# Build wealth, not fees. Go further with a General Investment Account (GIA). Save big with a multi-currency
portfolio that lets you hold balances and invest in Pounds, Dollars and Euros. When you invest, your capital is at risk Regulated by the FCA Go further with a General Investment Account (GIA). Save big with a multi-currency portfolio and hold, invest and earn interest in Pounds, Dollars and Euros. ### GIA - Multi-currency account: Hold and earn interest on GBP, USD, EUR. No double currency conversions each time you trade. - Commission-free: No account, execution or custody fees. Just a 0.1% FX fee if you convert currency. - 3.84% interest: Easy access Vaults with no withdrawal penalties. This is an investment product with daily variable rates. ## Low cost pricing For too long, UK investors have got the short end of the stick. Sky-high fees on one side, illusive
promises of ‘free trading’ on the other. This ends with Lightyear. With us, what you see is what you get. - Currency conversion (FX) - Monthly fee - ETFs: per order - US stocks: per order - UK stocks: per order - EU stocks: per order - Multi-currency - Full comparison Data accurate as of 6 June 2026. **Trading 212:** Based on their Invest fees [page](https://www.trading212.com/terms/invest). **Hargreaves Lansdown**: Based on their [__Stocks & Shares ISA__](https://www.hl.co.uk/help/income-and-fees/fees-explained/fee-changes). Stock trading costs depend on the number of trades made in the previous month. The standard online dealing charge is £6.95 per trade for up to 19 trades in the previous month and £3.95 per trade for 20 or more trades. Shares, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and investment trusts are charged at 0.35% per year, capped at £150 per account. Foreign exchange (FX) fees are tiered: 0.99% on the first £10,000, 0.5% on the next £15,000, and 0.20% on amounts above £25,000. Additional dealing charges may apply for certain instruments, such as funds. **Interactive Investor:** Based on their pricing plans [page](https://www.ii.co.uk/our-charges). II offer 3 different plans; Core, Plus and Premium. There is a portfolio limit of £100k for Core. The table shows the range across these 3 plans. FX is 0.75% for Core, 0.75% for the first £50k in Plus and 0.25% over £50k, and 0.25% in Premium. Full breakdown of their pricing is available [here](https://lightyear.com/en-gb/comparison/interactive-investor-vs-lightyear). **AJ Bell:** Based on their [Stocks & Shares ISA](https://www.ajbell.co.uk/isa/stocks-shares-isa/charges). The AJ Bell fees for trading ETFs and stocks are based on trades in the previous month. If you had more than 10 share deals in the previous month then the £5.00 charged is reduced to £3.50. AJ Bell's FX fee in their ISA is 0.75% on the first £10,000 going down to 0.50% on the next £10,000 and to 0.25% on values over £20,000 ## Multi-currency investing Your money goes even further without constant foreign exchange fees. ### Multicurrency - No double conversion fees: We don’t force currency conversions each time you trade. You choose when and how much you convert. - The live interbank rate: Your money is always converted at the live interbank rate — the rate at which banks convert money with each other. - Uninvested cash interest: Your uninvested GBP earns 1.00%. Get up to 3.84% with [Vaults](/general-investment-account#vaults). Rates are AER. ## Asset types to suit every investor Growing wealth over the long term or hedging against risk? We’ve got tools and asset types to suit every investor. ### US stocks 4,000+ US stocks across the NYSE and Nasdaq. ### UK stocks Invest in UK stocks trading on the London Stock Exchange. ### EU stocks Invest in stocks from across Europe: Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, and more. ### ETFs Diverse ETFs from some of the world’s largest fund managers. ### Money market funds Money Market Funds are low risk, highly liquid and AAA-rated investments that pay interest. ## Earn high interest on your money This is an investment product with variable rates. ### Follows the Benchmarked against the Bank of England’s variable overnight interest rate, which is calculated daily. ### Managed by Looked after by BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, with over $10 trillion under management globally. ### No minimums From £1 to infinity. We don’t limit the amount of money you can add to your Vaults. ## Protection and regulation Trusting us with your investments is something we don’t take for granted. ### Regulated and insured - Regulated by the FCA: We're authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority ([FRN 987226](https://register.fca.org.uk/s/firm?id=0014G000034WTPOQA4)). - FSCS protection: Lightyear is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). FSCS deposit protection applies to client money only where held with UK banks, not where held in QMMFs. [Learn more here](/help/deposits-conversions-and-withdrawals/how-are-my-assets-protected). ### Safeguarding your assets - We safeguard your cash: Customer funds are held in a mix of Citibank and NatWest bank deposits and AAA-rated Qualifying Money Market Funds. Your money is always kept separate from ours. FSCS protection applies to client money only where held with banks, not where held in QMMFs. [Learn more here](/help/deposits-conversions-and-withdrawals/how-are-my-assets-protected). - Your assets are yours, no one else's: You are the beneficial owner of all your investments, and your assets are held in separate accounts. Your assets can't be touched by our creditors and in the unlikely event of Lightyear's insolvency, everything is returned to you. --- Canonical: https://lightyear.com/en-gb/general-investment-account