Best self investment platform

Adamjeffs

Hi currently with Charles Stanley direct for me investments but they don't seem particularly good for buying individual shares (no stop loss option which is a pain)

Starting to build up a reasonable sum (about 18k) so might want to start diversifying away from funds to try my hand at picking a few shares in assuming I can't open a second one and invest in a s and s isa so how easy is it to switch and who would people recommend for a mix of tracker fund and shares. Are there any that allow the purchase of us shares or is that not allowed generally. Apologies if silly questions but relative novice investor here

bigadaj

Make the first million in collective investments (actually mutual funds but an American term) is one adage.

If you want to have a play with small amounts then that's fine but less than £20k isn't enough to seriously trade in individual shares.

By the time you take into account trading and stamp duty costs then I'd say £5k is a reasonable minimum in a single share, so 20 shares as a reasonable spread means you should have £100k

Adamjeffs

Cheers often wondered how much to buy and did realise trading fees and stamp duty meant small amounts not worth it I thoghth 1000 might be OK as a dip in the water . Pretty much supporting what I thought and why I've slowly been moving out of individual shares having made the usual novice mistakes . The 4K is split 1k each in high dividend large blue chips with a bit of a risk (oil company and banks) and longer term bets in emerging trends (cyber security) so will probably leave that where it is until I have a bigger pot

bigadaj

No reason why you can't have a pint with a smal amount but it's not investing.

You might get lucky with a grand a share, x-o are often recommended as a good option for share trading and are as cheap as any, can't hold funds with them though.

enthusiasticsaver

As a novice investor I would not go down the route of investing in shares. Stick to funds. Shares are much more risky, buying and selling small amounts will lead to higher charges and this will erode the value of your portfolio. I stick to a well diversified balanced portfolio in a fund of tracker funds.

Any reason why you want to move away from funds to shares?

enthusiasticsaver

I use Halifax share dealing services and they allow you to purchase funds and or shares. Not sure about US shares though.

Adamjeffs

It wasn't a move en masse to individual shares just more that the shares I hold I wanted to out stop losses on them and if invest larger amounts in the future I'll need a different platform .

I've got 100k in a company pension fund with aegon and was considering taking that out ( while obviously keeping contributions to keep my employer investment ) and transferring the lump into a sipp to do something with . Again was gong to keep most of it in trackers ( thus saving charges on my work place pension though they aren't horrendous to be fair) but have a bit of a go with some shares and see how I do

ColdIron

You are going to transfer your 100K pension and 'have a bit of a go with some shares' using some of it and 'see how I do'?

Have you considered loosening the wheel nuts on your car and driving it down the motorway so you can 'see how I do'? The consequences may have a lot in common

I'm not convinced the poster is entirely serious

Adamjeffs

Well said a bit flippantly I wasn't just going to stick 100k down at the 14.20 at sandown lol . but what Shoukd have perhaps said was I was weighing up the potential costs in a workplace pensions against investing the 100k myself in a SIPP now I have a larger amount to invest and as part of a balanced portfolio Given my age and attitude to risk I was happy to consider investing some smaller amounts in individual shares. Is that better ��.

VERY cautious and was going to keep most in tracker funds (which incidentally is a large part of the investment anyway in the workplace pension) . I just really like the vanguard trackers and cant access them within the workplace pension
I wasn't saying I was definitely going to do it!

slowpoke_rodriguez

Hargreaves Lansdowne have all the bells and whistles on their site and for shares (not funds) have a maximum holding charge of £45 pa. Dealing charges are less than a tenner.
If you fancy investing/trading/dealing in shares then why not? Just don't cash in all your chips to do it! You can still make money with share purchases of £1000 or less but obviously fees will take a bigger slice of the pie. I started ten years ago with deals of £500 or so and made enough to keep me interested. As long as you realise it will cost you money, maybe a lot of money, to learn what you're doing, then go for it!
Over the years I've made money from shares, but I have to say I have made much more from funds and trusts...

ColdIron

slowpoke_rodriguez wrote: »

Hargreaves Lansdowne have all the bells and whistles on their site and for shares (not funds) have a maximum holding charge of £45 pa. Dealing charges are less than a tenner.

The £45 pa applies to their ISA, shares are free to hold in the unwrapped Fund and Share account.

Dealing charges at HL are £11.95 per trade unless you do more than 9 of them per month which at over £100 will eat quite a way into a few purchase of £1,000 or less

It's a good place to buy and hold Investment Trusts etc but poor for share dealing