Are you looking to dabble into the stock market, but are unsure of the best UK stock broker? If so, you’ve certainly come to the right place. There’s a new wave of zero and low fee platforms such as eToro and Freetrade, competing against older institutions such as IG and Hargreaves Lansdown. Then there’s the likes of eToro which sit somewhere in the middle by offering a slick, beginner-friendly interface with a comprehensive list of blue chip stocks to boot.

The key is finding a stock broker platform that is right for you. This might be a broker that lists thousands of shares across multiple markets or a platform that offers super-low trading fees. Either way, we’ve got you covered.

Within our guide, we’ll start by explaining what a stock broker actually is and how they work. After that, we’ll then list the best UK brokers currently active in the market. We’ll also give you some handy tips on the factors you need to look out for prior to joining a new platform.

In case you’re in a rush and don’t have to time to read our full guide, here’s a quick look at the best stock brokers available in the UK.

Table of Contents

Note: While we have covered the ins and outs of what you need to look out for when choosing a new stock broker, the most important thing is that the platform is regulated. In the UK, investment platforms need to hold a license from the FCA to offer online brokerage services.

Who are top online brokers for 2020? We cast our eye on these six FCA regulated platforms.

If you’re a newbie investor, then we would suggest using one of the following online stock brokers, most of which also offer investing apps to facilitate your trading experience. So we have listed the top UK stock brokers with brief overview of their product offer along with platform update.

eToro permits deposits and withdrawals via multiple channels, including debit/credit cards, e-wallets, and a bank transfer. It allows you to deposit up to £2,000 without submitting id. Its most novel feature is it's copy trading functionality, which allows you to mirror the trades of successful stock investors on the platform.

Leveraged positions (the max leverage for UK customers is 5x) and short selling orders (a great option if you feel a stock is going to lose value) incur standard overnight and weekend fees.

eToro is also popular because of its industry-leading fee structure. Long (BUY), non-leveraged stock purchases do not incur any commission or spread. This means you can buy a physical, underlying stock asset and you won't get crippled with trading fees. These orders incur small conversion and withdrawal fees instead.

The platform lists thousands of stocks and shares across heaps of markets. This includes the London Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and the New York Stock Exchange. You can also buy and sell shares from less popular markets such as those found in Scandinavia, Spain, and Canada. Among its most coveted offerings are tech stocks such as Netflix, Amazon and Apple, and big British blue-chip stocks such as British Airways, BT and Tesco. The coronavirus pandemic has seen it add a host of pharmaceutical stocks to its platform.

Although eToro was only launched in 2006, it is now one of the most popular online stock brokers in the UK - with millions of traders under its belt.

On top of that, Moneta Markets is very competitive in the spread and fees department, so you don’t need to break the bank to trade at this broker. It even offers a 50% deposit bonus, in addition to a ‘refer a friend’ bonus, to help you kickstart your trading endeavours!

This award-winning, regulated broker also offers some fantastic features and trading tools. These include platform videos and Moneta TV, daily technical analysis, and the innovative Duplitrade tool, which allows you to copy the portfolios of top traders!

One of the best things about Moneta Markets is that it offers high leverage – all the way up to 1:500. This is much higher than that offered by many other brokers and means you can use this leverage to make larger trades than your budget would otherwise permit.

Moneta Markets was established back in 2009 and hosts over 300 assets in the form of CFDs. This includes over 180 shares from the UK, US, Europe and Hong Kong, in addition to forex, commodities, indices and cryptocurrencies.

To activate a Capital.com stock trading account, you need a minimum initial deposit of £100. Trading stocks is commission-free and you get to enjoy market-leading spreads.

Secondly, Capital.com is authorized and regulated by the FCA in the UK and CySEC in Cyprus. Lastly, it employs high-quality security standards in keeping user accounts safe in addition to maintaining client funds in segregated bank accounts.

Capital.com trading platform has three key selling points: First is its highly advanced, feature-rich, and AI-powered trading platform. It features not just a wide range of tradable securities from multiple markets but also a wide array of technical indicators, risk management tools, and an intuitive interface with advanced charting tools. Plus it can also be customized.

Founded in 2016, Capital.com has gone on to create a highly advanced and highly intuitive stock trading platform that’s specially designed for the confident trader. Traders have access to over 2000 financial instruments traded in the form of CFDs. Among the variety of instruments that can be traded are local and international stock and shares available with leverage up to 1:200.

