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Is Santander good for investing?
Investment expert's opinion
*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 Santander?
Santander isn't just your friendly high street bank – they're also a major player in the investment world. With more than 250,000 customers trusting them with around £6.8 billion, they've built an investment platform beyond basic banking.
Their Investment Hub makes investing accessible – starting from just £20 monthly or £100 lump sum. Beginners can pick one of their 4 ready-made options, whilst more confident investors can select from approximately 850 funds.
Who is Santander good for?
Financially – Santander is pretty cheap for smaller accounts, particularly below the £10k mark.
Confidence – Santander offer a good range of options for fund investors, including ready-made solutions which may appeal to beginners. There is no access to direct shares, which may be a pain point for savvier investors.
Investing style– Fund holders, who don’t want to purchase shares directly.
Pros and cons
Accounts
Fees and charges
Investment Hub Platform Fees
Custody charge: 0.35% on the first £50k, 0.20% between £50k and £500k, 0.10% on amounts above £500k
Dealing charges: Free for fund dealing
Cash interest: 2.20% AER on cash holdings
Fund Charges
Vary depending on the nature of the fund selected
Santander’s own-brand ready-made options have fund fees between 0.34% – 0.49% per year
Minimum Amounts
Lump sum: £100 minimum investment
Regular investing: £20 per month minimum
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:
£3.50
+ 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 of Santander
We collect reviews and share feedback from real users to give you the best information about providers.
Most asked questions
Is Santander safe?
Santander is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). If a fund fails due to fraud or mismanagement, you may be eligible for compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The FSCS protection is capped at £85,000 per person, per fund manager (not per individual fund). However, if your investments lose value due to normal market conditions or your investment choices, this is part of the normal risk of investing and is not covered by FSCS compensation.
Glossary
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 01/08/2025.