Tips from an ISA millionaire

It is possible to become an ISA millionaire.

We spoke to one EQi customer who did just that, building a portfolio worth over £1 million in his Stocks and Shares ISA. 

Here, Brian* talks us through the high and low points of his time as an investor, plus his tips on how to build a successful portfolio.

What has been your best investment? 

A company called 4imprint, which is a London-based direct marketer of promotional merchandise which is customised, such as mugs, bags, sweatshirts and key rings. It’s currently my largest holding and has done extremely well. I bought it initially at £3 and now it’s trading at around £25.

What about your worst?

Those would be companies in which I invested too early, such as African Eagle Resources.

How do you run your portfolio now?

Having retired, I’ve stopped my regular investments and am now solely focused on managing my portfolio. I have recently taken some money out of my investments to pay off some of my mortgage.

But I’m always keeping a lookout for new investments for when I take profits. I’ve currently got my eye on Allergy Therapeutics – a pharmaceutical products company which develops therapies for allergy-based diseases - and Oxford Biomedica - a biopharmaceutical company specialising in the development and commercialisation of gene-based medicines. It was established in 1995 as a spin out from Oxford University.

What five tips can you give investors who want to reach £1 million?

1. It’s important not to worry too much about market wobbles. I’ve invested through lots of economic cycles and like many others I lost lots in the financial crisis. It was a difficult time but I tried to remember that investing is a long-term commitment. And like Warren Buffet I am greedy when others are fearful which in practice means that I use the downturns as a buying opportunity.
2. Diversify. This is so important to protect the money you’ve invested.
3. Be patient. View your investments as a long-term commitment and know that you need to wait patiently, as the move upwards is slow and steady in most cases. Conversely, the move down is short and sharp.
4. Take profits. When the time is right, reinvest somewhere where the price is low.
5. Keep costs down. This is really important as charges eat away at your returns. That’s one of the reasons I use EQi to hold my money – because of its charging structure.

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In our earlier article, Brian discusses how he built a Stocks and Shares ISA portfolio worth over £1 million.

WHO WANTS TO BE AN ISA MILLIONAIRE?

*Customer's name has been changed.