Plum is an financial app that empowers users to save and trade. The investing platform is available in 10 European countries with offices in the UK, Greece and Cyprus. Over 1.5 million clients and have invested more than £1 billion with the firm.
Vanguard is a US-headquartered brokerage with 50 million clients globally and $8+ billion in assets under management. The brands offers investing in stocks, mutual funds, bonds, ETFs and options with low fees. The trusted broker is regulated by the SEC, FINRA and FCA.
"Plum is a great option for traders looking for a user-friendly savings, budgeting and investment app. The £1 minimum deposit, pre-built funds and fractional shares will especially appeal to beginners."
"We recommend Vanguard for long-term investors looking for managed accounts and self-directed trading opportunities. Fees are competitive, with zero-commission stock and ETF trading."
Pros
Commission-free trading on 3000+ stocks with manual or automatic investments
Pre-built funds based on a market sector or ESG initiatives with portfolio auto-rebalancing
Savings account available with expenditure analysis and free withdrawals
Interest rates on uninvested cash are competitive up to 4.21% AER
Low minimum investment of £1 plus fractional shares
Regulated by the FCA
Bill provider analysis
Trusted since 1975 with strong regulatory oversight in the US and UK
Retirement and ISA accounts available alongside traditional investing solutions
Fully managed accounts providing a hands-off approach to investing
Excellent education and user guides compared to alternatives
Competitive fee structure with a 0.15% account fee
Commission-free stock and ETF trading
Well-designed mobile app
ESG funds available
Cons
Monthly subscription fees apply to access the full suite of services and best trading conditions
Limited price analysis features such technical indicators and custom charting for experienced traders
Limited payment methods with bank transfer only
Narrow product portfolio compared to alternatives
The app is only available in European regions
No demo account available
Limited payment methods - credit cards, cheques and e-wallet are not supported
High minimum investment amounts, including $3000 for the majority of mutual funds
No demo account available to practise trading risk-free
