interactive investor Review

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interactive investor is a regulated UK investment platform where users can take control of their investments for a low, flat fee. They provide online trading and investing across a good range of financial instruments covering various asset classes. For the average UK investor who wants to invest in stocks and shares with a simple platform and competitive fees, then interactive investor can be worth consideration. They have a low fee structure and full product range. There is everything you need to gain convenient access to the markets with minimal fuss. I think this fixed fee platform is one of the best in terms of price for those who are looking to invest over the mid to long term. The interactive investor share dealing service has a lot to offer and has widespread appeal.

Summary

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, interactive investor (ii for short) is an online investment service that provides the DIY investor with the tools and trading environment to help them make informed investment decisions. They provide a range of direct-to-investor financial services with competitively priced investing starting from just £9.99 a month via their investing platform where you can conveniently manage shares, funds, SIPPs, ISAs and more. You can manage your investments wherever you are with interactive investor app. It is a subscription-based online investment service that provides financial information, as well as investment tools. They have won multiple awards including for customer service and alongside a range of investments also offer clients market insights, trading tips, analysis tools and more. ii are FCA regulated and have full FSCS protection.

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Regulation

interactive investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom. They are also a member of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The FSCS protects eligible customers where an authorised financial services firm fails to meet their financial obligations. interactive investor is primarily for investors located in the United Kingdom. To ensure its safety, any money you hold with ii is placed in a bank account which is established with statutory trust status. This means your money is kept separate from the companies.

Platforms

The flexible accounts offered by interactive investor enable users to buy, sell and hold investments via the secure platforms provided. You can stream real time level 2 live pricing data and create your own personalised custom workspace on the award winning Quotestream platform. There is a comprehensive range of order types to choose from which can help you maintain control over your positions even when you are unable to monitor prices. Then there is mobile application allows users to gain secure access to their accounts to monitor portfolios, conduct market research and trade, all whilst on the go and conveniently from within the palm of your hands. The mobile investing app is compatible with iOS/Android devices and requires an internet connection to access. It is smooth, fast and free to download.

Quotestream Desktop

You can get the latest in real-time portfolio management with the award-winning Quotestream. Stream UK Level 2 share prices and create custom workspaces easily with the most feature-rich application of its kind. With access to market data, analytics and research information, Quotestream is uniquely designed to give you all the tools you need to create your own unique portfolio. I think this is a great platform for Active Traders, featuring tick-by-tick lightning fast market data, and extensive customization in a trading terminal style interface.

Quotestream Mobile

The Quotestream Mobile App delivers comprehensive portfolio management and a broad range of financial data, news, and charting to your mobile device. Quotestream Mobile is available on its own, or as a fully synchronized companion to the Quotestream Desktop and Quotestream Professional platforms.

Quotestream Professional

Quotestream Professional is designed for the Financial Services Professional, offering fast, reliable, comprehensive market data, research and analytics. Quotestream Professional delivers low-latency tick-by-tick data and features completely customizable screens, advanced charting, comprehensive technical analysis, news and research.

Quotestream Features:

• Tick-by-tick low latency real-time streaming data
• Track up to 30 portfolios of up to 300 symbols each
• Multiple configurable portfolios with custom layouts
• Customise the look and feel by modifying colour and font settings

Quotestream

interactive investor App

The mobile application allows you to gain secure access to your accounts to monitor portfolios, conduct market research and trade, all whilst on the go and conveniently from within the palm of your hands. The mobile app is compatible with iOS/Android devices and requires an internet connection to access. It is smooth, fast and free to download. I like how I am able to check my positions and the latest market news from anywhere and anytime. You can use your current username and password to set it up. Plus, you can opt for fast, secure sign-in with face recognition or fingerprint technology. You can enjoy the speed, security and simplicity of the app, streamlined for your smartphone.

interactive investor App Features:

• Funding – deposit and withdraw from your trading account
• Trading – place, manage and exit trade positions
• Real time price quotes – view prices of multiple instruments
• Chart analysis – conduct technical analysis across various charts and timeframes
• Newsfeed – latest market news direct to the platform
• Watchlist – create customised watchlists
• Markets overview – quickly see an overview of the markets as a whole
• Secure – encrypted data to help keep your personal information safe
• Messaging – contact support directly through the platform
• Easy login – face and touch ID for a quick and secure login
• Accounts – manage all your accounts from your phone

interactive investor App

Tools

The ii platforms contain some handy tools which you can use to analyse the markets to help spot opportunities. There are tools for fundamental, technical and price action analysis. I like how they are relatively easy to use and can be fully customised according to your preferred strategies. The Quotestream platform has some very powerful tools whereas the app is perhaps more limiting for those of you who want to conduct more complex market analysis.

