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I might not be investing to earn a passive income today, but I’m investing to earn a passive income in the future. Like many investors, I’m employing a fairly simple strategy to do this. It involves consistent contributions, regular investments, and harnessing the power of compounding.
So how much does an investor need to earn £4,000 in monthly passive income? Well, it depends on the yield. At a 4% yield, an investor would need an ISA pot of around £1.2m to generate £4,000 a month. At 5%, the required amount falls to £960,000.
Clearly, that might sound like a tall task for many an investor. However, it’s perfectly achievable, even in an ISA, assuming the investor has some time on their side. Here are several theoretical ways the £960,000 figure could be reached.
| Monthly contribution | Growth rate | Years |
| £500 | 8% | 33 |
| £600 | 9% | 28.5 |
| £700 | 10% | 25.5 |
| £800 | 11% | 22.5 |
These are randomly selected monthly contributions and investment growth rates. And of course, less money invested at a lower return would take much longer than my examples. But they collectively show how an investor could move from nothing to a near-£1m portfolio capable of generating £4,000 in tax-free monthly income.
Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of tax advice. Readers are responsible for carrying out their own due diligence and for obtaining professional advice before making any investment decisions.
A dose of reality
This all sounds great, but it’s not going to be possible unless a would-be investor opens a Stocks and Shares ISA with a UK brokerage and starts contributing to their account. What’s more, investors can lose money, especially if they make poor investment decisions.
However, with an informed investment strategy, it’s possible to balance risk and reward in a way that steadily builds long-term wealth. By diversifying across different asset classes and maintaining a disciplined approach, investors can harness the benefits of tax-efficient accounts like Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) and ISAs while minimising the chances of costly mistakes.
Where to invest for growth?
The beauty of investing within a Stocks and Shares ISA, especially through a major brokerage, is the range of investments opportunities. While I invest primarily in stocks in my ISA, my SIPP contains more investment trusts which provide a greater degree of diversification.
One investment trust I believe is worth considering is The Monks Investment Trust (LSE:MNKS). Managed by Baillie Gifford, Monks aims to deliver long-term capital growth by investing in a diversified global portfolio.
Unlike some trusts that concentrate on a narrow set of sectors or regions, Monks holds over a hundred companies across different industries and geographies, helping to spread risk while tapping into a broad range of growth opportunities.
Currently, the largest stocks in its portfolio include Meta, Microsoft and Nvidia — all big tech companies. But it’s not just tech. One of its larger holdings is Martin Marietta Materials — an American aggregate and heavy building materials company.
Concerns? Well the trust practices gearing — borrowing to invest — which can magnify losses when shares pull back. And while not a risk, it’s worth recognising that it’s underperformed its bigger brother trust — Scottish Mortgage — over the long run.
