Curiosity: why go with (example...) H/Lansdown, St James' Place?

VXman

I just invested in a couple of funds for experimental purposes with HL. I have most of my money with Vanguard. HL are more expensive in terms of charges but those particular funds have done a lot better than My Vanguard funds which are still down on 2 years ago.

Qyburn

The lack of trading fees is attractive when dipping your toe into the water of DIY, and the absolute cost of that 0.45% is low when you're first starting out.

I was all set to transfer out to Vanguard but I'm now coming round to thinking I want access to non-Vanguard funds. So at the moment inertia or indecision is keeping me with HL probably till later this financial year.

Rich1976

jaypers said:

I really like HL. Whenever I’ve need help they are easy to contact and just reliable generally. Probably a silly notion but with investments I feel a little more reassured being with a company such as them rather than a bargain basement outfit. 

My thoughts exactly. Even more important to have that reassurance when your total investments grow to a large value.

DiamondLil

TBC15 said:

For some reason a few people feel comforted having an extra hand in their pocket.

There are no HL hands in my pocket. 

CSD has a hand in my pocket as I have accounts with them holding funds. 

IWeb has the bulk of my investments and dips a hand into my pocket on the few occasions I trade.

HL charges zero for holding ITs (shares) and zero for monthly investing.

Their monthly investing allows for as little as £25 per month which is a huge encouragement for those on low incomes or just starting out.

wmb194

Rich1976 said:

jaypers said:

I really like HL. Whenever I’ve need help they are easy to contact and just reliable generally. Probably a silly notion but with investments I feel a little more reassured being with a company such as them rather than a bargain basement outfit. 

My thoughts exactly. Even more important to have that reassurance when your total investments grow to a large value.

iWeb fits that bill though: cheaper and part of the Lloyds Banking Group.

Albermarle

This could be one reason to transfer to HL ( cashback) £60,000 - £89,999	£500
£90,000 - £109,999	£1,000
£110,000 - £124,999	£1,250
£125,000 - £999,999	£1,500
£1,000,000+	£3,500

GeoffTF

If the cashback exceeds any additional spend, what is wrong with HL?

Albermarle

GeoffTF said:

If the cashback exceeds any additional spend, what is wrong with HL?

Nothing, especially as you can transfer back out again after 12 months if you want, to maybe another provider offering cashback.

Osborneonenil

I recently retired early having spent the last 35 of my 40 working years administering estates and trusts. I dealt with all the major investment managers. As others have mentioned, HL are not the cheapest but I find the range of funds and overall service is good and have never regretted using them for my own investments. I always found SJP the most appalling company to have to deal with.

B0bbyEwing

ColdIron said:

SJP is in a different league to HL, they are not even close to being equivalent. 

I never asked the question saying these are the same thing. Like which do you prefer to shop at, Sainsbury's or Asda. 
I put their names forward because they're both considered pricey by many for what they provide. 

You can hold a S&S ISA with HL but can often invest in the same funds elsewhere for cheaper.

When looking at a pension, I went to my IFA (who turned out to have since turned to a FA) and they were putting everything through St James' Place. I enquired on here about it & was told to run a mile. After some reading I found out why & basically cut out the middleman & the costly provider and went solo.

I wasn't implying they're the same, just costly. Also my question wasn't necessarily about those two specifically, they just came to mind. My question was just more about the dearer providers. 



Still, thanks all for the responses. I was just genuinely curious why some stay & to see if (after leaving them totally) I'd missed something.

Must agree with others - their customer service & easy to navigate website is very good. 
Although I had funds with Vanguard until recently I find their customer service pretty poor. Actually that may be a bit harsh, it's not 'poor' but it's not as quick as HL.

Still, at this moment in time, I go wherever is cheap/est. For the time being I'm with AJ Bell. I know they charge £1.50 a trade but I don't contribute monthly - my deposits are once per year.