AJ Bell Customer Reviews
Very little contact through Bank…
Very little contact through Bank of Scotland.
Very little contact through Bank…
Very little contact through Bank of Scotland.
no thoughts
no thoughts
?
?
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.
Easy to use.
Easy to use.
4/5
Good
Good
Very good all round
Very good all round
very good updated website
very good updated website
Excellent Investment company
Excellent Investment company
Good value easy to deal…
Good value easy to deal with
i dont know enough
i dont know enough
Used for Lisa. Purchasing ETFs…
Used for Lisa. Purchasing ETFs is a bit higher than I would like and website could be easier to use but good for Lisa
Poor performance
Poor performance
Only used for IPO
Only used for IPO
Good range of investment via…
Good range of investment via the AJ Bell website
Very good
Very good
Note regarding risk assessment good…
Note regarding risk assessment good indicator advice.
2/5
I don’t know much about…
I don’t know much about them as my husband deals with this account
Ok
Ok
New customer but happy enough…
New customer but happy enough so dar
Reliable easy interface good Analytics…
Reliable easy interface good Analytics and reliable service
Does the investment tasks required…
Does the investment tasks required well and without any confusion
reasonable costs – administration can…
reasonable costs – administration can be poor
AJ Bell is the platform…
AJ Bell is the platform my financial advisor used and provides a good service
excellent platform – currency fees…
excellent platform – currency fees let them down
Used for years without problems
Used for years without problems
will leave soon
will leave soon
Great platform to use, visually…
Great platform to use, visually great, easy to navigate, good support
I find it easy to…
I find it easy to use and convenient
pleased with the service
pleased with the service
OK
OK
Really easy to access and…
Really easy to access and see at a glance how my portfolio is performing or not !!
Good value for money and…
Good value for money and app is easy to use
Easy to use
Easy to use
Good reliable and consistant
Good reliable and consistant
Efficient and good value
Efficient and good value
Intuitive, easy to use, good…
Intuitive, easy to use, good value
concise and efficient
concise and efficient
Average
Average
3/5
5/5
Good customer service but I…
Good customer service but I like II app more than AJBell
Good platform and info
Good platform and info
4/5
Efficient service for most of…
Efficient service for most of my requirements
Very easy to use, good…
Very easy to use, good research information esp. on Funds
ok
ok
Covers most of the investments…
Covers most of the investments I need
Very good and has customer…
Very good and has customer service in view
Good value
Good value
Make a good job of…
Make a good job of looking after my SIPP and ISAs
Good choice of investments and…
Good choice of investments and research
Efficient, good value, stable
Efficient, good value, stable
Excellent value and easy to…
Excellent value and easy to use. Good newsletters too
Excellent platform and app, good…
Excellent platform and app, good value for money
Simple, low cost, stable, reliable,…
Simple, low cost, stable, reliable, foreign stocks not so good
Excellent platform
Excellent platform
My main provider, reliable and…
My main provider, reliable and good value
Excellent customer service which as…
Excellent customer service which as a new user has helped me understand how the website works
Adequate
Adequate
Works well, good value. Use…
Works well, good value. Use it every day
5/5
Transaction fees very good. Support…
Transaction fees very good. Support is sometimes a litte slow. Good info on corporate actions sent be email
Really like this platform but…
Really like this platform but would like to see far more research tools to be available to smaller investors
Good value and works smoothly
Good value and works smoothly
X
X
Ok
Ok
Decent
Decent
Very happy, have a range…
Very happy, have a range of family investment products with the firm
Excellent
Excellent
Good, straightforward
Good, straightforward
Good value, investments are limited
Good value, investments are limited
Ok
Ok
Reliable investment platform
Reliable investment platform
Cost are very reasonable and…
Cost are very reasonable and choice of shares is very good
Easy to use, efficient investment…
Easy to use, efficient investment platform, responsive customer service. Rarely any issues.
Good
Good
ok
ok
Good quality
Good quality
Excellent service; a little on…
Excellent service; a little on the expensive side with average coverage of international stocks
Pretty good online broker, share…
Pretty good online broker, share dealing costs have reduced as well
Cost effective
Cost effective
Full range of products; excellent…
Full range of products; excellent support; reasonable fees.
Good
Good
Competitive fees, not always easy…
Competitive fees, not always easy to use App and website
Good investment. Good returns….
