Could your ISA deliver a weekly £250 second income in retirement? Here’s what it takes

Sadly the State Pension isn’t enough to live on comfortably in retirement, so it pays to build a second income stream instead. I think FTSE 100 shares are a great way of doing that, because they offer potential share price growth and dividend income. And the gains are tax-free inside a Stocks and Shares ISA.

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.

Aiming for £250 a week works out at £13,000 a year. Using the 4% withdrawal rule, which assumes investors can safely take that amount from their pot without seriously eroding the capital, requires a nest egg of around £325,000. It sounds ambitious, but steady investing and the magic of compound returns can make it achievable.

Someone investing £300 a month for 30 years at a 7% annual growth rate could end up with around £363,000. Reinvesting every dividend along the way is essential. Those payments quietly buy more shares and multiply growth.

If the investor could increase their passive income to 6% a year from the aforementioned 4%, using the dividends from a selection of higher-yielding FTSE 100 stocks, they could generate the same £250 weekly income with a pot of less than £217,000.

Investing is a long game

Market ups and downs are inevitable, but investing regularly smooths the ride. I focus on FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 shares with solid dividends and growth potential, checking value using simple earnings multiples or discounted cash flow models.

One dividend stock I’m watching closely is Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO). The British-Australian commodity giant has been in the doldrums recently, as slower global growth, US-China trade tensions, and an ailing Chinese economy hit demand for metals. Its share price is up just 9% in the past year, though it jumped 12% in October following a strong production update on 14 October.

Rio Tinto remains on track to meet 2025 production targets, with bauxite guidance upgraded and iron ore shipments from Pilbara up 6% on the previous quarter. That spike shows why investors need to take a long-term view. Nobody can predict stock movements from one month to the next, but loyal investors benefit when they climb.

It’s a top dividend stock

Rio Tinto’s shares are attractively priced at a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.8, well below today’s FTSE 100 average of 18. It’s been a reliable dividend payer, with a trailing yield of 5.65%, though the past three years have seen cuts as commodity markets struggle. History shows the Rio board hikes dividends strongly in the good years, so investors must take the rough with the smooth.

A recent corporate reorganisation aims to reduce costs, lift profits, and enhance shareholder returns. China is forecast to recover in 2026 and further interest rate costs could give Rio Tinto another lift. I think it’s worth considering today, although only with a long-term view, to allow time for a cyclical recovery.

Consistency pays off

Building a £325,000 ISA pot won’t happen overnight. Patience is key. Steady contributions, reinvesting dividends, and a diversified approach across sectors and geographies are essential. I can see at least a dozen FTSE 100 dividend growth stocks that may be even more attractive Rio Tinto.

The post Could your ISA deliver a weekly £250 second income in retirement? Here’s what it takes appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

More reading

• My £20,000 invested in this passive income star could make me £5,421 a year in dividend income over time!
• 2 pieces of advice from Warren Buffett about stock market bubbles
• 2 FTSE 100 companies that could quietly benefit from the AI boom
• £10k in savings? Don’t let it gather dust — target a £4k annual second income

Harvey Jones has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

See author's posts