Halifax review summary
Halifax Share Dealing ("Halifax") is a UK-based stockbroker regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It was founded in 1996 as a subsidiary of Halifax Bank and later became a division of Bank of Scotland. During the 2009 financial crisis, Bank of Scotland was acquired by Lloyds Banking Group, thus Halifax now ultimately is a member of this group, while still operating as a division of Bank of Scotland. Lloyds is publicly traded and listed on the London Stock Exchange, which helps keep it and its affiliates transparent and accountable.
Halifax only accepts UK residents as clients, but it does offer access to some international stock exchanges. We consider it a reputable broker because of its banking background, the parent company's transparent financial reporting and stock exchange listing, and its long track record.
You can't open an account at Halifax if you live in United States. See the best alternative available in your country.
Double check in our broker finder tool if Halifax is the right broker for you.
Halifax pros and cons
Halifax has low fees, free deposits and withdrawals from your account, and a straightforward account opening process with the option to set up a UK tax-exempt ISA.
Halifax's product selection is weak. Customer support is very poor, taking very long to solve problems. There are no mobile or desktop trading platforms available.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Low fees | • Weak product selection |
• Good options for deposit/withdrawal | • Very poor customer service |
• Quick and easy account opening | • No mobile or desktop platforms |
🗺️ Country of regulation | UK |
💰 Trading fees class | Low |
💰 Inactivity fee charged | No |
💰 Withdrawal fee amount | $0 |
💰 Minimum deposit | $0 |
🕖 Time to open an account | 1 day |
💳 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, Investment Trusts |
Halifax review
Fees
Halifax has low fees for stocks/ETFs, including commission-free international trades. On the negative side, there is an annual account fee.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Low stock and ETF fees / Free stock trading | • Annual account fee |
• No withdrawal fee | |
• No inactivity fee |
Assets | Fee level | Fee terms |
---|---|---|
US stock | Low | Commission free, 1.25% of exchange rate for international trades |
EURUSD | - | Not available |
Mutual fund | Average | £9.50 per trade |
Inactivity fee | Low | No inactivity fee |
How we ranked fees
We ranked Halifax'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 Halifax for each asset class. For example, in the case of stock investing, the most important fees are commissions.
We also compared Halifax's fees with those of two similar brokers we selected, Hargreaves Lansdown and Interactive Investor. This selection is based on objective factors such as products offered, client profile, fee structure, etc. See a more detailed rundown of Halifax alternatives.
Halifax offers a few different trading accounts; here, we examine the fees of the Share Dealing Account. Let's start with the trading fees.
Halifax trading fees
Halifax has low stock/ETF fees and average fund fees.
It offers commission-free trading for international trades completed online.
Stock fees and ETF fees
Halifax has generally low stock and ETF fees compared with some similar brokers.
Halifax | Hargreaves Lansdown | Interactive Investor | |
---|---|---|---|
US stock | $0.0 | $16.7 | $11.2 |
UK stock | $13.3 | $16.7 | $11.2 |
German stock | $0.0 | $16.7 | $28.0 |
Halifax offers commission-free trading for international trades and a flat fee of £9.50 per trade for domestic (UK) ones. If you use the ShareBuilder service to set up a regular savings plan investing a minimum of £20 per month, then scheduled trades cost only £2 each.
Fund fees
Halifax's fund trading fees are less competitive. For each transaction, Halifax charges the same £9.50 flat transaction fee as for stocks and ETFs. This doesn't compare that favorably to fund fees at close competitors. On top of this, you will also have to pay other costs charged by the fund managers rather than Halifax, such as a transaction fee and ongoing charges.
Halifax | Hargreaves Lansdown | Interactive Investor | |
---|---|---|---|
Mutual fund | $13.3 | $0.0 | $11.2 |
Non-trading fees
Halifax has low non-trading fees.
There is no inactivity fee for the basic Share Dealing Account; this is great for beginners because this way they don't have to commit to investing or trading frequently in order to avoid inactivity charges. Halifax also charges no withdrawal fees or deposit fees.
On the down side, there's a £36 administration fee per year for the basic Share Dealing Account as well as for the tax-advantaged Stocks/Shares ISA account (you can hold both accounts at the same time for a single £36 charge). Halifax's tax-advantaged SIPP account also involves quarterly administration charges.
Halifax | Hargreaves Lansdown | Interactive Investor | |
---|---|---|---|
Account fee | Yes | No | Yes |
Inactivity fee | No | No | No |
Deposit fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Double check in our broker finder tool if Halifax is the right broker for you.
Halifax review
Account opening
Opening an account at Halifax Share Dealing is very fast and takes place fully online. Still, we found the process less intuitive and less easy to navigate than at other brokers.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Fast | • Not user-friendly |
• Fully digital | • Only for UK residents |
• No minimum deposit |
Can you open an account?
Double check in our broker finder tool if Halifax is the right broker for you.
Only UK residents can open an account at Halifax.
What is the minimum deposit at Halifax?
The required Halifax minimum deposit is $0. Brokers that require no minimum deposit are great for beginners who may want to start trading with smaller amounts only.
Account types
Halifax offers several account types, including a standard share-dealing account, an account for regular savings, as well as tax-friendly ISA and SIPP accounts. We tested the standard Share Dealing Account.
Account | Description |
---|---|
1. Stocks and Shares ISA |
|
2. Share Dealing Account - Tested Account |
|
3. ShareBuilder |
|
4. Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) |
|
How to open your account
The account opening process at Halifax is fast. Once we completed the steps, it took less than one day to get our account up and running. However, the user interface at Halifax makes the process more complicated than we expected. For example, we found the navigation through each section not very intuitive, and the required formatting of information was sometimes confusing, with no clear explanations provided.
To open a Share Dealing account at Halifax:
- Open the Halifax website.
- Click the Investing tab in the top navigation bar.
- Click Start Investing, which will bring you to a page outlining the account options.
- Choose Share Dealing Account and Find Out More.
- Scroll Down to Apply for a Share Dealing Account and click Apply Now.
- Proceed through the required steps and present the required identification documents.

