Charles Stanley Direct review summary
Charles Stanley Direct is a UK broker, regulated by the top-tier FCA. Charles Stanley Direct has low fund fees. Its customer service is helpful and responsive, while deposit and withdrawal are easy and free. It is a good choice for beginner investors. On the other hand, the product portfolio is quite narrow, as only the UK market is covered. In addition, educational and research tools are limited. BrokerChooser gave Charles Stanley Direct a 4.5/5 rating based on analyzing 500+ criteria and testing via opening a live account.
Charles Stanley Direct is a regulated broker, it is overseen by a top-tier financial regulator in the UK . Charles Stanley Direct is also covered by investor protection in selected jurisdictions. We at BrokerChooser always test brokers with real money, including the withdrawal process.
You can't open an account at Charles Stanley Direct if you live in United States. See the best alternative available in your country.
Charles Stanley Direct pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low fund fees | • Limited product portfolio |
| • Great customer service | • Limited education materials |
| • Easy deposit and withdrawal | • Basic research tools |
Charles Stanley Direct main highlights
| 🗺️ Country of regulation | UK |
| 💰 Trading fees class | Average |
| 💰 Inactivity fee charged | No |
| 💰 Withdrawal fee amount | $0 |
| 💰 Minimum deposit | $22.6 |
| 🕖 Time to open an account | 1-3 days |
| 💳 Deposit with bank card | Available |
| 👛 Depositing with electronic wallet | Not available |
| 💱 Number of base currencies supported | 1 |
| 🎮 Demo account provided | No |
| 🛍️ Products offered | Stock, ETF, Fund, Bond |
Charles Stanley Direct review
Fees
Charles Stanley Direct has low fund fees and low non-trading fees, but its stock and ETF fees are not the most competitive on the market.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low non-trading fees | • Average stock and ETF fees |
| • Low fund fees | |
| • No withdrawal fee |
| Assets | Fee level | Fee terms |
|---|---|---|
| US stock | - | Not available |
| EURUSD | - | Not available |
| Mutual fund | Low | Tiered annual fee based on volume held. On first £250k the fee is 0.35%, on the value between £250k-£500k it is 0.20%, on the value between £500k-£1m it is 0.15%, on the value between £1m-£2m it is 0.05%, and there is no charge on the value above £2m. |
| Inactivity fee | Low | No inactivity fee |
How we ranked fees
We ranked Charles Stanley Direct's fee levels as low, average or high based on how they compare to those of all reviewed brokers.
First, let's go over some basic terms related to broker fees. What you need to keep an eye on are trading fees and non-trading fees.
- Trading fees occur when you trade. These can be commissions, spreads, financing rates and conversion fees.
- Non-trading fees include charges not directly related to trading, like withdrawal fees or inactivity fees.
In the sections below, you will find the most relevant fees of Charles Stanley Direct for each asset class. For example, in the case of stock investing the most important fees are commissions.
We also compared Charles Stanley Direct's fees with those of two similar brokers we selected, Interactive Investor and Hargreaves Lansdown. This selection is based on objective factors such as products offered, client profile, fee structure, etc. See a more detailed rundown of Charles Stanley Direct alternatives.
To have a clear overview of Charles Stanley Direct, let's start with its trading fees.
Charles Stanley Direct trading fees
Charles Stanley Direct trading fees are average.
In this review, we calculated the fees of products available for online trading. There are many additional products that are available via phone trading, such as bonds or non-UK equities.
Stock fees and ETF fees
Charles Stanley Direct has generally average stock and ETF commission.
| Charles Stanley Direct | Interactive Investor | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | - | $8.4 | $13.5 |
| UK stock | $13.0 | $8.4 | $13.5 |
| German stock | - | $28.0 | $13.5 |
Stock fees include an £11.50 commission per trade, plus any subsequent platform charges. Platform charges are levied monthly, and are calculated annually as 0.35% of the value of investments held, with a £24 minimum and £240 maximum. However, platform charges for stocks will be waived if you make at least one chargeable trade during a calendar month.
