The Verdict
Nuwealth is one of the cheaper options when it comes to saving tools and auto investing. In addition to ETFs, there is also access to a good range of high-value stocks, made accessible via
Fractional shares are portions of shares (or ETFs) that are smaller than one whole share. They are designed to make ownership of large, expensive shares more accessible.
fractional shares
.
I admit that I was sceptical at first, but the app has won me over. For someone with little to no starting capital or experience, this presents a well-priced and easy-to-use option. Use the savings tools to build a pot, and then tap into the investments on offer. Fractional shares mean very little starting capital is required.
There are of course flaws. Investors should be aware of the 0.75%
A foreign exchange (FX) fee is added to all trades involving foreign currencies. If you buy a stock that trades in US dollars, for example, and your home account is in GB pounds, you'll need to pay an FX fee.FX fee
when buying overseas stocks. In addition, there is zero assistance in the way of helping new investors pick their investments or understand their risk profile. All the ETFs are thematic, which means you can invest in a theme such as food, or AI. However, it also means you can’t access a simple tracker fund.
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Reasons to use
- Super easy to use
- Access to fractional shares
- Good savings tools
Fees
Fees are reasonable for this kind of service. Yes, you can access the assets cheaper elsewhere, however, you won't find access to both the assets and the savings tools at this price elsewhere.
- £1 per month subscription fee
- 0.75% FX fees
- 0.10% platform fee
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Account Opening
Account opening is very quick and streamlined. However, don’t expect to be automatically linked to your bank account app, you will need your account details to hand such as account number and sort code.
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Research
Considering that this is a pared-back service for complete beginners, research is actually pretty good. As an example, funds will have a risk rating, a list of companies and brands, a fact sheet PDF, a KIID PDF, and a prospectus PDF. Past performance is detailed within the app, and I can’t think of any further information investors might need.
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Reasons to use
- Risk rating
- Prospectus
- Fact sheets
- Key Investor Documents
Reasons to avoid
- No economic calender
- No interactive graphs
Safety
NuWealth has all the correct levels of safety precautions and I could see no cause for concern for prospective investors.
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Reasons to use
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
- Protection by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme
Education
Whilst NuWealth provides access to a decent amount of articles from within the app, there is a lack of interactive education such as quizzes. However, I find education to be well-organised.
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Reasons to use
- Good selection of articles
Reasons to avoid
- No quizzes
- No seminars
- No video content
- No blogs
Customer Service
You can email from within the app, however there is no live chat, messaging service, or telephone support. This places them behind many of the competition. Response times were fairly slow, with messages sent after 2pm being answered next day.
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Reasons to avoid
- No live chat
- No telephone support