Disclaimer
Every quarter there's a layer of work that doesn't always make headlines, but does make a real difference in how you use Lightyear day to day. So here's your Q3 roundup of the things that shipped quietly and made Lightyear a little better to use.
Clearer answers on instrument requests
When you request an instrument we don't currently offer, where possible we now tell you straight away (for example with US ETFs, which European providers can't offer) rather than leaving you wondering.
Requested instruments also get their own collection, so once you've made a request, you can find and track it there. It's live on web today, with mobile catching up in the next release.
Your Watchlist, now split into Lists
Your Watchlist has always kept everything you track in one place. Great, until it gets crowded. You've been asking for more ways to split things up by instrument, sector or strategy, and that's exactly what Lists gives you.
Customise, name and design as many lists as you need. Filter your Investment Calendar and News by list, so a list built around one sector or strategy only shows the news relevant to it. Add one instrument to as many lists as makes sense to you, your favourite stock can sit in both "Long-term holds" and "Things I check too often" at once. Turn volatility alerts on or off per list, rather than all or nothing.
Your existing Watchlist hasn't gone anywhere, it's just got some company.
Manage your payment methods yourself
Adding or removing a card used to mean contacting support. Now you can do it yourself, on web or mobile.
Find it under your payment methods settings.
Tap and hold for instrument quick actions
Investing is serious business, but that doesn't mean your app can't be delightful to use. Tap and hold quick actions are one of those small touches built to make the everyday experience more delightful.
Hold down on any instrument in a list, and a set of quick actions pops up: jump straight to its events, transactions, or add it to a Watchlist, along with a few other shortcuts, without opening the instrument itself.
And then, there was the big one
Gilts (UK government bonds) take tax efficient investing beyond your yearly £20,000 ISA allowance. They offer predictable, timed income with a fixed coupon twice a year, and the gilt's face value paid back to you on the date you choose. The biannual coupon is taxed as interest, but the capital gain you earn on a gilt is free of Capital Gains Tax – which is where the tax efficiency comes in.
Read more about Gilts here.
That's Q3, wrapped. Hopefully something here makes using Lightyear a little easier. And if you've got ideas or requests for what we should build next, we'd love to hear them.