Pepperstone gives you access to over 14 world markets spread all over the U.S, Europe, and Asia. It also gives you access to hundreds of individual stock CFDs. You are also exposed to several payment-processing methods, and they do not charge any deposit or withdrawal fees.

You are also free to use the MT4, MT5, or the cTrader trading platforms. They are all highly advanced, featuring the most up to date trading and hosted on multiple devices and operating systems. The MT4 platform is, for instance, accessible via the webtrader as well as a desktop and mobile apps.

These are integrated with numerous premium technical indicators, trading and market analysis tools, and educational resources to ease your trade. Retail traders also gain access to the maximum share and stock trading leverages of up to 20:1 while forex traders can access the full FCA-set trading leverage of 30:1.

Pepperstone is a highly regulated online brokerage that launched its U.K branch in 2016. The broker is a stock and CFD specialist that has over the years morphed into one of the most versatile and highly advanced, yet easy to use trading platform. You will especially be drawn to the ease of opening an account with the online brokerage, its affordable minimum initial deposit (£200), and highly intuitive trading platforms.

To activate an account here, you will need a minimum initial deposit of £50. The broker doesn’t charge deposit/withdraw fees, and it’s trading fees are variable but highly competitive.

Additionally, the many years FXCM has been in operation has allowed the broker to improve on its trading platforms and come up with one of the most advanced trading platforms. Here traders get access to highly sophisticated trading, market analysis, and risk management tools.

On the broker’s platform, you get to trade a wide range of securities, including the stock and share CFDs, drawn from all the major money markets in the world. Among its unique features include the fact that it is highly regulated by FCA in the UK, ASIC in Australian, and South Africa’s FSB.

FXCM, also referred to as Forex Capital Market, is an established share and stock CFD broker. Founded in 1999, the CFD brokerage has over the years undergone significant adjustments that have seen it come off as one of the most reputable brokerages in the UK. FXCM is, for instance, the major shareholder of Jefferies Financial Group – a Fintech company that’s listed and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

To start trading share/stock CFDs with Plus500, however, you first need to create an account with the broker, complete the KYC and AML verification processes, and fund it with a minimum of £100 if depositing via debit/credit card and £500 when making a bank transfer.

And all these have positioned Plus500 as the perfect choice for the experienced stock CFD traders.

Established in 2008, the online brokerage has come up with one of the most sophisticated trading platforms. It integrates highly advanced technical indicators, customizable charts, and trade/market analysis tools. More importantly, Plus500 doesn’t charge trade commissions and maintains variable but highly competitive stock CFD spreads.

Plus500 is a well-reputed online stock brokerage with its headquarters in London. It is a pure CFD brokerage specializing in a variety of financial assets, including shares and stocks from different local and international exchange markets (such as the U.S, Germany, and entire Europe).

The main and only complaint that is commonly heard when it comes to this firm is the high compliance review in order to open an account. If you are opening the account directly from the UK you won't have to deal with much trouble, other citizenships and nationalities might open a case for discussion. Another aspect to mention is that while the firm is strong in terms of Stock, CFD Trading, it lacks in other markets. If you are interested in an active management of bonds or commodities you might be positioned better with another broker.

There are literally hundreds of brokers offering their services in the world, typically the most impressive ones are even publicly traded companies and that is the exact same case of IG. With a market capitalization in the billions, this is a firm that has been offering securities trading since the 70s. If you are interested in trading with a local regulated institution in the UK, IG might be the overall best option currently available in 2020.

Barclays charges £6 per stock trade and £3 per fund trade, in addition to a 0.1% annual account charge, so its not the cheapest. It is, however, a very reputable and reliable stockbroker, and it also has some useful features. These include ready-made investment portfolios, educational and research materials, and the Barclays Smart Investor, which is designed to help you keep track of the markets and make smart investment decisions.

Barclays is best known for its banking services, but it is also a stockbroker. There are three Barclays stockbrokers accounts - the Investment Account, the Investment Account and the SIPP Account. The Investment Account is the standard share dealing account and provides access to a wide range of shares, in addition to funds and bonds.

DEGIRO is also strong outside of the stocks department. This includes mutual funds, bonds, futures, and indices. Although the broker does not accept debit/credit cards or e-wallets, you can easily deposit funds with a UK bank account. We also like the educational tools available at DEGIRO. This covers heaps of useful guides and explainers on key trading terms, which is ideal if you're still a trading newbie.

DEGIRO is an excellent option if you are looking for access to a highly extensive number of asset classes. Firstly, the platform hosts tens of thousands of stocks and shares. This covers major markets in the UK and US, as well as emerging markets that are often difficult to access.

