Frequently asked questions
Here we seek to address some frequently asked questions about transferring investments to Hargreaves Lansdown.
If you're unable to find what you're looking for, please do not hesitate to phone us on 0117 900 9000 or email us.
Shares held with a registrar
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How do I transfer shares held with Equiniti?
To transfer shares from Equiniti please complete our ISA, Fund & Share or SIPP transfer form as well as an Equiniti transfer form, which can all be found in our useful documents section. Before transferring, please understand the risks and Terms and Conditions (including Tariff of Charges) of your investment. The specific risks of any funds are detailed in the Key Features. If you are unsure of the suitability of an investment for your circumstances seek personal advice.
The transfer form will include details of any charges Equiniti may levy for transferring away from their service.
Please note that these charges are subject to change and are levied by Equiniti and not Hargreaves Lansdown. Please contact Equiniti if you wish to confirm the charges that will be applied.
Simply return your forms (and cheque for fees if applicable) to our freepost address: Freepost HARGREAVES LANSDOWN. We will then contact Equiniti on your behalf to arrange the transfer.
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How do I transfer shares held with Computershare?
To transfer shares from Computershare please complete our ISA, Fund & Share or SIPP transfer form as well as a Computershare transfer form, which can all be found in our useful documents section.
The transfer form will include details of any charges Computershare may levy for transferring away from their service.
Please note that these charges are subject to change and are levied by Computershare and not Hargreaves Lansdown. You may wish to contact Computershare to confirm the charges that will be applied.
If you are transferring a US shareholding from Computershare such as Thomson Reuters or Mondelez International, you will also be required to complete a W-8BEN form.
Simply return your forms (and cheque for fees if applicable) to our freepost address: Freepost HARGREAVES LANSDOWN. We will then contact Computershare on your behalf to arrange the transfer.
Before transferring, please understand the risks and Terms and Conditions (including Tariff of Charges) of your investment. The specific risks of any funds are detailed in the Key Features. If you are unsure of the suitability of an investment for your circumstances seek personal advice.
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How do I transfer shares held with Link (formerly Capita)?
To transfer shares from Link please complete our ISA, Fund & Share or SIPP transfer form as well as a Link transfer form, which can all be found in our useful documents section.
The transfer form will include details of any charges Link may levy for transferring away from their service.
Please note that these charges are subject to change and are levied by Link and not Hargreaves Lansdown. You may wish to contact Link to confirm the charges that will be applied.
Simply return your forms (and cheque for fees if applicable) to our freepost address: Freepost HARGREAVES LANSDOWN. We will then contact Link on your behalf to arrange the transfer.
Before transferring, please understand the risks and Terms and Conditions (including Tariff of Charges) of your investment. The specific risks of any funds are detailed in the Key Features. If you are unsure of the suitability of an investment for your circumstances seek personal advice.
Stocks & Shares ISA
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How do I transfer a Stocks and Shares ISA to an HL Stocks and Shares ISA?
The fastest way to transfer an ISA is online. It is also possible to send us a transfer form in the post.
You’ll need the name of your account provider and your account reference to hand.
We don’t charge anything to transfer to us, but it’s a good idea to check if your provider charges exit fees.
How it works
- Apply to transfer and we'll contact your provider for you.
- Once your transfer has started, we'll update you on progress and tell you when everything arrives.
- You can start investing when you’re ready.
Transfer part of an ISA
To transfer part of a Stocks and Shares ISA, you need to send us:
- A completed Stocks and Shares ISA transfer form.
- A signed letter, telling us what you’d like to transfer.
Send all forms to us at FREEPOST Hargreaves Lansdown.
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Should I transfer as is, or as cash?
When requesting an ISA transfer, you’ll get to choose how we transfer your ISA – as is, or as cash. What you choose depends on whether you’d like to keep the investments you have, or sell them and reinvest the cash once the transfer finishes.
Transfer your ISA as is and we’ll move all your investments and cash exactly as they are. You won’t be able to buy or sell investments during the transfer.
If you would rather sell investments first, we’ll ask your current provider to sell all your ISA investments, then transfer the cash. You won’t lose or gain from market changes until you're reinvested.
Whether you transfer investments or cash, transferring doesn't count towards your ISA allowance.
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How long does the transfer take?
Transfers times vary depending on who you are transferring from and the type of investment being transferred. In most cases transfers take 2-4 weeks, however, some can take longer. Please note, if your transfer takes longer than we would expect, we will chase your current provider to try and expedite the transfer.
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My current provider charges exit fees, can you help with these?
