Alliance Trust Savings is probably better known for its large fund supermarket than for its share dealing services. However, the firm offers online trading in UK stocks, plus UK bonds and a number of overseas markets for telephone dealing. International trades are executed via an intermediary (Pershing Securities).
International transactions can only be made by phone (at a rate of £40 per trade), the currency commission of 1.3% is higher than many peers and not all stocks in all markets will be available. For this reason, this provider won’t suit very active investors or those looking for comprehensive coverage.
However, for investors who mostly use funds and UK stocks but are also keen to invest in some major international stocks from a wide range of countries, Alliance Trust may be of interest. Its flat-fee structure makes it expensive for small accounts, but can represent very good value for large SIPPs.
| Online trading | UK |
| Telephone trading | Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany - Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA |
| Typical online | £12.50 |
| Online details | UK £12.50 |
| Typical telephone | £40 |
| Telephone details | UK & international £40 |
| Account fees and inactivity fees | Administration fee £18.75 per quarter |
| Custody charges for stocks | 0.05% of total value of international shares every six months |
| Dividend charges | None |
| Corporate action charges | None |
| Currency conversion charges | 1.3% margin |
| Hold cash in foreign currencies | No |
| Currencies allowed | GBP |
| Tax-advantaged accounts | ISA (administration fee £18.75 per quarter), SIPP (administration £155+VAT per year) |
| Other products and services | Bonds, funds |
| Minimum account size | £50 |
| Company location | UK |
| Further information | Visit the Alliance Trust Savings website |
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