You will also have the option of trading with leverage, and the platform hosts a number of research tools that covers both fundamentals and technical analysis. Markets.com has an excellent regulatory standing, which includes a license from the FCA.

In a similar nature to eToro, Markets.com does not charge any trading fees or commissions. Instead, Markets.com makes its money from the spread. The platform is best suited to those with advanced skills in trading, as you'll have access to more than 100 technical indicators.

Markets.com is a UK based trading platform that has an extensive list of assets. This includes a huge forex department, as well as commodities, stocks and shares, energies, and futures.

With hundreds of UK-based stock brokers now active in the market, knowing which platform to go with is not easy. As such, we have a very strict criteria in place to ensure that platforms meet our super-high standards. If they don’t, they simply don’t make our list.

Below we have listed the main metrics that we look for when reviewing a new broker.

Let’s take a look at how the best UK stock brokers measure up against each other in terms of the key metrics.

What is a Stock Broker? Definition

In its most basic form, a stock broker is simply a third-party between you and a publically listed company. In other words, a stock broker allows you to buy and sell shares with ease. In a time not so long ago, you would be required to call your stock broker up over the telephone and place a manual trade.

The vast majority of brokers would also be required to physically buy and sell shares on the trading floor. This is what may newbie investors picture when they think of the traditional stock trading arena.

However, fast forward to 2020 and things are a lot different. The industry is now dominated by cutting-edge technologies, meaning that you can buy shares at the click of a button. Not only does this include a desktop computer, but mobile trading is also a thing.

When it comes to actually buying a stock, all you need to do is open an account with an online broker, deposit some funds, and choose the company that you wish to back. Once you have decided how much you want to invest, the stock broker platform will typically execute the trade instantly. In terms of selling your shares, the process is exactly the same but in reverse.

How do online stock brokers work?

Below we have outlined a more in-depth overview of how stock broker platforms work.

i) Once you have found a stock broker platform that meets your needs, you will need to open an account. If you’re an everyday retail trader, you should be able to do this in a matter of minutes. You’ll need to provide the broker with some information about your identity, such as your full name, home address, date of birth, national insurance number, and contact details. You will also need to answer some questions about your experience in trading.

ii) You will then need to go through a KYC (Know Your Customer) process. This is to ensure that the stock broker complies with UK and EU laws on anti-money laundering. You simply need to upload a clear copy of your government-issued ID, which can be either a passport or driver’s license. Most investment platforms can verify the document automatically. Note: at eToro you can deposit up to £2,000 without submitting KYC.

iii) Once your account is verified, you will then need to make a deposit. Most online stock brokers allow you to deposit funds with a local bank account. The best brokers will also support debit/credit cards and e-wallets like PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill.

iv) Now that you’ve funded your account, you are ready to buy some stocks and shares. You will need to search for the company that you wish to back, and then decide how much you want to invest. There is no longer a need to purchase whole shares, as stock brokers can split the difference with other investors on the platform. The platforms on this page allow you to buy the physical underlying stock, or trade them using leverage (which of course, means paying a spread).

v) Once you have purchased your shares, you will then be entitled to dividends (if applicable). You can sell your shares at any given time. If you try to sell them outside of standard trading hours, you will need to wait until the market reopens in the morning.

How do Stock Broker Fees Work?

Stockbrokers are in the business of making money, so you will need to pay a trading fee when you buy and sell shares. Some brokers will charge you every time you trade, meaning you’ll pay a flat fee at both ends of the transaction. This is beneficial if you are planning to trade large volumes.

If you are trading small amounts, then you are best off choosing a broker that charges fees on a percentage basis. For example, if the broker charges 0.5% per trade, and you purchase £300 worth of shares, you will pay £1.50 per trade. Once again, you’ll need to pay this when you buy and sell your shares.

A number of new-age platforms operating in the market now allow you to purchase shares on a commission-free basis. While most of these are in the form of CFDs (contract-for-difference), brokers like eToro allow you to own the share outright. This means that the only fee you will end up paying is the spread.

You also need to make considerations regarding deposit and withdrawal fees. While most UK stock brokers allow you to fund your account for free, this isn’t always the case. As such, check to see whether certain payment methods attract a fee and whether there is a minimum withdrawal amount in place.

What Types of UK Stock Broker Accounts are There?

If you’re just an everyday trader that is looking to buy shares in the traditional sense, you’ll just need to open a standard cashaccount. This means that you can only buy stocks to an amount equal or less to what you have in your account. This is the most sensible option if you are just starting out.

