At Lightyear, our mission is to create successful investors. That means building a platform for growing wealth over the long term, with all the tools and features needed to make informed decisions. We want everyone in the UK & Europe to have access to the best platform possible — offering global coverage tied together with the local elements needed for investing, wherever you live.
In 2024, we made some big, exciting steps towards achieving just that.
This year, we focused hard on localising Lightyear for investors across Europe. We took business accounts from 2 countries to 19; and translated our platform to 6 languages! Now, if you’re from Hungary, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany or Estonia, you can use Lightyear in your native language.
As interest rates started going down slightly across the board - while still staying high - we wanted to make sure you’re getting the best value out of your savings. So in May, we launched Savings — a separate balance on your Lightyear account, which invests into BlackRock Money Market Funds. That means you’re getting high interest, while keeping money easily accessible whenever you need it. Today, you can earn up to 3.01% APY on euros with Savings.
And then, there are taxes. Maybe not the most fun thing to talk about — but arguably one of the most important aspects of investing. Taxes are wildly different in every country, and one of the biggest parts of localising an investment product across Europe. This year we took a huge step forward. We launched tax efficient TBSZ in Hungary and investment accounts - as well as automated tax info forwarding to the Tax and Customs Board for general accounts - in Estonia. For the latter, the local law actually had to change. Next up, the UK…
We also worked hard in the background to bring you a wealth of new information about what you’re investing in. In 2024, we added data & analytics features like candlestick charts, stock screeners and lots of additional financial metrics.
This year, we also laid some groundwork for lots of big things to happen in 2025. We secured direct FCA authorisation in the UK, which means we can soon launch the local tax efficient ISAs. In Europe, we secured an upgraded license, allowing us to build products like fractional ETFs and model portfolios.
We’ve got a long way to go until investing is on fair terms for everyone in Europe — but 2024 saw huge steps in making that happen. And we have no plans to slow down in 2025.
Here’s to another big year!
Team Lightyear
Disclaimer
With Savings, your money is invested in money market funds, where the value of investment can go up or down. Terms apply, seek guidance if needed. Yield (APY) shown is net, variable and correct as of 02.01.24.