Good investment. Good returns. Reasonable fees.
I think AJ BEll is…
I think AJ BEll is a good invest platform. With many newsletters to help you on the journey..
OK not as easy as…
OK not as easy as dodle
Good value but research tools…
Good value but research tools more limited and platform more difficult to navigate
ok
ok
good value
good value
4/5
2/5
Good effective website. Responeses to…
Good effective website. Responeses to email queries are good
Excellent
Excellent
Expensive
Expensive
Reliable
Reliable
Great for LiSA
Great for LiSA
OK of UK securities
OK of UK securities
Ok
Ok
3/5
Very good and low charges
Very good and low charges
4/5
x
x
Good for LISA
Good for LISA
Very user friendly programmes
Very user friendly programmes
Very good
Very good
Reliable good spectrum of shares…
Reliable good spectrum of shares but no ability to reinvest oversea share losing compounding interest in oversea shares
Good easy platform to use
Good easy platform to use
–
–
Dependable
Dependable
good
good
ok
ok
Basic trading platform
Basic trading platform
Reliable and competitive.
Reliable and competitive.
3/5
.
.
Clear and easy to use
Clear and easy to use
Brilliant. Perfect.
Brilliant. Perfect.
3/5
Easier to access than HL…
Easier to access than HL but online execution in bonds is poor
Great
Great
4/5
5/5
a
a
reasonable fees and easy to…
reasonable fees and easy to use
Nice
Nice
has limited US stocks
has limited US stocks
Great offerings and value, funding…
Great offerings and value, funding can be tricky.
excellent
excellent
Good with clients enthusiastic and…
Good with clients enthusiastic and try and help always
4/5
Not for the smaller investors
Not for the smaller investors
Clear understandable useful customer friendly
Clear understandable useful customer friendly
best value
best value
No view, it is thru…
No view, it is thru a financial advisor
Hold a SIPP, Trade now…
Hold a SIPP, Trade now and again, good magazine. there Good
Very concise website able to…
Very concise website able to get straight to where you need to go, no trailing stop loss though.
4/5
Decent platform with poor costs…
Decent platform with poor costs especially FX costs for US stocks
Good solid service but expensive…
Good solid service but expensive for overseas shares
Low fees
Low fees
Simple to use, efficient and…
Simple to use, efficient and improved value for money
Good
Good
Extensive trades, adequate website, not…
Extensive trades, adequate website, not so epensive.
Great for isa
Great for isa
great service
great service
Reasonable
Reasonable
No comment
No comment
Positive reduction in trading fees…
Positive reduction in trading fees to remain competitive. Use app only rarely
Good quality site and service….
Good quality site and service. Easy share purchase and selling activity with good records..
Good PC platform
Good PC platform
easy to use
easy to use
Good
Good
Dealing on line is simple…
Dealing on line is simple and information provision is good
Offer good service
Offer good service
good, bit clunky but good
good, bit clunky but good
Not as good as Hargreaves…
Not as good as Hargreaves Lansdwon
A bit meh
A bit meh
x
x
Value
Value
5/5
Limited number of equities. a…
Limited number of equities. a lot of NADAQ shares not available
I have no comment
I have no comment
Very Good. I’m pleased with…
Very Good. I’m pleased with them
Good and cheap
Good and cheap
Good service at a good…
Good service at a good price.
Simple to use, value for…
Simple to use, value for money
Online dealing platform needs improvement
Online dealing platform needs improvement
Simple and easy to use…
Simple and easy to use and understand
Reasonably priced and seems to…
Reasonably priced and seems to care about customers
4/5
very informative providing useful information
very informative providing useful information
competitive costs
competitive costs
Does what it says on…
Does what it says on the tin
Excellent
Excellent
a very cost effective way…
a very cost effective way of running my pension
4/5
I am pleased with this…
I am pleased with this broker and am reviewing transferring a family members account to them as well.
Very good with reasonable pricing…
Very good with reasonable pricing – very good customer service.
Adequate
Adequate
Top of the class Company…
Top of the class Company with easy to use app
Very good
Very good
Efficient, good app
Efficient, good app
.
.
OK for UK Securities, not…
OK for UK Securities, not so US Socks
Very good, easy to use,…
Very good, easy to use, cost effective.
