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Holly's blog: Tapas, Interactive Investor and Showbiz Funds

26/10/2018

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Interactive Investor, the UK’s second largest platform has bought Alliance Trust Savings, for the tidy sum of £40 million. Is this good news for customers?

Tapas this week amigos as there has been a lot going on. 

First up on the platter, Interactive Investor, the UK’s second largest platform has bought Alliance Trust Savings, for the tidy sum of £40 million. Is this good news for customers?

Secondly, the King of Fund Management Showbiz, Terry Smith, has launched his new Smithson Investment Trust today which raised a record-breaking £823 million (against a target of £250 million). What’s all the excitement about?

And thirdly, politicians, personal finance hacks and almost no-one else are in frenzied excitement about Monday’s Budget. Will pensions get attacked?

Finally, if you’re finding your feet in the world of investments and losing the will to live, I recorded a podcast with The Telegraph this week (“It’s Your Money” on iTunes) aimed at helping newcomers to investing. We chat about where to go to buy your ISAs and set up investment accounts, robo advisers and who’s any good! I also unveil my most awful investment mistakes, thinking back to the tech crash of 2000. #facepalm #sausagesoftware

 

Interactive Investor

The combined assets of Britain’s second largest investment shop, Interactive Investor, and Alliance Trust Savings will be about £35 billion. By comparison, market leader Hargreaves Lansdown has £94 billion. Fidelity sits in third place with about £18bn.

Interactive Investor’s biggest claim to fame is that they charge a fixed fee. So for example you pay £22.50 a quarter for an ISA. And £120 a year for a pension pre-retirement. Most investment providers charge on a % basis which is typically better if you have, say, £30,000. But worse if you have about £70,000 or more. Of course for some, this is about value and service not just price – you can check out what we think about all major platforms on our Best Buys tables.

I think Alliance Trust savings customers will be better off. They will typically pay less, and they’ll join a business in rampant growth mode (!) which is investing in sorting out tech and people and taking the fight to Hargreaves. My more detailed assessment was published in Citywire on Wednesday and you can read it here.  

 

Smithson Investment Trust

Despite my regular "boring" sensible blurb about good investing being all about diversification and slow and steady etc. we all love the frisson of spotting the ‘next big thing’. Terry Smith runs the Fundsmith fund. He’s a bit like Wagner on the X-Factor – the public adore him but the judges have reservations. His fund appeared in the top three of Most Bought lists on 6 major investment shops for September. But he does not appear on any of their Favourite Funds lists. Price is one factor at play here – charges are 0.95% which is certainly at the top end. Analysts will argue people can get similar stuff for cheaper elsewhere. The punters ignore them and keep buying – returns have certainly been good. You can have a look at the Most Bought funds on 6 major platforms here.

Today, Smith launched his Smithson Investment Trust which buys small and mid-sized companies globally worth £500 million to £15 billion. It’s timely. Anyone can see that the US has almost single-handedly been powering growth this year. And that the massive tech stocks are starting to splutter. So this is probably a good way to diversify. On the flip side there is no track record. And it’s not actually Smith running the money – but a couple of former Goldman Sachs chaps who have joined the cast. I don’t feel a mad rush to buy – but it will be interesting to see if Smith can transfer the Midas touch.

 

The Budget and pensions

On Monday, Philip Hammond will deliver the Budget. There are some rumblings that he might cut the annual allowance for pensions (currently you can put in up to £40,000 a year and get the freebie top-ups from the Government). If you are thinking about a chunky pension contribution this year, it may be worth accelerating your plans. Hargreaves Lansdown have a good pre-Budget analysis here, delivered by their pensions expert Tom McPhail who, despite channelling a fashionably un-pensionsy dishevelled look, knows more about retirement income planning than most.

What's next?

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Holly's Blog: Strepsils, energy caps and Interactive Investor on the move

So. In the news this week. An opinionated headline-hungry blonde at the Tory Conference we all wish would disappear in a puff of their own hot air. I refer of course to Katie Hopkins. And Theresa May wins the national “I’ve had the worst week at work” award. Amidst the Strepsils and the pantomime, there were 2 important personal finance announcements. Energy caps and changes to tuition fees.

Strepsils, energy caps and Interactive Investor on the move

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The Bank of England has voted to increase interest rates by 0.25%. So what does this mean for me?

Think of interest rates like caffeine. If the economy is sluggish then lower rates can give it a double shot. If the economy is starting to look a bit hyper (and don’t forget the rise in the cost of living is currently a slightly uncomfortable 3%) then an increase in interest rates is like putting it on chamomile tea and calming things down.

