Compare Self Select ISAs
Pick the best self select ISA to make the most of your tax free allowance this year.
Investment ISAs put your capital at risk & you may get back less than you originally invested
- Trade From (frequent trader rate): £4.99 (Investor Essentials Plan up to £50,000 in assets)
Why we like it: An award-winning ISA that gives you complete control. The second largest platform in the UK with the widest choice of investment options in the market including funds, investment trusts, ETF’s and more. Open online in less than 10 minutes. Access to expert independent ideas and analysis. Low cost fees and trading. Capital at risk
- Fund Choice: Invest in over 2,000 funds, shares and more across 25 markets
- Invest From: £25 pm
Why we like it: Invest in over 2,000 funds, shares and more across 25 markets. Invest from £25 per month. Which? Recommended Provider for Investment Platforms 2019–2023. Low-cost online dealing from £3.50. Open your account in minutes from app or website, manage your portfolio on the move. FSCS protected. Capital at risk
- Fund Choice: Invest in the Shepherds With Profits Fund which offers medium to low risk investing, with the aim of growing your money in a smooth manner over the long term
- Invest From: £30 pm
Why we like it: You don’t have to make any tricky investment decisions; your money will be invested in Shepherds With Profits Fund, and the bonuses you could receive will depend on the future performance of the fund. To try to achieve higher returns for you, your money is invested in a variety of assets, the majority of which consist of stocks and shares, but also property, bonds and cash. While returns are not guaranteed in stocks and shares investments and the value can go down as well as up, Shepherds apply a process known as ‘smoothing’ that attempts to even out fluctuations in the value and aims to keep a consistent level of bonus payments. Capital at risk.
- Fund Choice: Access 40,000+ UK, US and international shares on 17 global exchanges. Choose from over 3,000 funds
- Invest From: £25 pm
Why we like it: An award-winning ISA that gives you complete control. The second largest platform in the UK with the widest choice of investment options in the market including funds, investment trusts, ETF’s and more. Open online in less than 10 minutes. Access to expert independent ideas and analysis. Low cost fees and trading. Capital at risk.
- Fund Choice: 10 managed portfolios to choose from. Choose your risk profile and have an investment Plan built and managed for you
- Invest From: £1
Why we like it: Choose your level of risk from cautious to adventurous and have a plan expertly created and managed for you. Create multiple Plans – including Ethical Plans – with different risk levels. Invest as little or much as you like, add regular payments and top up whenever you like. Withdraw money or transfer out without notice or penalty fees. Wealthify app lets you check how your Plan is performing, manage your transactions and provide investment news and insights. Simple annual management charge of 0.6%
- Trade From (frequent trader rate): £3.50
- Trade From (standard trader rate): £5.00
Why we like it: Invest in over 2,000 funds, shares and more across 25 markets. Invest from £25 per month. Which? Recommended Provider for Investment Platforms 2019–2023. Low-cost online dealing from £1.50. Open your account in minutes from app or website, manage your portfolio on the move. FSCS protected. Capital at risk
- Fund Choice: Over 2,500 funds, UK shares, investment trusts and ETFs or choose Ready Made & Managed Portfolios
- Invest From: No minimum
Why we like it: Pick your own investments or choose a Ready-made Portfolio. Some of the lowest investment ISA account fees available. Tiered service fees of 0.2% or less a year, no set-up fees and share dealing for just £4.95 per trade. You don’t pay anything to open your ISA or buy funds, and share dealing costs just £4.95 per trade. Voted Best ISA Provider at the City of London Wealth Management Awards 2020. Capital at risk.
- Fund Choice: Choose from over 3,000 funds, shares, investment trusts and more to build your portfolio
- Invest From: £25 pm or £100 lump sum
Why we like it: Hargreaves Lansdown are the UK’s no. 1 investment platform for private investors – kickstart your investing with their award-winning ISA. Choose your own investments with expert research and ideas to help you, or simply pick a ready-made portfolio. Manage via website, app or phone. Capital at risk.
