Transfer to HL

Get more choice, clarity and control

Important information - Our service is designed for people who want to make their own investment decisions. Unlike cash, investments can go down in value as well as up so you could get back less than you invest. This is not personal advice. If you’re not sure if an investment is right for you, please ask for financial advice. If looking to transfer, check if your provider charges exit fees, or if you'll lose any benefits or guarantees by transferring.

Why transfer investments to HL?

Peace of mind - We're a FTSE-listed company
See everything in one place - Log in online or with the HL app to see your investments anytime, anywhere.
Support when you need it - Our UK-based helpdesk are here to answer your calls.
Take control of your money - Choose from thousands of shares and funds, or take inspiration from our investment ideas.

FREEto transfer

It's free to transfer investments to us

Your current provider may charge exit fees though, so it’s worth checking with them first. If you’re transferring a fixed rate cash ISA, remember that if you leave before the end of the term, you may have to pay a fee.

Our annual charge for holding investments is never more than 0.45%. But some investments will have their own charges. See our full list of charges, including dealing fees.

What can be transferred?

Stocks and Shares ISAs
More about Stocks and Shares ISA transfers
Pensions
More about pension transfers
Dealing accounts
More about dealing account transfers

Junior ISAs
More about Junior ISA transfers
Innovative Finance ISAs
More about Innovative Finance ISA transfers
Share certificates
More about transferring share certificates

Most providers will offer an electronic transfer, which is usually the fastest way to transfer your investment. If your transfer cannot be done online when you use our online transfer application, we’ll let you know. To transfer an Innovative Finance ISA, you will need to post us a transfer form.

Have your details ready

Before you transfer, make sure that all your personal details (including current name and address) are up to date with your existing provider, otherwise this could slow your transfer down. Check if you'll lose any benefits or guarantees by transferring. Then to get started, you'll need:

The name of your current provider
Your account number (sometimes called a reference number)
The approximate value of investments
The type of account

The most common reasons for an application being rejected are: differences between married and maiden names, or differences between current and previous addresses.

Get started

A simple explanation of the most commonly asked questions about transfers to HL, including how the process works, your options and how long it takes.

This video will guide you on how to request your transfer to HL and what your options are.

We'll also cover how long it will take and what happens when we receive your transfer request.

How can I transfer to HL?

You can transfer existing accounts to us online by visiting the Transfer section of our website. Click ‘get started’, then select the type of account you would like to transfer.

Make sure you read the documents, 'ISA Key Features' 'Investment Risks' and ‘terms and conditions’ before proceeding.

You will need to have the account reference of your current provider to hand. This might be called a client ID or reference number.

What can I transfer?

You can transfer both stock and cash held in an account elsewhere to the HL platform.

When transferring individual investments these should transfer across to us exactly as they are.

If transferring funds (OEICs or Unit Trusts), your current provider might have a different version from the version available through HL.

In this instance, your provider will convert the fund to a common class before transferring.

Once we receive your funds, we will convert them to the lowest cost version we offer.

We will never convert your fund into a version that’s more expensive.

If you hold an investment we don’t offer, we’ll contact you during the transfer to confirm your preferences.

What can I do with cash that is transferred?

When transferring cash, you will be given the opportunity to provide investment instructions.

If you instruct to purchase shares, you will be charged 1% of the value, with a £20 minimum and £50 maximum, per line of stock once the transfer completes.

Alternatively, you can purchase the shares manually once the transfer is complete at our online dealing rate which starts at £11.95. There is no charge for buying funds.

How long will the transfer take?

Both stock and cash transfers tend to take between 2 to 8 weeks.

We don’t charge for transfers, but your current provider might. You may also incur dealing charges if they have to sell any holdings before the transfer takes place. You should also check that you will not lose any benefits and guarantees when transferring. If you're unsure, please contact them for clarification.

What if I can’t transfer online?

If it’s not possible to complete your transfer online, you’ll be prompted to download an application form and post this to us.

If you are an existing client, this should already contain some of your details, which should help save time. Just double check the form and fill in any missing details, including your signature.

Then post your transfer form to the address shown on the application form.

Alternatively, you can send this to 'Freepost: HARGREAVES LANSDOWN'. Please note that freepost can take longer than regular post.

The process for transferring to HL is different for overseas clients. If you’re living outside of the UK, please let us know and we can guide you through the appropriate forms.

What happens next?