Fund fees
Charles Stanley Direct fund fees are zero, putting it on par with Hargreaves Lansdown.
| Charles Stanley Direct | Interactive Investor | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual fund | $0.0 | $8.4 | $0.0 |
Charles Stanley Direct only charges an annual fee, but doesn't charge a commission on opening and closing mutual fund positions. Fees for mutual funds are volume-tiered. The higher the value of your holdings, the lower percentage you pay as an annual fee on those amounts.
| Value of holdings in the previous month | Annual commission on the amount in this range |
|---|---|
| £0-£250k | 0.35% |
| £250k - £500k | 0.20% |
| £500k - £1m | 0.15% |
| £1m - £2m | 0.05% |
| £2m+ | no charge |
Non-trading fees
Charles Stanley Direct has low non-trading fees. It doesn't charge inactivity and withdrawal fees. It doesn't charge an account fee for Investment and ISA accounts either, but it does charge a £100 + VAT yearly account fee for SIPP accounts. This SIPP account fee is waived for accounts holding assets exceeding £30,000.
| Charles Stanley Direct | Interactive Investor | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | No | Yes | No |
| Inactivity fee | No | No | No |
| Deposit fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Charles Stanley Direct review
Account opening
If you have a UK passport, the account opening procedure is quick and easy. If not, you have to mail in photocopied documents, making the process less convenient.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Fully digital | • Available only to UK residents |
| • Low minimum deposit | |
| • User-friendly |
Can you open an account?
Only UK residents can open an account at Charles Stanley Direct.
How to open your account
If you have a UK passport, the account opening process is done through electronic verification, which is fairly painless and straightforward. The entire registration process takes about 10 minutes.
Things start to get complicated if electronic verification fails or if you didn't have this verification option to start with (because, for exampe, you don't have a valid passport or if you are not a UK citizen). In this case, you'll need to fill in a physical application form and post these documents:
- a completed application form
- a copy of either your passport, driver's license, firearms certificate (shotgun license), or a recent evidence of entitlement to either
- a state or local authority-funded benefit
- tax credit
- pension
- or educational or other grants
- a copy of either your current council tax demand letter or statement (issued within the last three months), current bank statement (issued by post within the last three months), or a utility bill (issued by post within the last three months)
- FOR UK CITIZENS ONLY: a cheque with the initial amount you wish to deposit in your account / direct debit instructions
What is the minimum deposit at Charles Stanley Direct?
The required Charles Stanley Direct minimum deposit is £20 for debit cards and £50 for bank transfers. Furthermore, if you want to open ISA or SIPP accounts, there is a £100 minimum. Investing in Foundation Portfolios requires a £2,500 minimum.
Account types
Charles Stanley Direct has the following account types:
| Account type | Short description |
|---|---|
| Investment Account | Basic investment account |
| Stocks and Shares ISA | ISA account to invest tax-free up to the yearly limit |
| Self-Invested Personal Pension | Tax-efficient pension investment account |
| Junior Stocks and Shares ISA | ISA account to invest tax-free on behalf of a child |
| Junior Self-Invested Personal Pension | Tax-efficient pension investment account on behalf of a child |
Our best alternatives to Charles Stanley Direct are:
The highest ranking competitors are:
Charles Stanley Direct review
Deposit and withdrawal
Depositing and withdrawing money is easy and free with bank transfer at Charles Stanley Direct. Unfortunately, accounts are only available in British pounds.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Credit/Debit card available | • Only one account base currency |
| • Free withdrawal | |
| • No deposit fee |
Account base currencies
At Charles Stanley Direct, you can only choose one base currency: GBP.
| Charles Stanley Direct | Interactive Investor | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of base currencies | 1 | 9 | 1 |
Why does this matter? A currency conversion fee can occur in case you:
- fund your account from a non-GBP bank account
- trade assets in a currency other than GBP
A convenient way to save on currency conversion fees is by opening a multi-currency bank account at a digital bank. These usually offer bank accounts in several currencies with great currency exchange rates, as well as free or cheap international bank transfers. Opening an account only takes a few minutes on your phone.
