I’m new to stocks and shares ISAs this year. Having used my cash isa to save for most of my adult life over the last 15 years.

I’ve kept an emergency fund in the cash isa and transferred the rest into a trading 212 stocks and shares. (£24k)

I have been investing £500 per month and can afford to continue doing so. But I’ve seen very little gain due to the volatility as a result of events in the Middle East.

I know all the basics of keep it in, keep investing, don’t crystallise the loss by moving when it’s down.

But my question is do you not start to ‘see’ the gains until around 5 years since investing. Or do you see some gains along the way, market dependant?

I’ve got another £37k in premium bonds and wondering whether to move these over too. (I’m currently on £1000 profit in 2026 on premium bonds vs £60 in my stocks and shares isa) But feel atm I may as well leave them where they are seeing as they’re gaining in the meantime.

Gains show up daily in your account value, not after five years. The five-year advice just means staying invested long enough to smooth out dips. Starting in a choppy January 2026 means flat returns now, but drip-feeding monthly works. I track my own progress quarterly to stay calm, and for futures trading I’ve found https://satotrades.com/guides/tradeify-review genuinely useful for comparing funded account options. Keep the Premium Bonds unless you need the cash, but don’t rush the ISA transfer.