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first direct Stocks and Shares ISA

Simple tax-efficient investments

A Stocks and Shares ISA works in much the same way as regular Sharedealing, but you can use your annual ISA allowance of £20,000 which could reduce the amount of tax you pay. You'll need to hold a first direct Shares Account before you can open a Stocks and Shares ISA, which has a quarterly account fee of £10.50.

no registration fee or any additional management charges
online trading fees are only £10.50 for the first nine trades each calendar quarter, then just £7.95 after that
you select which eligible stocks and shares you want in your ISA
shares listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) are also available for trading in our first direct Stocks and Shares ISA
transfer your existing cash ISAs and Stocks and Shares ISAs to us (be aware that this can take up to six weeks)
trade online or over the phone.

Don't forget, we - and all Stocks and Shares ISA providers - have to send ISA subscription details to HMRC so they can make sure no one goes over their limit.

Please see our full details of all our Sharedealing rates and charges here [PDF].

There are changes to the ISA regulations from the 6 April 2024. For more information read our ISA reform FAQs (PDF).

Are you eligible?

You can open a sharedealing account if you’re:

a first direct current account customer
registered for online banking
a UK resident or UK Crown employee
at least 18 years old
not a US national/citizen/resident (eg a US passport holder)

Important Information

The value of investments (and any income received from them) can fall as well as rise, and you may not get back some or all of what you invested. For some investments exchange rate fluctuations will have greater impact to the value of shares depending on their level of exposure to overseas markets.

Any investment should be considered as a medium to long-term investment - so should be held for at least five years.

The value of the tax benefits depends on your individual circumstances - and tax rules may change at any time in the future.

The information on this site definitely isn't advice - we don't give financial advice. If you need any, you should speak to an independent qualified financial advisor.

If you apply direct, without first receiving advice, you should understand that we are not required to assess the suitability or appropriateness of funds for you. So, you won't be protected by the FCA's rules on assessing appropriateness, if you have any doubts about any investments, please speak to an independent qualified financial advisor.

Show the section FAQs

FAQs

Who's eligible to open a first direct Stocks and Shares ISA?

A Stocks and Shares ISA can be opened by individuals, aged 18 or over, and either a resident in the UK or working overseas as a Crown employee, or married/in a civil partnership to someone who is. You also can’t have subscribed to a first direct or HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA in this current tax year, but you can have one cash and one stocks and shares ISA with first direct or HSBC per tax year.

What are the tax advantages of a Stocks and Shares ISA?

How many ISAs can I have and how much can I put in?

In accordance with ISA regulations, you can have different ISAs at the same time with multiple providers and you must stay within the total annual limit of £20,000 across all ISAs. But you can only have one of each type of ISA with first direct or HSBC, such as one stocks & shares ISA and one cash ISA. Ensure you check the terms of the product you wish to open to fully understand what is allowed.

How are my dividends paid?

Do I receive interest on cash held within my first direct Stocks and Shares ISA?

What happens to the money if I sell some shares within my ISA but haven't decided what to buy next?

Important Information

Any investment should be considered as a medium to long-term investment - so should be held for at least five years.

The value of the tax benefits depends on your individual circumstances - and tax rules may change at any time in the future.

The information on this site definitely isn't advice - we don't give financial advice. If you need any, you should speak to an independent qualified financial advisor.

Show the section Transferring other ISAs to first direct

If you have existing ISAs with other providers, it's easy to transfer them all to us to have them conveniently in one place.

Simply complete our ISA transfer form. Once we receive your form we'll speak to your current ISA manager and get the ball rolling.

If your current ISA contains investments that aren't traded by us, you'll need to sell them and transfer the cash, instead of the stock. Either way, everything must pass directly from your current ISA manager to us - they must not leave the ISA if you want to continue taking advantage of the tax benefits.

As a result of the transfer being made in cash, there may be a loss of income or interest whilst the transfer is in process.

Please note the transfer process can take up to six weeks.

Important Information

Any investment should be considered as a medium to long-term investment - so should be held for at least five years.

The value of the tax benefits depends on your individual circumstances - and tax rules may change at any time in the future.

The information on this site definitely isn't advice - we don't give financial advice. If you need any, you should speak to an independent qualified financial advisor.

Open a stocks and shares ISA

Apply now for a Stocks and Shares ISA

If you've got a first direct Sharedealing Account you can apply for a Stocks & Shares ISA online - log on, open your Sharedealing Account, go to Products & Services and select ISA.

Apply now for a Stocks and Shares ISA Link to Online banking login page

New to first direct

This product is only available to first direct Current Account customers. (you're more than welcome to join us...)

More about our current account

Before you apply

Before applying, please take the time to read through the following:

The UK FSCS Information Sheet and Exclusions List is relevant to cash balances maintained within the product account.

You can find general information about financial products and managing your money on the Money Advice Service Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first]™ website.