Is Charles Stanley Direct good for investing?
Investment expert’s opinion
Service remains strong and customers rate the call centre well. The problems lie with the site which is difficult to navigate and to find a path through - it's not as slick as some competitors. The app is also a bit basic compared to others’. Fund research is deeply hidden – when you actually get there, it is all quite good. But the website can sometimes feel like a frustrating maze to get through. The firm has recently produced some good content to help beginner investors which is worth a look, and added international share dealing. Customer service remains strong.
*This is the view of investment expert Holly Mackay based on her first-hand customer experience as a test account holder. This does not constitute regulated advice. You can read more about Holly's investments here.
Who is Charles Stanley
Charles Stanley Direct is an open investment platform that provides access to a range of investment options including shares, funds, ETFs, and investment trusts. It's a mid-sized investment platform administering around £3 billion in assets. The company has a long history in the financial services industry and recently updated its pricing structure in August 2024 to make its offering more competitive.
Who is Charles Stanley good for?
Pros and cons
Investments
Charles Stanley Direct offers a wide range of investment options:
Accounts
Charles Stanlye offers a range of accounts. The table below shows a breakdown of which ones are available.
Stocks & Shares ISA | Private Pension (SIPP) | General Investment Account (GIA) | Lifetime ISA | Junior ISA |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
Offers available on Charles Stanley Direct*
Get up to £1,500 cashback when you transfer your cash and/or investments to Charles Stanley Direct.
Capital at risk.*T&C apply.
Fees and charges
Admin fee: 0.30% per year (reduced from previous 0.35%) Minimum fee: £5 per month (makes it expensive for portfolios under £10,000) Trading charges:
£4 per fund trade
£10 per share trade
£50 trading credit provided every 6 months (effectively covering the first 5 share trades or 12 fund trades)
Multi-asset portfolios: No platform charges or trading fees on Charles Stanley's own multi-asset portfolios. Total cost approximately 0.85% (fund charges only).
Minimum amounts:
£500 minimum initial investment into a fund
£50 minimum monthly payment for regular investments
See how much it would cost you
Use the handy calculator below to calculate the cost of an account. Just select which type of account you want to use, type in the amount you want to invest and - hey presto! - our calculator will give you an estimate of how much it costs. Please note estimated fees are calculated excluding promotional offers.
Step 1. Select account type.
Step 2. Enter the amount you are looking to invest.
Estimated fees:
£60.00
+ Investment fees
Cost shown is the administration fee only. There may be additional third-party investment or fund fees, which depend entirely on what you pick. Expect these to add about 0.25% to 1% a year to the total cost.
The boring disclaimer bit
This is a free resource for our readers. We’ve tried really hard to ensure that these calculations are correct and can promise you there’s no monkey business or favouritism going on. But please don’t rely on these calculations without double checking yourself. If you do think you have seen an error please contact community@boringmoney.co.uk and help us to make this better. More information on the assumptions we've used to calculate these investment fees can be found here.
Customer reviews
Charles Stanley Direct is well-regarded by customers, with 83% saying they would recommend the service. Out of 276 reviews, 43% gave a 5-star rating and 40% gave a 4-star rating, showing strong overall satisfaction. Customers particularly praise the quality of customer service and call center support. Common criticisms include the website navigation, which some users find confusing, and the basic nature of the app compared to competitors. Some customers also mention that they would like lower fees, though many find the current pricing reasonable for the service provided.
Your opinion matters!
Leave a review for Charles Stanley
29 November 2024
It would be good if the fees were a bit lower
25 November 2024
The website can be majorly improved. It's good other than that
25 November 2024
Good communication but not always on relevant topics to me fees are reasonable information on website enables me to make informed decisions
Most asked questions
Is Charles Stanley safe?
Cash savings with Charles Stanley are covered by the UK government’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which guarantees reimbursement up to the value of £85,000 per person in the event that Interactive Investor fails. Any amount above this threshold is unlikely to be covered. Investments with Interactive Investor, on the other hand, are not guaranteed - by their nature, investments can and will go up and down in value.
Glossary
Not 100% sure you understand something we’ve written in this review?
Discover jargon-free definitions of the most common words and technical terms used in the world of investing.
Risk warning
As is always the case with investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your portfolio can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invest. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change in the future.
All information in this review correct as at 01/01/2025.