The Bank of England has voted to increase interest rates by 0.25%. So what does this mean for me?

Learn the Tribal Way

What are other people doing? Learn from their experiences.

If you know your shares from your SIPPs but could still use a few tips, you might be an Intrepid Investor. Take a look at our specialised Learning Path for an ISA MOT and some fund ideas.

Intrepid Investors

Related Questions

Got a Question?

  • Trying to get a bit more pro-active with my pension. If my money had been in an online managed fund like Nutmeg for example, is it reasonable to assume that as the markets fell last year the funds would have been managed in real(ish) time to limit the damage? If so, is it therefore a no-brainer to transfer my pension to an online managed pension or is it not quite as simple as that?

    David | London | 08/02/2019 | 2

    • Private Pension
    • Robo Adviser
    • Pension
    Lesley James's Response

  • I recently came across your blog and it has been a great introduction to learning about my personal finances. I was wondering if you could recommend any additional resources (websites, books, online help) for beginners and that are tailored to the UK market. I am in my early 20's and I'm looking to further my knowledge of money, and foster a greater relationship with it. In addition to that, I'd like to know your opinions on how the possible outcomes of Brexit will affect the market and potential personal finance investments.

    Rita | London | 23/01/2019 | 0

    • Stocks and Shares ISA
    • Robo Adviser
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    Phoebe Smith's Response

  • With a SIPP in drawdown would a company like Netwealth whose investment management fees are of the order of .66% of the value of the portfolio, be a better option compared to companies like Hargreaves Lansdown or Investec? What are the relative benefits of Netwealth over the more traditional wealth managers?

    Steve | Lancashire | 22/01/2019 | 6

    • Private Pension
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    Helena Wardle's Response

  • Is there a Robo Investor who provides both income and growth for those who are retired? (There must be a large market for this?) It seems to me that at the moment all the Robos focus on long term growth and reinvesting dividends - which is fine if you are younger.

    David | 18/01/2019 | 1

    • Robo Adviser
    Dr Richard Bradley's Response

  • Hello, I really enjoy your website and find it useful and concise. My question is, what is meant by long term savings? I am 54, so what should I consider to be an appropriate time frame for any investment I make, that could supply the best results?

    Jennifer | Essex | 16/01/2019 | 7

    • Online Investment Platforms
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    Anna Sofat's Response

  • I’m new to investing and in my late 30's. I'm actually stuck in a dilemma whether to invest using DIY platforms like Interactive Investor, A J Bell or Hargreaves Lansdown OR invest using robo advisors like Nutmeg, Moneyfarm or Pensionbee. I have compared the fees and they are not significantly different. Do robo advisers have a better return rate? I can dedicate some time to DIY investing but not a significant amount of time. Please advise. Thank you.

    Victor | Kent | 14/01/2019 | 1

    • Robo Adviser
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    Phoebe Smith's Response

  • I’m a 20 something year old woman who’d like to learn more about investing. Do you have any books or reading material that gives a complete beginner a better understanding of how investing works?

    Precious | Surrey | 03/01/2019 | 0

    • Stocks and Shares ISA
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    Phoebe Smith's Response

  • From my retirement I received a lump sum of money and a monthly pension. I have £100,000 that I do not need for the foreseeable future... One of my main concerns with Financial Advisers are their costs... All I want is simply to see this money grow to its potential, sensibly and above inflation... Therefore my next thoughts are Stocks and Shares ISAs... My only concerns here are the current Brexit problems - I saw the FTSE drop this past week. I cannot find any information out there to assist with my decision making if this is certainly a good time to invest... I am aware that I can place £20,000 for this year. Come April 2019 I place another £20,000 and so on until the £100,000 has been utilised. Do I have to place it into the same fund or can I choose another different fund with a different company?... Please can you help to ease some of this burden, which has proved an awful part of my retirement and made me frightened to spend any money.

    Katherine | Derbyshire | 02/01/2019 | 0

    • Private Pension
    • Stocks and Shares ISA
    • Cash
    • Robo Adviser
    • Online Investment Platforms
    • Workplace Pension
    Helena Wardle's Response

  • I'm the sole carer for my chronically ill and elderly mum, as well as a full-time police officer. I have no other family apart from her. Due to mum's condition, and the fact that I'm exhausted performing both roles, the only option is to go part-time, as mum won't accept help from anyone else. To allow me to go part-time, I will need about £25,000 until March 2020 when I will be retiring. I’m confident of getting another job shortly thereafter. In January 2021, I will receive a commutation lump sum of about £50,000. I have a sizeable fund portfolio under an ISA wrapper with Hargreaves Lansdown. That is doing very well, so I don't really want to sell any of these funds and 'lend myself money' from that. My ideal funding solution would be a bond-type IOU agreement, where 'someone' lends me the money. Are you aware of a peer-to-peer site that could assist? Thanks

