Saving on behalf of a child
The earlier you start, the more your investments can grow.-
It makes sense to start early
It pays to start saving on behalf of a child in good time, whether you are their mother, father, godparent or a friend. This will leave time for even small investments to accumulate before the child grows up.
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Start making monthly payments into a mutual fund
By paying a monthly amount, you can grow your child’s investment, benefiting from the compound interest effect to accumulate returns. You can start by investing just 10 euros a month, for example.
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Return on long-term investment
Investing for a child leaves plenty of time for the savings to grow. Money in a bank account earns little interest: invest in a mutual fund, if you want your money to make money.
To start saving, your child
must have a current account.
If your child already have
the account, you can start investing in mutual funds.
Here’s how to start investing in a fund on behalf of your child
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Open a current account
If you want to save on a child’s behalf, you must open a current account for the child, to which both the child and guardians have access rights. To open an account, you will need the child’s personal identity code and name, and the consent of both guardians. Please note that you cannot open an account for an unborn child.
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Accept the agreements
Before investing, the guardians must accept the OP Savings and Investments Agreement and activate custodial services for the child. The easiest way to get started is via our online service: we’ll send you the agreement for your approval through our Electronic Signature Service.
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Start investing
When you’ve opened the account and signed the agreements, you can start investing for your child. Use your OP user ID to make one-time subscriptions or monthly investments in a fund.
You can also book an appointment for an online meeting at a bank to go through the alternatives. A guardian who can’t make the meeting can fill in a power of attorney to enable an account to be opened for the child and investment to start. This allows the guardian attending the meeting to activate services for the child.
Power of attorney to open an account for a child and start saving
How to invest 10,000 euros for your child
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Did you know that you can gift 138 euros tax-free each month: 4,999 euros every three years?
Six tips on saving for a child
1. As well as parents, grandparents and godparents can add money to a child’s account. It pays to move savings from the child’s account into productive investments, such as mutual funds.
2. Monthly investment in a fund is the most popular way to build a nest egg for a child. You can choose one or several funds for your investments. The amount invested is up to you, there’s no lower limit. You can change the amount at any time, or take a break from investing more.
3. Mutual funds enable strong diversification of investments and provide an opportunity for long-term returns. Saver’s funds and responsible investment funds are excellent alternatives. Low-cost index funds are a great choice if you want to invest in the stock markets.
4. Make your child an owner-customer! As an owner-customer, you can buy and sell nearly all mutual funds without fees. Mutual funds also generate OP bonuses.
5. Assets in the name of a child are the property of the child. The child's guardians have the right to manage such assets, but their use is governed by law.
6. Saving for a child is a good opportunity to teach financial skills, by setting an example that inspires the child to start saving and investing.
Saving through insurance for children
Unit-linked insurance is the best option if you’re saving for a child long term, and want to maintain control of the funds. You start saving in a unit-linked insurance product in your name. The child is the beneficiary of your insurance, receiving the money later as a gift. You can name more than one child as a beneficiary of the same insurance. OP Unit-linked Insurance is a good option for investing on behalf of a child.