Child trust fund account types

There are three main types of CTF account ;
Savings Accounts
These are the same as normal bank or building society savings accounts but are written under the CTF rules and may have different deals on offer from the banks and building societies.
Accounts that invest in shares
These CTF accounts typically invest in pooled funds such as Open Ended Investment Company funds. Depending on which fund you select will determine the amount of the fund that is invested in equities (company shares) and therefore the charges taken by the manager. These charges are not limited as they are in a stakeholder CTF account.
Stakeholder Standard CTF Accounts
Stakeholder Standard CTFs meet government guidelines covering cost, access and terms. Stakeholder accounts invest your child's money in shares in companies. Once your child reaches 13, money in the account starts to be moved to lower risk investments or assets (this is known as "lifestyling"). This means that once lifestyling starts, although your child's money may not benefit if the stock market is performing well, it is protected from stock market losses as they approach their 18th birthday. You can choose not to have lifestyling.