There is no deniying that Hargreaves Lansdown is one of the best investment platforms in the UK. They offer a huge range of investments and excellent customer service. In our review we look at what customers have to say and also test the platform for ourselves.
Hargreaves Lansdown Customer Reviews
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Hargreaves Lansdown Video Review
Watch as we test the Hargreaves Lansdown investing platform and app. In our video review and test we buy and sell some Hargreaves Lansdown shares (LON:HL) and demonstrate some of the stock broker’s features.
Hargreaves Lansdown Expert Review
I always think of Hargreaves Lansdown as the Waitrose of the investing world. Yes, it may be a bit pricier sometimes, but I think it’s just a nicer, safer place to shop for stocks. In my Hargreaves Lansdown review, I explain what they are good at, what they are too expensive for and what sort of investor they are most suited to.
Hargreaves Lansdown Review
Name: Hargreaves Lansdown
Description: Hargreaves Lansdown is one of the largest investment platforms in the UK. They offer investing, savings, ISAs and SIPP account to over 1.8 million clients with 142bn in assets under management. The company was founded by Peter Hargreaves and Stephen Lansdown in 1981 and is now listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Is Hargreaves Lansdown a good broker?
Yes, Hargreaves Lansdown is one of our best-rated stock brokers and investment platforms. HL offers access to a huge range of investment types, through a wide range of general and tax-efficient accounts and is suitable for almost all types of investors.
Pros
- Wide range of investments
- Most investment account types
- Excellent research and analysis
Cons
- There are cheaper options for fund investing
- Limited portfolio hedging tools
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Pricing
(4)
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Market Access
(5)
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Online Platform
(5)
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Customer Service
(5)
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Research & Analysis
(5)
Overall
4.8I’ve spoken to the founder of Hargreaves Lansdown, Peter Hargreaves a few times. First when I interviewed him over the phone and then a few follow-ups after that via email. I have to say that he’s to the point, detailed, charismatic and clearly has a huge amount of passion for the business.
Of course, Peter Hargreaves no longer runs the business, but for this review, I interviewed the then CEO Chris Hill, but the mentality of HL doesn’t seem to have changed. Hargreaves Lansdown is still one of the best investment platforms out there. Its research, market data, and market range are unrivaled. There are cheaper “free stockbrokers” out there, but your choice of investment is limited, customer service is basically a chatbot and many are still raising funds and running at a loss. Sure people complain that HL can sometimes be expensive, but in finance, you get what you pay for.
Founded in 1981, Hargreaves Lansdown is one of the largest fund management and investment platforms in the UK with 1.8 million clients and £142bn funds under management. Operating from its Bristol base, it offers a huge range of investment tools, ready-made portfolios, ISAs, SIPPs (pension), cash savings and foreign currency exchange. They also offer financial advice with a free initial consultation, research, webinars and guides to investment. The scale and scope of their offering mean they offer one of the widest range of choices for investors of all levels.
For those that are more risk averse HL Active Savings offers access to some of the highest-paying savings accounts.
With a history stretching back 40 decades, HL brings the security, scale and reputation of an established FTSE 100 company.
In the Good Money Guide Awards, HL is a regular winner and in 2022 won the award for “best stockbroker”, “best investing app” and “best SIPP account”. 100% of those who took the 2022 survey said they used HL for longer-term investing, with only 33% saying they also made short-term speculative investments on the platform.
Now, onto the nitty-gritty of Hargreaves Lansdown and our ratings explained:
I’ve spoken to the founder of Hargreaves Lansdown, Peter Hargreaves, a few times. First, when I interviewed him over the phone, and then a few follow-ups via email. I have to say that he’s to the point, detailed, charismatic, and clearly has a huge amount of passion for the business.
Of course, Peter Hargreaves no longer runs the business, but for this review, I interviewed the then-CEO Chris Hill. The mentality of Hargreaves Lansdown doesn’t seem to have changed. It remains one of the best investment platforms out there. Its research, market data, and market range are unrivalled. There are cheaper “free stockbrokers” available, but their choice of investment is limited, customer service is basically a chatbot, and many are still raising funds and operating at a loss. Sure, people complain that HL can sometimes be expensive, but in finance, you get what you pay for.