Easy to use, free Shares…
Easy to use, free Shares magazine
Does what I need it…
Does what I need it to do
Easy to use well presented
Easy to use well presented
Great UK focus and UK…
Great UK focus and UK share selection and reasonable costs
Good from family ISAs
Good from family ISAs
Easy to use
Easy to use
5/5
Cheap and straightforward. Poor on…
Cheap and straightforward. Poor on foreign shareholdings.
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I am happy with the…
I am happy with the service provided.
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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
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
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Pricing
(4.5)
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Market Access
(4.5)
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Online Platform
(4.5)
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Customer Service
(4.5)
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Research & Analysis
(4)
Overall
4.4Ratings 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 our awards because of their low fees, customer service and market access. However, 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 Clients | 350,000 |
| 💰 Minimum Deposit | £1 |
| 💸 Client Funds | £65 billion |
| 📅 Founded | 1995 |
| 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 |
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 to go bust.
The AJ Bell Dealing account is an easy-to-use, cost-effective account for investing online. With this account, you can choose from a wide range of investment options, including shares, funds, and ETFs. Key advantages of the AJ Bell Dealing account are that it is clear, well laid out, and user-friendly. Additionally, it offers access to a wider variety of investments than some other brokers.
Buying and selling shares online through AJ Bell’s Dealing account is a straightforward process. You simply search for the company you’re interested in and click through to its research page. Here, you’ll receive a quote for the security. You then have 15 seconds to confirm your order at the quoted price.
Once your deal is completed, you’ll receive a contract note with all the details of your trade.
Shares can be bought and sold online through the website or app when the market is open. For UK shares, this is between 8:00am and 4:30pm. Overseas markets have different trading hours.
Unlike a tax-efficient account such as an ISA or SIPP, there are no limits to the amount you can pay into your Dealing account. And you can withdraw your money whenever you like.
The charges and fees for AJ Bell’s Dealing account are shown below. Trading fees are lower than those offered by Hargreaves Lansdown, however, they are higher than those of some newer brokers such as Freetrade and Trading 212, which both offer zero commissions on share purchases.
Account charges and fees
| Buying and selling investments (per deal) | |||
| Funds (including unit trusts and OEICs) online | £1.50 | ||
| Shares (including investment trusts, ETFs, gilts, and bonds) | £9.95 | ||
| Shares, where there were 10 or more share deals in the previous month | £4.95 | ||
| Funds custody charge (including unit trusts, OEICs, and structured products) | |||
| On the first £250,000 of funds | 0.25% | ||
| For funds between £250,000 and £1m | 0.10% | ||
| For funds between £1m and £2m | 0.05% | ||
| For funds over £2m | No charge | ||
| Shares custody charge (including investment trusts, ETFs, gilts, and bonds) | 0.25% | (max £3.50 per month) | |
AJ Bell Stocks and Shares ISA
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 Stocks and Shares ISA, you pay no tax on any capital gains or income from your investments.
AJ Bell’s Stocks and Shares ISA offers a number of advantages. These include:
- A wide investment range – you have access to a vast range of investments including stocks, over 2,000 funds, and ETFs.
- Accessibility – you can view your account online 24/7 and deal on the go with AJ Bell ’s mobile app.
- Regular savings – you invest from £25 per month using the regular investment service and pay £1.50 per deal.
- Low-costs – you can deal from £1.50 per trade and you’ll never pay more than £9.95 per online deal.
Fees and charges for AJ Bell ’s Stocks and Shares ISA are listed below. These fees and charges are quite competitive. For example, the 0.25% custody charge on the first £250,000 of assets is lower than rival Hargreaves Lansdown’s equivalent charge (0.45% on the first £250,000 of funds).
ISA charges and fees
| Buying and selling investments (per deal) | |||
| Funds (including unit trusts and OEICs) online | £1.50 | ||
| Shares (including investment trusts, ETFs, gilts, and bonds) | £9.95 | ||
| Shares, where there were 10 or more share deals in the previous month | £4.95 | ||
| Funds custody charge (including unit trusts, OEICs, and structured products) | |||
| On the first £250,000 of funds | 0.25% | ||
| For funds between £250,000 and £1m | 0.10% | ||
| For funds between £1m and £2m | 0.05% | ||
| For funds over £2m | No charge | ||
| Shares custody charge (including investment trusts, ETFs, gilts, and bonds) | 0.25% | (max £3.50 per month) | |
The main attraction of this Stocks and Shares ISA, relative to competitors’ products, is the range of investments on offer. There are many funds to choose from and many international stocks available. On the downside, trading fees are higher than those offered by some other platforms such as Freetrade and Trading 212, which offer commission-free trading.
