What investment options do we offer?
If you’re looking to grow your money over the long-term, then investing could be a good option for you. This is because over time, investments tend to grow more than savings, and can also help protect your money from inflation. While investing carries an element of risk, it also provides the opportunity for greater returns. Find out more about the different investment options we offer below.
Investment (Stocks and Shares) ISA
An Investment ISA (also known as a Stocks and Shares ISA) is the most popular account. It’s tax-efficient so you won’t pay UK income or Capital Gains Tax on any returns you make. You can invest up to £20,000 per tax year and withdraw your money at any time.
Investment Account
An Investment Account is ideal if you’ve already used your ISA allowance. It has no upper limit. You’ll earn interest on any cash held in this account and can withdraw your money at any time.
Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)
A SIPP helps you prepare for retirement. You can access your pot from 55 (going up to 57 from 2028) and you may be eligible for tax relief on the money you pay in.
Why invest with Smart Investor?
Easy to manage
It’s easy to open an account, place a trade and check your investments anytime within the Barclays app or Online Banking.(1)
Start from £50
You can make one-off payments, set-up a regular monthly Direct Debit, or transfer existing investments to fund your account.
Low fees
One low annual fee, flat rate share dealing and no charge for many of our services.
Great options
Save time by picking a Ready-made Investment which our experts manage for you, or build a bespoke portfolio from thousands of shares, funds, exchange traded funds (ETFs) and bonds.
Secure
As a FTSE 100 company with over 300 years’ experience we’re committed to protecting your investments. We're also the first bank to achieve the BSI Kitemark for secure digital banking. We are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
Investments can fall as well as rise so you might not get back what you invest. If you’re unsure which investments are right for you, please seek independent advice. Tax rules can change, and any benefits depend on your circumstances.
Start investing in 3 steps
Choose your account
Whether you’re looking to invest in a tax-free ISA, build a retirement pot or just want a general investment account, we have a solution for you.
Decide how much to invest
Choose how much you want to invest and how often. You can start investing from £50 by setting up a monthly Direct Debit or through a one-off lump sum investment which you can top up further at any time.
Choose where to invest
Whether you’re new to investing or more experienced we have options to suit you. For a straightforward way to invest simply choose a Ready-made Investment option and leave the rest to us. Or build your own portfolio from a range of shares, funds, ETFs, and bonds.
Our awards
We were voted Best for Customer Service 2025 and Consumer Rated Value for Money 2025 from Boring Money, and Best Stockbroker 2023 and Best SIPP Provider 2024 at The Online Money awards(2)
Choose your account
Investment (Stocks and Shares) ISA
Grow your money tax-free from as little as £50 and invest up to £20,000 per tax year. Our Investment (Stocks and Shares) ISA is simple-to-use and you can withdraw your cash at any time.
Investment Account
No upper limit on how much you can invest. This makes it a useful option if you’ve already used your ISA allowance. You can choose from a range of funds, shares, ETFs, bonds and more.
Self-Invested Personal Pension
A tax-efficient way to take control of your retirement. Money you pay into your SIPP benefits from basic rate tax relief which boosts your contribution by 20%.
Choose where to invest
Whether you're new to investing or more confident with your money, we've got a choice of investments for you.
Ready-made Investments
Leave the hard work to us and consider choosing from one of our five Ready-made Investment options which range from low to higher risk.
Pick your own
Build a bespoke portfolio of UK and International shares, funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), bonds and investment trusts with the support of our research and expert insights.
Mix and match
You can use a Ready-made Investment option to start investing and add other investments alongside. If you’re unsure where to invest you can hold cash (and earn interest) while you decide.
Work out your investment future
Wondering where investing could take you? Use our handy calculator to see what your investments could be worth in the future.
A simple, low-cost fee structure
Customer fee
0.25% p.a.
up to £200,000
and 0.05% on investments over £200,000
Buying and selling shares online*
£6
per trade**
Free to invest in funds online
|
Activity |
Cost |
|---|---|
|
Buying and selling funds online |
No charge** |
|
Regular investments (including shares) |
No charge |
|
Dividend reinvestment |
No charge |
|
Holding cash |
No charge |
|
Transferring investments |
No charge |
|
Cash withdrawal and account closure |
No charge |
*Including ETFs, investment trusts, bonds and gilts
**£25 per trade by telephone. Taxes may apply when buying shares. A foreign exchange and an international brokerage fee will be charged when trading international shares.
Learn more about our fees and Interest rates on cash.
You can also use our simple cost calculator to understand the charges that would apply.
You may also be interested in
Should you save or invest?
We give you the lowdown on what to consider when weighing up whether to save or invest.
Free events and webinars
Whether you’re a beginner, an expert or somewhere in between, join one of our events where we explain how Smart Investor can help you grow your money and achieve your goals.
Top reasons to invest with us
Discover why millions of people trust Barclays. Benefit from our award-winning platform, expert support, and wide investment options.
Get help or contact us
Important information
You need to be 18 or over and have a Barclays Current Account to use the app.(Return to reference)
We are one of multiple platforms to win Boring Money's value for money award which was based on a survey of investment platform customers from December 2023 to December 2024. Please note this does not guarantee profits or necessarily mean we are the cheapest platform available.(Return to reference)
Lines are open from 7:30am to 7pm Monday to Thursday, 7:30am to 6pm on Friday and closed during weekends and public holidays. To maintain a quality service, we may monitor or record phone calls. Call charges.(Return to reference)