Founded in 1981, Hargreaves Lansdown is one of the largest fund management and investment platforms in the UK, with 1.8 million clients and £142bn in funds under management. Operating from its Bristol base, it offers a huge range of investment tools, ready-made portfolios, ISAs, SIPPs (pensions), cash savings, and foreign currency exchange. They also offer financial advice with a free initial consultation, research, webinars, and investment guides. The scale and scope of their offering mean they provide one of the widest ranges of choices for investors of all levels.
For those who are more risk-averse, HL Active Savings offers access to some of the highest-paying savings accounts.
With a history stretching back four decades, HL brings the security, scale, and reputation of an established FTSE 100 company.
In the Good Money Guide Awards, HL is a regular winner and in 2022 won the awards for “Best Stockbroker”, “Best Investing App”, and “Best SIPP Account”. 100% of those who took the 2022 survey said they used HL for longer-term investing, with only 33% saying they also made short-term speculative investments on the platform.
Now, onto the nitty-gritty of Hargreaves Lansdown and our ratings explained:
Pricing
Cheap for stocks, expensive for funds—that’s the basics.
Over the years, though, HL has become cheaper, and I expect it to continue becoming more competitive. They have a huge legacy client base that won’t switch to another broker no matter what, so that will be milked for a while with these reduced rates. However, newer customers should see commissions come in line with other major investment platforms.
HL is still horrendously expensive for US stocks, as their FX fees are quite high, and since there is no cap on fund account fees, these can add up very quickly for big accounts.
The jewel in the pricing crown, though, is the Junior ISA, which is free to hold and to buy shares and funds.
Market Access
Excellent, with pretty much full market coverage.
If you’re a UK investor, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a listed instrument you can’t invest in through HL. So, if you’re looking to build a very diverse portfolio over the years and want access to a wide range of small-cap stocks, corporate bonds, and funds, HL is a good choice for investment options.
Plus, they offer the most types of accounts as well. In our comparison tables, only Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell offer access to the full range of accounts including:
- HL Stocks and Shares ISA – for your tax-free allowance
- HL SIPP – for your pension
- HL Junior ISA – for your children’s 18th birthday
- HL Junior SIPP – for your children’s retirement
- HL Lifetime ISA – for the government 25% top up
- HL General Investment Account – for everything else
If you click on the link above, you can see our ratings for each of the key Hargreaves Lansdown account types.
Platform & Apps:
Generally, one of the best apps and platforms around.
The Hargreaves Lansdown website and app have been the go-to for stock market research. I should know, I sold them bond data, rankings, and analysis for years.
The website has an excellent market data section, so you can read through company reports, and the HL app is much more comprehensive than competitors.
Everything is easy to use: lots of order types, account statements, etc. It all just works. Let’s be honest, if you are investing with Hargreaves Lansdown, you’re going to use the platform and buy something in the long run. You don’t need lots of flashing lights and algo API connectivity.
These were all developed by a hugely experienced team that has now gone on to run Navos (fintech.co.uk), which builds investment systems and infrastructure for some of the biggest financial institutions in the UK.
They are grown-up platforms and apps for serious investors.
Customer Service:
You get what you pay for here. HL always picks up the phone quickly.
Whenever we test platforms, we always try to find a problem so we can phone customer support to test their response time. Some of the apps are woeful at getting back to customers. But then again, I’d say that investing apps are for small investors, while investment platforms and stock brokers are for when you have a bit more and need a bit of help looking after it.
For this review, and you can watch this in our video of me testing the platform live, there was an issue with cancelling the a stop on a position I had closed out. I managed to get through straight away and was given the answer after speaking to a couple of their staff.
Hargreaves Lansdown does have a reputation for being expensive, but then again, it’s not cheap employing and training staff to ensure that if you have a problem, it can be dealt with quickly—and may I add, politely.
Research & Analysis:
Superb, with lots of market data screens for non-customers and even more information when you are logged in.
Hargreaves Lansdown is a DIY platform, which means you have to make your own decisions. Now, I’m not being commercially cynical here, but when I was a broker, we wanted our customers to make lots of decisions. Because the more investment decisions they made, the more commission we made.
And how do you get your customers to make more investment decisions? Well, you provide them with the tools, stimulus, and research to help them make them.