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Halifax review
Deposit and withdrawal
Deposits and withdrawals at Halifax are free, but the latter can be slow. Also, Halifax only allows GBP funding, meaning you'll face a currency exchange fee when trading international products.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Credit/Debit card available | • Only one account base currency |
• Free withdrawal | • Slow withdrawal - over 3 days |
• No deposit fee | • Electronic wallets not accepted |
Account base currencies
At Halifax, only one base currency is available, which is GBP.
This means that if you trade international products, Halifax will charge you a currency conversion fee of 2.99% on your investment.
Halifax | Hargreaves Lansdown | Interactive Investor | |
---|---|---|---|
Number of base currencies | 1 | 1 | 9 |
Why does this matter? For two reasons. If you fund your trading account in the same currency as your bank account or you trade assets in the same currency as your trading account base currency, you don't have to pay a conversion fee.
A convenient way to save on currency conversion fees is by opening a multi-currency bank account at a digital bank, most of which offer bank accounts in several currencies with favorable currency exchange rates as well as free or cheap international bank transfers. Opening an account usually only takes a few minutes on your phone.
Deposit fees and options
Halifax charges no deposit fees and you can add money to your account using a debit card, via direct debit from your bank account, or by cheque. No electronic wallets are acceppted, though. There is also a £100,000 limit on deposits by debit card.
Halifax | Hargreaves Lansdown | Interactive Investor | |
---|---|---|---|
Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Credit/debit card | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Electronic wallets | No | No | No |
A bank transfer can take several business days to go through, while payment with a credit/debit card is instant and also more convenient.
You can only deposit money from accounts that are in your name.

Halifax withdrawal fees and options
Halifax charges no withdrawal fees. You can only withdraw funds to a bank account you have designated for this purpose.
Halifax | Hargreaves Lansdown | Interactive Investor | |
---|---|---|---|
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 Halifax? We tested the bank transfer withdrawal and it took more than 3 business days.
You can only withdraw money to accounts that are in your name.
How do you withdraw money from Halifax?
- Navigate to Halifax Share Dealing and sign in to your account.
- Click 'Account Management' in the sidebar to open a drop-down list.
- Choose 'Fund & Withdraw' if you want to either deposit to, or withdraw from your account. You can save your most frequently used bank account here to make future deposits easier.
Double check in our broker finder tool if Halifax is the right broker for you.
Halifax review
Web trading platform
Halifax offers a basic web trading platform that is easy to navigate, but it doesn't offer much extra functionality, relying on the public website for most research tools or information.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• User-friendly | • Limited customizability (for charts, workspace) |
• Clear fee report | • No dedicated research tools on platform |
• Two-step (safer) login |
Trading platform | Score | Available |
---|---|---|
Web | 2.8 stars | Yes |
Mobile | - | No |
Desktop | - | No |
Halifax offers a simple web platform for its users. It is available in English and includes access to trading UK and international instruments, funding and withdrawal functions, and a chance to view historical trading and fee reports.
Look and feel
The Halifax web trading platform is user-friendly. We found the navigation column on the right useful for exploring the platform's capabilities.
However, the platform is not customizable and looks more like a simple online banking platform. We felt that in order to properly trade on this platform, we needed to open multiple tabs to access all relevant information, which clutters our desktop.
The platform has links to sections on Halifax's public website, including a stock screener, information on security, and access to news. Still, integrating all of this information into one easy-to-use platform would help simplify its use.

