any of them grab me -- you can use the Fool's Week Ahead articles to keep up. That way, over the course of a year, I've at least had a quick glance at every company on the market. Anyway, those are just a few ways to get some ideas -- please feel free to share any of your own approaches in the Comments section below. Next time we'll make our first "purchase" for the Beginners Portfolio -- we won't be using real money, but we'll treat it exactly as if we were. And if you haven't already checked those brands I listed above, would you be surprised to learn they're all Unilever ( LSE: ULVR ) products? I want to spend this years Isa allowance on a basket of carefully chosen shares. My previous years Isa's are all Unit and investment trusts. My Isa is with H&L and so get initial fee refunded on Unit trusts. Is it cheaper to buy shares for my Isa or continue with unit trusts? My first share is going to be Tesco, but how much should I buy considering my Isa allowance? Should I divide my allowance equally between shares and if so how many shares should I choose to maximise costs etc. Any ideas would be most gratefully received. I am 47yrs old so do want a mixture of good yielding shares with growth potential. Thank you You should ask yourself how long will you contribute to the ISA and will it be