Freetrade SIPPs | Everything You Need To Know!

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There have been a lot of rumours on the internet that the top commission-free brokerage platforms in the UK are planning to offer SIPPs. if you’re in the market for one, then you’re in luck with Freetrade SIPP. Freetrade have been ramping up their offerings over the last few months with the addition of Freetrade Plus their premium package for £9.99 a month which has added features like limit orders, premium stock selection exclusive to plus users and includes their S&S ISA usually £3 a month.

Like most of us who are using the Freetrade platform, we are most likely using their Free GIA account (General investment account) which has been doing very well, and it’s something that persuaded me to open an account and it’s probably one of the best things I’ve done in a while pulling me into the world of investing.

What are SIPPs?

SIPPs – Self-invested personal pensions, they are a flexible and straightforward way to save for your retirement. Ideal for people who want to choose where their money is invested. You can think of this as a do-it-yourself pension.

The money you invest in a SIPP will be locked in a ‘pension wrapper’ until you turn 55. Then you can start withdrawing funds even if you haven’t stopped working. You can take out 25% as a lump sum, which is tax free and the rest to give you a regular income.

SIPPs with Freetrade

Freetrade aims to make managing your SIPP as easy as possible using their platform. If you have already used their platform, you will know it’s straightforward and simple to navigate your way around the app to buying and selling stocks. Its really easy to open one up and a few simple taps if you already have an account with them.

Fractional Shares

There are a few selling points for choosing to have Freetrade as your SIPP provider. First is they offer fractional shares, giving you the ability to invest much as possible into a particular stock, giving you the ability to work towards a whole share. For example, Amazon is $3,000+ which you may not want to invest the full amount now and only want to buy a fraction of this. Fractional shares are only available on US stocks at present and a minimum of £2 per order.

Stock Universe & Cost

Freetrade have opted for a flat monthly fee to make it easy, to gain access to a Freetrade SIPP account it’s going to cost you £9.99 a month. With this you will get access to the basic stock universe which includes;

  • FTSE 350 (Large + Mid Cap)
  • MSCI US Prime Market (Large + Mid Cap)
  • All Vanguard + iShares + Invesco ETFs

Freetrade Plus Subscribers

If you are a Freetrade plus member, you will get a 30% discount on a SIPP account and this will bring the cost down to £7 a month. Besides this, you will also get access to the basic stock universe plus;

  • FTSE Small Cap (FTSE All-Share minus FTSE 350)
  • FTSE AIM All-Share ex AIM 100S&P SmallCap 600
  • FTSE Small Cap (FTSE All-Share minus FTSE 350)
  • FTSE AIM All-Share ex AIM 100
  • S&P SmallCap 600

Verdict

We are happy to see the commission-free brokerage platforms expand into the SIPPs market. We think Freetrade’s SIPP offering is a game-changer if you’re interested in only having access to the basic stock universe. However, if you want access to the S&P SmallCap 600 or the FTSE AIM All-Share then you will need to subscribe to Freetrade Plus which then works out rather expensive at £16.99 for both Freetrade Plus and a SIPP account. However, this makes sense if Freetrade is your only investment platform where you hold and make use of GIA, Stocks & Shares ISA and a SIPP.

If you’re like us and use multiple platforms, then it might be worth holding off to see what other fee free platforms are going to offer. There are rumours that Trading 212 who are their biggest competitor are planning to launch their SIPP accounts in the near future.

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