As Hargreaves Lansdown is one of the biggest companies in the UK, listed on the LSE with a market cap of £4.25bn (17/5/24), you can assume that they are providing a lot of people with a lot of research and analysis to help them make more decisions…
Hargreaves Lansdown Active Savings gives you a cash alternative to investing
Hargreaves Lansdown’s Active Savings product was launched by the investment broker in 2018 and lets customers pick and choose from a range of the best easy-access and fixed-term savings accounts.
The Active Savings portal is now five years old and as of the end of December 2022, they have helped over 146,000 clients savings, over £6.3 billion.
Hargreaves Lansdown Active Savings is a one-stop shop where you can find the best interest rates from a range of providers. You can get up to 6% interest on your money (far more than your bank account) from a panel of 31 savings products.
- Highest interest rate: 5.1%
- Number of savings accounts: 17
- Minimum deposit: £1,000
- FCA regulated and FSCS protected:✔️
What is Hargreaves Lansdown Active Savings?
You get started by depositing a minimum of £1,000 which you can allocate to as many savings accounts as you want, with rates of up to 6%. You’ll receive monthly statements and a warning when rates are about to expire.
Hargreaves Lansdown Active Savings is a similar product to raisin, which also lets you manage multiple savings accounts from a single platform.
Emma Wall, head of investment analysis and research at Hargreaves Lansdown said that:
Active Savings provides a solution for the 49% of people who haven’t moved their savings in the past 5 years, and the 35% who’ve never switched. Through one single application, savers can move money between accounts with different banks and building societies in just a few clicks, removing the need to ever complete another application.
Hargraves Lansdown Active Savings Rates
At the moment, the best rate in HL’s Active Savings platform is 5.03% from Allica Bank, with a minimum opening balance of £1,000 for one year.
Best fixed rates on Active Savings (AER*/Gross)
- 6 months 5.07%/5.01%
- 9 months 5.08%/5.05%
- 12 months 5.10%/5.10%
Minimum deposit requirements apply for the fixed products listed.
Best variable rates on Active Savings (AER*/Gross)
- Easy Access 4.72% 4.62%
Best rate in HL Cash ISA (AER*/Tax-free)
- Easy Access 4.67% 4.57%
Highest rates as of 5 June 2024 at 14:20. All rates offered by HL banking partners.
You can see the savings products available in Hargreaves Lansdown’s Active Savings portal ranked by the highest interest rate here:AER (Annual Equivalent Rate) shows what the interest rate/expected profit rate would be if it was paid and compounded once each year. It helps you compare the rates on different savings products.
Gross means the rate without any tax removed. Interest/profit will be paid gross and you’re responsible for paying any tax due on interest/profit that exceeds your Personal Savings Allowance to HMRC.
Advantages of Hargreaves Lansdown Active Savings
- Constantly updated interest rates
- Wide range of providers
- Cash ISA available
The key advantage is that you can get the best interest rates for your savings, by constantly switching savings accounts without actually having to move your money around or open lots of different savings accounts.
“Active Savings is the only UK service where people can manage their investments and savings in one place,” says Hargreaves Lansdown’s head of communications, Danny Cox. “This makes managing your money so much easier than multiple accounts.”
At the moment, the service offers access to 25 different savings accounts, so you have a good chance of finding some of the best savings providers with the highest interest rates. Hargreaves Lansdown hopes to add more providers in time, which will increase choice.
You can also save money in a cash ISA which reduces your tax bill. However, if you want better returns and are prepared to take more risk, a stocks and shares ISA maybe more appropriate.
Disadvantages of HL Active Savings
- Potentially better rates by going direct
- Cash can be tied up for a set period
The biggest potential disadvantage of the service is that you might be able to get better rates by going to the banks directly. This is because Hargreaves Lansdown doesn’t charge you directly, instead they charge the providers you save with. This means the same or similar products offered directly by the banks and building societies may have different interest rates to those available on Active Savings.
So you are paying a small amount for the convenience of HL managing the process.
And while switching is easy, you need to be sure you’ll take notice of the email warnings about soon-to-expire rates.
