-

Why choose Smart Investor?

Here's our rundown of the benefits

The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invest. Barclays Smart Investor doesn't offer personal investment advice. If you're unsure about investing, seek independent advice.

The best bits of Smart Investor

So you’re ready to start investing, or perhaps you’ve been investing for a while and you’re looking for an online service which can give you the tools you need. Look no further.

There are lots of reasons to choose us, so we've pulled out what we think are some of the best ones below.

At Barclays, we understand that when it comes to investing, often the hardest part is knowing where to start.

That’s why we offer five Ready-made Investment funds to help you take that first step. 

They offer a convenient one-stop solution which can be ideal if you’re not sure about making your own investment decisions, or are short on time.

These funds take the work out of investing because they’re looked after by Barclays’ investment experts who do all of the hard stuff so you don't have to. 

They’ll make changes to where your money’s invested depending on what’s going on in the stock markets, and keep you regularly updated with how your investment's performing. 

It’s worth mentioning though, that you can check how your investment's doing at any time either online or via the Barclays app.

There’s always risk involved with investing because obviously stock markets can fall as well as rise, so there’s a chance you could lose money. 

However, there are ways to reduce that risk and this is how the funds differ.

They all invest in a mixture of shares, bonds and cash, which gives you instant diversification which is really important when it comes to investing because it can help protect against stock market falls, but the proportion they hold in each differs.

So to get started all you need to do is choose which fund to go for.

Whether you’re more comfortable taking a lower risk approach or are happy to take a bit more risk in the hope of potentially higher returns, hopefully there'll be a fund to match your needs.

I hope you found that helpful – but there is a lot more information about Ready-made Investments on our website.

Ready-made Investments

  • They’re quick and simple – choose from five diversified Ready-made Investment funds to suit different goals and attitudes to risk
  • Spread the risk – the fund managers aim to invest in a diverse range of places, companies and investment types to help protect your investment and reduce the overall risk of losing money
  • Over to the experts – leave the day-to-day management to us. Barclays experts work hard to try to optimise returns and respond to changing markets

Please consider whether Ready-made Investments are right for you and if you’re not sure, seek independent advice

The Barclays Funds List

With thousands of funds to choose from, knowing where to start can be daunting. Let us narrow down the options for you.

Our experts have selected a range of funds from each of the investment sectors we believe are key for building a diversified portfolio. As well as including funds from different sectors, our list includes different types of funds – active, trackers, and our own Barclays Multi-Manager funds. We continue to monitor the list and make adjustments to the selection as and when we believe it's required.

Barclays Price Improver™

When you place an order, we go the extra mile to make sure you’re getting the best available price from our selected Retail Service Providers and trading venues. We’ll do this automatically, every time you buy or sell shares, Exchange Traded Funds, investment trusts or Real Estate Investment Trusts listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Through Barclays Price Improver™, 92.45% of qualifying deals1 placed between January 2023 and December 2023 got a better price than the quoted price on the London Stock Exchange.

Our online tools and support

From tools to videos and informative articles – we’ve got everything you need to help you make informed decisions and stay up to date with what’s going on. In our Research Centre you’ll find:

  • Real time pricing
  • In depth company info
  • The latest market movements
  • Advanced comparison tools

Our fees

No charge to open the account and a simple annual customer account fee of 0.25% on investments up to £200,000 and 0.05% on investments above £200,000.

Activity Cost
Buying and selling shares* £6 per deal**
Buying and selling funds No charge
Regular investments No charge
Dividend reinvestment No charge
Holding cash No charge
Transferring investments No charge
Cash withdrawal and account closure No charge

For a Barclays SIPP, a quarterly administration fee of £31.25 + VAT applies, payable to AJ Bell, along with other account fees [PDF, 194KB] 

*Including ETFs, investment trusts, bonds and gilts 

**Online dealing only. Taxes may apply when buying shares. A foreign exchange and an international brokerage fee will be charged when trading international shares.

Ready to get started?

If you’re ready to open an account, it’s easy to get started.

Remember that investments can go down as well as up in value, so you could get back less than you put in. Smart Investor doesn’t offer personal advice, so if you’re unsure about investing, speak to a financial adviser. Tax rules can change in the future and their effects on you will depend on your own circumstances. Smart Investor is an investment service for UK residents. Our service is not available to US persons, even where resident in the UK.