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Always remember that investments can go down as well as up in value, so you could get back less than you put in. A rule of thumb is to hang on to your investments for at least five years to give them the best chance of providing the returns you want.
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We've created a list of the best auto-investing apps in the UK. These are primarily open banking automatic investment apps that help you invest spare change by regularly moving small amounts of money into a separate investment account or by rounding up your purchases and automatically investing the difference.
Please remember that when you invest, your capital is at risk. ISA, pension, and tax rules also apply.
The automatic investing apps listed below are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and are available to download on Android and iOS.
Here are the best automatic investing apps in the UK:
Moneybox is a UK investment app that allows you to invest in a range of tracker funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exchange-traded commodities (ETCs) and US stocks. Moneybox offers two forms of investing depending on your investing savviness, investing strategy and attitude to risk. Beginner investors or those who prefer a ready-made portfolio can choose from the three ready-made portfolios on offer - Cautious (lower risk), Balanced (medium risk) and Adventurous (higher risk). Advanced or more confident investors can pick from the range of tracker funds, ETFs, ETCs and US stocks available and build their portfolios themselves.
The Moneybox app also empowers you to invest your spare change by rounding up your card transactions to the nearest pound and investing the difference on your behalf. For example, if you spend £2.30 on a snack, Moneybox will invest 70p for you. You can also instruct the app to make weekly or one-off deposits into your investment portfolio as it rounds up your spare change.
You can start investing with Moneybox with as little as £1. Moneybox offers commission-free trading on US stocks. However, fund management fees apply to other types of investments ranging from 0.12% to 0.61% per annum. A currency conversion fee of 0.45% also applies to US stocks. Moneybox’s suite of products includes a Stocks and Shares ISA, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, Personal Pension, and General Investment Account.
Capital at risk.
InvestEngine is a low-cost ETF investment platform that provides a choice of managed portfolios tailored to you and commission-free DIY investing to help you build long-term wealth. Users can invest in over 500 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) from leading global asset managers.
With InvestEngine, you can invest in two ways depending on your tolerance for risk and savviness as an investor: beginner investors or those who prefer a ready-made investment portfolio can select from one of the Managed Portfolios on offer, where the team of experts at InvestEngine will take care of the day-to-day investment decisions for you. These portfolios are a selection of ETFs based on your preferences and risk tolerance. Once you’ve selected one, you do not have to do anything else besides monitor the performance of your investments. Advanced or more confident investors can choose from 500+ commission-free ETFs and build their portfolios themselves. InvestEngine also offers fractional investing, which allows you to buy bits and pieces of an ETF with as little as £1. This enhances your ability to build a diversified portfolio even if you have a small amount of money to invest. With the DIY Portfolio, there are no platform fees. All InvestEngine portfolios are free of setup fees, dealing fees, ISA fees or withdrawal fees.
InvestEngine stands out amongst its competitors as one of the cheapest investment apps in the UK because it charges no platform or management fees on its DIY Portfolio and just 0.25% a year on its Managed Portfolio. You can also start investing with as little as £100. InvestEngine’s suite of products includes a Stocks and Shares ISA, Personal Account and Business Account.
Capital at risk.
Moneyfarm is a UK robo advisor that provides you with a personalised investment plan based on your risk preferences and goals. With Moneyfarm, you can invest in one of seven risk-rated portfolios recommended to you based on the result of an online assessment. Each portfolio comprises a mix of cost-efficient exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other passive index trackers. Moneyfarm also offers ethical or ESG investment options for those who want to invest in line with their values.
Moneyfarm’s customers benefit from free and personalised digital financial advice from Moneyfarm’s investment consultants, and you can chat, phone, email, or meet your consultant in person. To get started, you will be asked to complete a short survey so that Moneyfarm can better understand how you approach your finances before matching you to your investment portfolio and consultant.
You can start investing with Moneyfarm with as little as £500. Moneyfarm charges an annual management fee depending on how you choose to invest, ranging from 0.75% to 0.35% on the total value of your portfolio. An annual fund management fee of 0.20% (average) also applies to all portfolios. This is built into the cost of the ETF or tracker fund on any given day, so you will not see fund charges being deducted from your portfolio directly. Moneyfarm’s suite of products includes a Stocks and Shares ISA, Junior ISA, General Investment Account, and Personal Pension.
Capital at risk.
Wealthify is a UK robo advisor that allows you to choose from five investment plans based on your attitude to risk. These investment plans are named Cautious, Tentative, Confident, Ambitious and Adventurous and allow you to choose a risk level that best suits your needs. If you are conscious about the environment or would simply like to invest in line with your values, Wealthify’s five portfolios are also available as ethical investment plans, so you can stay true to your values while potentially growing your money.
