Investments - FAQs

The SIF Plan and SIF ISA are Accounts in the investors name in which you can hold investment Funds from HSBC and from other selected investment companies.

The SIF plan and SIF ISA are provided by HSBC Trust Company (UK) Limited who act as the account manager and ISA manager. HSBC Trust Company (UK) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

An ISA, or Individual Savings Account, is a tax efficient way of investing in stocks and shares, and/or cash.

An ISA, or Individual Savings Account, allows you to invest up to £11,280 in the current Tax Year without having to pay tax on the interest, income or growth you earn. There are two types of ISAs, cash ISAs and Stocks and Shares ISAs.

You can invest up to £11,280 in an ISA in the current Tax Year, with no more than £5,640 in a cash ISA and the remaining amount up to a maximum of £11,280 in a Stocks & Shares ISA. This means if you do not place any money in a cash ISA, you could invest your full ISA annual allowance of £11,280 in a Stocks and Shares ISA.

The tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April the following year.

You can invest in one cash ISA and one Stocks and Shares ISA each Tax Year.

Because of their tax advantages ISAs are subject to annual subscription limits. The overall ISA subscription limit is £11,280 for the current Tax Year. Up to £5,640 of this overall limit can be saved in a cash ISA with one provider. The remainder of the £11,280 can be invested in a stocks and shares ISA with either the same or another provider. Alternatively, the full £11,280 can be invested in a stocks and shares ISA with one provider.

You can invest from a first direct 1st Account. We will arrange for your account to be debited.

The minimum lump sum investment is £1,000 for each fund.

Yes, with each of our funds you can invest from as little as £50 per month.

You will need details of your first direct 1st Account. If you are applying for a Selected Investment Funds ISA you will also need your National Insurance number.

You will pay an initial charge of 1% of your investment to HSBC Trust Company (UK) Limited. The fund managers also charge an annual fee. Full details of the charges can be found in the Selected Investment Funds Fund Insert, Key Features Document, Product Information, Effect of Charges Insert and Selected Investment Funds Terms and Conditions. We recommend you read these before you apply.

You will be sent a letter by HSBC Trust Company (UK) Limited to confirm that your application has been accepted. You will also receive a statement every six months in April and October.

These are the funds offered through first direct. However, if you have not found what you are looking for, then further funds are available through HSBC Bank plc.

All of the investment funds from the Selected Investment Fund range we offer are provided through HSBC Trust Company (UK) Limited who act as the account manager and ISA manager. HSBC Trust Company (UK) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

You cannot subscribe to more than one cash ISA and one Stocks and Shares ISA in the same Tax Year.

You must be 18 years of age or over and must hold a first direct current account, our 1st Account to purchase an investment from our Selected Investments Fund range.

Yes. We accept transfers of existing Stocks and Shares ISAs and cash ISAs. You can transfer your existing ISAs to us by completing the Selected Investment Fund Stocks and Shares ISA Transfer Form.

Please note that your existing ISAs will be sold and the cash proceeds used to invest in the Selected Investment Funds Stocks and Shares ISA. Stocks and Shares ISAs cannot be transferred to cash ISAs.

Before applying to transfer your ISA, we strongly recommend you read our Selected Investment Fund Insert, Key Features Document, Product Information, Effect of Charges Insert and Selected Investment Funds Terms and Conditions and addendum. Please print and save a copy for your records.

You can transfer some or all of the money you have subscribed in previous Tax Years without affecting your annual ISA subscription limit.

You are also able to transfer money subscribed in the current Tax Year. Such transfers must be the whole amount subscribed in that Tax Year in your cash ISA up to the day of the transfer.

Yes, provided you don't exceed your overall annual ISA allowance.

When you transfer the whole of your current Tax Year's cash ISA subscription to a Stocks and Shares ISA, it is as if that cash ISA subscription had never existed. Any money you subscribed in the current Tax Year up to the date of the transfer will be treated as if you had invested that money directly into the Stocks and Shares ISA. Please remember the amount you can subscribe to your Selected Investments Fund ISA in any Tax Year will be reduced by any subscription you make into a cash ISA in the same Tax Year.

Exactly the same way as you would transfer your ISA to another ISA manager at the moment. You must not withdraw the money and invest it in your Stocks and Shares ISA yourself, as it will count against your annual ISA investment allowance.

No, monies saved in a cash ISA can be transferred into a Stocks and Shares ISA, but not vice versa.

Yes. You should not withdraw the money/investments and invest in a cash ISA or Stocks and Shares ISA yourself as it will count towards your annual ISA allowance.

The KIID is a two page pre-sale document produced for each fund containing concise descriptions of key fund information. It is intended to assist customers in making an informed investment decision.

By 1 July 2012, Fund Management Companies must produce a KIID for their funds and make them available to customers before they invest. This requirement will apply to the vast majority of funds for sale across Europe. You will see that we have added a link to the relevant KIID next to the description of each fund in the "Investment Funds at a glance" section. Where a fund provider has not yet produced or provided us with a KIID, the link will open a copy of the Simplified Prospectus for the fund. Once we have received a KIID for a fund, we will replace the Simplified Prospectus with the KIID.

You should always read the latest version of the KIID (once available) for your chosen fund before investing and the KIID should be read in conjunction with the Selected Investment Funds literature. The information in the KIID is based on investing directly with the Fund Management Company. As you are investing through HSBC Trust Company (UK) Limited rather than directly with the Fund Management Company you should be aware that certain information in the KIID will differ to what is in the Selected Investment Funds literature. For example, the initial charge may be lower, the risk profiles may be presented in a different way and the contact details will be for the Fund Management Company instead of HSBC Trust Company (UK) Limited.

The KIIDs are provided for your information by the Fund Management Company administering the fund. HSBC Trust Company (UK) Limited is not responsible for the reliability or accuracy of the data provided by third parties.