AJ Bell does well on many fronts. It offers a diverse range of investment options and products but may not be suitable for those interested in complex investment offerings like derivatives or cryptocurrency trading.
Users who prioritise advanced features and tools may also find AJ Bell's offerings limited. Nonetheless, it remains a reliable and accessible option for investors looking for a broad array of investment opportunities
Who is it best for?
AJ Bell is best suited for new investors with small to medium portfolios who seek a hassle-free and cost-effective platform for passive investing.
| Name | Score | Visit | Support | Mobile | Security | Commission | Disclaimer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 7.9 | Visitajbell.co.uk | Phone, Live Chat, Email | Android, iOS | 2FA, Biometrics |
Investment Products – 8/10
The variety of investment products offered by AJ Bell is one of the best you can expect to find on the market. The platform provides investors access to a vast array of shares, funds, trusts, bonds, and gilts from 24 different markets, which is more than enough to create diversity.
While it can’t be compared to trading platforms like Interactive Brokers that broker options and futures, AJ Bell is more comparable with the likes of Hargreaves Lansdown and Interactive Investor. What it lacks in terms of derivative products, it more than makes up for by providing access to tax-efficient investing accounts, like SIPPs and ISAs.
- Diverse selection of investment options
- Access to international markets
- User-friendly platform
- Limited complex investment offerings
- Lack of advanced features and tools
- No cryptocurrency trading
Assets Available
Investors with AJ Bell have access to a wide range of assets to invest in, including:
Shares from hundreds of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange and AIM, as well as 24 international markets,
More than 2,000 active and passive (tracker) funds, as well as AJ Bell funds,
Nearly 450 investment trusts from all kinds of different sectors,
Over 1,500 active and tracker exchange-traded funds, suitable for different goals (growth, income, responsible),
Bonds and gilts,
Complex investment options like warrants, covered warrants, and exchange-traded commodities.
Overall, the platform provides a great variety of investment options for beginner and experienced investors alike.
Those who prefer a hands-on approach can choose from the huge number of stocks and shares, while the less experienced can go with AJ Bell’s favourite funds, or even choose a ready-made portfolio based on their risk appetites and financial goals.
Derivative Products
AJ Bell doesn’t provide investors access to derivative products like CFDs, options, futures, or spread betting.
The platform, however, provides access to some other complex financial instruments like
Warrants,
ETNs,
ETCs,
Convertibles,
Structured products,
Short, leveraged, or synthetic ETPs.
These are available to investors who can pass an online quiz with questions that will test their knowledge, experience, and understanding of investing. According to AJ Bell, these investment products come with a higher-than-average degree of risk, which is why the online test is in place.
Market Reach
In addition to dealing with most UK markets, AJ Bell uses CDIs to offer online dealing with 24 other markets outside the UK, including the USA, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and other developed economies, mainly based in Europe.
The platform also provides investors access to some emerging markets, such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Africa, but unfortunately, it doesn’t include some key markets like China, India, Russia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, or Pakistan.
Account Types
The range of account types users can open with AJ Bell includes a dealing account, stocks and shares ISA, Junior ISA, lifetime ISA, and a SIPP.
Dealing Account
The ‘dealing account’ is AJ Bell’s take on general investment accounts. It’s a standard, straightforward way to invest, with no limits and no tax benefits, and the funds in it can be accessed at any time.
AJ Bell charges the following fees for account maintenance:
Annual share custody charge – 0.25% of the value of shares held in the account (capped at £3.50 per month)
Annual funds custody charge – 0.25% of the value of the first £250,000; 0.10% of the value between £250,000 and £500,000 of funds held in the account; and no charge on the value of funds over £500,000
Per deal charges for buying and selling investments – £1.50 for funds, £9.95 for shares (or £4.95, if 10 or more shares deal were done the previous month)
Additionally, profits over £6,000 earned in AJ Bell’s dealing account, or any other GIA for that matter, are subject to capital gains tax, among other standard tax implications.
Finally, the minimum investment requirement for holding a dealing account with AJ Bell is £25 per month or a lump sum of £500.
Stocks and Shares ISA
AJ Bell’s stocks and shares ISA is a tax-efficient investment account, that allows investors to contribute up to £20,000 per year (2023/24 ISA allowance) without having their profits subject to income or capital gains tax.
Otherwise, AJ Bell’s stocks and shares ISA has the same maintenance costs and minimum investment requirements as its dealing account and allows accessing the funds in the account at any time.
Junior ISA
Just like the stocks and shares ISA, AJ Bell’s junior ISA provides a tax-efficient way to invest specifically designed for children.
