What is Selftrade (EQi)?
In March 2019, DIY platform Selftrade was renamed EQi, having been acquired by the Equiniti Group five years before. This review uses both names.
In March 2021, Interactive Investor agreed to acquire the direct-to-consumer retail customer book from EQi, for a total consideration of up to £48.5m, subject to post completion adjustments.
This means most customers should have their pots moved to Interactive Investor in the coming months unless otherwise specified; current customers should receive an email detailing the changes.
EQi is still accepting new customers, but if you decide to invest with them, your account should be moved to Interactive Investor in the summer.
- Find out more: read our guide to the best and worst investment platforms
Is Selftrade (EQi) good or bad?
To get an idea of how good or bad Selftrade (EQi) is, we asked its customers.
Which?'s rating for customer satisfaction is based on feedback from real customers. We ask investors to rate their current platform for the quality of its online tools, customer service and investment information. We also ask if the available investments meet their needs, is value for money and whether they'd recommend it to someone else.
However, to be named a Which? Recommended Provider (WRP), customer satisfaction alone won't suffice; we also consider platform fees.
| Aspect of service | Star rating |
|---|---|
| Online tools |
|
| Customer service |
|
| Investment information |
|
| Available investments meet my needs |
|
| value for money |
|
A dash indicates that there were not enough respondents to our survey to assign a score.
What do customers say about Selftrade (EQi)?
- 'I have had no problems, the platform works well for me.'
- 'Overly complicated website.'
- 'Easy to use [but] research tools could be better and easier.'
What does Selftrade (EQi) charge?
Ongoing charges
- 0.3% for pots up to £50,000 per year
- 0.25% for pots up to £250,000
- 0.15% (max £250 per quarter) for pots over £250,000
- If you hold a Sipp, you'll pay an annual admin fee of £118.80/£180 annual drawdown charge (per drawdown type).
Dealing charges
Dealing charges apply after 20 trades in any one calendar month; the number of trades per month is calculated across all accounts you hold with the platform.
- Shares, investment trusts, bonds and gilts: £10.99 for online trading, £27.50 via telephone, £5.99 frequent trader rate
- Exchange traded products cost £9.99
- Mutual fund purchases are free
- Mutual fund sales cost £10.99
We’ve estimated the cost of investing various sums with Selftrade (EQi) over the course of a year in the table below. The costs assume you only buy funds (shares work out slightly cheaper with some companies), and make four purchases and four sales each year.
| Amount invested | Annual cost |
|---|---|
| £5,000 | £70 |
| £10,000 | £74 |
| £25,000 | £119 |
| £50,000 | £194 |
| £100,000 | £319 |
| £250,000 | £694 |
| £500,000 | £1,069 |
| £1m | £1,189 |
Source: Analysis by Which? Money correct as of April 2020
Read our comparison of investment platform charges to see whether another platform could work out cheaper than Selftrade (EQi) for your portfolio.
If you're thinking of using Selftrade (EQi) to take an income from your pension in a drawdown plan, read our comparison of pension drawdown charges.
What products and services does Selftrade (EQi) offer?
✓ Advisory services
Advisory services allow you to access professional investment advice.
✓ Lifetime Isa
A lifetime Isa is a tax-free savings or investment account designed to help people aged 18-39 buy their first home or save for retirement.
✓ Sipps
A Sipp is a pension where you have complete control over the investments you put your savings into.
✓ Stocks and shares Isa
A stocks and shares Isa is a tax-free account that allows you to put your money in a range of investments.
✘ Annuity
An annuity is an insurance product which allows you to swap your pension savings for a guaranteed regular income that will last for the rest of your life.
✘ Banking services
Banking services allow you to operate bank accounts, make transfers and make payments.
✓ General investment account
A general investment account that can hold different types of investments but doesn’t give tax-free benefits like pensions and Isas.
✓ Income drawdown
Income drawdown allows you to take money out of your pension to live on in retirement.
Is your money safe with Selftrade (EQi)?
If Selftrade (EQi) went out of business, you would be compensated by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
The FSCS will cover up to £85,000 of investments per person, per platform. You can claim for free online: there’s no reason to use a claims management company.
You won’t be compensated for investments falling in value, or a company in which you hold shares goes bust, unless this poor performance resulted from bad advice given by a regulated Independent Financial Advisor that has since gone bust.
- Find out more: how the FSCS works
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