This is usually expressed as a percentage charge per quarter with a minimum sum, the usual range being 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent a year with a minimum of pounds 25 to pounds 50. Self-select ISAs don't have initial or set-up charges, but most have an annual charge. For investment funds, NatWest ISA only offers a selection of in-house NatWest and Gartmore unit trusts.The next thing to look at are basic charges for opening and running the account. Few self-select ISAs allow investment in the full list.Not all managers offer anything other than shares, and where they do there may also be restrictions. Alliance Trust Savings' Alliance Select ISA's minimum is pounds 250 by cheque, but pounds 50 by monthly direct debit.In theory, self-select ISAs allow investment in UK and overseas shares listed on recognised exchanges, unit and investment trusts as well as corporate bonds and some gilts. (Choosing a mini ISA does allow you to keep another pounds 3,000 cash in a tax free savings account.) Many self-select plans are designed to take only lump-sum investments of between pounds 250 and pounds 3,000.

An exception here is execution-only broker Halifax Share Dealing's ShareXpress maxi and mini stocks ISAs, with minimum lump sum and regular monthly savings limits of pounds 50. This cash will earn interest pending investment, which has to be "within a reasonable time period". The maxi allows investment of the full 1999/2000 allocation of pounds 7,000 in stocks if you don't use the cash component, but with the mini you are restricted to pounds 3,000. Most self-select account managers offer both a maxi ISA with investment in stocks, with some offering a cash component, and a mini shares-only ISA. The downside is that only a small number of self-select ISA managers will allow investment across the range of permitted assets And this freedom has its price.

If you are a committed DIY investor, you should look into using your tax-free individual savings account (ISA) allowance as a wrapper for shares you select yourself. Doing this allows you to buy up to pounds 7,000 of shares from the range of permitted investments. I persisted and it did eventually offer a deal - which could only be bought over the phone. Nobody answered.I did a little bit of old-fashioned phone-bashing instead, and got some insurance (plus a lovely free key ring) at half the online price.Even so, I won't be put off, and will be queuing up as soon as the first supermarket opens, probably later this year.i.berwick independent.co.uk. A broker at www.screentrade. co.uk told me it couldn't offer a quote for my decidedly unleafy part of north London. Will the tech- nology work? I put my bullish views about the net into practice by searching for home insurance online. Plenty of people still want to buy from an adviser, face to face.