The most notable difference between the two is that the junior ISA requires the investor to be under 18 years old, and its limit for tax-free contributions is considerably lower at £9,000 per year (2023/24 JISA allowance).
In regards to the costs, the annual share custody charge associated with AJ Bell’s JISA is capped at £2.50 per month. The annual fund custody charge is not tiered, and it’s fixed at 0.25% regardless of the value of the funds held in the account. The buying and selling investment fees are the same as the previous two account types.
Lifetime ISA
The third and final type of ISA offered by AJ Bell is its lifetime ISA. With it, investors can contribute up to £4,000 per year (2023/24 LISA allowance) tax-free, and have the government top up their contributions with a 25% bonus.
The investor can withdraw the funds from their AJ Bell LISA to finance the buying of their first home, or after they reach the age of 60. If they make an early withdrawal, or use the money for something else other than buying their first home, they will have to pay a 25% government withdrawal charge, effectively losing their bonus.
The costs of holding a LISA with AJ Bell are exactly the same as having a dealing account or a stocks and shares ISA, and so are the minimum investment requirements.
AJ Bell’s LISA also comes with age restrictions. To open one, the investor must be between the ages of 18 and 39, even though they can keep contributing to it until they reach 50.
SIPP
AJ Bell’s self-invested personal pension is another tax-efficient account, though this one is curated for retirement savings.
It allows investors to contribute towards a pension pot, decide where the money will be invested, and grow it free from income and capital gains tax. Moreover, every contribution made to their SIPP will be topped up with a 20% bonus from the government.
It’s worth noting that these tax benefits apply to investments up to £60,000 per year (2023/24 SIPP allowance), unless the investor is a high earner, in which case, they get a tapered allowance.
The costs associated with AJ Bell’s SIPP are the same as for AJ Bell’s dealing account, stocks and shares ISA, and lifetime ISA. The only difference is that the annual shares custody charge is capped at £10.
The minimum investment requirements with AJ Bell SIPP are £1,000 for a lump sum and £25 for monthly contributions. According to the current legislation, investors can withdraw their funds from a SIPP after they reach the age of 57.
Junior SIPP
In addition to the regular SIPP account, AJ Bell also offers a junior SIPP account, curated for children. It works essentially the same as the standard SIPP, only the account owner must be under the age of 18, and they get the same tax advantages up to a much lower limit of £3,600 per year (2023/24 junior SIPP allowance).
The costs related to maintaining an AJ Bell junior SIPP are the same as the ones for the standard SIPP account.
Features – 8/10
The resources and tools provided by AJ Bell are great, though they can’t be compared to what some investment platforms, like eToro, provide. For example, AJ Bell offers plenty of market research and educational materials, but doesn’t have the advanced charting or asset screening tools you may find with platforms that specialise in trading, rather than investing and saving.
Furthermore, AJ Bell can’t be used for algorithmic, social, or copy trading, and if you are looking for a platform to do it, you should look elsewhere. It does, however, provide managed portfolio service and a few industry-standard tools that should be more than enough for casual investors.
On the other hand, busy investors who are looking to trade on a daily basis may find AJ Bell’s offerings underwhelming.
- Great resources and educational materials
- User-friendly trading tools
- Offers managed portfolio service
- Lacks advanced trading features
- Not suitable for daily traders
- Market research primarily geared towards beginners
Trading Tools
Here are some of the tools you can expect to work with at AJ Bell.
Quickrank – Allows investors to rank and compare stocks based on specific criteria, used to identify potential opportunities quickly.
Financial Market Diary – Provides a daily record of market activities, allowing investors to track trends and stay informed about market movements.
Dividend Dashboard – Designed for income-focused investors, it displays dividend-related information for a portfolio, helping them assess income streams.
Portfolio Manager – A comprehensive tool to manage and track investments in one place, helping make informed decisions.
X-Ray Vision – An analytical tool offering insights into a portfolio's underlying holdings, used for diversification and risk assessment.
While certainly helpful, these tools and charts are undoubtedly geared toward beginner investors and focus on user-friendliness.
As for the charts, they are somewhere between basic and advanced. Investors can use up to 10 technical analysis indicators and add dividends and news events, but can’t set stock alerts, create individual charts or save templates.
Market Research
Just like most investment platforms, AJ Bell gets its research data from Morningstar. The platform frequently publishes in-house expert-curated market research articles and press releases. It also displays winners and losers and provides a financial calendar with key events.
Once again, the content provided by AJ Bell in the form of market research is curated toward beginner investors. However, given that it’s almost exclusively compiled internally, it’s very well worth checking out, even for experienced traders and investors.