Deposit fees and options
Charles Stanley Direct charges no deposit fees, and you can transfer money either via bank transfer or by credit/debit card.
| Charles Stanley Direct | Interactive Investor | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electronic wallets | No | No | No |
A bank transfer can take several business days, while payment with a credit/debit card is instant.
You can only deposit money from accounts that are in your name.
Charles Stanley Direct withdrawal fees and options
Similarly to its closest competitors, Charles Stanley Direct charges no withdrawal fees.
| Charles Stanley Direct | Interactive Investor | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | No | No | No |
| Electronic wallets | No | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
How long does it take to withdraw money from Charles Stanley Direct? We tested the bank transfer withdrawal and it took 2 business days.
You can only withdraw money to accounts that are in your name.
How do you withdraw money from Charles Stanley Direct? You can do it by following these steps:
- Log in to your account
- Go to 'Manage my money'
- Click 'Withdraw Money'
- Select the account you wish to withdraw from
- Enter the withdrawal amount
- Select the withdrawal method
- Click on 'Request withdrawal'
Charles Stanley Direct review
Web trading platform
The web trading platform is user-friendly and delivers some of the usual basic functions. However, it lacks a safer two-step login, customizability and advanced order types.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • User-friendly | • No two-step (safer) login |
| • Clear fee report | • Limited customizability (for charts, workspace) |
| • Price alerts | • Limited order types |
| Trading platform | Score | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Web | 3.5 stars | Yes |
| Mobile | 3.7 stars | Yes |
| Desktop | - | No |
The web trading platform is available in English only.
Look and feel
The Charles Stanley Direct web trading platform is user-friendly and visually appealing. On the other hand, it's not customizable and offers only limited research and trading options.
Login and security
Charles Stanley Direct provides only one-step login. For increased login security, you are required to set an additional memorable word, but you can't use your smartphone or other devices for two-step verification on the web interface.
Search functions
The search functions are OK, but there are some issues. For example, the search box lacks the automatic suggestion function and the search bar disappears automatically after each search, which makes searching more cumbersome compared with most competitors.
You can also search instruments under the 'My Accounts' tab when you click 'Buy Investments'. This search function works a bit differently, for example, it has an automatic suggestion function. In our view, it's a more convenient way to find the asset you would like to trade.
Placing orders
Placing orders is easy and it can be initiated right from the list of securities. You can use only two order types though, Market and Limit, a limited set of options when compared with some close competitors (see comparison table below). The Limit order works on a Good 'til Day (GTD) basis. (To learn more about the basic order types, read this overview.)
| Charles Stanley Direct | Interactive Investor | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web order types (#) | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Trading in funds
Besides simple buy or sell orders, you can buy funds at Charles Stanley Direct in the form of regular monthly investments or as a part of a basket. These functions can make your life much easier if you would like to grow your investments by small but regular contributions or if your aim is to create a diversified portfolio of funds.
Alerts and notifications
You can set simple price alerts. You can do this easily by clicking on the individual profile of the product you are interested in.
Portfolio and fee reports
A good overview of your portfolio is available for viewing. This includes your holdings and fees in a clean and customizable format: you can pick from several columns, while the report is also downloadable in PDF and XLS formats.
Charles Stanley Direct review
Mobile trading platform
The mobile platform looks nice; it's user-friendly and provides a good amount of data and feedback. On the other hand, there is no two-step login and you can't set up price alerts.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • User-friendly | • No two-step (safer) login |
| • Good search function | • Limited order types |
| • Touch/Face ID login | • No price alerts |
The mobile trading platform is easy to use and is available for both iOS and Android. It doesn't come with a lot of functionalities, though, and the search functions can be confusing.
Look and feel
The Charles Stanley Direct mobile trading platform has a modern and stylish look and feel. The buttons are big enough to comfortably tap, and information is presented in a well-organized fashion.
Login and security
You can log in to the Charles Stanley Direct app using the memorable word you set for your account (you will be required to provide certain letters of this word). Biometric authentication is also available, but the login process is still one-step, meaning that no other device is needed to use the app.
Search functions
The search functions are OK, but confusing as you can actually use two search functions:
- There is a search bar at the top of the screen, where you can search for stocks or funds, and also look at market data. This search bar doesn't always appear though for some reason, which is confusing.