AJ Bell SIPP
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 your portfolio easily. You have access to a wide range of investments, including shares from over 20 markets, funds, ETFs, and bonds.
AJ Bell ’s SIPP has no set-up fees and there are no charges to transfer a SIPP. You can deal online from just £1.50 for funds and £9.95 for shares. Overall, the SIPP charges are quite reasonable and lower than those offered by rival Hargreaves Lansdown. For example, while Hargreaves Lansdown caps its annual shares custody charge at £200 per year, AJ Bell caps its annual shares custody charge at £120 per year.
SIPP charges and fees
| Buying and selling investments (per deal) | |||
| Funds (including unit trusts and OEICs) online | £1.50 | ||
| Shares (including investment trusts, ETFs, gilts, and bonds) | £9.95 | ||
| Shares, where there were 10 or more share deals in the previous month | £4.95 | ||
| Funds custody charge (including unit trusts, OEICs, and structured products) | |||
| On the first £250,000 of funds | 0.25% | ||
| For funds between £250,000 and £1m | 0.10% | ||
| For funds between £1m and £2m | 0.05% | ||
| For funds over £2m | No charge | ||
| Shares custody charge (including investment trusts, ETFs, gilts, and bonds) | 0.25% | (max £3.50 per month) | |
The main attraction of this SIPP, relative to competitors’ products, is the range of investments on offer. On the downside, fees are higher than those of some other providers such as Vanguard, which offers fees of just 0.15% and no fund dealing charges.
AJ Bell 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 that no paperwork is required to make a deposit. You can apply for the accounts online in seconds. All you need to get started is an existing AJ Bell account.
Another advantage is that the service is free to use. AJ Bell gets paid by partner banks, not by customers.
Each savings account is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), covering up to £85,000 per bank.
Overall, this product is very similar to Hargreaves Lansdown’s ‘Active Savings’ product. However, the partner banks are slightly different.
AJ Bell Junior SIPP
AJ Bell ’s Junior SIPP is a retirement product designed to help you give your children a head-start financially. You can contribute up to £2,880 per year and contributions are subject to 20% tax relief. The money is tied up until retirement age.
Benefits of AJ Bell ’s Junior SIPP include:
- A wide range of investment options – you can invest in shares, funds, and ETFs.
- Low dealing charges – you can buy and sell funds for just £1.50.
- A regular investment option – you can make regular investments from £25 per month.
- Accessibility – you can manage the account online.
Fees and charges are listed below.
Junior SIPP fees
| Buying and selling investments (per deal) | |||
| Funds (including unit trusts and OEICs) online | £1.50 | ||
| Shares (including investment trusts, ETFs, gilts, and bonds) | £9.95 | ||
| Shares, where there were 10 or more share deals in the previous month | £4.95 | ||
| Funds custody charge (including unit trusts, OEICs, and structured products) | |||
| On the first £250,000 of funds | 0.25% | ||
| For funds between £250,000 and £1m | 0.10% | ||
| For funds between £1m and £2m | 0.05% | ||
| For funds over £2m | No charge | ||
| Shares custody charge (including investment trusts, ETFs, gilts, and bonds) | 0.25% | (max £3.50 per month) | |
The main attraction of this Junior SIPP, relative to competitors’ products, is the range of investments available. On the downside, fees are higher than those of some other providers. The fee to buy and sell shares with Hargreaves Lansdown’s Junior SIPP, for example, is £5.95 per trade.
AJ Bell International Investing
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. The platform currently offers dealing in 24 international markets including the US, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Not all shares in these markets are available, however.
Buying international shares through AJ Bell is a straightforward process. You simply search for the company you’re looking for using the site’s search function and go to that stock’s research page. There, you will be given a quote.
International Investing charges and fees
| Buying and selling international shares online (per deal) | £9.95 |
| Buying and selling international shares by phone (per deal) | £29.95 |
| Foreign exchange charge on international dealing and foreign currency funds | |
| First £10,000 | 1.00% |
| Next £10,000 | 0.75% |
| Next £10,000 | 0.50% |
| Value over £30,000 | 0.25% |
| Foreign exchange charge payable when dividends or corporate action payments are converted into sterling | 0.50% |
Foreign exchange fees on international dealing are quite high relative to some other brokers. Trading 212, for example, offers FX fees of 0.15%.
