Moneyfarm

Moneyfarm's core business remains its managed portfolios. You answer a risk questionnaire, get matched to one of seven portfolios (ranging from conservative to aggressive), and the investment team handles asset allocation, rebalancing, and monitoring. The fee structure is transparent:

• Management fee: 0.45%
• Platform fee: 0.25%
• Total Moneyfarm charges: 0.70%
• Underlying fund costs + spread: up to 0.21%
• All-in estimated cost: 0.91%

No entry fees, no exit fees, no withdrawal charges, no top-up fees. The pricing page (moneyfarm.com/uk/pricing) is refreshingly clear — you can adjust a slider to see exactly what you'd pay at any portfolio size.

Moneyfarm is a trading name of MFM Investment Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA Firm Reference Number: 629539). Your investments are held separately from Moneyfarm's own assets in nominee accounts, and protected by the FSCS up to £85,000 per person under the investment protection scheme.

Here's how that stacks up against competitors on a £20,000 portfolio:

At £20,000, Moneyfarm costs about £68 more per year than Vanguard's managed service. Over 20 years, assuming 5% annual returns, that gap compounds to roughly £2,400 in foregone returns. On a £100,000 portfolio, the gap widens to £340/year — or about £12,000 over two decades.

But fees aren't the whole story. Moneyfarm's managed service includes something most robo-advisors don't: access to a dedicated qualified wealth manager at higher portfolio tiers. If you're north of £100,000 and want a named human to discuss retirement drawdown, tax planning, or estate strategy with, that's a genuine differentiator. Nutmeg doesn't offer this. Wealthify doesn't either.

Moneyfarm's Cash ISA has been one of its strongest selling points. As of June 2026, the rate stands at 3.87% AER (variable) for new customers in their first year — down from the 4.30% it paid earlier in the year. After the first 12 months, or if you make more than three withdrawals in a year, the rate drops to 3.57%. Existing customers opening a new Cash ISA get 3.57% from day one.

The structure matters: your money sits in a Qualifying Money Market Fund (QMMF) rather than a traditional bank deposit. This means FSCS protection falls under the investment protection limit of £85,000 — not the £120,000 deposit protection limit that applies to bank-held cash ISAs. The rate tracks money market yields, so it moves with the <a href="/posts/the-boe-just-held-at-375-for-the-sixth-straight-month-your-466-fixed-rate-is-a">BoE base rate</a>. When the base rate was cut from 4.00% to 3.75% in December 2025, the Cash ISA rate followed down.

For basic-rate taxpayers, 3.87% tax-free equals 4.84% gross from a taxable savings account. For higher-rate taxpayers, the equivalent is 6.45%. Those are competitive numbers — but you can find higher on the open market. Several providers offer easy-access cash ISAs above 4.00% as of mid-2026, and fixed-rate ISAs push above 4.50%.

The real advantage of Moneyfarm's Cash ISA is the ecosystem play: hold your managed portfolio and your cash in one place, see everything in one app, and transfer between accounts instantly. If consolidation matters more to you than squeezing out an extra 20 basis points, that's worth something.

Moneyfarm previously offered a cashback incentive of up to £1,000 on new ISA subscriptions and transfers. That offer is no longer on their site as of July 2026. It's been pulled — quietly, as these things tend to be.

The withdrawal of the cashback changes the maths meaningfully for anyone transferring an existing ISA. A £50,000 transfer that previously earned £500-£1,000 cashback now earns nothing upfront. The only financial incentive to transfer is the ongoing rate or portfolio performance — and on the managed side, you need to believe that Moneyfarm's portfolios will outperform cheaper alternatives by enough to justify the fee gap.

If you're looking for platform switching incentives, check interactive investor or AJ Bell, both of which periodically run cashback promotions for ISA and SIPP transfers.

Moneyfarm's DIY share-dealing platform lets you trade individual shares, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds. Here's what it costs:

• Share, ETF, and mutual fund trades: £3.95 per deal
• Bond trades: £5.95 per deal
• FX conversion: 0.70% on foreign-currency trades
• ISA custody fee: 0.35%, capped at £45/year
• Stamp duty: 0.5% on UK share purchases (standard, not Moneyfarm's charge)
• PTM levy: £1 on trades above £10,000

The headline trade price of £3.95 is competitive — cheaper than Hargreaves Lansdown (£11.95) and AJ Bell (£5.00), and on par with interactive investor's free regular investing service. But the 0.70% FX fee is steep. If you buy £10,000 of US shares, that's £70 in FX costs before you've made a penny. Trading 212 charges near-zero FX, and Freetrade charges 0.99% — so Moneyfarm sits uncomfortably in the middle.