In order to establish whether we can help with any exit fees we require some information regarding the holdings you are looking to transfer. We need to know:
- Whether the investments are held inside or outside an ISA
- The number of holdings
- Approximate value of shares
- Approximate value of funds
- Approximate cash balance
Once you have this information to hand you are able to contact our Helpdesk: 0117 900 9000, and we will let you know whether we can contribute towards your exit fees.
Junior ISA
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Can I transfer Child Trust Funds to the HL Stocks and Shares Junior ISA?
Yes. As of 6 April 2015, it is now possible to transfer a Child Trust Fund to the HL Junior Stocks and Shares ISA.
You can request a free information pack to find out more.
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Can I transfer a Junior ISA held with another provider to the HL Stocks and Shares Junior ISA?
Yes, it’s possible to transfer Junior ISAs between providers. Junior ISAs can be transferred in whole or, where you current provider allows it, in part. It is also possible to transfer a Junior Cash ISA into a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA, and vice versa. Current years' Junior ISA subscriptions must be transferred in full.
As it is only possible to hold one Junior ISA of each type, if a transfer is being made to the same type of Junior ISA it would need to be transferred in its entirety. If a transfer is being made to a different type of Junior ISA, a partial transfer can be made. So, if transferring from a Stocks and Shares Junior ISA to another Stocks and Shares Junior ISA, the whole ISA must be transferred, as it is not possible to have two different Stocks and Shares Junior ISAs.
If transferring from a Stocks and Shares Junior ISA to a Cash Junior ISA, a partial transfer can be made as a child is allowed one Stocks and Shares Junior ISA and one Cash Junior ISA.
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How do I transfer my Junior ISA investments to another manager?
If you want to transfer your investments to another manager please contact them and ask them to arrange the transfer with us. There is no charge to transfer your holdings as cash or as stock.
Cash ISA
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How do I transfer a Cash ISA to the HL Stocks and Shares ISA?
The fastest way to transfer an ISA is online. It is also possible to send us a transfer form in the post.
You’ll need the name of your account provider and your account reference to hand.
We don’t charge anything to transfer to us, but it’s a good idea to check if your provider charges exit fees.
How it works
- Apply to transfer and we'll contact your provider for you.
- Once your transfer has started, we'll update you on progress and tell you when everything arrives.
- You can start investing when you’re ready.
Investment accounts
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How do I transfer investments to an HL Fund and Share Account?
The fastest way to transfer an investment account is online. It is also possible to send us a transfer form in the post.
You’ll need the name of your account provider and your account reference to hand.
We don’t charge anything to transfer to us, but it’s a good idea to check if your provider charges exit fees.
How it works
- Apply to transfer and we'll contact your provider for you.
- Once your transfer has started, we'll update you on progress and tell you when everything arrives.
- You can start investing when you’re ready.
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Should I transfer 'as cash' or 'as stock'?
There are two types of transfers you can make to the HL service: a stock transfer or a cash transfer. With a stock transfer your existing manager will transfer your holdings to us as they are (remaining invested). Please note when transferring as stock you will typically be unable to sell your holdings during the process, for example if you wish to protect yourself from falls or realise any gains.
With a cash transfer, your investments will be sold and the cash will be transferred to us. If you transfer as cash you are out of the market while your transfer takes place. This may work in your favour if the market falls, but if it rises you will not benefit from any growth while you hold cash.
Whether you transfer as stock or cash any ISA wrappers will be maintained.
You should check whether your existing provider levies any transfer charges before transferring.
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My current provider charges exit fees, can you help with these?
In order to establish whether we can help with any exit fees we will need a breakdown of your portfolio outlining how much is in ISAs and how much is in an unwrapped account. We then require the following details for each:
- The number of holdings
- Approximate value of shares
- Approximate value of funds
- Approximate cash balance
- An estimation of how many share deals you place per year
Once you have this information to hand you are able to contact our Helpdesk on 0117 900 9000, and we will let you know whether we can contribute towards your exit fees.
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How long does the transfer take?
Transfer times vary depending on who you are transferring from and the type of investment being transferred. In most cases transfers take 2-4 weeks, however, some can take longer. Please note, if your transfer takes longer than we would expect, we will chase your current provider to try and expedite the transfer.
Pensions & SIPPs
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What are the charges to transfer my SIPP to another provider?
There are no charges to transfer your SIPP either as stock or cash to another provider, and there is no charge for closing your account. Dealing charges will apply to the sale of any investments. For more information please view our SIPP charges or call our Helpdesk on 0117 980 9926.
