The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you put in. Past performance does not predict future returns. Nothing on this page is personal advice.
Before you invest anything
Investing is the right answer to some questions and the wrong answer to others. Three checks come first, and they are the same three a good adviser would start with.
Clear expensive debt first
A credit card at 20% costs you more than a portfolio is likely to make. Paying it down is a guaranteed return.
Hold cash you can reach
Three to six months of essential outgoings in an instant-access savings account, so you are never forced to sell investments at a bad moment.
Give it time
Money you need within five years generally belongs in savings, not investments. Markets fall, and recovery is measured in years rather than weeks.
Savings first is not a sales tactic
We would rather you opened a savings account than an investment account you have to close in a hurry. The instant-access rate is on our savings page.
How the portfolios are built
You choose a risk level; the portfolio behind it is diversified across asset classes and regions and rebalanced automatically. You are not picking individual shares, and you are not paying anyone to try.
| Portfolio | Typical mix | Suits | Expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cautious | Mostly bonds, a small equity allocation | Shorter horizons, or a low tolerance for falls | Smaller swings, lower long-run growth |
| Balanced | A broadly even split of equities and bonds | Most medium-term goals | Moderate swings in both directions |
| Growth | Mostly equities across developed and emerging markets | Long horizons and a settled attitude to falls | Larger swings, higher long-run potential |
| Adventurous | Almost entirely equities, with a wider spread | Ten years or more, and no need to touch it | Substantial falls along the way |
What sits inside them
- Low-cost index funds and exchange-traded funds rather than expensive active mandates.
- Global diversification, so no single market decides your outcome.
- Automatic rebalancing when the mix drifts from its target.
- Dividends and interest reinvested unless you ask for income.
What it costs
| Charge | How it works |
|---|---|
| Platform fee | An annual percentage of the value held, taken monthly in arrears. |
| Fund charges | Charged inside the funds themselves and reflected in the unit price, not billed separately. |
| Transaction costs | The cost of buying and selling within the portfolio. Kept low by trading in bulk. |
| Exit fee | None. You can sell and withdraw at any time. |
The exact figures for your portfolio are shown before you confirm, and again in your annual costs statement.
Charges compound too
A one percentage point difference in annual charges is not a rounding error over twenty years. It is the reason we default to index funds.
The risks, stated plainly
- You can get back less than you put in. This is not a savings account and it is not protected against market falls.
- Falls of twenty per cent or more have happened repeatedly in diversified portfolios and will happen again.
- Inflation erodes the real value of returns, including cash held inside a portfolio.
- Currency movements affect the value of overseas holdings, up and down.
- Selling in a falling market turns a paper loss into a real one. The most common cause of a poor outcome is the investor, not the portfolio.
If you are unsure, get advice
We can tell you how a product works. We cannot tell you whether it is right for you unless you take advice, and for larger or more complex situations you should.
Managing it day to day
- Contribute
- A lump sum, a monthly standing order, or both. Regular contributions smooth out the price you pay over time.
- Track
- Valuation, contributions, growth and charges are in one view in online banking, updated each business day.
- Change risk level
- Switch portfolio at any time. The rebalancing happens on the next dealing cycle.
- Withdraw
- Sell and settle back to your current account. Settlement typically takes a few business days.
- Statements
- A valuation statement and an annual costs and charges statement, both downloadable.
Documents you may also need
Prestige
A named relationship manager, personal concierge, dedicated wealth advice and zero foreign exchange fees worldwide.
Personal BankingYour Benefits
Everything that comes with a personal account, tier by tier — what is included, what it is worth, and how to claim it.
Personal BankingDebit & Credit Cards
Contactless debit, a rewards credit card, and the controls that let you freeze, limit and replace a card yourself in seconds.
This document was last updated on 1 August 2026. We publish the current version here at all times; superseded versions are available on request.
If anything on this page is unclear, write to us and we will explain it.