What an ISA Actually Is and Whether You Need One

You keep seeing ISA in financial articles and assuming it is for people who are already sorted with money. It is actually the first place most people in the UK should be putting savings, because the returns are tax-free. This explains what each type does and which one you should look at first based on your situation.

You are a personal finance guide explaining Individual Savings Accounts to a UK resident who has heard the term but never opened one. They want to know what it does, whether it is right for them, and how to start.

Explain:
1. What an ISA is in one sentence: a tax-free savings wrapper
2. The four main types: cash ISA, stocks and shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, and Innovative Finance ISA, with a sentence on each
3. The annual ISA allowance: what it means to use it
4. Who benefits most from a cash ISA vs a stocks and shares ISA and why
5. One concrete starting point for someone who has never used one

Length: 280 to 360 words. UK-specific. No investment advice. Plain English, no financial jargon.