- Fund Choice: Allocate your savings between a cash money market fund from L&G and investment shares fund from Fidelity
- Invest From: £10
Why we like it: App based stocks & shares ISA account. Choose to allocate your contributions between the two funds on offer in whatever proportion you choose: a shares fund (Fidelity Global Index fund) which aims to track the performance of global stock markets and therefore large companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Google and Johnson & Johnson, and a cash fund (Legal & General Cash Trust fund) which aims to provide returns in line with money market rates. Annual fee of 0.5% on the value of any investments. Two funds with their own management fees of between 0.12% and 0.15%. Change your allocation at any point. Option to opt into Round ups – collected from your bank by direct debit on a weekly basis and invested in line with your investment allocation
- Fund Choice: Choose from over 4,000 investment options, including one of the widest fund ranges in the UK. With online guidance tools and expert fund ideas to help you choose
- Invest From: £25 pm
Why we like it: This award-winning ISA has an extensive range of investment options, including thousands of funds and shares, plus a guidance service to help you find investment ideas. There is a low service fee (typically 0.35%), easy online application process and apps to manage your money on the move. Additional charges apply depending on your choice of investments. Plus, everything is backed by Fidelity’s 50 years of investment experience. Boring Money Best Buy ISA 2023
- Trade From (frequent trader rate): £5.95 per trade - 20 trades + pm
- Trade From (standard trader rate): £11.95 per trade
Good to know: Online trading charges based on previous month’s activity. 20+ trades made in previous month is £5.95 a trade. 10-19 trades are £8.95 a trade. Less than 10 trades it’s £11.95. Get Access to live prices. Easy set up – Buy & sell shares in minutes! Capital at risk.
- Fund Choice: Choose from a range of 36 funds and ETFs and 20 US stocks. Select one of three simple starting options with a range of tracker funds or build your own investment portfolio by customising your investment options
- Invest From: £1
Why we like it: Choose from a range of 36 funds and ETFs and 20 US stocks to invest with Moneybox. Earn 3.8% AER Variable on any uninvested cash you hold. There are additional fees charged directly by the fund provider. Please check the key investor information document (KIID) for a particular fund for more information. Keep things simple and get started with one of our three starting options: Cautious, Balanced or Adventurous – and customise your investments to align with your values. Open with as little as £1. When investing, your capital is at risk
- Fund Choice: TILLIT filter the market and select the best-in-class active and passive funds across asset classes, regions and styles
Why we like it: Let Tillett filter the market for you. From well-known classics to trailblazers and wildcards. No one needs 5,000 funds. Get breadth and variety, without the choice paralysis
- Fund Choice: Offering commission-free DIY investing or low-cost, professionally managed income or growth portfolios built for you
- Invest From: £100
Why we like it: Make the most of the world’s best ETFs commission free. Build your own portfolio commission free or leave it to our experts for just 0.25%. Zero‑ISA fees. Choice of 600+ ETFs. Low cost, diversified, index-tracking of stock markets, bonds and commodities. DIY or Managed. Capital at Risk
- Fund Choice: Choose your risk profile and have it matched to an investment portfolio expertly built and managed.
- Invest From: £1,500
Why we like it: Answer questions about your goals, financial situation and attitude to risk, and Moneyfarm will recommend the right ISA portfolio for you, built and managed by experts to help your money grow. You’ll always be invested in a portfolio that’s suitable for you, and you can manage this through the Advice Centre. See what you’re invested in, how you’re performing and how much you’re paying anywhere and any time with the Moneyfarm app. Add money to your ISA by setting up a direct debit, investing a lump-sum, or by transferring old ISAs for free. Capital at risk.
- Trade From (frequent trader rate): £3.00
- Trade From (standard trader rate): £8.00
Good to know: Pay zero commission on US share trades, and just £3 on UK share trades, when you trade three or more times a month with IG. No admin or transfer fees. Custody fee of £24 per quarter, charged if you hold share dealing or ISA assets at the end of the quarter. Capital at risk. Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider
What is a Self Select ISA?
A Self Select ISA is a Stocks and Shares ISA account that lets you pick your investments yourself.
They are often referred to as investment supermarket ISAs or investment platform ISAs.
You can hold various types of investments within a Self Select ISA, and it’s up to you to choose your portfolio yourself.
What stocks can I hold in a Self Select ISA?
