Here Are 8 Of The Best Investing Apps In The UK

If you're starting your investing journey, then we've got everything you need to know.

Whether you're a total newbie or you've had some experience, the world of investing can be a bit confusing sometimes. Thanks to the world of modern technology, there are some great apps that you can use on your phone to help you get started and make investing super easy.

First of all, let's go over the basics when it comes to investing and investing apps.

Investing means buying stocks, shares, bonds, funds, property or cryptocurrency in the hope that it will increase in value. However, investing is a risk as your investments can either increase or decrease in value, meaning you can easily lose money but you can also gain a lot too. Investing is tricky, and you'll need to invest your money wisely in order to ensure a profit and not a loss.

Many people consider investing more efficient than opening a savings account. With a savings account you put aside your money and earn interest on it. But with investing, you put your money somewhere and could get a lot back in return.

Before starting your investing journey, know that you shouldn't invest what you can't afford to lose. You could lose everything you invest, so don't do it if you don't want to take the risk. This article is not intended as financial advice, always think smartly before making decisions about money.

How do investing apps work?

Investing apps are apps used to help you put money on the stock market or into other investments by using your phone. They are designed to be easy to use (which is great for beginners!) and can help you:

• keep track of your investments

• invest in new things quickly

• build a second source of revenue, if you're putting enough time and effort into investing.

Many investment apps work as a form of passive income. This means that you sign up and link your bank account and the app algorithm will do the hard work for you. So it's suited for beginners as you won't actually have to do much. You'll just choose where to invest and track your investments straight from the app.

How to use investing apps if you're a beginner

The UK investment market has seen a lot of growth over the last few years. So there are a few things you'll want to consider when looking for the right app for you.

Some things you'll want to consider when signing up for an investment app are:

• Asset variety – what types of things can you invest in?

• How user friendly do you find the app? – for beginners, you'll want to make sure you fully understand the app and what you're signing up for

• Does the app allow you to practice – if you're new to investing it could be wise to practice trading (which many apps allow) before you take the plunge into the real thing

• Fees – not all investing apps are free, you may have to pay exit fees, monthly or annual charges

• Is there a minimum investment?

• Are there any extra benefits to using the app?

• Are there any penalties if you withdraw money?

• Is the app regulated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)?

Once you've shopped around and found the best investment app for you, you're pretty much ready to go!

If you're ready to take the plunge, here are some of the investment apps in the UK to consider.

Best investing apps for beginners

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is one of the biggest investment mobile apps. You can open a bank account, pension or invest in stocks and shares and choose from a range of different portfolios.

Online brokers will monitor your portfolio and buy and sell stocks on your behalf to help you achieve your objectives. So really they'll be doing the hard work! The app is really easy to use and you can track potential returns and losses.

eToro

eToro has been around for years and is one of the main investing apps in the UK. Their app makes it so easy to figure out where you want to invest, with over 7000 instruments to choose from. With a super user-friendly setup, it's no wonder it's one of the most popular platforms worldwide.

Trading 212

One of the most user-friendly investing apps out there is Trading 212. It's risen in popularity the last few years to become one of the mainstays in investing apps in the UK. It's commission-free, and you can invest from just a £1 deposit.

The platform is super simple to use with easy instructions to help you every step of the way.

Fidelity

If you want to start investing in a ready-made investment portfolio, but eventually want to expand to picking out your own investments, Fidelity is a great option. Fidelity is good for beginners as it is one of the largest investment providers in the world to invest in stocks, shares, bonds and other assets.

It's great for getting started with investment and learning how to expand. The app allows you to choose from either one of 10 ready-made growth portfolios or six income-focused portfolios. So you can choose what your goals are for investing and hopefully see some great results.

Vanguard

Vanguard is a good app to open an account with if you're looking for a cheap way to invest. As investing can be a risk, it's a good beginner app. You can invest into a stocks and shares ISA or into a brokerage account. It can cost just 0.41% a year to invest via Vanguard, so it's a good starting place.

Ethical investing apps in the UK

Investing and cryptocurrency can have a heavy impact on the environment and the ethics of trading are often debated. However, there are also a lot of investing apps that are designed to have a positive change on the world and investors put their money to work in a positive way.

Ethical investment apps are socially responsible and aim to make an overall positive change. So you know that if you're investing your money with them you know it's going to a good place.

Areas of interest to ethical investors could be climate change, gender equality or sustainable agriculture.

Here are some ethical apps to invest in:

Moneyfarm

There's not many B Corp certified investing apps out there, but Moneyfarm are here to help you grow your savings while having a positive impact on the environment. With lots of different types of investments available through their platform, it's definitely one to explore.

Wealthify

You don't need any investment experience to open an account with Wealthify. They exclude industries that are harmful to the environment such as tobacco, deforestation or companies that are well known to have unfair labour practices.

There are 5 ethical plans to choose from and the Wealthify experts constantly look for more ethical funds to add and to make sure that they're sticking to ethical practices.

Wealthsimple

Although it's based in Canada, Wealthsimple is a really popular investment app in the UK with a socially responsible investment portfolio.

Wealthsimple automatically excludes shares from "controversial" companies as well as excluding the top 25% carbon emitters in each industry. Plus, at least 25% of all funds in the portfolio must come from companies that have at least 3 women in their board of directors.

Tobacco, weapons, fossil fuels and alcohol are among some of the industries that are excluded. On the flipside, industries that are included include clean energy, electric cars, alternative agriculture and more.

Taking the plunge into investing can be scary. So be sure to research the market to find the best deal if you're considering opening an account. For more ways to make money as a student, check out the best student side hustles.

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