Overview

Freetrade’s General Investment Account (GIA) is the default, no-monthly-fee retail investment account that opens with a Basic Freetrade plan. It lets individual investors hold and trade a broad universe of stocks, ETFs and other instruments outside tax-efficient wrappers (i.e., not an ISA or SIPP). The GIA supports the same trading experience as Freetrade’s other accounts — mobile and web access, commission-free trades on eligible instruments, and configurable orders — but gains and income held in a GIA are not tax-sheltered.

Features and Capabilities

• Account Basics: The GIA opens as part of the Basic plan and provides market access to Freetrade’s available stock and ETF universe. You can hold stocks, ETFs and other supported instruments; however, it’s not a tax wrapper.
• Trading & Pricing: Commission-free trades on eligible instruments; FX fees apply for non-GBP trades (platform uses tiered FX fee structure across plans).
• Product Scope: Access to 6,500+ UK, US and European stocks and ETFs (availability depends on plan level and instrument).
• Orders & Execution: Support for basic and advanced order types available within the app (market orders plus automated/limit features depending on plan and app version).
• Cash Management: Small interest or AER on uninvested cash balances is offered (rate and cap depend on plan).
• Account Transfers & Management: Users can transfer existing holdings into a GIA (processes and conditions apply); full account management through Freetrade’s mobile/web interface.
• Tax Implications: Gains and dividends in a GIA are subject to normal tax rules (no ISA/SIPP protection); Freetrade provides tools/documents to support tax reporting.
• User Experience & Support: Designed for retail users — streamlined onboarding, in-app guidance and help centre articles.