If you’re a Hargreaves Lansdown customer, Active Savings is probably going to be the most convenient savings option out there. And with more banks set to come on board, the choice of accounts – and hopefully rates – will soon increase.
Fixed-Term Cash ISAs
Hargreaves Lansdown is also one of the only (and first) investment and savings platform to offer Fixed Term Cash ISAs
- Fixed term products will sit alongside existing easy access and limited access options, meaning clients can now spread their Cash ISA allowance across multiple products.
- Fixed Term Cash ISA is provided by Coventry Building Society offering clients a one-year rate of 4.8%, tax free.
Sainsburys Bank joins Active Savings, taking the number of banking partners to 20
ETF Investing on Hargreaves Lansdown
Hargreaves Lansdown is one of the best ETF investment accounts as HL has access to a huge range of UK and international Exchange Traded Funds. Plus the costs of holding ETFs are capped as they fall into their stocks and shares category.
Hargreaves Lansdown’s ETF platform offers a huge range of exchange-traded funds tailored to various investment strategies. They also have an expert research team that provides ETF investing ideas.
Overall, HL is a very reliable way to invest in ETFs with one of the UK’s largest investment platforms.
ETF dealing info:
- ETFs available: 1,000+
- ETF account charge: £0 – 0.45%
- ETF dealing charge: £11.95
- Account types: GIA, ISA, SIPP, JISA, JSIPP
ETF dealing fees:
There is no account charge to hold ETFs in a Hargreaves Lansdown dealing account. But in a SIPP and ISA ETFs are charged at 0.45% capped at £45 per year. ETF dealing charges £11.95 per deal or £5.95 if you do over 20 deals per month.
Is it expensive to buy and sell shares on Hargreaves Lansdown?
Yes, but Hargreaves Lansdown is not as expensive as it used to be. HL does still cost more than competitors like AJ Bell and Interactive Brokers to buy and sell shares, but the account running costs can be lower because of the monthly cap. In our HL share dealing review below we go through how much Hargreaves Lansdown charges for buying and selling shares.
Hargreaves Lansdown offers access to the widest selection of stocks for share dealing accounts in the UK. The platform also has one of the best research portals for analysing stocks. It won the 2022 best stock broker awards and in 2021 won best full-service Stockbroker.
Overall Hargreaves Lansdown an excellent choice for most types of share dealing on UK and international markets.
- Investments: Shares, ETFs, bonds & funds
- Minimum deposit: £1
- Account types: GIA, ISA, SIPP, JISA, JISA, JSIPP
- Share dealing Account charge: £0
- Share dealing fee: £5.95
Share dealing fees: There is no account charge for holding shares with a GIA at Hargreaves Lansdown. Funds are charged at 0.45% for the first £250,000. There is no charge for buying funds, but shares are charged at £11.95 per deal or £5.95 if you do over 20 deals per month.
Junior ISAs are now free on Hargreaves Lansdown
Since Hargreaves Lansdown removed the fees from of its JISA (Junior ISA) account it is now one of the cheapest ways to invest for your children.. This is good news as Hargreaves Lansdown is generally acknowledged to be not only the largest provider of direct-to-consumer investment services but also the most expensive.
An HL JISA is one of the best around. There are no charges for a Junior stocks and shares ISA with Hargreaves Lansdown. There are also no dealing costs for shares, funds or bonds. T
his and Hargreaves Lansdown’s high customer satisfaction in our awards surveys make it a great place to invest for your children.
Fees: Hargreaves Lansdown has recently reduced the cost of their Junior ISA and JISA are now free for HL customers. There are also no fees for buying and selling funds and shares.
Hargreaves Lansdown Removes Junior ISA Fees
The Junior ISA is aimed at those under the age of 18 and is designed to encourage long-term saving on behalf of children and teenagers. Those goals have received a boost with Hargreaves Lansdown removing its fees on the Junior ISA.
Junior ISAs, which are often managed by parents, grandparents or guardians, on behalf of a young person, will now be able to trade or invest in funds and ETFs, UK and overseas shares, gilts and other bonds, free of charge.
If those deals are transacted online or as part of a regular savings plan via direct debit.
Charges will still apply if orders are placed over the phone with the Hargreaves Lansdown’s dealing team, or via the firm’s postal dealing service.