The real limitation is depth. Moneyfarm's DIY platform doesn't offer limit orders, stop losses, price alerts, or research tools — features that are table stakes at established brokers. The fund range is decent but doesn't match the breadth of HL or Fidelity. It's adequate for occasional trades, particularly if you're already a Moneyfarm managed client and want to dabble with individual holdings. As a standalone broker, it's not yet competitive.

The custody fee cap at £45/year is genuinely good — it means ISA portfolios above ~£13,000 pay a flat £45 regardless of size. Most percentage-based platforms keep charging as your portfolio grows, making Moneyfarm's DIY ISA surprisingly competitive at larger balances.

Moneyfarm covers the main tax-efficient wrappers, with minimum deposits that vary significantly:

Stocks & Shares ISA — The flagship managed account. Up to £20,000 per tax year (gov.uk/isa), tax-free growth, no withdrawal penalties. Choose between managed portfolios or DIY. Minimum initial deposit varies by portfolio type but typically starts from £500.

Cash ISA — 3.87% AER for new customers (year 1), 3.57% thereafter. Flexible access (withdraw and replace within the same tax year without losing allowance), but capped at three withdrawals per year to maintain the boosted rate. £500 minimum balance. FSCS investment protection up to £85,000.

Junior ISA — £9,000 annual allowance for 2026/27. Managed portfolios with ESG options available. Money goes to the child at 18 — no access before then.

SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension) — Managed portfolios with the same 0.91% all-in cost. Standard 25% government top-up on contributions (basic rate relief applied automatically; higher/additional rate claimed via tax return). Free pension drawdown from age 57 (rising to 58 in 2028).

General Investment Account (GIA) — For money above the ISA allowance. No tax wrapper, so dividends above £500 and capital gains above £3,000 are taxable. Useful for overflow once the ISA is maxed out.

Moneyfarm doesn't offer a Lifetime ISA. If you're under 40 and saving for a first home or retirement, you'll need a separate provider for that — Dodl by AJ Bell or Nutmeg both offer LISAs.

Moneyfarm works well if:

• You want managed portfolios and value having real humans available — the dedicated wealth manager at higher tiers is a genuine differentiator over pure robo-advisors
• You want to consolidate: managed investments, a Cash ISA, and occasional DIY trades all in one app, with a single login and consolidated view
• You're between £10,000 and £250,000 in investable assets — below that, minimums bite; above that, flat-fee platforms become cheaper
• ESG matters to you — the B Corp certification is real, and the ESG portfolios exclude fossil fuels and controversial sectors
• You're transferring a Junior ISA — the £9,000 allowance with ESG options is well-suited for long-term growth for children

Moneyfarm doesn't work well if:

• You're cost-sensitive — Vanguard, InvestEngine, or even Bestinvest undercut Moneyfarm's fees significantly
• You're an active DIY investor — the share-dealing platform lacks the tools, research, and order types of established brokers
• You trade US stocks regularly — the 0.70% FX fee is a drag that compounds with every round trip
• You want the absolute best Cash ISA rate — you can find 4%+ elsewhere as of mid-2026
• You need a Lifetime ISA — Moneyfarm doesn't offer one

The honest positioning: Moneyfarm is a premium managed service at a mid-range price. You pay more than the cheapest robo-advisors but get more human support than most. Whether that trade-off works depends entirely on how much you value having someone to call.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice or a personal recommendation. The rates, allowances, and product details cited are correct at the time of writing (July 2026) but can change without notice. The cashback offer referenced in earlier versions of this review has been withdrawn. Investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change in the future. FSCS investment protection covers up to £85,000 per person — the Cash ISA held in a Qualifying Money Market Fund falls under investment protection, not deposit protection. You should seek independent financial advice from an FCA-authorised adviser before making any investment, savings, or pension decisions based on this content.