Accounts

To open an Investment Account, ISA or SIPP you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be a UK resident* (and UK tax resident if you’re opening an ISA)
• Be a non-US citizen
• A parent or guardian can also open a Junior ISA or Junior SIPP for someone under the age of 18

*Includes the Channel Islands and Isle of Man

Before you start

Bestinvest is an online execution only service so most of our accounts can be opened online but some require a bit of paperwork. 

Accounts that can be opened online

You can open the following accounts online or via the app:

• Stocks & Shares ISA
• Junior Stocks & Shares ISA
• Self-invested Personal Pension (SIPP)
• General Investment Account

Make sure you have your National Insurance number, debit card and bank details to hand before you start.

Online application process (mandatory steps)

• You'll be asked to create login credentials first which you'll use to access and manage your account online
• Then you can select the type of account you want to open. You can only open one account initially but after signing up you can open additional accounts
• The rest of the application process involves filling in basic personal information, address details as well as tax and residency status

Online application process (optional steps)

• The final few steps of the application give you the option to fund your account through two methods
• You can either add an initial lump sum of cash to your account and/or set up a recurring monthly cash deposit via direct debit
• Both of these are optional steps which you can skip and do once you've logged in to your account dashboard

Accounts that require paperwork to be completed

If you are looking to open any of the following accounts you will need to complete an application form:

• Junior SIPP
• Bare trust
• Discretionary trust
• SSAS pension
• Joint account

Send your completed forms to us by email or in the post.

Email: best@bestinvest.co.uk 

Postal address: Bestinvest, Second Floor, Royal Liver Building, Pier Head, Liverpool, L3 1NY

If you're not sure how to open a particular account or if there are any parts of the application process you need help with, our Client Relations team are available to help via phone, email or live chat Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm. 

As an investment platform, we are required to run different checks on people that open an accounts with us. Some of these happen automatically during the process of signing up online.

If you have tried to open an account and you are shown a screen with the message 'We'll be in touch about your application', it just means our system has flagged something on your application where we require some further information from you.

At your earliest convenience, get in touch with our team and we can run through the additional information required.

In the Tax and residency section of the application process, we ask for information regarding your country of birth as part of our anti-money laundering (AML) and sanctions compliance procedures.

If your country of birth has been flagged as a medium or high jurisdiction country, we are required to perform enhanced due diligence (EDD). We will email you a set of questions to answer. Once you've provided the required information, we'll let you know when you can access your account.

For child accounts such as JISAs, we require EDD based upon the parents country of birth.

Our custodian, SEI, doesn’t comply with IRS reporting for US individuals, covering address, citizenship & tax. As a result, if you were born, live or pay tax in the US you won't be able to open a Bestinvest account.

You can open a Stocks & Shares ISA if you are UK resident aged 18 or over.

We are an online execution only service so the fastest way to open most of our accounts is online.

If you're signing up to Bestinvest for the first time, you can open an ISA online. Start your online application.

If you already have a Bestinvest account and want to open an ISA as well:

• Log in to your account online
• Click the 'Profile' icon and select 'Open an account'
• Choose 'Stocks & Shares ISA' at the account selection screen

If you would rather complete an application to open an ISA and send it to us by email or in the post, you can download the forms below. 

Download form & sign by hand

Download form & sign electronically

Yes our ISA is flexible.

Under flexible ISA rules, you can take money out of your ISA and pay it back in as long as you do this within the same tax year.

You can take out money contributed during the current tax year and previous tax years. You can also take out money earned in interest or as gains from investments. 

Only parents or a guardian with parental responsibility can open a Junior ISA on behalf of their child, but once it is open, anyone can pay into it such as grandparents, aunts, uncles or family friends.

The parent or guardian should be 18 years or older and UK resident.

We are an online execution only service so the fastest way to open most of our accounts is online.

If you're signing up to Bestinvest for the first time, you can open a JISA online. Start your online application.

If you already have a Bestinvest account and want to open a JISA for a child:

• Log in to your own account online
• Click the 'Profile' icon and select 'Open an account'
• Choose 'Junior ISA' at the account selection screen
• You'll be asked to set up a profile for the child which includes creating separate login details for the account

If you would rather complete an application to open a Junior ISA and send it to us by email or in the post, you can download the forms below.

Download form & sign by hand

Download form & sign electronically

When you set up a Junior ISA for a child you create separate login details for the account.

If you have your own Bestinvest account(s) you can link accounts with the Junior ISA account you have set up. This means you'll be able to view the JISA account when logged in to your own account, giving you a better overall view of the accounts you manage.

See how to link accounts

Keep in mind that if you want to add cash, invest or update any details on the Junior ISA account you will have to log in to that account to do so.

If you set up a Junior ISA for a child, it will need to be converted into an adult Stocks & Shares ISA once they turn 18.

We will send an email reminder a few weeks prior to their eighteenth birthday outlining the process for converting the account which you can see below. The email will be sent to the email address used to register the JISA account. 