- The other tool appears after clicking the 'buy' button, where you can only look up tradable products. You can search based on the ticker or the asset name.
Placing orders
You can trade stocks, funds, investment trusts and ETFs through the mobile app. You can use only Market and Limit orders, and no order terms such as Good 'til Canceled are available in the mobile app.
Alerts and notifications
Neither alerts nor notifications are available in the mobile app.
Charles Stanley Direct review
Desktop trading platform
Charles Stanley Direct does not offer a desktop trading platform.
Charles Stanley Direct review
Markets and products
Charles Stanley Direct offers only UK stocks, ETFs, mutual funds and bonds. International stocks or bonds can be traded offline, but options, futures or CFDs are missing completely.
| Charles Stanley Direct | Interactive Investor | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | No | No |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | No | No | No |
| Futures | No | No | No |
| CFDs | No | No | No |
| Crypto | No | No | No |
Charles Stanley Direct's mutual fund offering is great, but it lacks many other product classes.
Stocks and ETFs
At Charles Stanley Direct, you can only trade stock and ETFs on the London Stock Exchange.
| Charles Stanley Direct | Interactive Investor | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 1 | 16 | 21 |
| ETFs (#) | 1,700 | 1,680 | 2,500 |
Funds
Charles Stanley Direct's mutual fund offer is great, well exceeding that of its competitors. You will find funds both from the biggest fund providers like BlackRock or Vanguard and from smaller ones too.
| Charles Stanley Direct | Interactive Investor | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fund providers (#) | 280 | 190 | 180 |
Bonds
Charles Stanley Direct has an average number of bonds.
| Charles Stanley Direct | Interactive Investor | Hargreaves Lansdown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonds (#) | 180 | 26 | 190 |
Charles Stanley Direct review
Research
The trading ideas section is rich in functionality and data, but otherwise Charles Stanley Direct's research tools are quite limited, and charting tools could also be improved.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Trading ideas | • Limited interactive charting |
| • Data on asset fundamentals | • No/limited set of analytic tools |
| • User-friendly |
We looked at Charles Stanley Direct's research tools on the web platform.
Trading ideas
You can find trading ideas for a given asset in the in the 'Outlook' section. These are recommendations from top-tier banks including Barclays, Citigroup, and Deutsche Bank.
You can also get personalised investment recommendations for Charles Stanley Funds, Foundation Portfolios, and Foundation Funds. All you have to do is fill out a short questionnaire, available from your account's home page.
Fundamental data
Charles Stanley Direct offers fundamental data, available on the 'Financials' and 'Company' tabs of the web platform when looking at a specific asset, like a stock. They both have a clean layout, focusing mostly on financial information without any bells and whistles.
Charting
Charles Stanley Direct has poor charting tools. You can use 19 technical indicators, which is fewer than what many other brokers offer, and the tools' functionalities are limited as well.
News feed
A bare-bones news feed is available covering UK market news. While it's a useful addition to the platform, its look and feel is very simple. You can find these under 'Market News' and at the bottom of individual product pages. Price quotes, news and fundamentals are provided by Thomson Reuters.
Further research materials are available under Insights from Charles Stanley Direct. Here you can mostly find macro-focused articles.
Charles Stanley Direct review
Customer service
Charles Stanley Direct's customer service is great. It can be contacted via phone, email and live chat. On the negative side, there is no 24/7 availability.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Phone support | • No 24/7 support |
| • Live chat | |
| • Fast response time |
You can contact Charles Stanley Direct via:
- telephone
- live chat
We were really satisfied with Charles Stanley Direct's phone support. They answered the phone instantly and gave us relevant answers.
The email support works as you would expect. We emailed them four times and always received replies within a day. These answers were relevant as well.
Live chat support was likewise quick and useful. We got an answer within a few minutes.
We missed 24/7 availability, though.
Charles Stanley Direct review
Education
Charles Stanley Direct offers good-quality educational materials, but their number and scope is limited, and some of them are hard to find.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Educational videos | • No demo account |
| • Glossary of terms | • No trading platform tutorial videos |
Charles Stanley Direct has a good 'Glossary' subpage that explains a wide range of investment-related terms. Apart from this and some webinars, the website lacks any other educational material.
