What you want to achieve
How to cut investment fees and charges
Investment returns are uncertain. Charges are not. Every percentage point you pay comes off your return every single year.
The challenges
- Charges spread across several documents and providers.
- Ongoing adviser fees long after the original advice.
- Expensive default and managed funds.
- FX and dealing costs that are easy to miss.
How a disciplined process helps
Find every layer
Ask each provider for a full breakdown in pounds, not just percentages. Add fund, platform, adviser, dealing and FX costs to get your total.
Our guide to what you really pay shows where to look.
See what it costs over time
Small percentages compound into large sums. Our simulator compares two pots with the same growth and different charges.
Seeing the gap in pounds or dollars often changes decisions.
Keep what earns its keep
Some charges are worth paying for good advice or management. The question is whether each one adds more than it costs, measured honestly against a low-cost alternative.
Our articles on wealth management fees and platform costs help.
Where to start
- Charges simulatorSee how much a 1.5% charge costs compared with 0.25% over 15 years or more.
- Guide: What you really payEvery layer of charges explained, and how much they cost over time.
- What 1% a year really costsWealth management fees and their long-term effect.
- St James’s Place pension reviewThe cost of comfort.
Questions people ask
What is a reasonable total charge?
It depends on what you get. Simple, low-cost portfolios can cost well under 0.5% a year; fully advised and managed portfolios often cost much more.
How do I find my adviser’s fee?
Ask in writing for all charges in pounds over the last year. Advisers are required to disclose them.
Is cheaper always better?
Not always, but every charge should be justified by value you can measure.
Important: this page is education and information only. It is not financial advice or a personal recommendation, and it does not take your circumstances into account. The value of investments and pensions can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you put in. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. If you are unsure what is right for you, speak to a regulated financial adviser.