If you have a slightly higher appetite for risk, then you might consider opening a margin account. This will allow you to trade with leverage, meaning that you can trade with more money than you actually have in your account. Take note, margin trading is especially risky. If your trade is liquidated because the trade went against you, you’ll lose your entire stake.

A CFD account is ideal if you are looking to place more sophisticated trades. For example, CFDs allow you to go short on a stock, meaning that you are speculating on the asset going down in value. CFDs are also easier to trade, as you will never have any concerns regarding liquidity. Finally, CFD platforms are often fee-free, as the underlying asset does not actually exist.

A Stocks and Shares ISA account allows you to invest in stocks as you normally would. The key difference is that you can protect some of your profits from tax. In fact, the 2019/20 tax year permits up to £20,000 in capital gains before capital gains tax is due, so it’s well worth opening an ISA account at your respective stock broker.

What to Consider When Choosing a Best Trading Platform UK?

As there are now hundreds of trading platforms competing for your business, knowing which broker to go with is no easy feat. You will first need to assess what it is that you are looking for from a platform. For example, are you looking for a platform that offers the lowest trading fees, or are you more concerned with the broker’s reputation? To help you along the way, we have outlined some of the main factors that you need to consider prior to joining a trading platform.

Regulatory Considerations – Is it FCA Regulated? You should only join a trading platform if the broker is in receipt of a license. In the UK, trading platforms are governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This is a minimum requirement for trading platforms that wish to offer their services to the UK market. You can check if a platform is FCA regulated on the register here: https://register.fca.org.uk/ Platform Fees and Charges Fees are one of the most important factors that you need to look out for when choosing a new trading platform. Some platforms will charge you a flat fee every time you buy and sell an asset. For example, you might pay £7 per trade, regardless of how big or small the trade is. This option is best if you’re trading larger amounts. Other platforms will instead charge a variable fee. For example, you might pay 1% of the trade size, so a £100 trade would cost £1. This is the better option if you typically trade smaller amounts. Financial Instruments Coverage There is nothing worse than joining a new broker, only to realize that the number of tradable assets is thin on the ground. Instead, you should go with a broker that covers thousands of instruments across dozens of asset classes. Alternatively, if you’re looking to trade a specific asset like cryptocurrencies, find a platform that supports multiple coins. Payment Methods You will first need to evaluate what payment methods the trading platform supports. Most brokers will allow you to deposit funds with a traditional debit or credit card, and bank transfers are usually an option too. Some platforms even allow you to deposit funds with an e-wallet like PayPal or Skrill. Just make sure that you understand what deposit and withdrawal fees you will be required to pay. Customer Support While a trading platform might offer lots of payment methods, low fees, and thousands of financial instruments, you still need to assess what customer support is like. We prefer trading platforms that offer 24/7 support across a number of different channels. This should include live chat, phone, and email support. User-Friendliness If you are just starting out in the world of online trading, you will want to choose a platform that is suited for beginners. This should start at the very offset with the deposit and verification process. The platform should also make it easy to buy and sell assets to those without any prior experience in the space. Technical Indicators If you are a seasoned online trader with lots of experience under your belt, then you should have a firm grasp of how technical analysis works. This is a fundamental part of trading, as you will be basing your decisions on historical data. As such, you’ll want to choose a trading platform that offers a good number of technical indicators. This includes the likes of Fibonacci levels, Parabolic Stop and Reverse, Exponential Averages, and Bollinger Bands. Scalping Scalping is the process of ‘scalping’ profits from small price movements. It can be utilized in virtually any asset class, as long as there are sufficient levels of liquidity. Scalping is especially useful when an asset is going through a period of consolidation. This is where an asset moves sideways between two key points of support and resistance. In order to be successful in scalping, you will need to install strict entry and exit points. In a similar nature to day trading, scalping requires you to be sat at your screen for the duration of your trades, as you’ll rarely hold on to an order for more than an hour. If you’re looking to be a scalp trader, you need to sign up with a trading platform that allows this type of trading. Many platforms prohibit scalpers because of the difficulty in liquidity and balancing quick traders in their order books.

Am I Eligible to Join a Trading Platform?

Most trading platforms will cater their services to both retail and institutional investors. You can join a trading platform as long as you are 18 years of age, a UK resident, and in possession of a UK bank account. If you are a tax resident outside of the UK, you will also need to supply your tax identification number. As per anti-money laundering laws, platforms will need to identify each and every user that joins its platform.

