AJ Bell Review: How does it compare to Hargraves Lansdown and Interactive Investor?

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The range of investments available on AJ Bell is vast. Through its platform, investors can access UK shares, international shares, investment funds, investment trusts, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and bonds. Plus, they are cheap!
Richard Berry
Richard Berry
Good Money Guide Founder

AJ Bell Customer Reviews

4.2

1,092 Good Money Guide reviewers have given this provider an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 based on their genuine experience.

Excellent45%
Very good35%
Average15%
Poor3%
Terrible2%

Leave a review and tell us what you think to help others make more informed financial decisions.

Our annual “Stocks In Your Stockings” competition 🎅 is open so any verified review you leave will enter you into the prize draw to win a £500 JISA.

Great

4th December 2024

We have 4 products with Aj Bell and no issues with anything.

Daren
Verified

Very reliable platform

4th December 2024

I keep my SIPP here & am impressed with the service, their comms & sensible prices.

I have been a customer for +/- 10 years

Barry
Verified

Easy to navigate and deal, reasonable prices

4th December 2024

I’ve had a SIPP with AJ Bell for several years and have been very pleased with the service. The site is easy to navigate, stocks simple to trade and the costs are reasonable.

Ken
Verified

Simple and easy to use

4th December 2024

Very happy with the service. Clean layout and relatively low commission costs.

John Zachary
Verified

The best I’ve used

28th November 2024

I’ve used a few different options and started with the free trading apps. However, I’ve found AJ Bell to be great since making the switch.

Tom
Verified

My choice and no regrets

28th November 2024

Very pleased with their service. Good help line with any issues. Lots of guidance and I trust them.

Ashley Payne
Verified

Good

26th November 2024

Good all round communication, services,website

Neil Andrew harrison

Decent Value but Lacking Stability & Accountability

26th November 2024

AJ Bell offers decent value for money compared to some competitors, but my experience has been mixed. Over the years, I’ve encountered several issues with platform stability, which can be particularly frustrating during crucial trading periods. Additionally, I’ve often felt like just another number rather than a valued customer when raising concerns. While I’ll continue using the service for now, the increasingly competitive platform market makes it worth exploring alternatives. The website and app are functional and reasonably user-friendly, but overall, there’s room for improvement.

Ryan Letley
Verified

Happy customer

17th November 2024

I’ve used AJ Bell for more than 20 years, which says everything

Paul Hill

A. J. BELL

25th October 2024

Very pleased with their service. Good help line with any issues I trust them!

David Regan

Simple to use

25th October 2024

user friendly and easy to use

MR CHRIS ROE

Easy to use and many options available

17th October 2024

I find AJ Bell easy to use and navigate either through the App or through a browser. The customer service is easily available too. I am invested in some of their funds and also some independent funds. There is a wide variety of stocks available too ,which makes it easy to invest directly in those firms too. I really like their magazine too.

Overall I am satisfied with their services !

Sotiria Moschopoulou
Verified

AJ Bell Dodl

17th October 2024

For me this is a very good App and a great introduction to investing. It is very low cost but be aware shares to purchase are limited.

Have been investing my money into their ready made funds, cautious, adventurous, balanced, you get my drift and splitting different amounts into those funds. Have also purchased a small amount of shares. The funds and shares are doing ok to date but remember it’s for the long haul so I am prepared for the pendulum swinging back and forth regarding prices.

I did some research before picking an investment account mainly for a beginner and came across Dodl which seems to tick

the boxes for me at this given time.

Would definitely urge others looking for a low cost way of investing and just starting out to give it a try, I would at some point like to try the bigger platform with AJ Bell but still carrying out my diligence and also have to factor in that the costs will more higher.

Alan Walker
Verified

Very little contact through Bank…

27th June 2024

Very little contact through Bank of Scotland.

Francis Flynn

no thoughts

27th June 2024

no thoughts

Susan Beastall

?

27th June 2024

?

Gerard Gaskin

.

26th June 2024

.

Patrick Lomax

Easy to use.

26th June 2024

Easy to use.

Daniel Crickmar

4/5

25th June 2024
Alan Patterson

Good

25th June 2024

Good

Ossie Wheatley

Capital at risk

AJ Bell Expert Review

AJ Bell offers a wide range of services for investors, including share dealing, fund investing, cash-saving services, and mobile dealing. It also offers a range of accounts including Stocks and Shares ISAs, Lifetime ISAs, Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), dealing accounts, and investment accounts for children.

AJ Bell is a funny one – they have excellent service, and really low costs, but have always been a bit shy with us. I really like them, and we rate them very highly, but we’ve as yet been able to nail them down for a CEO interview as we have done with Hargreaves Lansdown and Interactive Investor. But we have given the AJ Bell app and platform a thorough going over with real money so you can see what it’s like and if it’s right for you.

