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The investing platform IG is offering new customers free shares for a second month running, but the value of the investments you’ll receive is decided by chance.
While the prospect of receiving shares worth £200 for free is enticing, it’s more likely you’ll be handed between just £40 and £50.
But the deal’s not to be sniffed at, especially for the minimal work required to take part. You just need to sign up for IG, invest at least £50 in an Isa, Sipp or general account, and then hold that investment until 30 November.
You also need to trade three or more times every three months, otherwise IG charges you £24 each quarter in custody fees.
But if you’re prepared to make the trades needed to avoid the custody fee, IG’s free share bundle is worth considering. Make sure you read the terms and conditions when going ahead – find out more details about the deal below.
Keep in mind that IG gives you access to spread betting and CFD trading elsewhere on its platform, which we believe are very risky – IG itself warns that 67 per cent of its customers lose money when trading these products. These involve short-term speculative trading and not investing, and we don’t cover them.
> Sign up for IG and claim your free shares*
Freebies: Like other platforms, IG is enticing investors with free shares
What value of free shares could you receive with IG?
The companies you could end up owning through the offer are all UK ones – the list of 15 includes the likes of AstraZeneca, Experian, Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
There’s only a 4 per cent chance you’ll get shares worth between £150.01 and £200:
| APPROXIMATE VALUE BAND | PROBABILITY OF RECEIVING |
|---|---|
| £40 to £50 | 60% |
| £50.01 to £100 | 30% |
| £100.01 to £150 | 6% |
| £150.01 to £200 | 4% |
The exact value of shares you receive could fall slightly outside of the band – both more than and less than – because investments fluctuate in value.
This is Money says: It’s always great to nab a freebie, but you should beware IG’s custody fees and that you must essentially trade every month to waive them.
It’s positive that IG* charges zero commission on trading itself. The regular trading requirement could help you build a consistent habit, for example stashing £100 into an investment of your choice on the same day each month. You should also then benefit from pound cost averaging.
But other platforms such as Trading 212 and Freetrade don’t charge a custody fee or any commission on trades, so you should consider whether IG is right for you in the long term.
Freetrade* is currently offering free shares worth up to £100. This is also a game of chance, however – investors are most likely to get a share worth £10 to £25.
Trading 212* is also running a similar offer, giving you the chance of receiving a free fractional share worth up to £100. But again, you’re overwhelmingly likely to receive something worth between £8 and £25 in value. Read our Trading 212 review.
If you’re just getting started as an investor, read our guide to investing for beginners to find out about the difference between trading and investing, plus how to choose an account.
You can also check out our overview of the best investing platforms for a rundown of the top providers.
SAVE MONEY, MAKE MONEY
Sipp cashback
Sipp cashback
£200 when you deposit or transfer £15,000
4.51% cash Isa
4.51% cash Isa
Trading 212: 0.66% fixed 12-month bonus
£20 off motoring
£20 off motoring
This is Money Motoring Club voucher
Up to £100 free share
Up to £100 free share
Get a free share worth £10 to £100
No fees on 30 funds
No fees on 30 funds
Potentially zero-fee investing in an Isa or Sipp
Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. Terms and conditions apply on all offers.
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