There is a dedicated page for beginners where you can find educational videos and materials. Besides that, there are other written materials scattered across various pages of the platform, making them a bit hard to find. For example, you can learn about socially responsible investing, investing into funds and other topics. There are links to these pages listed in the 'Also available' segment to the left of the 'My Accounts' tab.
Charles Stanley Direct review
Safety
Charles Stanley Direct is overseen by the UK's FCA, a top-tier regulator, and its parent company, Raymond James Financial, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. On the negative side, it does not have a banking license, however, its parent company is an investment bank.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • High level of investor protection | • Does not hold a banking license |
| • Banking background | • Not listed on stock exchange |
Is Charles Stanley Direct regulated?
Yes, it is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Charles Stanley Direct is based in the UK and was incorporated in 1985, with its roots going all the way back to 1792.
Is Charles Stanley Direct safe?
To be certain if a brokerage is safe, we highly advise that you check two facts:
- how you are protected if something goes wrong
- what the background of the broker is
How you are protected
At Charles Stanley Direct, all customers are covered by the UK investor protection scheme, called FSCS.
The FSCS protects against the loss of cash and securities in case the broker goes bust. The limit of FSCS protection is £85,000. This amount is substantially higher than the amount most national investor protection schemes provide.
Background
Charles Stanley Direct was established in 1985. The longer the track record of a broker, the more proof we have that it has successfully survived previous financial crises. In 2022, it was acquired by Raymond James Financial, Inc., a US investment banking and financial services group.
While it doesn't have a banking license, Charles Stanley Direct's parent company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, which is a big plus for safety as the company is required to release financial statements regularly and transparently.
Having an exchange-listed parent company, publishing financial statements, and being regulated by a top-tier financial authority are all great signs for Charles Stanley Direct's safety.
Charles Stanley Direct review
Bottom line
Charles Stanley Direct is a UK stockbroker regulated by the FCA. Its parent company Raymond James Financial, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
On the positive side, it has low fund fees. Customer service is great, offering quick and useful answers. Deposit and withdrawal are easy and free.
The service has some drawbacks though. You can only trade UK stocks, ETFs and mutual funds online. Educational and research tools are limited.
As the minimum deposit is low and no inactivity fee is charged, feel free to try Charles Stanley Direct.
Charles Stanley Direct review
FAQ
We recommend Charles Stanley Direct for beginners and buy-and-hold investors focusing on the UK market.
Below you can find links to all aspects of Charles Stanley Direct in this comprehensive collection.
Lower fees, lower costs?
We detailed this in our Charles Stanley Direct fees article.
What about the minimum deposit?
Our ultimate guide to the Charles Stanley Direct minimum deposit is updated regularly.
How to start your Charles Stanley Direct account?
Look no further than our evaluation of the Charles Stanley Direct account opening.
How's their trading app?
Here's our expert view after checking the Charles Stanley Direct trading app.
Is the quality of customer service satisfactory?
All you need to know about the Charles Stanley Direct customer service.
Legit or scam?
Is Charles Stanley Direct legit features all the key aspects you need to look at to see if a broker is safe and legit.
Free or premium? Or both?
A glance at actual costs and whether Charles Stanley Direct is really free.
Is this broker good for beginners?
We checked it in Is Charles Stanley Direct good for beginners.
Should you buy your silver bullets on Charles Stanley Direct?
Research for silver bugs in the Silver buy on Charles Stanley Direct guide
I want to trade options, are they available at Charles Stanley Direct?
We explored the topic in Can you trade options on Charles Stanley Direct?
What is the minimum account balance at Charles Stanley Direct?
Check out the current account balance requirements at Charles Stanley Direct in our What is the minimum account balance at Charles Stanley Direct article.
Looking for commission and fees data for Charles Stanley Direct?
We collected them in Charles Stanley Direct commission and fees.
How do you withdraw money from Charles Stanley Direct?
We tested it and collected the options and costs in How to withdraw money on Charles Stanley Direct.