Before transferring, please ensure you’ll benefit from doing so, and won’t lose valuable guarantees or need to pay high set-up fees. Pensions are usually transferred as cash (unless a stock transfer is selected) so you will be out of the market for a period. If you are transferring your HL SIPP to a non-mainstream pension provider then we may need to request further information about your new pension provider. This could increase the time it takes to transfer your SIPP.
Please also check that your new provider is authentic. Unfortunately, there are investment scams out there which target people who've withdrawn, or plan to withdraw money from their pension and other accounts. They can also persuade people to transfer their pension to another pension within which there is an investment scam. These scams tend to involve firms and/or investments which aren’t regulated by the FCA, so if you fall victim to them there may be no compensation available.
Often fraudsters will attempt to make their ‘sales pitch’ as realistic and attractive as possible. They’ll aim to build a rapport with you – sharing fake reviews, using convincing literature and websites or claiming to be regulated. Warning signs can include cold calling or texting, pressure to act quickly, the promise of unique or unusual opportunities, the offer of quick and easy profits or something that seems too good to be true. Scammers might also offer free pension reviews and the chance to release money from your pension early, which isn’t normally allowed before age 55 under current pension legislation. You can find out more at www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart or by visiting our security centre.
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How do I transfer my pension to an HL SIPP?
The fastest way to transfer is online. It is also possible to transfer by sending us a form in the post.
How it works
- Apply to transfer and we'll contact your provider for you.
- Once your transfer has started, we'll update you on progress and tell you when everything arrives.
- You can start investing when you’re ready.
What to check before you transfer
It's important to make sure you won't lose any valuable guarantees or benefits from your current pension, or have to pay excessive exit fees, before you transfer.
We’ll transfer your pension as cash (unless you request otherwise), which means it won’t be affected by stock market rises or falls while it’s being moved over.
Find out more about transferring
Types of pensions you can transfer
- Personal and stakeholder pensions
- Retirement Annuity Contracts (RACs)
- Another Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)
- Most Additional Voluntary Contribution plans (AVCs) including Free Standing AVCs
- Executive Pension Plans (EPPs)
- Most paid-up occupational money purchase plans
- Old protected rights pensions accrued from contracting out of the State Second Pension or SERPS (State Earnings Related Pension Scheme)
- Pensions in income drawdown
If you have a final salary pension or another pension type not listed above, call us on 0117 980 9926 and we may be able to help you transfer.
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How long will a pension transfer take?
Where possible, we will try to request a pension transfer via the Origo Options system, which is an electronic transfer facility. Cash transfers using this system typically take two to three weeks. If the Origo Options system is not available for your transfer then there will usually be a form that needs to be completed by you and by our transfer team. We expect most paper based transfers to take four to six weeks. In all cases we are to some extent dependent on the ceding pension scheme to process the transfer in a timely fashion.
Whilst our transfer team will chase the transfer regularly, we cannot guarantee any timescales. In some cases it may be possible to transfer your pension as stock, to avoid the sale of investments. These "in specie" transfers can take considerably longer than the timescales quited above, and are only possible where the investments held in the current scheme are also available on our platform. We will ask you to provide a covering letter with a list of your investments, including ISIN or SEDOL codes, so that we can check your investments for compatibility.
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Can I transfer an ISA to the HL SIPP?
Whilst it is not possible to transfer an ISA directly to the HL SIPP, it might be possible to use cash currently held within an ISA to make a contribution to boost your retirement savings.
This would be classified as a new pension contribution so you should receive tax relief, however, the cash would lose its ISA status and the amount of tax relief would depend on your circumstances. Please note tax rules can change.
If you hold stock within an ISA you may be able to transfer that into the HL SIPP via a process we call Bed & SIPP. This involves us selling the investment and repurchasing it straightaway within the HL SIPP. This should also be eligible for tax relief but once the Bed & SIPP takes place it cannot be reversed and the ISA status is lost permanently.
Before applying, please understand the risks and features of the HL SIPP.
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Will my transfer to the HL SIPP be made as cash or stock?
When transferring a pension to the HL SIPP, unless otherwise arranged, your existing provider will sell any investments and transfer the cash proceeds. When you transfer as cash, you will be out of the market and miss any rises or falls for a period.
For many this is the quickest and easiest way to transfer – most are transferred electronically, taking just eight working days on average. However, if the pension you are transferring is another SIPP or SSAS you may be able to transfer the investments without them being sold.
To discuss a transfer of your investments without them being sold please call our Pensions Helpdesk on 0117 980 9926 before applying.
Telephone transfers
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What kind of account can I transfer?