This is known as KYC (Know Your Customer). You will need to upload a copy of your government-issued ID (passport or driver’s license), as well as a proof of address. This can include a bank statement, utility bill, or tax statement. Once you have passed the KYC process you will have your trading limitations removed.

What Financial Instruments can you Trade?

Trading platforms typically offer thousands of financial instruments that can be traded across heaps of asset classes.

While the extensiveness of the trading arena will vary from platform-to-platform, we have listed the most commonly supported asset types below.

Trading platforms for stocks Most trading platforms will support stocks and shares from multiple markets. This includes well-known stock exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Nasdaq, London Stock Exchange (LSE) and Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). Some platforms will also host stocks from less liquid exchanges. This includes markets from Spain, South Africa, Canada, Australia, and Hong Kong. Learn more about buying stocks and shares here. Commodities Trading If you’re looking to trade commodities, most trading platforms in the UK will support precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum. You’ll also have the option of trading energies like oil and natural gas. The commodity scene is especially useful if you’re looking for a highly liquid marketplace that operates on a 24/7 basis. Indexes A stock market index allows you to invest in the wider economy, as opposed to trading a single stock. For example, if you wanted to gain exposure to the LSE, you could invest in the FTSE100. This consists of the 100 largest companies that make up the LSE. Other popular indexes include the NASDAQ 100, S&P 500, and Dow Jones. Futures and Options If you’re an advanced trader that seeks sophisticated investment products, then you might want to consider futures and options. These allow you to speculate on the future price of an asset without actually owning it. Most contracts come with a maturity of 3 months. ETFs An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a financial product that seeks to track an asset, or group of assets. For example, if you wanted to invest in the global marijuana industry, but you don’t want to trade individual stocks, you could purchase an ETF that tracks the largest companies operating in the space. ETFs are available on virtually every asset class, and they even allow you to go short. Trading platforms for bitcoin and cryptocurrency If you’ve got a slightly higher appetite for risk, you might consider trading cryptocurrencies. Trading platforms typically offer pairs against the USD, and supported coins will include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Ripple. Take caution when trading cryptocurrencies, as the market is extremely volatile. Learn more about cryptocurrency trading here.

Investment Banker vs Stock Broker

If you’re new to the world of investing, it’s easy to get muddled up with the many terms, such as invest banks and stock brokers. There are several key differences between the two.

For starters, while stock brokers assist individuals and companies to buying financial assets for a small fee, investment bankers help companies and governments raise capital through initial public offerings (IPOs) or by borrowing money.

Investment bankers also advise companies and mergers and acquisitions, so the service they provide is totally different to stock brokers.

Stock Brokers Near Me

By leveraging technology, popular online stock brokerages have managed to bridge the gap between the service providers and their clientele. Over the past few years, leading brands like eToro, FXCM, and Capital.com have established a global online presence and expanded ways through which clients can get in touch with their customer support teams. Through emails, social media messaging, telephone, and live chat correspondence, anyone with a phone now has near-instant access to their favourite brokerage.

Others, like Barclays and Saxo, have a broad online and high street presence. In addition to addressing different customer queries and offering trade assistance via email, live chats, social media, and even over-the-phone, they also have physical offices that you can walk into looking for stock trading assistance.

The establishment of an online global presence and opening up the banking halls to offering stock trading assistance is an appreciation of the consistent rise in the number of people who are directing their investments towards stocks.

Conclusion – The Safest UK Stock Broker

Our top broker for buying stocks is eToro due to its favourable fee structure (0% commission and stamp duty on purchasing the underlying asset), beginner-friendly platform and FCA regulated license. It also gives traders the option to trade stocks with leverage and to copy the moves of successful stock investors. There’s a vast array of blue-chip, tech, pharmaceutical and LSE stocks to buy.

If you’re looking for more flexibility with order execution, then IG and DeGiro are worthy platforms. Meanwhile, Plus500 has built a strong reputation as a stock CFD website.