Login and security
Halifax provides a safe two-step login. This two-step login requires answering an extra security question each time you sign in. Two-factor authentification using another device could make the platform even more secure.
Search functions
The search functions are OK. You can search for either the ticker or the name to find the asset you need. The search function is split into UK-based assets, international assets and funds. It would be even more helpful if users could search by industry, attributes or asset price. Halifax does in fact offer additional search options using screeners on its main webpage, but it would be nice to have this capability inside the trading platform.

Placing orders
You can use the following order types:
- Market
- Limit
- Stop Loss
- Target setting (Combination of Limit and Stop Loss)
- Range (Using two Limit Orders)
- Price Lock (an automatically adjusting Stop Loss)
To trade using the Market order type, you can simply place a regular order with the listed price quote. To be able to use the other order types, you need to set up a TradePlan, which has even more capabilities to customize your trade.
To get a better understanding of these terms, read this overview of order types.
There is also one order time limit that you can use, which is a Day order.

Alerts and notifications
You can set price alerts and notifications through a feature called Watchlist. This feature is only offered on the public website and requires you to register with an email and password separately from setting up a trading account.
To access this feature, navigate to Halifax Investments, choose 'Research the market' and then 'Watchlist' in the top right.
Portfolio and fee reports
Halifax has clear portfolio and fee reports accessible on the Share Dealing Portal under 'Valuation & Statements'. These include Dealing History, TradePlan History, Dividend History, Cash History, Income History, Admin Charges and Tax Certificates. These statements are great because they provide full transparency and can potentially help you calculate your taxes.
Halifax review
Mobile trading platform
Halifax doesn't offer a mobile trading platform. We think that the lack of a mobile trading platform is a big miss as users can't trade or track their positions on the go.
Halifax review
Desktop trading platform
Halifax doesn't provide a desktop trading platform.
Halifax review
Markets and products
Halifax offers stocks and ETFs from multiple international exchanges, along with a good selection of funds, but other popular product categories such as forex, CFDs or cryptos are not available.
Halifax | Hargreaves Lansdown | Interactive Investor | |
---|---|---|---|
Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes |
ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Forex | No | No | No |
Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bonds | No | Yes | Yes |
Options | No | No | No |
Futures | No | No | No |
CFDs | No | No | No |
Crypto | No | No | No |
Note: Halifax also offers bonds, but only via phone. We did not include bonds in the list above because they are not available for trading on the online platform.
Stocks and ETFs
Halifax offers international stocks and ETFs by granting access to several global exchanges such as London, New York, Paris, Frankfurt, Milan, Amsterdam or Brussels. However, this is still a limited selection compared with some close competitors.
Halifax | Hargreaves Lansdown | Interactive Investor | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock markets (#) | 8 | 21 | 16 |
ETFs (#) | 564 | 2,500 | 1,500 |
Funds
Halifax offers about the same number of mutual fund providers as its competitors, with more than 2000 funds available for trading.
Halifax | Hargreaves Lansdown | Interactive Investor | |
---|---|---|---|
Fund providers (#) | 140 | 180 | 150 |
Investment Trusts
Halifax also offers the chance to invest in Investment Trusts, which are basically funds registered as public limited companies. These can invest in other companies and are traded on a stock exchange themselves. Halifax clients can choose from a selection of around 200 Investment Trusts offered by various providers.
Double check in our broker finder tool if Halifax is the right broker for you.
Halifax review
Research
Halifax's research page has many useful tools, such as fundamental data and trading ideas. On the negative side, it's a bit difficult to locate and use some of these research tools.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Trading ideas | • Research tools not integrated into web trading platform |
• Data on asset fundamentals |
Halifax's research tools are located outside the trading platform, on the public website. To access the research page, you should follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Halifax Share Dealing main page
- Find 'Research the Market'
- From here, you can access the Share Centre, the Funds Centre, Markets News, Investment Ideas, and Watchlist (for setting price alerts)
Trading ideas
Halifax provides some trading ideas with the Risers and Fallers list, based on daily price changes, and with the Most Traded list, based on volume. We found these lists informative.

Fundamental data
Halifax offers some fundamental data for each stock, ETF and fund. Most of the data is based on historical pricing and volume.

Charting
Halifax provides OK charting tools on its fundamental data page for all stocks and ETFs. You can access it by clicking 'Advanced Chart' and can use 87 technical indicators for charting.