Educational Materials
The educational resources and materials available at AJ Bell come in multiple formats. There is a ton of written content like blog posts, but also videos, and podcasts that can be very valuable for investors who are still learning.
One material that stands out is AJ Bell’s very own financial magazine called Shares, which provides unbiased commentary and investment ideas. Released every week and available for free to every AJ Bell account holder every Thursday, the magazine is far from company marketing material and is very well written.
Fees – 8.3/10
When it comes to costs and fees, AJ Bell is hands down the best option for smaller portfolios because of its percentage-based fee structure. For bigger amounts, however, the platform can get a bit pricey even with the monthly fee maximums set in place.
Particularly when there are other options, like Interactive Investor, that have a fixed platform fee and charge the same amount regardless of the portfolio size.
- Percentage-based custody fees (suitable for small to medium portfolios)
- No account set up or exit fees
- No cash holding, withdrawal, or inactivity fees
- Percentage-based custody fees (pricey for larger portfolios)
- Investors who don’t trade regularly might find its trading fees a bit costly
- Currency conversion fees for the first £10,000 could be lower
Annual funds custody charge | 0.25% of the value of the first £250,000; 0.10% of the value between £250,000 and £500,000 of funds held in the account; no charge on the value of funds over £500,000 |
|---|---|
Annual shares custody charge | 0.25% of the value of shares held in the account (capped at £2.50, £3.50, or £10 per month, depending on the account type) |
Trading charges (per deal) | £1.50 for buying & selling funds; £9.95 for buying & selling shares (£4.95 if ten or more shares were traded last month) |
Buying & selling international shares by phone (per deal) | £29.95 |
Foreign exchange charges on international dealing | 0.75% on the first £10,000; 0.50% on the next £10,000; 0.25% on values over £20,000 |
Regular investment charge | £1.50 |
Dividend reinvestment charge | £1.50 |
AJ Bell is one of the cheapest investment platforms available on the market, and the cons we mentioned above are more or less nitpicking.
The platform has effectively removed all extra charges, and the only thing investors have to pay for holding an AJ Bell account are the funds and shares custody costs, as well as trading fees.
AJ Bell Fees
The costs for buying and selling securities with AJ Bell are the following:
Trading a fund costs £1.50 per deal;
Trading a share costs £9.95 per deal;
If 10 or more shares were traded the last month, the costs for trading a share the following month would be discounted to £4.95;
Trading and international share over the phone costs £29.95.
Compared to other investment platforms, AJ Bell’s trading fees are about average. Some platforms may offer lower trading fees, but charge higher platform fees so it evens out.
AJ Bell Non-Trading Fees
AJ Bell doesn’t charge any inactivity, withdrawal, or exit fees, or any charges not directly related to trading.
AJ Bell generates revenues through multiple income streams, including:
Custody fees
Trading fees
Currency exchange fees
Regular and dividend investment fees
Usability – 8/10
Often praised for its intuitive and user-friendly interface, AJ Bell's usability enables investors to navigate and manage their investments effortlessly. The platform's streamlined design and accessible features make it a convenient choice for both beginners and experienced users.
- Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- Beginner-friendly
- Robust login and security features
- Limited advanced features
- Outdated platform
Yes, AJ Bell is considered beginner-friendly by most users. The platform's intuitive interface and user-friendly features make it accessible and easy to use for individuals who may be new to investing.
AJ Bell Design and Navigation
Navigating through AJ Bell's investment platform has been commended for its user-friendly design, allowing users to effortlessly access various sections, view their investments, and efficiently manage their portfolios.
Login and Security Features
AJ Bell's login and security features have been carefully designed to ensure a safe and protected investment experience for their users. With robust authentication measures and encryption protocols, they prioritize safeguarding user information and providing peace of mind while accessing their accounts.
Other Features
Search Functionality
Efficient and very handy, AJ Bell's search function enables users to quickly find relevant investment options and information.
Alerts and Notifications
Users can activate AJ Bell's alerts and notifications system and stay informed and updated about their investments through timely alerts for important events and market changes.
Portfolio Management
AJ Bell offers robust portfolio management tools that empower users to easily track, analyze, and optimize their investments, making it a valuable platform for effective wealth management and investment strategies.
Earning Reports & Fees Breakdowns
Investors can also access comprehensive earning reports and transparent fee breakdowns from AJ Bell, and get valuable insights into their portfolio performance and a clear understanding of the costs associated with their investments.
Customer Satisfaction & Reputation – 7/10
With high customer satisfaction and a strong reputation, AJ Bell is regarded as a reliable and trusted investment platform, earning acclaim and loyalty among investors.