Overall, AJ Bell offers a good range of international stocks relative to other brokers. However, its fees for dealing in international stocks are higher than those of some other brokers such as Trading 212.
AJ Bell Mobile Dealing & App Features
You can view your AJ Bell account and deal on the go on a variety of apps and devices. Its mobile apps are easy to use, secure, and allow you instant access to your account wherever you are. Apps are offered for a range of devices, including the iOS, Android, Apple Watch, Amazon Alexa, and Google assistant.
Through AJ Bell ’s apps you have the ability to:
- View and check the value of your portfolio
- Deal on the go
- Use the mobile app to enable two-factor authentication for added security
- View all your current active trades
- Read and send secure messages
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 AJ Bell have a much wider section of funds to invest in.
A good choice for those who want to keep costs low, as fund account charges start as low as 0.25%.
Fees: *Fund account fees reduce to 0.10% on the value between £250,000 and £500,000. There is no charge above £500,000. Dealing costs are £1.50.
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 offer the most investment trusts on their platform of which their investment specialists have analysed the investment trust market, looking at factors including price, performance and size to create a list of 20 investment trusts to get started.
*Investment trust account fees reduce to 0.10% on the value between £250,000 and £500,000. There is no charge above £500,000. Dealing costs are £1.50.
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 offers open-ended investment fund investing from £1.50 per trade. The platform has fund screeners and regularly updated analysis to help you choose the right fund for your investing objectives.
Open-ended investment company investing account fees reduce to 0.10% on the value between £250,000 and £500,000. There is no charge above £500,000. Dealing costs are £1.50.
Is AJ Bell good for ETF investing?
Yes, AJ Bell is an excellent choice for investing in ETFs as they have some of the lowest fees of all the traditional investment platforms like Hargreaves Lansdown and Interactive Investor.
With AJ Bell you can invest in over 1,500 ETFs as well as use their screener to search for the best ETFs based on price, costs, performance and target market.
A low-cost ETF platform listed on the LSE, that can also help you choose what ETFs to invest in.
- ETFs available: 1,500
- ETF account charge: 0.25%
- ETF dealing charge: £5
- Account types: GIA, ISA, SIPP, JISA, JSIPP
Fees: AJ Bell ETF account fees are capped at £3.50 a month. Dealing costs are £1.50 for funds and £5 for shares but drop to £3.50 where there were 10 or more online share deals in the previous month.
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 are more than 2,000 funds on the platform. These funds – which include both active and passive funds – offer access to specific asset classes, markets, and geographical locations. You can invest as little as £25 per month into funds with the company’s regular investment service.
- Available funds: 2,000
- Fund account fee: 0.25%
- Fund dealing commission: £1.50
- Minimum investment: £500
Fees: AJ Bell charges 0.25% for fund account which reduces to 0.10% on the value of your funds between £250,000 and £500,000. There is no charge above £500,000. Dealing costs are £1.50.
Does AJ Bell do 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 is not free. Fees are capped at £2.50 per month for shares, investment trusts ETFs, gilts and bonds, but there is no cap for holding funds. You also have dealing charges of £1.50 for funds and £9.95 for shares. It is more expensive than Hargreaves Lansdown’s (now free) JISA and providers a relatively similar service.
JISA Fees: AJ Bell charges 0.25% of the value of your for a Junior ISA. Share account fees are capped at £2.50 a month. Dealing costs are £1.50 for funds and £5 for shares but drop to £3.50 where there were 10 or more online share deals in the previous month.
AJ Bell 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 fund. This is a growth fund that is focused on companies taking their commitment to the environment and society seriously. It invests mostly in aggressive assets such as shares, avoiding certain sectors such as tobacco and gambling, and only investing a little in lower-risk assets such as bonds.
AJ Bell Special Offers
AJ Bell currently offers a number of ‘special offers’ for investors.
These include:
- A reward for opening and funding an ISA or SIPP – when you open an ISA or SIPP and fund it with £10,000 or more by 7 June you can choose either a one-year digital subscription to The Telegraph or a mixed case of wine from Laithwaite’s Wine.