Hargreaves will also waive charges associated with account opening or closing, transfers of stock or cash, and the production of quarterly statements.
Though the firm will retain some credit interest to cover its administrative expenses.
UK and Irish Stamp Duty charges and the UK PTM levy will still apply to qualifying equity trades, as will purchase and financial taxes on certain French, Spanish and Italian securities.
Hargreaves Lansdown keeps reducing fees to remain competitive
Hargreaves Lansdown’s biggest rival is AJ Bell, who charge 0.25% on the value of shares held in a Junior ISA, though that fee is capped at £2.50 per month.
AJ Bell also has a custody fee of 0.25% per annum and a variable fee schedule for trading.
Regular online investments attract a charge of £1.50, as do dividend reinvestments and trades in unit trusts.
Online trades in equities, investment trusts, ETFs, Gilts and bonds are charged at £9.95 per trade.
Though that can fall to just £4.95 if the account traded 10 times or more in the prior month.
Telephone orders at AJ Bell are charged at £29.95 per trade.
AJ Bell’s Lifetime ISA charges 0.25% of the value of shares held in the account, capped at a maximum of £3.50 per month.
Once again custody charges of 0.25% also apply.
Though if an investor is holding more than £250,000 in funds, within their AJ Bell Lifetime ISA, then the custody charge falls to 0.10%.
And if they hold £500,000 or more in fund investments there are no custody charges levied.
Over the long term, fees can negatively affect the performance of an investment portfolio. So for Junior ISA holders and those that manage the accounts, a no-fee solution is a very positive step.
And one that will hopefully encourage parents, grandparents and guardians to invest on their charges’ behalf, and to choose Hargreaves Lansdown as they do so.
Which, is no doubt what the no-fee offer is designed to encourage.
However, there is no cash Junior ISA at HL. Hargreaves Lansdown only has a stocks and shares junior ISA, but you can receive interest on your uninvested cash (essentially making it a cash ISA).
Ready-Made Index Funds and Managed Hargreaves Lansdown Investments
A new range of index funds were made available from June 6th and complement the firm’s existing HL-managed ready-made fund range that was launched in 2023.
The four new Hargreaves Lansdown index funds are ranked by risk from most potentially profitable to least:
- HL Multi-Index Adventurous – asset allocation typically 100% shares – aiming for 90-110% volatility of global equity markets.
- HL Multi-Index Moderately Adventurous – asset allocation typically 80/20 split between shares and bonds – aiming for 70–90% volatility of global equity markets.
- HL Multi-Index Balanced – asset allocation typically 60/40 split between shares and bonds – aiming for 50-70% volatility of global equity markets.
- HL Multi-Index Cautious – asset allocation typically 30/70 split between shares and bonds – aiming for 30-50% volatility of global equity markets.
Hargreaves Lansdown CIO, Toby Vaughan said:
“HL clients’ investment in index funds has risen by more than two and a half times over the last 7-years, and the number of clients holding index funds as their main investment has increased by 80% over the last 2 years.”
“Our new ready-made multi-index investment portfolios add further choice for investors to meet that demand and are an easy cost-efficient solution for those looking to get started with investing.“
He added that
“They are part of our evolving strategy, which aims to expand and improve the range of investment options we provide to clients at all stages of their investment journey, from beginners to highly experienced investors.”
A move towards managed investments
Robo-advisors or digital wealth managers are becoming more and more popular as new investors enter the stock market in search of better returns. However, as HL has traditionally been a DIY investing platform, some investors may have been put off by having to choose their own investments. With that in mind the HL Index funds aim to be:
- Straightforward – investors can choose from either an active or index all-in-one portfolios
- Managed – there is no need to pick investments as expert fund managers make investment decisions
- Diversified – you can gain exposure to a range of investment styles and approaches in global investments.
- Rebalanced – the investment managers update portfolios to stay on track and stay aligned to the chosen level of risk.
- Clarity – it is possible to view investment performance, online or via the Hargreaves Lansdown app 24/7.
A balancing act
Hargreaves Lansdown built its reputation and its business by being a platform, offering third-party products and low-cost brokerage services to retail investors.
One can see why the firm, which has more than 2.0 million active investment accounts and £142.0 billion of assets under administration wants to offer more in-house products to its end customers, rather than just be a re-seller of and portal for other firms’ funds and services.