Here are the top three stocks commonly held in a Self Select share ISA:
1. Shares
Shares represent a portion of a publicly traded company. A company’s share price can rise or fall in value, so the better they do, the more your holding is worth.
Some companies also pay dividends to shareholders each year. The more shares you hold, the more dividends you receive.
2. Managed Funds (OEICs, Unit Trusts and Investment Trusts)
Managed Funds are investment companies that invest in a particular sector or area.
As an investor, your money is pooled together with every other investor and then the whole sum is invested across multiple companies operating in that sector.
The fund managers are investment professionals who decide the best companies to invest in. They also take an annual Ongoing Fund Charge deducted from the performance of the investment.
3. ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds)
ETFs are similar to Managed Funds in that they focus on a specific stock index, sector or geographical area.
However, they don’t have a fund manager who decides on the best companies to invest in. Instead, they invest in the main companies in the index so that the performance of the ETF tracks that of the sector.
For example, a FTSE 100 ETF invests proportionately across all the companies listed in the FTSE 100, meaning the performance is exactly the same.
You don’t get expert fund management, but you pay significantly fewer charges with an ETF investment. They can even outperform fund managers operating in the same sectors, despite the fact that they simply track the same index.
How do I choose what stocks to invest in?
Choosing stocks can be a daunting task due to the sheer number of options and variety available.
Here are some top tips for creating your own ISA:
1. Diversify your portfolio
Investing in Managed Funds and ETFs are a great way to spread your investments across multiple companies in your Self Select Stocks and Shares ISA.
By investing in one fund, your money is split across tens or hundreds of different companies. This means if one of them performs poorly or even goes bust, it won’t have too much of an impact on your overall portfolio.
But don’t stop there. Investing in different funds and ETFs across multiple sectors and areas that you think will perform well will diversify your portfolio further and protect you from swings in specific sectors.
2. Do your research
Before investing in any company, fund or ETF, make sure you completely understand how it works.
For example, ETFs can be leveraged up to five times, meaning the performance of the index or sector is multiplied by five. IF you don’t know this before investing you could be in for a shock if the market goes down.
Additionally, some managed funds include performance charges that only kick in at certain performance thresholds. You need to know all the information before making your decision.
The best place to look is the Key Investor Information Documents (KIIDs) that contain all the vital investment details.
3. Don’t chop and change too much
Remember that the best investment returns come over the long term, so try not to change your Self Select ISA portfolio too often.
If you are buying and selling different investments on a weekly or even daily basis, you might find it difficult to outperform the dealing fees and bid-offer spreads that you’ll be subject to.
What is the best Self Select ISA provider?
Here are our top five considerations for choosing the best Self Select ISA provider for you:
- What investments are available?
- What are the annual management charges?
- What are the ad hoc charges, like dealing fees?
- How good is their customer service?
- How good is their app or online platform?
Finding the best Self Select share ISA provider for you depends on how you’re going to use it.
The above factors will vary in importance depending on what investments you hold, your investment strategy and how much help you’ll need.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to set up a Self Select ISA?
It’s usually free to open a Self Select Stocks and Shares ISA, but you’ll pay ongoing charges on the investments you take out. You can view these in your ISA provider’s terms and conditions.
You should also look out for dealing and other ad hoc charges that may apply to you.
Can I buy individual shares in a Self Select ISA?
Yes, you can. You can hold as many individual shares in a Self Select share ISA as you want.
How much money can I put in a Self Select ISA?
The annual ISA allowance is £20,000. This is the amount you can contribute to Stocks and Shares ISAs and Cash ISAs combined.
Can I withdraw from a Self Select ISA?
Yes, you can withdraw from a Self Select ISA at any time once you sell your investments.
You can withdraw as much as you want.
Can I transfer my ISA into a Self Select ISA?
Yes, you can. You can transfer a Cash ISA or different Stocks and Shares ISA into your Self Select ISA at any time by completing a transfer form with your new ISA provider.
Make sure you complete the form and don’t just withdraw the money yourself to pay it into your new account, or your money will lose its ISA status and might not be allowed to put it all back in.
Are Self Select ISAs safe?
The value of your investments can go down, but you are protected by the FSCS if your ISA provider goes into administration.
Self Select Stocks and Shares ISAs are also regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).