Education

The ii website has frequently updated news and analysis articles, including videos. These are very articulate and professional, covering a variety of topics across the financial and investment industry. You can register to receive daily market commentary from the in-house editorial team. interactive investor provide some investing insight and ideas including:

• Quick Start Funds – A selection of funds selected by their experts that give a quick way to start investing
• interactive investor Super 60 – A range of different types of investments selected by experts
• Investing Hubs – Give further insights into various investment opportunities
• interactive investor ACE 30 – This is a list of ethical investments
• Trading Tips – Range of ideas for different investment goals
• Free Research – The free research account lets you create virtual portfolios, have discussions and receive newsletters

Markets

interactive investor have vast array of investment choices including Shares, Funds, Investment Trusts, ETFs, Bonds, VCTs, Options, Futures, Spread Trading and CFDs.

• Shares – Direct access for investing in 40,000+ UK, US and international shares on 17 global exchanges including exchanges in North America, Europe, and Asia
• Funds – Over 3,00+ funds to choose from with a range of tools and filters to help find a fund that matches your requirements
• Investment Trusts – Invest in shares, bonds, property and other assets according to your individual goals
• ETFs – Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are collective funds that trade just like shares and track the movements of an index or asset
• Bonds & Gilts – Fixed income investments issued normally at £100
• VCTs – Selection of newly issued and existing Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs)
• Spread Trading & CFDs – Speculate on if an instruments price will rise or fall, including global shares, indices, forex, commodities, etc

Accounts

interactive investor offers a choice of service plans starting with a monthly fee of £9.99 (multiple accounts allowed) and will even credit back £7.99 (available for 90 days) that can be used to buy or sell an investment of your choice. The commission rate for UK and US trades is £7.99 and £0.99 for regular investing and dividend reinvestment. There is no charge for joining or transferring cash and investments whilst there are also no costs if you wish to leave. Account holders also get a free online subscription to the Money Observer and Moneywise publications.

The ii Trading Account is ideal for investors who want flexibility and uncapped investment options. You’ll have access to the widest choice of investment options in the market – including shares, funds, trusts and ETFs. Once you have opened your trading account, you will need to add cash to buy your first investments. You can either buy investments as and when you choose, or you can set up regular investing to top up your investments monthly. They give you the tools you need to become a confident investor, including expert insights straight to your inbox. Additionally, you can access your money whenever you like and trade securely at any time, using the iOS and Android apps.

• Trading Account – The standard account for trading that allows you to invest in global markets with flexibility
• Investor – The standard plan for investors from £9.99 a month with £7.99 for fund/UK trades
• Funds Fan – This account is for those who are looking to build a portfolio of funds, with independent select lists and analysis tools. £13.99 a month fee, Funds & investment trusts £3.99, UK Share trades £7.99
• Super Investor – This is a premium plan that is specifically designed for the more frequent investors and has competitive trade commissions. £19.99 per month. All UK trades (including funds) £3.99, US Share trades £4.99
• ISA – This is a tax-free savings account with limited allowance
• SIPP – A self-invested personal pension account to invest for the future. Incurs an extra £10 per month admin fee

Support

Customer support is provided via telephone and email. Telephone support is available Monday – Friday: 07:45 – 17:30 BST/GMT or Monday – Friday: 17:30 – 21:00 BST/GMT for international trading calls only. There is a dedicated help centre that can provide instant answers to some common queries. It would be more advantageous for some if they offered online live chat but generally, they are very responsive. I appreciate how they have taken the time to respond to both positive and negative feedback online.

Funding

The methods for depositing and withdrawing funds from your account are limited to bank transfer and credit/debit card. They do not have any online payment systems which I would have found more convenient. I think they could improve by adding some more modern forms of payment such as digital wallets. Please note that some methods may only be available to specific countries and not all are available for both deposit and withdrawal.

Some fees may be charged when using certain payment methods. Withdrawal requests are processed within the same day if received before 2pm BST/GMT. The withdrawal time can vary depending on the payment provider and method. Bank transfers may take a few business days to clear. Some payment systems may have transaction limits, restrictions, and requirements.

interactive investor accounts can be opened in a great selection of 9 different currencies including GBP, EUR, USD, CAD, AUD, SGD, HKD, CHF and SEK. The different currency options are beneficial as currency conversion fees do not apply when using an account in your own currency.

Conclusion

Overall, there are many aspects of interactive investor that I like. I found them to have transparent and competitive pricing structures whilst offering modern and intuitive platforms alongside professional trading tools to assist you with your market analysis and informed decision making.

interactive investor (ii) is an execution-only online investment platform. The ii platform enables users to manage and trade shares, funds, ISAs, SIPPs and more. Alongside the ability to trade & manage assets online it provides editorial content, news and market analysis.

They have one of the widest choice of investments. I was impressed to see that you can choose from a huge range of 40,000 UK and global investments, including shares, funds and ETFs. They enable you to get quick and easy access investments on 17 global exchanges and 9 currencies.

I think they can a good choice to consider for anyone based in the UK who is looking to get convenient access to the market to invest and trade with competitive fees in a regulated environment.

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Trade securely with fair, flat fees and a very wide range of UK and global investments. Access all your accounts and award-winning financial insights to always stay in control.

The price and value of investments and their income fluctuates. You may get back less than the amount you invested.

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