To convert a Junior ISA to an adult ISA:

• The Junior ISA account holder needs to complete and return an ISA application on or after they turn 18 which they can either scan and email to best@bestinvest.co.uk or send it to us by post
• We will then set up the new ISA account online and email them when they can access it
• Any cash or investments in their Junior ISA will then be transferred into the new adult ISA and the Junior ISA will be closed
• As the parent/guardian, if you still want the authority to speak to us about your child's account, you will need to complete and return a Third Party Authority form

SIPPs can be opened by almost any UK resident under the age of 75. You can open a SIPP for you or someone else – like a child or partner.

Before you open a SIPP account, you should make sure you will use the extra control and choice that SIPPs give you.

We are an online execution only service so the fastest way to open most of our accounts is online.

If you're signing up to Bestinvest for the first time, you can open a SIPP online. Start your online application.

If you already have a Bestinvest account and want to open a SIPP as well:

• Log in to your account online
• Click the 'Profile' icon and select 'Open an account'
• Choose 'Personal pension (SIPP)' at the account selection screen

If you would rather complete an application to open a SIPP and send it to us by email or in the post, you can download the forms below. 

Download & sign by hand

Download & sign electronically

To open a Junior SIPP, you will need to download and complete the Junior SIPP application form. Once completed, please send it to us by email or in the post.

Download Junior SIPP application form

Yes – depending on how your employer will be contributing to your SIPP you will need to complete the following forms.

If your employer is making a single contribution to your SIPP

• You will need to complete the Additional Contribution form
• Send the completed form back to us via email at best@bestinvest.co.uk or through the post if you’re completing a paper copy

If your employer is making regular contributions to your SIPP

• You will need to complete both the Additional Contribution form and the Employer Contributions Record of Payments Due form
• Send the completed forms back to us via email at best@bestinvest.co.uk or through the post if you’re completing a paper copy

If you’re returning your form through the post please send it to:

BestSIPP Administration, Bestinvest, The Observatory, Western Road, Bracknell RG12 1RF

Important note about payments: employer contributions must be made via Bank transfer or Standing Order.

We will not allow investment in:

• Unquoted shares 
• Plus-quoted or plus-traded stocks and shares
• Commercial or residential property (including land)
• Tangible moveable assets
• Loans to anyone (including unconnected third parties)
• Options
• Contracts for difference
• Spread betting
• Unregulated collective investment schemes
• Non mainstream pooled investments
• Contingent Convertibles

From time to time, our custodian, SEI, may inform us of other investments they cannot hold.

You can open an Investment account as long as you are 18 or over and UK resident. 

We are an online execution only service so the fastest way to open most of our accounts is online.

If you're signing up to Bestinvest for the first time, you can open an Investment account online. Start your online application.

If you already have a Bestinvest account and want to open a an Investment account as well:

• Log in to your account online
• Click the 'Profile' icon and select 'Open an account'
• Choose 'Investment Account' at the account selection screen

If you would rather complete an application to open an Investment account and send it to us by email or in the post, you can download the forms below. 

Download & sign by hand

Download & sign electronically

To open a Joint Investment account please complete and return the Fund and Share application form.

• You will need to complete Section 2 of the application for each joint holder.
• Send your completed forms to us by email or post.

What happens next?

• Once we've received your completed form we will set up the account online
• If you're new to Bestinvest, we will send you an email with instructions on how to set up your login details and access your account online

If you have an existing Investment account that you want to convert into a Joint Investment account with a partner or spouse, you will need to complete a new Joint Investment account application form. You will need to complete Section 2 of the application for each joint holder.

Fund and Share application form

You can email your completed forms to best@bestinvest.co.uk or send them to us in the post. 

A bare trust is a simple legal arrangement that allocates money or assets or a share of them to one or more people, usually children.

How to open a Bare Trust with Bestinvest

• Send us a message using our contact form with the details of the type of trust you want to open
• We'll then send you the relevant forms to fill in
• Once you've completed and returned the forms we'll set up your account online

We'll reach out to you if we need any other information for your application.

See more on Bare Trusts.

A discretionary trust allows the people appointed to manage the trust – the trustees – to decide how the assets are distributed to people within the nominated categories or classes – the potential beneficiaries.

How to open a Discretionary Trust with Bestinvest

• Send us a message using our contact form with the details of the type of trust you want to open
• We'll then send you the relevant forms to fill in
• Once you've completed and returned the forms we'll set up your account online

We'll reach out to you if we need any other information for your application.

See more on Discretionary Trusts

A SSAS pension is an occupational pension that allows employers more control over where and how money is invested.

How to open a SSAS with Bestinvest

• Send us a message using our contact form with the details of the SSAS you want to open
• We'll then send you the relevant forms to fill in
• Once you've completed and returned the forms we'll set up your account online

We'll reach out to you if we need any other information for your application.

See more on SSAS pensions

Existing charities set up and registered in the United Kingdom can open an Investment account with Bestinvest.

How to open a Charity Investment account

• Send us a message using our contact form with the details of the charity you are looking to open the account for
• We'll then send you the relevant forms to fill in
• Once you've completed and returned the forms we'll set up your account online

We'll reach out to you if we need any other information for your application.

Existing companies or other corporate entities registered in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands can open an Investment account with Bestinvest.

How to open a Corporate Investment account

• Send us a message using our contact form with the details of the company or corporate entity you are looking to open the account for
• We'll then send you the relevant forms to fill in
• Once you've completed and returned the forms we'll set up your account online

We'll reach out to you if we need any other information for your application.