ISA without the IFA

Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) were introduced a number of years ago now as a way of encouraging people to save money and invest in the stock market. You can invest up to £3000 per tax year in mini-cash ISAs, but in addition you can invest up to £3000 per tax year in a mini-equities ISA. Equities (shares) can offer you potentially far higher rates of return than cash, but there is risk involved and it is rather reliant on you picking the right fund.
However if you go to an independent financial advisor (IFA) looking for an equities ISA, you're going to pay a hefty sum up front for investing in a well managed fund. Up to 5% of the sum could go into fees and that comes straight out of what you were investing. A good way around this is to find an online funds supermarket, such as the Fidelity Funds Network. I've used this to buy an ISA and saved myself close to £100, so it's probably worth a look if you were considering this sort of investment.