    Dave | Hertfordshire | 27/11/2018 | 1

    • Stocks and Shares ISA
    • Online Investment Platforms
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    Holly Mackay's Response

  • I’ve been investing in Nutmeg’s Risk 10 profile for three years which helped my deposit for my house. I am now wondering whether to use Nutmeg again, or should I use LifeStrategy for my £1000 per month? Is there a difference between Vanguard's LifeStrategy option and let’s say a well known robo adviser like Nutmeg? I am still a beginner and would like to keep things simple, but happy to take risk and prepared to leave my investments for a long time.

    Jordan | Surrey | 26/11/2018 | 6

    • Robo Adviser
    • Online Investment Platforms
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    Phoebe Smith's Response

  • Do you have any recommendations for books that I can buy my 18 year old daughter for Xmas on the subject of pensions and investments so she can start to understand the subjects? She's young I know but I would like to get her started. Many thanks!

    Nicki | Devon | 15/11/2018 | 2

    • Robo Adviser
    • Online Investment Platforms
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    Catherine Morgan's Response

  • I was lucky enough to inherit a significant sum from my father... currently in Alliance trust platform in 10 investment trusts. They have delivered well in the last 20 years. But they are UK equity based. And highly risky. Do you offer a sanity check service for confused individuals like myself? I don’t know what to do...

    Paul | Berkshire | 12/11/2018 | 2

    • Private Pension
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    Holly Mackay's Response

  • I am 35 and working part time on a reasonable salary. I've recently taken out a Stocks & Shares ISA with Wealthify (from reading the recommendations on Boring Money) where I pay in £40 per month. However, I'm wondering if I should be doing more? Should I be diversifying and using more than just Wealthify? Or is it better to increase the amount into Wealthify?

    Holly | Sussex | 17/10/2018 | 1

    • Stocks and Shares ISA
    • Online Investment Platforms
    Lesley James's Response

  • I am 25 and starting to seriously financially plan out my future. I would really welcome a 'sense check' on my thinking as well as some help on which investment choices to make. My goals are: To invest for 15 years - my risk appetite is very high (i.e. I could afford to lose all my money). Goal 1 - More Important: To have an investment pot of £1,500,000. Goal 2 - Less Important: To be mortgage free. My plan is: 1) Open an annual Stocks and Shares ISA each of the next 15 years. 2) Open Share trading/dealing account. 3) Reduce my mortgage term to 6 years by 2025. I appreciate the above is a lot to go though, but I'd welcome any help and guidance.

    Mo | London | 15/10/2018 | 3

    • Stocks and Shares ISA
    • Shares
    • Online Investment Platforms
    • Funds
    • Other
    Holly Mackay's Response

  • I shall have £10k to invest shortly, and I want to use an actively managed portfolio in a quality company. How would you rate - Investec Click & Invest/True Potential Investor/Nutmeg on the basis of ROI/customer relationship/quality/risk factors etc? I would class myself as a mid-grade risk-taker/reasonably adventurous if appropriate, with a high quality company. I presently use Hargreaves Lansdown and Wealthify but feel the need to diversify. What do you recommend?

    Richard | Shropshire | 03/10/2018 | 1

    • Online Investment Platforms
    Holly Mackay's Response

  • The recent Metro article which Holly participated in has really inspired me and made me think that investing in shares is something which I would like to do. Unfortunately I am completely thrown about where to start. I would be grateful for any advice you could pass my way. Realistically, I would only have about 2k to invest, so any tips would be gratefully received.

    Sarah-Jane | London | 12/09/2018 | 3

    • Stocks and Shares ISA
    • Cash
    • Online Investment Platforms
    Holly Mackay's Response

  • Is there a reason you don’t list Saga in your Best Buys? Additionally, I have purchased a few investment trust shares but can’t work out how the dividends are paid. Scottish Mortgage is an example. I wasn't given an option to choose how to receive the dividends. It would be useful if you could provide some clarity on how investment trusts pay their dividends.

    Carl | Buckinghamshire | 07/09/2018 | 1

    • Shares
    • Online Investment Platforms
    Holly Mackay's Response

  • Can you advise me on the best approach when looking to invest in a product that offers compound interest? I’m thinking about funds rather than bank accounts. I also have 4 different pensions on the go. Should I keep them separate to diversify the risk? Or consolidate them? How will these pensions be treated when I retire? Will they be considered in aggregate by the tax man?