AJ Bell Review
Good Money Guide Recommended 2024

Name: AJ Bell

Description: AJ Bell is an award-winning, low-cost online investing platform for UK DIY investors. Founded in 1995, AJ Bell has grown to become one of the UK’s leading investment platforms. Today, it has more than 440,000 customers and assets under administration (AUA) of over £150 billion.

Summary

AJ Bell is an excellent full-service stock broker that offers access to UK and international shares, bonds and funds with some of the lowest fees in the industry.

Pros

  • Wide range of investments
  • Low account costs
  • Discounts for frequent investors

Cons

  • High charge when you deal over the phone
  • Pricing
    (4.5)
  • Market Access
    (4.5)
  • Online Platform
    (4.5)
  • Customer Service
    (4.5)
  • Research & Analysis
    (4)
Overall
4.4

Ratings Explained

  • Pricing: Really cheap, especially for an incumbent traditional investment platform
  • Market Access: Excellent coverage of all the major stock markets
  • Platform & Apps: Very good, does everything you need it to do
  • Customer Service: Always good, just a great all-round service
  • Research & Analysis: Lots on their website, and in Shares Magazine (which AJ Bell bought in 2008)

Capital at risk

AJ Bell Awards

AJ Bell always does very well in the Good Money Guide Awards because of their low fees, customer service and market access. Their stand-out account has been their SIPP which is great for all-size portfolios as the fees are low and capped.

AJ Bell Facts & Figures

⬜ Public Company✔️
👉 Number Active Clients350,000
💰 Minimum Deposit£1
💸 Client Funds£65 billion
📅 Founded1995
Account Types
➡️ General Investment Account
✔️
➡️ SIPP
✔️
➡️ Stocks & Shares ISA
✔️
➡️ Junior ISA
✔️
➡️ Lifetime ISA
✔️
Dealing Costs
➡️ UK Shares
£9.95
➡️ US Stocks
£9.95
➡️ ETFs
£9.95
➡️ Bonds
£9.95
➡️ Funds£1.50

Capital at risk

Best Stocks & Shares ISA - Good Money Guide Awards Winners 2024

AJ Bell wins Best Stocks & Shares ISA at the Good Money Guide Awards 2024

AJ Bell won Best Stocks and Shares ISA for their broad range of UK and international shares, funds, bonds, and investment trusts, all offered on a low-cost platform. Richard BerryRichard is the founder of the Good Money Guide (formerly Good Broker Guide), one of the original investment comparison sites established in 2015. With a career

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Best Investing Account - Good Money Guide Awards Winners 2024

AJ Bell wins Best Investing Account at the Good Money Guide Awards 2024

AJ Bell won Best Investment Account this year because of the broad range of UK and international shares, funds, investment trusts, and the variety of accounts they offer, including SIPPs, ISAs, and General Investment Accounts Richard BerryRichard is the founder of the Good Money Guide (formerly Good Broker Guide), one of the original investment comparison

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AJ Bell Ready-made pension

Who is AJ Bell?

“The invisible thing called a good name is made up of the breath of numbers that speak well of you.” These worthy words of Lord Edward Wood, Earl of Halifax, apply very well to stockbroker AJ Bell; a company which passed half a million customers this year, as well as the man who gave the

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Does AJ Bell Offer Ethical Investing?

AJ Bell offers a range of options for the ethical investor. Through the AJ Bell platform, investors can access ethical funds such as the Liontrust UK Ethical fund as well as ethical ETFs such as the iShares MSCI World SRI ETF. AJ Bell has also created its own ethical fund, the AJ Bell Responsible Growth

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Easy access savings accounts

What is AJ Bell’s Cash Savings Hub?

AJ Bell’s Cash savings hub is a one-stop-shop for managing your savings. Designed to help savers get more from their cash savings, the hub provides access to competitive notice and fixed-term savings accounts offered by partner banks such as Aldermore, Paragon Bank, and OakNorth. One key advantage of AJ Bell ’s Cash savings hub is

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US Stocks

How much does it cost to invest internationally with AJ Bell?

AJ Bell’s dealing service lets you buy international shares online quickly and easily in a SIPP, stocks and shares ISA, lifetime ISA or Dealing account, but it is quite expensive. The platform offers dealing in 24 international markets including the US, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Not all shares in these markets are

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ISA Offers

Is AJ Bell Stocks & Shares ISA any good?

AJ Bell’s investment ISA is one of the cheapest around, especially for large accounts. A stocks and shares ISA is a tax-efficient investment account in which you can invest up to £20,000 per year. When you invest in a socks and shares ISA, you pay no tax on any capital gains or income from your

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SIPPs

Is AJ Bell’s SIPP any good?

AJ Bell ’s SIPP is a flexible retirement product that allows you to choose where you invest your pension savings. With this product, you’re in control of how and where your money is invested, and make the decisions that determine how your pension pot performs. You can track your investments online and make changes to

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AJ Bell

How does AJ Bell’s Lifetime ISA (LISA) work?

