Q: Why does ii use a subscription-pricing model?

“Long-term, a flat fee is just a simpler, fairer way of running a direct-to-consumer platform, especially as wealth grows. The beauty of flat-fee pricing means the more people save and grow their investments, the more they get to keep. The wider market is dominated by percentage fee-models, which see customers paying more and more as their investment portfolios grow.

Direct feedback from customers and our own market research confirms that flat-fee is savers’ preferred way to invest, and from our perspective it also provides financial resilience, reducing exposure during market downturns.”

Q: Why did you launch Investor Essentials?

“Investment platforms can be a powerful force for positive change when they put customer interests at the heart of their pricing. Our flat fee has always provided value for larger pots, and we wanted our model to work for a broader section of the investing public.”

Q: What does the democratisation of investment mean to you?

“Leaving savings sitting in a low-interest current account or cash, particularly during periods of high inflation means that individuals and families across the UK are at best missing out on the long-term potential of the stock market and at worse seeing the value of their savings steadily decline in real terms.

Investment is not something that is generally taught in schools and can be quite daunting as a novice, but it’s a life skill that has the potential to provide you financial freedom much earlier in life. At ii we don’t just want to enable investment; we want to actively encourage it and you’ll certainly be seeing us continue to focus on education this year.”

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