We are able to accept ISA or nominee accounts that hold solely unit trusts and OEICs from the following providers:
- AJ Bell trustees
- AXA IM UK Limited
- AXA Portfolio Services Ltd (Elevate)
- Aberdeen Fund Managers Limited
- Aegon Investment Solutions Limited
- Alliance Trust Savings Limited
- Allianz Global Investors GmbH UK Branch
- Amber Financial Investments Ltd
- Architas Multi-Manager Limited
- Artemis Fund Managers Limited
- Aviva Investors UK Funds Limited
- Aviva Wrap UK Limited
- BNY Mellon Fund Managers Limited
- Baillie Gifford & Co Limited
- Barclays Direct Investing Nominees Limited
- Barclays Stockbrokers
- Baring Fund Managers Ltd
- Bestinvest (Brokers) Limited
- Blackrock Fund Managers Limited
- Cavendish Asset Management
- Charles Stanley & Co Limited
- City Financial Investment Company Limited
- Close Asset Management (UK) Limited
- Cofunds Ltd
- EdenTree Investment Management
- Equiniti Financial Services Limited/Selftrade
- F&C Fund Management
- Fidelity International
- First State Investments (UK) Limited
- Franklin Templeton Fund Management Limited
- Fund Partners - FP Argonaut Funds
- Fund Partners - FP CRUX UCITS OEIC
- Fundsmith LLP
- Fusion Wealth Limited
- Gerrard Investment Management Limited
- HSBC Trust Company (UK) Limited
- Henderson Investment Funds Limited
- Interactive Investor Trading Limited
- Invesco UK Limited
- Investec Fund Managers Limited
- Investment Fund Services Ltd
- Investment Funds Direct Limited (Ascentric)
- JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited
- Jupiter Unit Trust Managers Limited
- Kames Capital Plc
- Lazard Investment Funds
- Legal & General Investments
- Legg Mason Investment Funds Limited
- Liontrust Fund Partners LLP
- M&G Securities
- M&G Securities-MyM&G D2C Platform
- Majedie Asset Management Ltd
- Man Fund Management UK Ltd
- Margetts Fund Management Ltd
- Marlborough Fund Managers
- Neptune Investment Management Limited
- Novia Financial Plc
- Nucleus Financial Group Limited
- Nutmeg Saving & Investment Limited
- Old Mutual Investment Management Limited
- Old Mutual Wealth Limited
- Parmenion Capital Partners LLP
- Pershing Securities Limited
- Premier Fund Managers Limited
- RLUM Ltd
- Rathbone Investment Management
- Rathbone Unit Trust Management Limited
- River & Mercantile Asset Management LLP
- Royal London Unit Trust Managers Limited
- SVM Asset Management Ltd
- Sarasin & Partners LLP
- Schroder Unit Trusts Limited
- Share Centre
- Standard Life Investments (Mutual Funds) Limited
- Standard Life Savings Limited (Fundzone)
- Standard Life Savings Limited (Wrap)
- Sterling
- TD Direct
- Thesis Unit Trust Management Ltd
- True Potential Investments LLP
- Unicorn Asset Management Limited
- Vanguard Asset Management Limited
- Zurich Intermediary Platform
Important: You must be an existing Hargreaves Lansdown client with online access to your HL account to use our telephone transfer service. We can only take instructions to transfer investments into a sole account in your name, and we need to speak to the account holder.
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Who can do a telephone transfer?
As long as you are a Hargreaves Lansdown client, have online access to your accounts and the account you are transferring meets the criteria you are eligible for a telephone transfer.
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What will I need to arrange the transfer?
You must have the account reference number for your previous provider, the value of your account there and the address for that company.
If you have an account with Fidelity, Cofunds, Legal & General or Invesco Perpetual then please make sure you have the following details:
- For Fidelity, this is usually ten characters in length, containing three or four letters followed by six or seven numbers, e.g. ABCD123456. This account reference is different to the ten-digit number that Fidelity refer to as the Client Reference number.
- For Cofunds, this is usually nine or ten characters in length, starting with A, followed by six or seven numbers, followed by A1 and a final letter. e.g. A999999A1J. This platform reference is different to your CoFunds client number although you may notice that the numerical digits are the same in both.
- For Invesco Perpetual, this is usually either seven or ten characters in length, with the seven-digit reference beginning with a 6 and the ten digit reference starting with 0006. This account reference is different to the account reference number.
- For Legal & General we cannot offer telephone transfers for their Investment Portfolio Service. So if your account reference is eight digits long and begins with a 5 you will have to use our postal transfer form.