General Investment Account

Invest without limits with a GIA
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The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invest.

General Investment Accounts explained

A General Investment Account (GIA) is for investing outside tax-efficient wrappers like ISAs or SIPPs. You may want to use one if you’ve used your annual tax allowances.

A GIA sometimes goes by other names. You might see it called a share dealing account, shares account, or simply an investment account. They all mean the same thing.

The main advantage of a GIA investment account is that there’s no limit to how much you can invest.

It’s a flexible account, with thousands of investments to choose from. That makes it ideal for investing outside of your ISA and SIPP.
Portfolio screen

General Investment Account tax

With your GIA, you will have to  pay capital gains tax (CGT) and dividend tax above your allowances. The amount you’ll be taxed depends on the size of your gains and your current income tax band.

If you’re investing in a GIA, you may need to file an annual tax return.

Tax-efficient investment accounts

No one likes paying more tax than they need to. You can get two different tax-efficient investment accounts with Freetrade: a stocks and shares Individual Savings Account (ISA) and a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP). Using tax-efficient accounts can let you keep more of your returns.
Stocks and shares ISA
The main difference between a GIA and an ISA is tax. With an ISA, you can invest up to £20,000 each year without having to pay capital gains or UK dividend tax. With Freetrade, your ISA is flexible. This means you can withdraw and replace money during the tax year without impacting your annual allowance.
SIPP
Unlike a GIA, a SIPP gives tax relief on your contributions. Contributions are capped at 100% of your annual income and you can claim tax relief on the first £60,000 you contribute each year. Tax relief will be between 20% and 45% depending on your taxpayer band.
ISA and SIPP eligibility rules apply.  US dividends received into your SIPP may be subject to US withholding tax.

A SIPP is a pension designed for you to save until your retirement and is for people who want to make their own investment decisions. You can normally only draw your pension from age 55 (57 from 2028), except in special circumstances.

At present, Freetrade only supports Uncrystallised Fund Pension Lump Sums (UFPLS) for customers who wish to withdraw funds from their SIPP after their 55th birthday. We strongly encourage you to seek financial advice before making any withdrawals from your SIPP.

Reasons to invest with Freetrade

01
Commission-free investing
Unlimited free trades and low FX fees, so your money goes further.
02
Automated tools
Regular investing made simple with Direct Debits and recurring orders.
03
Award-winning app
Great for experienced investors or those starting out.
04
6,200+ stocks
Choose from global stocks, ETFs, trusts, UK Treasury bills and more.
05
Easy to use
Manage your portfolio with ease on iOS, Android, or your web browser.
06
Fast, friendly support
Our customer service team is here to help. Reach out if you need extra support.
Open a GIA

Compare our pricing

See how investing with Freetrade measures up against other brokers.
Trades
Subscription fee
FX rate
US fractional shares
Maximum account size
Transfer in fee
Transfer out fee
Free
Per Trade
Free
Basic Plan
Exchange rate + 0.99%
FX rate - Basic plan
Yes
Unlimited
£0
£0
Cash and UK stocks
£17
US stocks (per holding)
£11.95
Per Trade
Free
Share dealing account fee
Exchange rate + 1%
No
Unlimited
£0
£0
£3.99
Per Trade
£4.99/mo
Investor Essentials plan
Exchange rate + 1.5%
No
£50,000
Investor Essentials plan
£0
£0
£5.00
Per Trade
0.25%
Share dealing account fee
Exchange rate + 0.75%
No
Unlimited
£0
£0
Comparison Disclosure
Comparisons to other providers are based on published costs on their websites as of 31 August 2024, for a portfolio size of £10,000 and trades on shares and ETFs within a general investment account (GIA). They are shown for illustrative purposes only. For confirmation of their up to date charges and product information, you should visit their websites.

Hargreaves Lansdown:
Fee per trade reduces, depending on the number of trades executed in the previous month, to £8.95 per trade for 10-19 trades, and £5.95 for 20 or more trades. The FX rate reduces on a tiered scale, based on transaction value: 1% for the first £5,000, 0.75% for the next £5,000, 0.50% for the next £10,000, and 0.25% for anything above £20,000.

Interactive Investor:
Subscription fee is based on the Investor Essentials plan which allows for a maximum portfolio size of £50,000. For portfolios above £50,000, customers are switched to the Investor Plan which costs £11.99/mo. The FX rate reduces on a tiered scale, based on transaction value: 1.25% for trades between £25,000 - £49,999, 1.0% for trades between £50,000 - £99,999.99, 0.50% for trades between £100,000 - £599,999, and 0.25% for trades of £600,000 or more.

