What is a fund platform?

An online service that enables investors to view their investment portfolio and buy and sell a variety of assets.

Where have you heard about fund platforms?

You may hear fund platforms referred to as fund wraps or fund supermarkets. A fund wrap tends to offer a wider range of assets whereas a supermarket will have a specific list of funds available to investors.

What you need to know about fund platforms.

They’re a convenient way for you to hold different investments in one place. Fund platforms are designed for people making their own investment decisions – they won’t tell you which investment to choose. Platform fees and charges vary.

Platforms may allow you to hold your investments in a tax-efficient structure, such as an investment ISA, or manage a self-invested personal pension. In the UK, fund platforms are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. This protects against the risk of the platform collapsing, not poor performance as a result of your investment decisions! If you’re investing more than the FSCS compensation limit, you may want to use a number of different platforms to hold your investments.