Expanded free and Plus stock universe 🔥 18 SEPTEMBER 2020

Its not limiting the stocks, they’re putting hundreds more out! Yes there are a few exceptions that go to plus but to have all the ones listed in free will still be loads more than now.

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yeah, but taking them out is a nasty move. Very specific to me: I invested in BCN (Bacanora Lithium) and PHE (Powerhouse Energy). I am also looking to invest in SEE (Seeing Machines) next month. That are three stocks that are disappearing that I care for. If I want to actively trade in them I am forced to sign up for the plus plan. While I am not going to daytrade, losing the flexibility of buying/selling the shares severy limits my movements. How sure can I be that in the future other stocks will not go behind the paywall. I could see a case for putting the topstocks like Apple and Facebook behind a paywall to lure people into plus. But that would be a very negative way to treat FT customers.

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I think you might be overthinking it, its only the more obscure, less liquid stocks behind the paywall and tbey have to stay in business somehow. I do understand the anger, maybe they should leave those ones but in general they want a clear distinction between free and plus and aim 100 (free) vs rest of aim (plus) makes sense to me.

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I don’t see it as a bad thing. The aim of Freetrade is to get people investing as simply and conveniently as possible. The safer stocks will continue to be commission free.

It’s the stocks with more risk that are behind a paywall in Plus, those are not the most suitable for new investors. Sure there are other platforms, but you either won’t have an ISA or you’ll be paying more to trade, though that cost will be contained within your portfolio so it’s one step removed and feels cheaper.

I am curious though if you have more than one ISA will they all be included within Plus, and will a SIPP or a JISA whenever it’s launched?

Ultimately I’d also like other markets and I’m sure Australia and such will come in time.

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Looks like they’ve chosen the micro-caps to restrict, this goes along with the trading volume rule they keep mentioning when choosing which stocks to add.

For context the below shows the FTSE All-Share Aim trailing the FTSE 250. I think restricting these high risk stocks where the odds on average are strongly against you is probably a good thing, at least for most new investors (not all maybe). This leaves more advanced investors with the option via Plus.

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Putting Pacific Horizon and Manchester & London Investment Trusts within Plus has made my decision not to transfer my ISA from Hargreaves Lansdown to FT. Given that Plus is £120 a year, it’s cheaper for me to trade once a month in a x4 stock portfolio (Scottish Mortgage, Edinburgh Worldwide, Allianz Tech & Pacific Horizon) within HL (platform costs capped at £45 and trading £1.50 a share via their regular trading programme).

There are many people who use these platforms for long-term investment, largely through IT’s. If IT’s are to be put behind a paywall then the attractiveness of Freetrade ceases

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Yeah I feel like the most valuable feature FT+ could offer would be to remove access to AIM stocks. :joy:

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Yeah, it just surprises me that my total trading/platform costs for a Plus are cheaper on HL (£45 platform cap and £1.50 trading cost per share per month, based on a x4 share portfolio) or the same price as ii, as they have the same £10 charge and free trading (via their regular DD investing option).

To be competitive Plus needs to be £5-£6 tops

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Can I check your sums, are you saying 4 shares per month @ £1.50 + the platform charge of £45?

So (4 x 1.50) x 12 = £72 + £45 = £117? Rather than £120 for plus, where you can have an ISA and GIA together with whatever else is added down the line?

If so, I’d see that more as an advert for Plus, but my apologies if I’ve misunderstood the numbers you mentioned.

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I think the removing of stocks from free in the short term will be seen as negative but in the long term no one will even notice

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Yeah that’s right, I have ISA and general savings account with HL and access to far more stock options for £3 less on a platform with more history behind it. Admittedly my portfolio is small (x4 investment trusts). Issue being that 3 out of 4 IT’s are in the free part of Freetrade and if Pacific Horizon & Manchester & London we’re also then FT’s £3 ISA is a no brainer. However, now I’m forced to get a Plus account the incentive has gone, I’ll either stay with HL or shift to ii, where I can make over x30 trades a month free, for the same platform charge

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Fair enough, obviously your money and your choice. I’d thought II was £10 per month for the GIA and another £10 for the ISA but I could very well be mistaken.

I actually have more money invested in Freetrade than I do on the FT platform, though that will change when the SIPP arrives, so I’m happy to pay for Plus as it builds out rather than to the incumbent providers who have done very well for themselves over the years.

I’d love to be in the same position, I could be if Pacific Horizon Investment Trust wasn’t behind a paywall or Plus was £5-£6 a month.

It’s an extra £10 for the SIPP, GIA and ISA are just £10 together, but you only get 1 trade per month included (not 30).

These are already behind a paywall with HL and ii, so im a bit confused by your line of thinking.

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Surely it’s up to new investors, not Freetrade, to decide if a stock is too risky for them to invest?

I’m very disappointed with the decision to move existing stocks behind a paywall. I have one position I’ve invested which is being moved, it was only recently added and I planned to invest long term but I can’t now as I won’t be upgrading to Plus.

I understand Freetrade needs to generate income and I wouldn’t mind if new stocks were behind the pay walk, but this is very disappointing.

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ii give up to 30 plus free trades if via a regular investment DD set-up

That’s not really comparably then is it. Freetrade give you unlimited trades across all their platform for £10. ii like HL is limited to a select type of stocks and funds. ii also has costs to sell.

ii gives you over 30 free trades for same platform price. I’m just saying to stand out from crowd either IT’s need to be removed from behind a paywall or Plus subscription needs to be be more competitive. I’m not the only one it seems to be a recurring theme on here

Thats kind of apples to oranges. the monthly trading is a monthly DD trade setup, its not the same as what Freetrade offer, its also the same price as Freetrade.

I get the feeling they wanted to ensure its all fairly straight forward… rather than start having lists of exceptions?