News feed
Halifax provides news updates from Morningstar. These include Headline News, Market News, Company News, Economic News and Regulatory News. There's also an 'Insights' section that has additional opinion and advice pieces. We found the news articles high quality and relevant.
Halifax review
Customer service
Halifax's customer support is very poor, taking very long - if at all available - to address problems or queries.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
None | • No 24/7 support |
• Very slow phone support | |
• Live chat not always working | |
• No response to email |
Overall, customer service at Halifax is very poor. During our review, a simple change of client data (a new home address) took customer support almost 2 hours to register, and in the end we did not find our new address in the account.
Customer support is available only during working hours; we missed the 24/7 availability that is provided by many other brokers.
Method | Description |
---|---|
Live chat |
|
Phone |
|
|

Halifax review
Education
Halifax offers tutorials on how to use the platform as well as how to invest, but there's no demo account allowing new users to try the platform before opening an account.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• Trading platform tutorial | • No demo account |
• Educational videos |
Halifax provides educational information in five mediums to cater to a variety of customers:
- Platform tutorial videos
- General educational videos
- Webinars
- Quality educational articles
- Quizzes
We found that educational materials can be hard to find on Halifax's website because they are located in three separate places. Therefore, we laid them out for you below.
Navigation | Description |
---|---|
Halifax Share Dealing -> Help and Guidance -> I already invest with Halifax |
This page has a link to an introductory video on how to use Halifax Share Dealing as well as links to common topics like "Transferring to us from another broker" or "Managing your ISA". |
Halifax Share Dealing -> Understanding Investing |
This site has information for beginner investors and those who want a refresher on basic investment principles. |
Halifax Share Dealing -> Research the Market -> Investment Ideas |
There are texts and videos provided by Morningstar for more advanced investors that want more information about where to invest and why. |
We found Halifax's educational materials helpful and relevant, but we would still like to see a demo account for prospective clients.
Halifax review
Safety
Halifax is regulated by the top-tier FCA and is part of the publicly-traded Lloyds Banking Group. This background provides a good level of safety for Halifax customers.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
• High level of investor protection | None |
• Banking background | |
• All clients belong to a top-tier financial authority |
Is Halifax regulated?
Yes, it is regulated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Halifax Share Dealing is based in the UK and was founded in 1996, but its banking roots trace back to the 19th century.
Is Halifax 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
In the event that Halifax is unable to pay its debts, clients are eligible to be covered by the FCA up to £85,000 per account. This amount is higher than most other international investor protection schemes.
Country of clients | Protection amount | Regulator | Legal entity |
---|---|---|---|
All clients | £85,000 | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) | Halifax Share Dealing Limited |
Background
Halifax Share Dealing was established in 1996 and merged with the Bank of Scotland in 2001, which was subsequently bought during the financial crisis in 2009 by Lloyds Banking Group. The longer track record a broker has, the more proof we have that it has successfully survived previous financial crises.
Halifax has a banking license and as such, it is subject to tougher regulations than brokers. Halifax's ultimate parent company, Lloyd's Banking Group, is listed on a stock exchange, which is a big plus for safety as it needs to release financial statements regularly and transparently.
Overall, having a banking license, being listed on a stock exchange, publishing financial statements, and being regulated by a top-tier authority are all great signs for Halifax's safety.
Halifax review
Bottom line
Halifax Share Dealing is a reputable UK broker with low fees. There are free deposits and withdrawals from your account, and a quick and easy account opening process with the option to set up a UK tax-exempt ISA. This broker could be the right option for long-term investors that only initiate trades occasionally.
In some respects, though, Halifax is lagging behind its competition. It has a weak product selection, as well as inefficient and unresponsive customer support. Halifax offers no mobile trading app or desktop trading platform.
As your account will be ready within a few days and no inactivity fee is charged, you should feel free to try Halifax.
Halifax review
FAQ
We recommend Halifax for beginners and long-term investors.
Below you can find links to all aspects of Halifax in this comprehensive collection.
Lower fees, lower costs?
We detailed this in our Halifax fees article.
What about the minimum deposit?
Our ultimate guide to the Halifax minimum deposit is updated regularly.
How to start your Halifax account?
Look no further than our evaluation of the Halifax account opening.
Is the quality of customer service satisfactory?
All you need to know about the Halifax customer service.
Legit or scam?
'Is Halifax 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 Halifax is really free.
Is this broker good for beginners?
We checked it in Is Halifax good for beginners.
Should you buy your silver bullets on Halifax?
Research for silver bugs in the Silver buy on Halifax guide.
I want to trade options, are they available at Halifax?
We explored the topic in Can you trade options on Halifax?
What is the minimum account balance at Halifax?
Check out the current account balance requirements at Halifax in our What is the minimum account balance at Halifax article.
Looking for commission and fees data for Halifax?
We collected them in Halifax commission and fees.
How do you withdraw money from Halifax?
We tested it and collected the options and costs in How to withdraw money on Halifax.