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Hargreaves Lansdown Stocks and Shares ISA Review


Woman Analysing Stocks

This is my Hargreaves Lansdown stocks and shares ISA review. I share my in-depth, honest review of Hargreaves Lansdown after over 4 years of investing with them. I include all the key information you need, everything I have learned about the stocks and shares ISA, the pros, the cons, and whether I recommend it. 


A stocks and shares ISA is an ISA that allows you to invest your money in the stock market. An investment ISA has all the tax-free benefits of an ISA, plus it allows you to access all the benefits of investing. You will not pay taxes when you withdraw from your ISA. You can save and invest up to £20,000 each tax year across all your ISAs. As such, many UK investors consider a stocks & shares ISA the best type of investment account. 


Hargreaves Lansdown is a popular choice for investors. They handle over £142 billion of assets and have over 1.8 million customers. I first decided to invest with them because of their long history, transparency, and customer service. I found all of the information I needed on their website and liked how easy it was to get started. Fast forward four years and I am writing this review. I opened the HL Stocks and Shares ISA over four years ago and here is what I think of it.


Hargreaves Lansdown Stocks and Shares ISA Review



Youtube Thumbnail Fran Marie Hargreaves Lansdown Stocks and Shares ISA Review


HL Stocks & Shares ISA Key Info


  • Minimum deposit = £100 or £25 a month.

  • Platform fee = 0.45% per year.

  • Fee to buy and sell funds = None.

  • Fee to buy and sell shares = £11.95.

  • Open and manage online or in the app.

  • Invest in your chosen funds automatically each month by direct debit.

  • Over 3000 funds to choose from.

  • Fund charges vary. There are a large variety of low-cost broad-market index funds. Popular ones have HL-negotiated discounts. 

  • DIY investing or ready-made portfolios to choose from.



Financial charts

HL Stocks & Shares ISA Benefits


  • It’s easy to use.

  • It’s low cost.

  • You can find any of the info you are looking for on the Hargreaves Lansdown website. There are factsheets and stats about every fund. It is clear what the costs are and what you are investing in. 

  • You can get investing ideas for free on the website whether you invest with them or not. Check out the Wealth Shortlist for top-performing funds selected by HL financial advisors. 

  • It gives you control over your investments.

  • The platform fee is reasonable and about average across the popular investment platforms. It is lower than other platforms that offer less for more money.

  • You receive regular fund reviews of the funds you invest in, via email.

  • Monthly investing is easy and automated.

  • They don’t sell your investments to pay fees. Some other investment platforms will sell your investments for this purpose, even when you have cash on hand. 

  • The customer service is good and they are quick to help you. 


PROS


  • Having the freedom to choose your own funds. There are also suggested portfolios and you can choose one of the ready made portfolios. You can have HL manage it for you or manage it yourself. I like the flexibility and having the freedom to choose my own funds and allocations.

  • The low fund charges. I invest in global index funds and they all have low charges. Popular funds also have Hargreaves Lansdown negotiated discounts which means they are really low cost. For example, the Legal & General US Index, an S&P 500 index fund, charges just 0.05%, discounted from 0.1%. 

  • There are no fees to buy and sell funds. 

  • There is automatic monthly investing.

  • The app and website are modern and easy to use.

  • The management fee is reasonable for what is on offer.

  • The customer service team is responsive and easily resolves any queries.

  • You can access over 3000 funds from many different providers like Blackrock, Vanguard, Fidelity, Legal and General, and many more. 



CONS


  • The only con I have found is that the portfolio graphics could be better. The statistics and charts for the individual funds are good, but for your personal portfolio, it would be nice to see more charts and graphics. 


SUMMARY


The Hargreaves Lansdown stocks and shares ISA is a great option. I recommend it to anyone looking for a DIY or ready-made investing option. I have been investing in this account for over four years and am really happy with it. I like the flexibility, transparency, and the low fees. I have tried all of the popular investment platforms and Hargreaves Lansdown is still my favourite.


Check it out here: HL Stocks & Shares ISA


 
 
 
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