Once we have your request, we’ll contact your current provider to initiate your transfer to HL.

During the first stage of your transfer, we ask your current provider for a valuation of your account.

Once we’ve received their response and, where appropriate, checked that we’re able to hold your stock, we’ll send our acceptance and specific transfer instructions.

We will try to complete your transfer as quickly as possible and will be in regular contact with your current provider to avoid delays as much as possible.

We will keep you updated and contact you if there are any problems or unexpected delays.

If you’re thinking of transferring, make sure you’ll benefit. If you’re not sure what’s right for you, seek advice. Transferring as cash means you’ll be out of the market for a period, so you won’t experience the ups and downs of the market. If you choose to transfer your investments as they are, you won’t be able to make any changes to them whilst the transfer goes through. Remember to check for exit penalties or loss of benefits with your existing provider before transferring.

Correct as at April 2022.

What is the transfer process?

Step 1 - Start your transfer

The fastest way to transfer is online, but you can also transfer by post or over the phone.

Before transferring, please check if your provider charges exit fees, or if you'll lose any benefits or guarantees by transferring.

Step 2 - We work with your current provider

We’ll receive a valuation of your account so we know what’s coming, and check we can hold the investments you’re transferring. If we are unable to hold any investments you want to transfer we’ll contact you to discuss your options, otherwise we won't usually need to contact you again until the transfer is complete.

Not all investments will be transferred at the same time, so you may see some holdings arrive in your account before others and cash is typically transferred last. Rest assured, we will chase any investments that are taking longer than expected to transfer.

Transfers can be made as cash or as stock. With a stock transfer, you stay invested. With a cash transfer, the investments are sold, meaning you’ll miss out on any market rises or falls throughout the transfer.

Fund conversions

When transferring stock we’ll transfer all your investments and cash as they are. If you hold funds, once we receive them from your current provider, we’ll convert them to the lowest cost version we offer. If you’ve asked to transfer your holdings as they are but we can’t hold one or more of your funds, then we’ll automatically ask your current provider to convert them to the lowest cost versions we offer before transferring them. There are no charges or tax to pay. Before transferring, please read about converting funds here.

Step 3 - Your investment transfer is completed

If you already have an account with us you’ll receive either a secure online message or a letter through the post, depending on your contact preference, letting you know that all investments and/or cash have been transferred to your account. If you’ve had to open a new HL account as part of the transfer we’ll contact you by post.

Get started

Investment transfer FAQs

While we expect your transfer to complete within 2-6 weeks there are a number of circumstances which could hold up your transfer. For example:
- Differences between personal details on the form submitted and what is registered with your current provider e.g. address, name, National Insurance number, date of birth.
- Account format differences e.g. if the account is held in joint names it must be transferred to a joint account with us.
- Ensuring your full account/reference number is detailed.
- Trading on your account whilst your transfer is in progress can cause your transfer to take longer.
- Any outstanding fees on the account need to be settled before a transfer can proceed.
We don’t charge anything to transfer to us, however some providers may charge to transfer out so make sure you check with your current provider.

Our annual charge for holding investments is never more than 0.45%. But some investments will have their own charges. See our full list of charges, including dealing fees.
You can normally choose between transferring all the investments with your current provider, or only some of them. This will leave your existing account open. Please note that some providers may not allow partial transfers, this includes the need for current year ISA subscriptions to be transferred in full to a new provider. If we can't do a partial transfer we will be in contact with you to confirm. Alternatively, you may wish to contact your provider to check their transfer terms.

If you choose to transfer part of your account, you can potentially complete a telephone transfer with our helpdesk on 0117 906 7816 for ISA and General Investment Accounts. For any queries relating to partial pension transfers, please contact our pensions helpdesk on 0117 980 9926. If not we’ll ask you to complete a paper form rather than transferring online.
You cannot normally transfer shares and investments into an ISA. However, you can use shares to top up an ISA by selling them in an HL Fund and Share Account and then buying them back within an ISA. This would count towards your annual ISA allowance (currently £20,000). This is sometimes called a Bed and ISA.

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Help and support

If you have any questions about transferring investments, call our helpdesk or send us a message.

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Ready-Made Investments

Ready-Made Pension Plan

Lifetime ISA

Stocks and Shares ISA

Fund and Share Account

Cash ISA

Junior Stocks and Shares ISA

SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension)

Active Savings Account

Junior SIPP (Child's pension)

Bare Trust Account