AJ Bell’s lifetime ISA is an excellent way to save for your first home (or your retirement). When you invest in a lifetime ISA with AJ Bell you are investing in the stock market where you can potentially make more money than in a cash-interest lifetime ISA. However, it’s important to remember that when investing,

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AJ Bell Ready-made pension

AJ Bell cuts its dealing charges

AJ Bell has reduced the commission it charges for share dealing and as one of the country’s largest D2C investment platforms so when it changes its fee schedule, the market usually takes note. With that in mind, AJ Bell will be reducing share dealing charges in three key areas: Dealing charges in shares ETFs, investment

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AJ Bell

AJ Bell share price falling as FCA warns on client cash interest

The AJ Bell share price has taken a battering today as the FCA announced plans to curb the way investment platforms can profit from client cash interest. This is in contrast to yesterday when AJ Bell (LON: AJB) shares were up by +14.20% over the last month. The direct-to-consumer or D2C investment market is growing,

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AJ Bell

Is AJ Bell good for index funds?

Yes, AJ Bell has an excellent index fund offering where you can invest in funds that track the performance of specific indices, stock markets and sectors. In AJ Bell’s index fund screener, they have over 300 passive index funds, which you can rank by Morningstar rating, ongoing fund charge and YTD returns. Compared to Vanguard

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AJ Bell

Is AJ Bell good for investment trusts?

Yes, AJ Bell offers access to over 400 investment trusts, but they also have an “Investment Trusts Select List” that has whittled those down to 18 of the best based on price, performance and size. AJ Bell Investment Trust Investing Review Name: AJ Bell Investment Trust InvestingDescription: AJ Bell offer the most inve… To read

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AJ Bell

Can you invest in OEICs with AJ Bell?

Yes, there are around 30 OEIC (open-ended investment company) funds available to invest in via the fund screener on AJ Bell’s investment platform. AJ Bell OEIC Investing Review Name: AJ Bell OEIC InvestingDescription: AJ Bell offers open-ended investment fund investing from £1.50 per trade. The platform has fund scree… To read this article, please register

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AJ Bell Ready-made pension

Is AJ Bell share dealing safe?

Yes, we rate AJ Bell as a very safe share-dealing platform. AJ Bell are regulated by the FCA and customer funds (cash) are protected by the FSCS up to £80k. Shares you hold in AJ Bell nominee accounts are held in CREST safe custody accounts and will be transferred to another broker if they were

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AJ Bell

Are AJ Bell funds any good?

Yes, AJ Bell offers a range of own branded funds based on those who want growth, income or to invest responsibly. As well as their own funds AJ Bell also offers access to over 4,350 funds, 3,500 ETFs and over 420 investment trusts. AJ Bell offers a fantastic selection of funds for investors. Currently, there

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AJ Bell Ready-made pension

Does AJ Bell do a Junior ISA (JISA)?

Does AJ Bell Offer A Junior ISA (JISA)? Yes, AJ Bell offers a stocks and shares junior ISA where you can invest in the stock market for your children. AJ Bell is one of the cheapest self-select JISAs with account fees of only 0.25%, although it isn’t free. Fees are capped at £2.50 per month

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AJ Bell increases ESG offering with a sustainable fund of ETFs

ESG and sustainability investing have become ever more popular throughout 2020 no doubt helped by the outperformance of stocks and funds which have high ESG scores. Investment platform AJ Bell has not been deaf to the clamour and has announced the launched a sustainable fund of ETFs, the Responsible Growth fund. What is the AJ

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AJ Bell FAQs:

AJ Bell is a stockbroker and investment platform that lets you invest in UK and international shares, funds and bonds. They were established in 1995, currently have around 350,000 customers and look after over £65 billion of client assets.

Yes, in our awards survey and analysis of investment accounts AJ Bell is consistently at the top of the customer service rankings. They also provide access to a wide range of investments with low account costs.

Yes, AJ Bell has put together a series of low-cost, easy to use and diverse selectio of investment funds to invest in. AJ Bell funds cover growth markets, responsible investing in sustainable companies and funds that generate income rather than focusing on capital growth. You can also invest based on risk from cautious to adventurous and global growth.

Yes. AJ Bell is regulated by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) in the UK and your funds are protected by the FSCS guarantee.

AJ Bell differs from Vanguard in that AJ Bell is a full-service stock broker where you can invest in shares, bonds and funds. Whereas Vanguard in the UK only sells it’s own funds. You cannot invest in individual shares with Vanguard. You can also buy Vanguard shares on the AJ Bell platform.

If you want to buy individual shares you need a stock broker.

Yes, AJ Bell is one of the few investment platforms to offer Lifetime ISAs. To transfer a LISA to AJ Bell, you need to open an account and instruct the transfer.

AJ Bell is a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange with the ticker (LON:AJB), which means anyone can own part of it.

Yes, it is safe to invest with AJ Bell because they are FCA regulated, funds are protected by the FSCS, they are a public company and well established.

Capital at risk

Capital at Risk.
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