AJ Bell:
Subscription fee is based on the monthly 0.25% charge on the value of shares held in the dealing account, which is the equivalent of a general investment account (GIA). This is capped at £3.50/mo. Fee per trade reduces to £3.50 if 10 or more trades were executed in the previous month. The FX rate reduces on a tiered scale, based on transaction value: 0.75% for the first £10,000, 0.50% for £10,001 - £20,000, and 0.25% for anything over £20,000.

Transfer your investment account to Freetrade.

It’s quick and free to transfer investments or cash from another provider to your Freetrade General Investment Accounts. Keep things simple with all your investments in one place.

Whatever your reason for transferring, make sure it’s the right decision for you.

Choose from thousands of investments

Stocks

Invest in thousands of companies listed on the LSE, NYSE, NASDAQ, and across Europe.

ETFs

Choose from a wide range of exchange-traded funds including index, commodity, and bond ETFs from providers like Vanguard, iShares, Invesco, and more.

REITs

Add residential or commercial real estate assets to your portfolio without the hassle of buying and managing the properties yourself.

Investment trusts

Choose from hundreds of investment trusts across a wide range of sectors, geographical areas, and markets worldwide.

UK Treasury bills

Earn a fixed yield on your cash. Low-risk and backed by the UK government. Rate subject to success in tender.

General Investment Account FAQs

Here you’ll find answers to the most frequently asked questions. If you have a question that’s not listed, please contact support.
How much does a General Investment Account cost?
How much can you invest in a General Investment Account?
What can you invest in with a GIA?
Is investing in stocks worth the risk?
Can I open more than one General Investment Account?
What is the difference between a GIA and an ISA?
What is the difference between a savings account and a GIA?

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Pick the plan that suits you best
Save 17% when you choose an annual subscription.
Basic
£0.00
/Month
Accounts
  • General Investment Account
Benefits
  • A great way to try Freetrade before transferring your ISA or pension
  • Unlimited commission-free trades. Other charges may apply.
  • Trade USD and EUR stocks at the exchange rate + 0.99% FX fee
  • Access to a selection of Freetrade’s 6,200+ global stocks and ETFs
  • 1% AER on up to £1,000 uninvested cash
  • Fractional US shares
  • Access to mobile app and web platform
Standard
£4.99
/Month
£59.88 billed annually
Accounts
  • General Investment Account
  • Stocks and shares ISA
Everything in Basic and:
  • Access to 6,200+ stocks and ETFs
  • A lower FX fee of 0.59% on non-GBP trades
  • 3% AER on up to £2,000 uninvested cash
  • Automated order types, including recurring orders
  • More stats and analysis, including analyst ratings and EPS estimates 
Plus
£9.99
/Month
£119.88 billed annually
Accounts
  • General Investment Account
  • Stocks and shares ISA
  • Personal pension
Everything in Standard and:
  • A lower FX fee of 0.39% on non-GBP trades
  • Priority customer service
  • 5% AER on up to £3,000 uninvested cash
Basic
£0.00
/Month
Accounts
  • General Investment Account
Benefits
  • A great way to try Freetrade before transferring your ISA or pension
  • Unlimited commission-free trades. Other charges may apply.
  • Trade USD and EUR stocks at the exchange rate + 0.99% FX fee
  • Access to a selection of Freetrade’s 6,200+ global stocks and ETFs
  • 1% AER on up to £1,000 uninvested cash
  • Fractional US shares
  • Access to mobile app and web platform
Standard
£5.99
/Month
billed monthly
Accounts
  • General Investment Account
  • Stocks and shares ISA
Everything in Basic and:
  • Access to 6,200+ stocks and ETFs
  • A lower FX fee of 0.59% on non-GBP trades
  • 3% AER on up to £2,000 uninvested cash
  • Automated order types, including recurring orders
  • More stats and analysis, including analyst ratings and EPS estimates 
Plus
£11.99
/Month
billed monthly
Accounts
  • General Investment Account
  • Stocks and shares ISA
  • Personal pension
Everything in Standard and:
  • A lower FX fee of 0.39% on non-GBP trades
  • Priority customer service
  • 5% AER on up to £3,000 uninvested cash

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