- A free online subscription to Shares Magazine when you open an AJ Bell account and maintain a balance of £4,000 or more.
- A reward for transferring accounts with other providers – when you transfer your SIPP, ISA or Dealing account to AJ Bell , the company will pay up to £35 per investment moved and up to £100 for general exit fees, up to an overall maximum of £500 per person. To be eligible, the SIPP, ISA or dealing account being transferred must be valued at £20,000 or more. This offer is open to both existing and new customers.
- Rewards for recommending friends – when you recommend AJ Bell to a friend and they open a SIPP or ISA worth £10,000 or more, the company will give you £100 to say thank you, and your friend a free copy of ‘The DIY Investor’ (RRP £17.99) by Andy Bell. You can recommend as many friends as you like. They just need to be new to AJ Bell .
You can find more information on AJ Bell ’s special offers here.
AJ Bell Charges and fees
AJ Bell is committed to transparent and fair charges that offer investors excellent value and are among the lowest in the market. On the AJ Bell website, there’s a handy feature that enables you to calculate and compare charges.
AJ Bell ’s charging structure is consistent in approach across all its accounts. This ensures that you pay a fair price irrespective of the account or your investment style.
Platform charges and fees are listed below.
| Buying and selling investments (per deal) | |||
| Funds (including unit trusts and OEICs) online | £1.50 | ||
| Shares (including investment trusts, ETFs, gilts, and bonds) | £9.95 | ||
| Shares, where there were 10 or more share deals in the previous month | £4.95 | ||
| Funds custody charge (including unit trusts, OEICs, and structured products) | |||
| On the first £250,000 of funds | 0.25% | ||
| For funds between £250,000 and £1m | 0.10% | ||
| For funds between £1m and £2m | 0.05% | ||
| For funds over £2m | No charge | ||
| Shares custody charge (including investment trusts, ETFs, gilts, and bonds) | 0.25% | (max £3.50 per month) | |
The trading fees are quite competitive and are lower than those charged by rival Hargreaves Lansdown. Hargreaves’ standard trading fee, for example, is £11.95 per trade. This falls to £8.95 if you make 10-19 trades in the previous month and £5.95 if you make 20+ trades in the previous month. However, they are higher than some other brokers such as Trading 212 and Freetrade, which offer commission-free trading.
There are no account set-up fees, inactivity fees, charges for holding cash, or fees to withdraw cash.
AJ Bell does have exit fees, however. These are listed below. By contrast, rival Hargreaves Lansdown does not have exit fees.
AJ Bell Transfer out fees
| Charge (VAT is payable except where stated) | |
| Transfer out to another UK registered pension scheme in cash | No charge |
| Transfer out to another UK registered pension scheme in specie | £9.95 per holding (no VAT) |
| Transfer out to an overseas pension scheme (QROPS) | £250 |
| Payment by CHAPS | £25 |
| Disinvestment, if holdings need to be sold to cover charges | £9.95 per holding (no VAT) |
| Foreign exchange charge payable when dividends or corporate action payments are converted into sterling | 0.50% (no VAT) |
| Purchase an annuity | £150 |
| Additional charge for transferring in a pension to your SIPP and then transferring your SIPP to another provider or closing it within 12 months | £295 |
| Payments on death or if your pension is to be split/shared as part of a divorce | Time/cost basis. Minimum charge expected to be £250 |
Capital at risk
AJ Bell review 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 consistent 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
Richard 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 spanning two decades as a broker, he brings extensive expertise and knowledge to the financial landscape.
Having worked as a broker at Investors Intelligence and a multi-asset derivatives broker at MF Global (Man Financial), Richard has acquired substantial experience in the industry. His career began as a private client stockbroker at Walker Crips and Phillip Securities (now King and Shaxson), following internships on the NYMEX oil trading floor in New York and London IPE in 2001 and 2000.
Richard’s contributions and expertise have been recognized by respected publications such as BusinessInsider, Yahoo Finance, BusinessNews.org.uk, Master Investor, Wealth Briefing, iNews, and The FT, among many others.
Under Richard’s leadership, the Good Money Guide has evolved into a valuable destination for comprehensive information and expert guidance, specialising in trading, investment, and currency exchange. His commitment to delivering high-quality insights has solidified the Good Money Guide’s standing as a well-respected resource for both customers and industry colleagues.
