Halifax Share Dealing ISAs
Review of the Halifax Share Dealing ISA Account
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
- 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: Invest in 6,100+ US, UK & European stocks & ETFs commission-free
- Invest From: £2
Why we like it: Commission-free investing: No fees for buying or selling stocks (other charges may apply). Support: Fast and friendly customer support. A wide range of investments: 6,100+ US, UK, and European stocks, ETFs, and investment trusts. Low monthly fees: From £4.99/month. Capital at risk. Other charges may apply
- 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.
- 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. 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider
- Trade From (frequent trader rate): £3.00
- Trade From (standard trader rate): £3.00
Why we like it: Low cost share trading ISA platform. Sign up in minutes. £3/€3 per trade for UK & most European stocks.US stocks start from $0.005 per trade. Low currency conversion fees. Fractional US or European share dealing. IBKR ISAs provide access to global markets and tools like GlobalAnalyst help you diversify your portfolio internationally. Your account is protected under the US Securities Investor Protection Corporation up to $500,000 (subject to a cash limit of $250,000). Capital at Risk
- Trade From (frequent trader rate): £4.95
- Trade From (standard trader rate): £4.95
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 for UK shares, and there’s no online dealing fee to trade US shares (0.95% foreign exchange conversion fee applies). Voted Best ISA Provider at the City of London Wealth Management Awards 2020. Capital at risk
- Fund Choice: Invest in over 2,000 funds, plus Exchange Traded Funds, Investment Trusts, UK & International shares and more. Five Ready-made Investment funds if you’re not sure where to invest. Capital at risk.
- Invest From: £50
Halifax Share Dealing ISAs
Review:
With a Halifax Sharedealing account you can kickstart your portfolio with a flexible account that allows you to buy, sell and hold all your investments in one place.
You can open an account online in a matter of minutes, then manage your investments 24/7 via their website or app. Alternatively you can always speak to a person using their helpdesk.
What do Halifax Offer:
General Features:
- Wide Investment choice
- Expert analysis
- Smart mobile app
- Flexible investing
Sharedealing Features:
- Live UK share prices
- Price improvement service
- Interactive share charts
- Stop loss and limit orders
- Watch-lists
What are Halifax Share Dealing Costs?
The share dealing costs for Halifax are as follows:
- A £12.50 charge for online trading
- £2 regular investment charges
- Depending on the type of account you wish to open, some incur a £12.50 admin fee – however, others do not have an admin fee.
- They also offer fixed fates where there will be reduced commission trade offers for online trading. Keep an eye on their website so stay up to date with offers.
How much you pay for online share dealing is determined by how many trades you placed in the previous calendar month.
Choosing a share dealing ISA provider
Every share dealing ISA provider offers something different, so it’s well worth doing some background reading before investing. The provider you choose will depend on your personal investment goals, attitude to risk, and the level of control you want to have over your funds.
If your priority is flexibility, some share dealing ISA providers offer…
- Online, phone or mobile app trading, so you can keep track of your investments wherever you are.
- No inactivity penalties, so you can leave your investments untouched without incurring any charges.
- A wide range of investment options to help you create a balanced portfolio and assess risk.
- Both UK and international deals, allowing you to access a broader range of potential investment opportunities.
- Share price alerts to help you stay on top of the market easily.
- A nominee account which allows you to manage your investments all in one place while your ISA provider takes care of the administration.
- Trading tools and access to research.
- As well as ISA accounts most providers offer Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) which can compliment ISA saving. Check with different providers for their charging structures which can vary.
- Something else to look out for is whether the provider will pay interest on cash. While you decide on which investment are right for you knowing you are getting interest on any cash balance is a bonus.
If your priority is value for money, some share dealing ISA providers offer…
- Low or non-existent set-up fees.
- Low administration charges.
- Low minimum monthly investments.
- A quote-finding service to help you get the best price for your shares on the market.
- Discounts for frequent traders – for example, your individual dealing fee may be reduced if you complete a certain number of share transactions per month. So, if you make 10 or more deals in one month, you might receive a discount on each deal you make the following month.
- Discounts for regular investors – you may be offered a discount on dealing fees, provided that you regularly invest a certain amount each month.
Most providers tend to offer a mixture of the above benefits, so it’s worth researching your options.
5 things to look out for when picking a share dealing platform for your ISA
- While trading fees is often the first thing you might look at – cheapest is not always best. Make sure the platform provider offer the services you require.
- Platform functionality is improving all the time
- If you want to invest in funds check the providers charging structure – this can vary significantly from one provider to the next. Hargreaves Lansdown have an extensive range of funds where they have negotiated fund discounts for their investors.
- If you want to invest in ETFs or international shares make sure the platform offers this
- Do plenty of research before choosing a home for your money.
Why invest using an ISA
The current ISA allowance is £20,000 which means for a couple you can invest a whopping £40,000 into an ISA which will be sheltered from tax. Under current legislation that means you will not pay any income tax on interest or capital gains tax on any realised gains when money is taken out the ISA.
Using a share dealing ISA or self select isa as they are often called provides investors with a lot of control – recent platform developments give investors the tools to be fully informed before they make investment decisions. Utilising your annual ISA allowance makes a lot of sense in maximizing your returns.