- High customer satisfaction and strong reputation among investors
- Strong safety and regulation measures, authorized and regulated by the FCA, and funds protected under FSCS
- Positive customer reviews, praising ease of use and customer service
- Limited number of reviews on the App Store, making it hard to gauge overall user experience
- Some negative reviews about biometrics security features on Google Play
- No specific data on customer service response times or effectiveness
Safety & Regulations
FCA Regulation | ✔️ |
|---|---|
FSCS Protection | ✔️ |
SSL Encryption | ✔️ |
Two-Factor Authentication | ✔️ |
AJ Bell is a leader in the financial industry, and as such, it takes all the necessary precautions to protect the information and finances of its customers. The company is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and funds are protected under Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
AJ Bell Background
Based in Manchester, AJ Bell is a public limited company listed on the London Stock Exchange. It’s one of the largest financial institutions in the UK, and according to its latest reports, it currently has £68.6 billion of assets under management. AJ Bell was founded by Andy Bell and Nicholas Littlefair in 1995. Its current CEO is Michael Summersgill.
As a financial company regulated by the FCA, AJ Bell adheres to strict rules and regulations to protect the interests of its investors. The fact that the company is listed on the LSE and is a member of the Investment Association demonstrates its dedication to maintaining high standards of conduct within the industry.
Furthermore, AJ Bell customers have their assets protected by the FSCS, which means that in an unlikely and unfortunate event of insolvency, they will be compensated up to £85,000 per person.
As for technological security measures used to protect customer information online, AJ Bell uses:
SSL encryption – An industry-standard security measure used by all big financial companies to guarantee security while transmitting data, and
Two-factor authentication (2FA) – An additional layer of security that requires identity verification through another device, in addition to username and password, when accessing an account.
Customer Reviews
Score | |
|---|---|
TrustPilot | 4.7/5 – 4,000 reviews |
App Store | 3.8/5 – 10 reviews |
Two-Factor Authentication | 4.6/10 – 1,000 reviews |
The reputation AJ Bell enjoys among its customers is almost universally positive. While there isn’t a huge number of reviews on it, those that did review it had something nice to say about it.
AJ Bell on Trustpilot
AJ Bell has an excellent reputation on Trustpilot – a 4.7-star rating from over 4,000 reviews.
Most customer reviews are positive and praise the platform on all cylinders, particularly its ease of use and intuitiveness. It’s very hard to find a negative review, and apart from the odd complaint of slow customer service, people are happy with the app.
AJ Bell on Google Play
On Google Play, AJ Bell also has an excellent 4.6-star rating, however, a smaller portion of just over 1,000 people have expressed their thoughts about it.
Similarly, Android users are happy with every aspect of the app and post positive reviews, praising its user experience and AJ Bell service overall.
Notably, there were a few negative reviews complaining of its biometrics security features, claiming that fingerprint verification doesn’t work.
AJ Bell on App Store
On the App Store, AJ Bell has a 3.8 stars rating, but from only 10 customer reviews. Drawing conclusions from such a small portion of users may not provide an accurate representation of the overall user experience, so we won’t consider it.
Customer Service
Live Chat | ✔️ |
|---|---|
Phone | 0345 54 32 600 (Monday to Friday: 8 am to 7 pm; Saturday: 10 am to 2 pm) |
Post | AJ Bell, 4 Exchange Quay, Salford Quays, Manchester, M5 3EE |
Additionally, AJ Bell’s website has an extensive FAQ page where users may find answers to their questions and save themselves a phone call.
AJ Bell Alternatives to Consider
There are many different investment platforms available in today’s market, and each one caters to different types of investors. If what you read about AJ Bell does not tickle your fancy, you can always try an alternative.
Hargreaves Lansdown has one of the largest pools of investment products available among investment platforms.
Interactive Investor has a fixed platform fee structure that may work better for investors with larger portfolios
Nutmeg robo advisor investment platform, which is something entirely different that might suit your preferences better.
In any case, different factors, such as fees, available investment options, ease of use, and customer service, vary among different companies. You can find the best option for your personal circumstance only by browsing and checking them out individually.
Should You Invest With AJ Bell?
Investing with AJ Bell can be a wise choice due to its wide range of investment options and an ideal fee structure for small to medium-sized portfolios. It offers diverse investment opportunities, making it suitable for various investor preferences, and keeps costs manageable.
There are no major deal-breakers or significant negatives to discourage anyone from opening an account with AJ Bell. However, it's essential to compare platforms and choose the one that best aligns with your investment goals and preferences. If you are content with your current investment provider, there is no pressing reason to switch to AJ Bell.