However, it must not lose sight of the values and business model that built the firm in the first place. Not least because its 40% share of the UK investing platform market makes it the number one target for its competitors.
Is Hargreaves Lansdown A Good LISA (Lifetime ISA)?
Yes, Hargreaves Lansdown’s Lifetime ISA is a great way to take advantage of the 25% government bonus with you £4,000 Lifetime ISA allowance as fees are low and there are a huge amount of markets to invest in.
When you deposit money into a Hargreaves Lansdown lifetime ISA, the government will top that amount up by up to 25%. It is one of the best ways to get a head start save for your first home, or to save for your retirement.
Hargreaves Lansdown’s Lifetime ISA also benefits from free account opening.
In terms of administrative fees for the lifetime ISA, Hargreaves Lansdown operates a scaled charging system with a fee of 0.25% on the first £1.0 million of investments, if that money is held in funds
Those charges fall to 0.1%, for fund holdings worth between £1.0 and £2.0 million and fall to zero for investments that are larger than £2.0 million.
However, if the investor only holds UK and overseas equities, investment trusts, ETFs, VCTs or Gilts and other bonds, in their Lifetime ISA, then fees are charged at 0.25% capped at a maximum of £45.0 per annum.
The HL LISA is geared more towards more confident investors Hargreaves Lansdown gives you one of the most flexible Lifetime ISAs where you can choose exactly what to invest in. With the HL LISA you can invest in over 3,000 funds, UK and international shares as well as investment trusts, bonds and ETFs
How much does Hargreaves Lansdown charge for investment trusts?
Despite it’s reputation for being expensive Hargreaves Lansdown is actually free for buying and selling investment trusts. But the ongoing account charges can rack up if you have a large portfolio compared to other providers like Interactive Investor and AJ Bell.
To help you navigate the investment trust market, Hargreaves Lansdown provides trust research, data and analysis and the research team regularly reviews and provides updates on their clients’ most popular holdings.
There is no charge for buying and selling investment trusts. Fund accounts are charged at 0.45% for the first £250,000. Then 0.25% up to £1m, 0.1% up to £2m. There is no charge above £2m.
How much does OEIC investing cost on Hargreaves Lansdown?
It’s free to buy and sell OEIC (open-ended investment companies) on Hargreaves Lansdown, but there is an ongoing charge. In our HL OEIC review below we go through the charges and specifics about investing in open-ended investment companies with Hargreaves Lansdown.
There is no charge for buying and selling open-ended investment companies. Accounts are charged at 0.45% for the first £250,000. Then 0.25% up to £1m, 0.1% up to £2m. There is no charge above £2m.
Is Hargreaves Lansdown good for funds?
Fund investing is where Hargreaves Lansdown gets very expensive. unlike share dealing there is no cap on the fees charged for holding funds with HL.
You can invest in over 3,000 funds or choose from Hargreaves Lansdown funds picked by a team of in-house investment experts that manage a range of Multi-Manager funds (fund-of-funds) and HL Select range of equity funds.
- Available funds: 3,000
- Fund account fee: 0.45%
- Fund dealing commission: £0
- Minimum investment: £1
Fees: There is no charge for buying and selling funds on Hargreaves Lansdown. Fund accounts are charged at 0.45% for the first £250,000. Then 0.25% up to £1m, 0.1% up to £2m. There is no charge above £2m.
Hargreaves Lansdown Awards
Hargreaves Lansdown always wins awards with us, over the years Hargreaves Lansdown has won Good Money Guide Awards for:
- 2023: Best DIY Stocks & Shares ISA & Best Junior SIPP
- 2022: Best Investing App, Best Stock Broker, Best SIPP & Best Junior SIPP
- 2021: Best Full-Service Stock Broker
- 2019: Best Stock Broker, Best SIPP Account
- 2018: Best SIPP and Stocks & Shares ISA Broker
@good_money_guide Best DIY Stocks & Shares ISA… #goodmoneyguide #goodmoneyguideawards #investing #shares #stocks #stockmarket ♬ original sound – Good Money Guide
I’m afraid though, we don’t have any footage of Hargreaves Lansdown collecting an award because as yet they’ve not turned up to collect them.