Ultimately, you need to ensure that the broker is in receipt of the required regulatory licenses and that it does not have any hidden fees. Moreover, it’s also important that the broker puts the customer experience at the heart of everything, and that trades are executed in good faith. eToro does just that.

eToro: Best UK Stock Broker 2020 (0% Commission) Our Rating 0% commission on stocks

Buy stocks or trade stock CFDs

Fractional stocks available

Social and copy trading tools

No mark up, ticketing or management fees Visit eToro 75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

Glossary of Stock Brokers

Platform Fee The trading platform fee refers to the amount a trader pays to use the platform and access its integrated platform features and tools. It can be a one –time fee paid for the acquisition of the trading platform, a subscription fee paid monthly or annually. Others will charge on a per-trade basis with a specific fee per trade. Cost per trade Cost per trade is also referred to as the base trade fee and refers to the fee that a broker or trading platform charges you every time you place a trade. Some brokers offer volume discounts and charge a lower cost per trade for voluminous trades. Margin Margin is the money needed in your account to maintain a trade with leverage. Social trading Social trading is a form of trading that allows for the interaction and exchange of trade ideas, signals and trade settings between the different classes of traders. Copy Trading Copy trading, also known as mirror trading is a form of online trading that lets traders copy trade settings from one another. In most cases, it is the newbies and part-time traders that copy the positions of pro traders. The copiers -in most cases - are then required to surrender a share of the profits made from copied trades – averaging 20% - with the pro traders. Financial instruments A Financial instrument ideally refers to the proof of ownership of financial commodities of monetary contracts between two parties. In the money markets, financial instruments refer to such elements as shares, stocks, bonds, Forex and crypto CFDs and other contractual obligations between different parties. Index An index is an indicator that tracks and measures the performance of a security such as a stock or bond. Commodities Commodities refer to raw materials used in the production and manufacturing of other products or agricultural products. Some of the most popular commodities traded on the exchange markets include energy and gases like oil, agricultural products like corn and coffee, and precious metals like gold and silver. Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) An ETF is a fund that can be traded on an exchange. The fund is a basket containing multiple securities such as stocks, bonds or even commodities. ETFs allow you to trade the basket without having to buy each security individually. Contract for difference (CFD) CFDs are a form of contractual trading that involves speculating on the performance of a particular trade in the market. CFD’s will basically allow you to speculate on the future value of securities such as stocks, currencies and commodities without owning the underlying securities. Minimum investment The minimum investment simply refers to the lowest amount of capital injection you can deposit into a brokerage or a trading platform. Different brokers demand varied minimum investment amounts from their clients either when registering or opening trade positions. Daily trading limit A daily trading limit is the lowest and highest amount that a security is allowed to fluctuate, in one trading session, at the exchange where it’s traded. Once a limit is reached, trading for that particular security is suspended until the next trading session. Daily trading limits are imposed by exchanges to protect investors from extreme price volatilities. Day traders A day trader is a term used to describe a trader who is constantly opening trades and closing them within a day. It is a common term used to refer to forex traders who open trade and only hold onto it for a few minutes or hours before disposing and having to leave no open trades at the time the trading day closes.

FAQs

What is a stockbroker platform? A stockbroker platform is an online trading arena that allows you to buy and sell shares at the click of a button. Everything at an online broker is automated via cutting-edge technologies, so there is no longer a requirement to speak with somebody over to the phone to trade!

Do I need to choose my own investments? You will be required to choose your investments when using an online stockbroker. Platforms will not be able to give you any advice unless they are legally qualified to do so. If you do want somebody to manage investments on your behalf, you will need to go with a mutual fund.

What is the minimum deposit required at a stockbroker? This will depend on the broker in question. While some brokers require a minimum deposit of £100 or more, others allow you to get started with just £10.

Are UK stockbrokers regulated? All stockbrokers operating in the UK must be regulated by the FCA. This ensures that the platform operates within the law and that it utilizes segregated bank accounts for client funds.

Should I trade with leverage if I am confident about an investment? Leverage allows you to trade with more money than you have in your stock broker account. While this can amplify your profits, it can also amplify your losses. As such, you should only trade with leverage if you are an experienced investor and you know how to set up sensible stop losses.

What if I need to cash my stock investments out quickly? You can sell your investments at any given time during standard market hours. The specific hours will depend on the stock market the shares are listed on. If you try to sell the shares outside of standard trading hours, you will need to wait until the markets reopen.

Will I receive dividends at an online stock broker? Stockbrokers are legally required to distribute dividend payments as soon as they receive them from the respective institution. Don't forget, if you're trading CFDs, you won't be entitled to dividends as you do not own the underlying asset.

What trading platform is best for beginners? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as there are heaps of platforms that cater to newbies. We have suggested eToro as a notable user-friendly trading platform, although many others exist.

How are trading fees calculated? This depends on the trading platform in question. Some platforms charge on a fixed-fee basis, while others will charge you a percentage of the trade size. Others charge no trading fees at all, other than the spread.