I want to move £40k from my iWeb cash ISA into a Vanguard Lifestrategy fund. Will the fees be less?
07 April 2021
Question by Angela
I recently opened an account for £100 with iWeb and invested £20k in a stocks and shares ISA. I now want to move £40k from my cash ISA into a Vanguard Lifestrategy fund. Will the fees be less by investing directly with Vanguard which is already low cost or will I save further by investing with iWeb?
Answered by Boring Money
Angela, the benefit of iWeb is the initial fee rather than an ongoing charge. Over one year it would be equivalent to 0.5% of your £20,000 stocks and shares ISA contribution and if you hold it for the long term it can offer great value. That said iWeb do charge when you purchase a fund or shares, at £5 a time. So if you’re planning to make further contributions, buy a few funds/shares or change them this can add up.
On top of the Vanguard or iWeb fees, if you are buying a fund there would also be annual charges, however these aren’t paid directly but as part of holding the funds.
Vanguard operate quite differently and you can only buy Vanguard funds, there’s no initial charge this time but an annual fee of 0.15% of the value of your investments. For example, if the value of your ISA is £20,000, it would cost £30 in the platform fees. If you’re adding another £40,000 from your cash ISA, it would be £90. It does mean you can chop and change the funds (although Vanguard only) and add in money, without having to worry about a £5 dealing fee.
The cash ISA might not be getting much in terms of interest but make sure you keep some back in case you need some cash for emergencies. If you’ve got a big spend planned in the short term, then investing the money you need for this isn’t a good idea.
So what does this mean for your question, well it depends on what and how you are planning to invest into. If it’s a few funds and regular tops ups then Vanguard might work out cheaper but if you are planning to just buy one or two and hold them or want more options for investing, then iWeb might be the one.
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