If you want to stay ahead of inflation and see real growth in your wealth, investing in a range of assets, from stocks to money market funds, is one way you can aim to beat price rises for the long term. Nowadays, there are many ways to start investing - with online platforms becoming more popular. InvestEngine is an online investment platform that offers a gateway to investing in different types of assets. Let's look at what opportunities InvestEngine can provide you, whatever your financial situation.
Whether you're looking for an ISA, personal pension, or investment account, check out how these compare at Invest Engine and click the button to open your account today!
*Total limit for all ISA types
**Per person for the year 2024/25 tax year
***Per person across all investments, 2024/25 tax year
Who is InvestEngine?
InvestEngine is a Which? recommended investment platform that aims to make investing easy.
The company was launched in May 2019 by Gumtree co-founder Simon Crookall and Andrey Dobrynin.
How can you use InvestEngine?
InvestEngine allows you to invest and build your portfolio yourself or offers a managed service where you can choose from several portfolios based on risk level to choose a product in line with your risk appetite.
Regardless of whether you invest yourself or use InvestEngine's managed service, you can buy various themes and assets, such as stocks and government bonds, through buying one of the many ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) on offer.
You can start investing through several different account types, including:
- ISAs
- General investment accounts
- An InvestEngine business account, if you are a business owner
- Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)
Fractional investing is also an option, which means you can invest with as little as £1 and still buy an ETF, regardless of share price. The company has hundreds of ETFs you can choose from, which helps you to find funds that may have the best growth potential quickly.
InvestEngine's platform is available online or through an app you can download from the App Store or Google Play.
What benefits and features can you enjoy with InvestEngine?
When you use InvestEngine, you can access various benefits and features, including an exceptional user interface, low fees, customer support and education, and safety and security. Let's explore these in more detail.
User experience and interface
One of the reasons that InvestEngine is a popular way to build DIY portfolios by investors is due to the platform's design. Features that make it user-friendly are:
- Its portfolio look-through tool lets you see the companies, regions and business sectors you are investing in at a glance. It also allows you to review your overall investment weights, which can help you balance your investments. For instance, it can help you ensure you have global diversification (if you want it) or assist you in controlling your weightings so you are not overexposed to one particular sector or region.
- Autoinvest is a powerful automation tool that will invest any uninvested cash that builds up in your accounts for you - according to your chosen weights so you don't miss out when the markets are rising. There's also a Savings Plan, which means you can auto invest a specified amount at a frequency that suits you. So, InvestEngine could auto invest weekly for you, but it could be less frequent if that suits your financial circumstances better.
- The one-click rebalancing feature resets portfolios to your chosen asset allocation in a single click. It's another way to review and prevent overexposure to particular companies or regions when investing.
Fees
One of the most significant factors to consider when investing is fees. When fees are lower, it helps you retain more of your earnings and can help your capital grow quicker as more of your gains are reinvested without having to pay out hefty fees on an annual or monthly basis. However, you may be okay with higher fees if the projected returns on your funds are likely to be significantly better.
InvestEngine charges fees according to whether you have a managed or DIY portfolio. Their charges are competitive and are structured as follows:
- DIY investment portfolio: As of October 2023, InvestEngine charges no fees on DIY portfolios, though ETF costs and market spreads do apply when investing. That means if you have bought ETFs, you may incur some fees. If you open a stocks and shares ISA, there is currently nothing to pay to the platform, and, just as importantly, there is no fee per trade.
- Managed portfolios: With these products, you will be charged 0.25% per year for the service. That works out to be about 21p a month per £1,000 of investments. However, like the DIY portfolios, there are no set-up, withdrawal, dealing, or ISA fees. If you invest in ETFs, fees and market spread may apply.
With InvestEngine's SIPP, you'll pay fees of 0.15%, capped at £200 per year. If you use InvestEngine's experts to manage a SIPP portfolio on your behalf, you'll pay 0.25%.
Customer support and education
InvestEngine provides a library of educational articles and insights. They can help you better understand the current economic landscape, how specific sectors are doing, potential inflation hedges and why diversification remains vital. Often, these trends shed light to help you navigate a volatile financial landscape, which could help your holdings achieve long-term growth amidst economic uncertainties or poor investor sentiment.
Turning to InvestEngine's customer support, the company has an online query form with which you can submit any problems. You can contact them through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram too. That said, the company doesn't currently state how long it will take them to get back to customers with an answer however they rate highly on Trustpilot for their customer support. There is also a thorough online FAQ page. If you have any problems with their services, you may be able to access advice quickly there to resolve any issues.
Safety and security
InvestEngine uses advanced SSL 256-bit encryption techniques to help protect customer data online, with all the company's data held in servers at a secure facility. The company is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and your investments are protected up to £85,000 via the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
Making your money work for you with InvestEngine
As you can see, there are many benefits that make InvestEngine a compelling proposition for investing your funds. However, if you are unsure how or where to invest or how to start investing, it's crucial to seek financial advice. A financial adviser will be able to give you personalised guidance that considers your specific situation in relation to your financial goals.
Try InvestEngine now!*
*Capital at risk
Image Credit: micheile henderson at Unsplash