With Wealthify, the minimum investment is £1, and you can withdraw your money anytime. There is an annual platform fee of 0.60%, and fund management fees range from 0.16% to 0.70% per year, depending on your chosen investment theme. Once you complete the signup process, you can start investing with a lump sum of £1, which you can top up as frequently as you want.
Wealthify’s suite of products includes a General Investment Account, Stocks and Shares ISA, Junior ISA and SIPP in both Original and Ethical themes.
Capital at risk.
Plum is a UK money management and investment app that helps you manage your money and build an investment portfolio. With Plum, you can invest in up to 21 funds and over 3,000 UK and overseas stocks. Plum also offers ethical or ESG investment options for those who want to invest in line with their values.
The Plum app empowers you to invest your spare change by rounding up your card transactions to the nearest pound and investing the difference on your behalf. For example, if you spend £1.20 on a snack, Plum will invest 80p for you. The app also calculates how much you can afford to set aside and invests it automatically once a week.
You can start investing with Plum with as little as £1. Plum charges a monthly subscription fee ranging from £2.99 to £9.99 per month; you get the first month free. Stock trading on Plum is commission-free (other charges may apply). FX rates also apply to US stocks at the spot rate + 0.45%. The average annual fund management fee across all funds offered is 0.39%. Plum’s suite of products includes a Stocks and Shares ISA, General Investment Account and Personal Pension. The Plum Stocks and Shares ISA is not flexible.
Capital at risk.
&me is a UK investment app created by popular wealth management firm, M&G Wealth. With &me, you can invest in two kinds of ready-made portfolios based on your attitude to risk and personal values. They are Classic and Targeted Portfolios.
The Classic Portfolios are a low-cost passive way to invest, comprising equities, bonds and cash across different regions such as the US and the UK. The Targeted Portfolios are priced slightly higher and invest in a blend of active and passive funds. These Targeted Portfolios are Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)-compliant and are designed for people who want to know their investments are creating a positive impact on society and the planet while also working to generate competitive returns. Investment experts from M&G Wealth decide which investments to use in both portfolios and how much to invest in each asset class on your behalf based on a range of factors, including the potential to generate long-term returns for investors. &me will also provide you with an investment consultant to help answer your questions and help you feel more confident when investing.
You can start investing with &me with as little as £500. &me charges an annual management fee ranging from 0.75% to 0.35%, depending on the total value of your portfolio. An average annual fund management fee of 0.19% and 0.42% apply to the Classic and Targeted Portfolios, respectively. Other fees apply. &me’s suite of products includes a Stocks and Shares ISA, Junior ISA, Personal Pension, and General Investment Account.
Promo: Sign up to &me, invest at least £500 and pay no management fees for 3 months. Terms apply.
Capital at risk.
Chip recently launched its investment product which allows users to choose from three funds, namely Cautious, Adventurous and Balanced, depending on your risk appetite. The funds are passive and are managed by BlackRock - the world’s largest investment manager. Although the funds are ‘passive’, the Index Allocation team at BlackRock still monitors the funds on a daily basis. With Chip, you can enjoy automatic investments and savings via the Round Up feature and competitive interest rates on your savings. Chip offers a Stocks and Shares ISA, General Investment Account (GIA) and Automatic Savings Account.
Capital at risk.
Circa5000 is a UK robo advisor that gives you access to a variety of ethical investments. Their portfolios consist of ETFs of companies that intentionally generate social and environmental solutions - alongside a financial return. There are three portfolios to choose from - People, Planet and Planet & People. Each portfolio gives you the choice of three risk levels - Cautious, Adventurous and Balanced - depending on your risk preference. With Circa, you can enjoy automatic investments via the Round Up feature and access exclusive deals from many retailers, including Oddbox, Honest Mobile and Coral Eyewear. Circa5000 offers tax-free individual savings accounts (Stocks and Shares ISA & Junior ISA) and taxable general investment accounts (GIAs).
Capital at risk.
Automatic investing involves giving a finance app permission to regularly invest your spare change or small amounts of money into the stock market. Automatic investment apps use their technology to estimate how much you can afford to invest and automatically invest it for you.
While most of these apps use open banking technology to analyse your spending habits in order to estimate the right amount of money to invest on your behalf, others round up your purchases and automatically invest the change, and some simply allow you to set up direct debits to move a certain amount into your investment account on a regular basis.
Automatic investing apps could be right for you if you:
Here are some advantages of automatic investing apps:
Here are some disadvantages of automatic investing apps:
Here are the best auto-investing apps:
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