    Craig | Clackmannanshire | 16/08/2018 | 1

    • Private Pension
    • Online Investment Platforms
    • Funds
    Helena Wardle's Response

  • I have about two thirds of my ISA in funds with Charles Stanley Direct and about one third left with St James's Place. I was planning to transfer the remaining one third to Charles Stanley Direct. However the recent platform price increases seem to put me in the worst position possible. I also have a private St James's Place pension. Would I be correct in thinking the fees are also high on this, and I could do better elsewhere? Can I transfer into an SIPP for example?

    Gerry | Bedfordshire | 15/08/2018 | 4

    • Private Pension
    • Online Investment Platforms
    • Funds
    Holly Mackay's Response

  • I'm 24 and would like to begin investing. Am I better off using a robo advisor such as Wealthify/Wealthsimple or a fund such as Vanguard LifeStrategy?

    Amanda | Greater London | 06/08/2018 | 6

    • Shares
    • Robo Adviser
    • Online Investment Platforms
    Holly Mackay's Response

  • I am 73 and cautious. There are two areas that your advice would be helpful..what if you just spend thousands on buying the gold standard footsie companies like shell and the rest and keep them for five years and then cash them in ?

    DB | UK | 24/07/2018 | 6

    • Robo Adviser
    • Online Investment Platforms
    • Funds
    • Pension
    Holly's Response

  • Nutmeg require a minimum investment of £5,000. As I have less than £5,000 per annum income I am a bit confused about how much I can put into a pension. I know the government will only gross up a maximum of £2,880 per year but can I put more than this in and forgo the gross up?

    Barbara | HRT | 10/07/2018 | 1

    • Robo Adviser
    Richard Allum, MD, The Paraplanners's Response

  • We have a portfolio of ISAs/ PEPs worth around £250k, currently invested via Cofunds, managed by Chelsea and Bestinvest. I'm told this is quite an expensive option regarding platform charges. Are there better options?

    John | BRK | 08/05/2018 | 6

    • Robo Adviser
    • Online Investment Platforms
    Helena Wardle, Certified Financial Planner's Response

  • I am in the very lucky position of just having received a gift of £800k which I want to invest for our retirement. My husband and I are in our late 40s and aim to retire in around five years. We have 11 more years of school fees to fund, then hopefully university fees for two after that. I've put together a plan for us - can you have a look and see if it makes sense?

    Fiona | UK | 18/01/2018 | 6

    • Private Pension
    • Stocks and Shares ISA
    • Junior ISA
    • Shares
    • Cash
    • Online Investment Platforms
    Holly Mackay's Response

  • I am already receiving a pension from a final salary scheme and I am retired. I have a sum of money I want to invest. Can I start another pension as a saver and, if so, how much can I put in every year?

    Collette | Greater London | 25/11/2017 | 0

    • Private Pension
    • Online Investment Platforms
    Danny Cox's Response

  • I am confused about index funds, e.g. Vanguard Equity fund. Do they track an index or include the yield? In the case of Vanguard, their low cost is attractive but their portfolio is made up of other Vanguard funds. I assume these probably each carry a fee structure - is this correct?

    Robin | Gloucestershire | 03/09/2018 | 0

    • Online Investment Platforms
    • Funds
    Mark Dampier's Response

  • I've got £20,000 from an endowment policy (astonishing, I know), and I'm looking into how best to invest to get a reasonable return without excessive risk. Any thoughts much appreciated!!

    Penny | Peterborough | 09/08/2018 | 1

    • Stocks and Shares ISA
    • Cash
    • Online Investment Platforms
    • Life Insurance
    Danny Cox's Response

  • I am looking for a fund for myself (54 yrs old) but also my son (19 yrs old). Is this fund suitable for either of us with an investment strategy of 10 years +.

    | 29/05/2018 | 3

    • Robo Adviser
    • Funds
    Holly Mackay's Response

  • I use H&L and although they are a bit 'plumy' on the phone I quite like their website and the costs are OK. So I was thinking of H&L for [my son]. I would be telling him to open these two funds and regularly invest and forget about them for 10 years!

    R | Greater London | 29/05/2018 | 1

    • Lifetime ISA
    • Robo Adviser
    • Online Investment Platforms
    • Funds
    Holly Mackay's Response

  • I have a bit of excess money to play around with and I have been looking at Investment funds. What is the typical % growth rate of an investment fund?

    David | Greater London | 07/09/2017 | 7

    • Online Investment Platforms
    • Funds
    Cherry Reynard's Response