1. Cheapest is not always best: You
need to think about a combination of price and service - it is worth
paying for quality but make sure you are actually getting the quality you are paying for.
2. What will you invest in: Different dealing fees for shares, investment trusts and funds mean you need to think about how you will invest and tailor your choice accordingly.
5. Clean funds and new pricing: New commission rules mean a shift to clean funds with lower annual management charges and a new charging structure for platforms by April. Is your platform offering clean funds yet, will they move you over automatically, and what are the plans for charges? Beware signing up to something that has to change its charges within the next few months.
2. What will you invest in: Different dealing fees for shares, investment trusts and funds mean you need to think about how you will invest and tailor your choice accordingly.
3. Tools and information: What level of useful portfolio building tools and information does a platform offer?
4. Overall charges:
Don't just look at the admin fee or dealing charges. You need to
combine both to get a true cost, along with costs such as dividend
reinvestment and regular dealing charges. A low admin fee might look
good but if you are an active investor who buys and sells a lot, then
dealing charges will soon rack up and send costs soaring.5. Clean funds and new pricing: New commission rules mean a shift to clean funds with lower annual management charges and a new charging structure for platforms by April. Is your platform offering clean funds yet, will they move you over automatically, and what are the plans for charges? Beware signing up to something that has to change its charges within the next few months.