Hargreaves Lansdown Facts & Figures
| ⬜ Public Company | ✔️ |
| 👉 Number Active Clients | 1,800,000 |
| 💰 Minimum Deposit | £1 |
| 💸 Client Funds | £142 billion |
| 📅 Founded | 1981 |
Account Costs | |
| 👉 Investment Account | 0% |
| 👉 SIPP | 0.45% |
| 👉 Stocks & Shares ISA | 0.45% |
| 👉 Junior ISA | 0% |
| 👉 Lifetime ISA | 0% |
Dealing Costs | |
| 👉 UK Shares | £11.95 |
| 👉 US Stocks | £11.95 |
| 👉 ETFs | £11.95 |
| 👉 Bonds | £11.95 |
| 👉 Funds | £0 |
Capital at risk
Hargreaves Lansdown FAQs
Yes, we rate Hargreaves Lansdown as one of the safest share dealing accounts in the UK because they are well established, listed on the London Stock Exchange, and regulated by the FCA. Hargreaves Lansdown is also a profitable company with millions of private and corporate customers.
As an FCA-regulated stock broker, if Hargreaves Lansdown were to go bust, client cash on account would be protected by the FSCS scheme. Client investments are held in nominee accounts on CREST and can be transferred to another FCA-regulated investment platform.
Yes, Hargreaves Lansdown is considered one of the more expensive trading apps, as they charge a commission per share deal as opposed to commission-free investing apps like Freetrade, CMC Invest or Dodl, where it is free. Hargreaves Lansdown is also very expensive for holding funds on account as there is no cap on their fund account charge. Whereas, AJ Bell fund fees are capped and Interactive Investor charges a flat monthly subscription.
Hargreaves Lansdown is a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange meaning anyone can buy shares. But only around 25% of HL shares are traded on the LSE as 75% of the company is still owned by the founders Peter Hargreaves, and Stephen Lansdown and employees. You can see the breakdown of Hargreaves Lansdown shareholders in our HL share price performance section.
Yes, Hargreaves Lansdown offers access to a huge range of UK-listed Government and corporate bonds that you can invest in to build an income-generating portfolio. We actually used Hargreaves Lansdown to demonstrate buying Retail Charity bonds when we reviewed them.
No, you cannot buy commodities directly on Hargreaves Lansdown directly, to do that you need a commodities broker. But, you can invest in commodities on HL through a commodity ETF which is listed on the stock exchange like the Legal & General Longer Dated All commodities UCITS ETF (CMFP).
No, you cannot buy fractional shares on Hargreaves Lansdown, you can only buy whole shares, ETFs and units of funds. If you want to invest in small slices of company shares or want to invest in monetary amounts rather than shares you can compare the best brokers for fractional shares investing here.
No, you cannot trade options on Hargreaves Lansdown. I view this as quite a significant disadvantage because options are a great way to hedge your long-term investment portfolio against potential short-term stock market falls. If you want to trade or invest with options you can compare the best options brokers here.
No, you cannot buy or invest in gold directly on Hargreaves Lansdown, to do that you need a gold trading platform. But, you can get exposure to gold and invest in a gold ETF that tracks the price of the gold and can be bought and sold on the Hargreaves Lansdown platform just like shares for example, SPDR Gold Trust, iShares Gold Trust or Aberdeen Standard Physical Gold Shares ETF.
No, you cannot short stocks or go short on the Hargreaves Lansdown platform. But if you think that the Hargreaves Lansdown share price will go down it is possible to short Hargreaves Lansdown shares with a short-selling broker using CFDs, options or financial spread betting. However, if you want to go short the overall stock market to hedge your portfolio held at Hargreaves Lansdown you can buy an inverse ETF (which goes up when the market goes down) like
Absolutely not! Hargreaves Lansdown is a traditional stock brokerage and is most suitable for those investing in the long term. Cryptocurrency is a very high-risk product and not apprapriate to hold alongside ISA or SIPP accounts. Having said that, the SEC has recently approved a Bitcoin ETF, which can be bought and sold on the stock market, so some UK investors may be able to buy cryptocurrency on HL if they pass the sophisticated investor threshold.
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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.
