smith has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

2 top growth stocks to consider for an ISA in April

The UK market is home to some fantastic under-the-radar growth stocks trading at very reasonable valuations. Here are two of…

Read more »

Warren Buffett at a Berkshire Hathaway AGM
Investing Articles

Could thinking like Warren Buffett help create a market-beating ISA?

Christopher Ruane zooms in on some aspects of Warren Buffett's investing approach he thinks could help an ambitious ISA investor…

Read more »

British pound data
Investing Articles

£10,000 invested in a FTSE 100 index tracker at the start of March is now worth…

Anyone who invested money in a FTSE 100 index tracker at the start of the month may wish to look…

Read more »

Chalkboard representation of risk versus reward on a pair of scales
Investing Articles

Should investors consider Rolls-Royce shares as war rocks global markets?

Investors who thought Rolls-Royce shares had grown too expensive might have second thoughts as Iran turmoil rattles the FTSE 100,…

Read more »

Young black woman walking in Central London for shopping
Investing Articles

Some lucky ISA investors could pick up £2,000 for free in the next month. Here’s how

The UK government is handing out free money to some ISA investors to help them save for retirement. Here’s a…

Read more »

DIVIDEND YIELD text written on a notebook with chart
Investing Articles

Is this the best time to buy dividend shares since Covid-19?

A volatile stock market gives investors a chance to buy shares with unusually high dividend yields. Stephen Wright highlights one…

Read more »

UK financial background: share prices and stock graph overlaid on an image of the Union Jack
Investing Articles

Are we staring at a once-in-a-decade chance to buy this beaten-down UK growth stock?

Investors couldn't get enough of this FTSE 100 growth stock, but the last 10 years have been pretty frustrating. Could…

Read more »

Person holding magnifying glass over important document, reading the small print
Investing Articles

What I look for when searching for shares to buy

There’s a lot that goes into finding shares to buy. Ultimately though, it comes down to two things: numbers that…

Read more »