Interactive Investor Account

Q. What’s so different about Interactive Investor’s offering?

A. We’ve worked hard to make this service the best it could possibly be (in terms of quality and price) and then added the interactivity. The big difference is that we provide the ability to interact with other investors, see their strategies and portfolios and see what investors are buying and selling. It can be usefully competitive too. We rank our investors (anonymously) so you can see how you’re doing against your peers. Hopefully, you’ll profit from a refreshingly honest and helpful environment in which to grow your investments. If you’re a fan of Amazon or Trip Advisor, you’ll know what we mean.

Q. Why should I transfer-in my existing investments?

A. We’re very proud of our service and believe we can allow you to spread your wings as an investor, whether you’re a relative novice or a fully-fledged investment guru. We have provided a low-cost trading environment and excellent tools and content. We also let you interact with other investors so you can see how your peers are getting on and allow you to compare your own performance (should you wish). We also have a large team of journalists watching the investment market and will be sharing their observations and expertise with you. Past investments often get put in a drawer and forgotten about. Sometimes, their performance wanes for various reasons and the opportunity to switch that fund into a stronger performer is lost. Here you can keep an eye, or even set alerts, on your investments and can keep them running at maximum efficiency.

Q. How much does the Interactive Investor Account cost?

A. You pay only for what you use, so this is not a “bundled offering”. However, as opening lots of different accounts is time consuming and leads to different statements, we have a single account containing the following:

• Share Dealing Account - £10 per trade flat rate - UK & International (pay as you use)
• ISA Account – no annual or inactivity fee, 0% initial charge (we are paid some of the amc*)
• Fund Account - no annual or inactivity fee, 0% initial charge (we are paid some of the amc*)
• SIPP Account - £10 per month administration fee

*amc = annual management charge (levied by the fund manager on the value of your investment))

Full details of all charges for each part of the account can be accessed by clicking here.

Q. How many funds can I buy through Interactive Investor?

A. Interactive Investor offers up to 2,800 UK and offshore listed unit trusts and OIECs, over 380 listed ETFs, all listed investment trusts and UK, US and main European listed stocks and shares. All are available to buy right here at Interactive Investor.

Q. I only want to invest in ISAs. Why do I need all the other elements of the account?

A. You may never need the other parts of the account. However, opportunity comes when you least expect, so they’re here and set up if you need them. We would hope, over time, you get to trust us enough to manage all your financial affairs with us as it is extremely convenient to see all your investments in one statement or online, 24/7.

Q. You’re asking me to let other investors see my portfolio, anonymously. Why would I do this?

A. Part of the fun of investing is to see how you’re doing against your peer group, but it is important to see how your portfolio is progressing in the ‘real world’. We will produce league tables of investors’ portfolio growth on a rolling basis, so you get an idea of your own personal performance. The logical extension to this is to allow other investors to view your portfolio and you to see theirs so you can learn from each other (good and bad) and share strategies. We have other interactive bulletin boards, fund manager forums and investor product ratings too. It’s all completely anonymous (we ask you to use a “nick-name” when you open your account), so it is impossible to connect you with your portfolio. No actual amounts of money are displayed either – just the percentage growth. If you really don’t like the idea of this ‘voyeurism’, you can always choose to not opt in, but you’ll miss out on all the fun and the chance to learn from others!

Q. What happens if I don’t want people to see my portfolio?

A. You can opt out of the interactive part of our offering at the account opening process, or at any time should you feel at all uncomfortable about it. This is, in fact, nothing new. Our share trading community has have been talking stocks and sharing tips and research for well over a decade.

Q. What’s so good about being able to interact with my fellow investors?

A. As "Trip Advisor", "Amazon", et al have demonstrated, the power of people sharing their experiences has revolutionised the purchasing process (from music and books through to holidays). We’re encouraging investors to share strategies, view each other’s portfolios and allow you to get a comparative idea of how you’re doing against your peers. It’s a unique and extremely valuable environment that you can choose to use as much or as little as you like – and it is all totally anonymous (you are only identified by your nickname, e.g. “fund guru”).

Q. You claim the information you provide is among the UK's best. Substantiate your claim.

A. For the past 17 years, we’ve been at the forefront of online financial information and trading and have built a huge archive of historical data, research, tools and content. We also own and publish Money Observer and Moneywise, two of the leading investment/personal finance magazines in the UK and employ over 20 specialist financial journalists we can call on. We also have very active bulletin boards that generate around 3,000 posts per day. All this adds up to an unbeatable resource to support your investment decisions.

Q. Interactive Investor is just a website. How can I trust you?

A. True. We’re not a bank or a household name financial institution, but we have been around for 17 years, concentrating on what we do best - providing an online trading and investment environment, fully regulated by the FSA and using state of the art content, tools and transactional capabilities.

We have over 1.7m registered users who rely on us for up-to-the-minute information on which to trade and invest.

Our independence is critically important and our position in the market is very much that of champion of the private investor – something you’re unlikely to encounter with any of the UK's financial institutions.

Open an account

Please be aware of the risks involved. The price and value of investments and their income fluctuates and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. If in any doubt, please consult a financial adviser. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may be subject to change.