The LSE Directory / Retail brokers
Charles Stanley Direct is the execution-only, do-it-yourself online investment platform operated under the Charles Stanley brand in the UK. Investors use it to buy and hold shares, funds, exchange traded funds, investment trusts, gilts and bonds directly, without receiving personalised advice on individual trades, through a general investment account, a stocks and shares ISA, a Junior ISA and a self-invested personal pension (SIPP). The platform lists more than 18,000 investments, including around 12,700 shares and over 6,000 funds, and gives access to Charles Stanley's own range of multi-asset funds alongside third-party holdings. Its pricing sets it apart within the UK execution-only category. Rather than an uncapped percentage-of-assets fee or a flat monthly subscription, Charles Stanley Direct charges 0.30% a year on the value of holdings, with a £60 annual minimum and a £600 annual cap, which favours larger, buy-and-hold portfolios over small or highly active accounts. Dealing is charged per trade, around £10 for UK shares and £4 for funds, partly offset for regular users by roughly £100 a year in trading credit paid in two instalments. Holding Charles Stanley's own multi-asset funds on the platform carries no platform or dealing charge at all. The service sits between low-cost, no-advice trading apps and Charles Stanley's advised wealth management arm, aimed at self-directed investors who may want to step up to advice later without changing provider. Charles Stanley traces its roots to 1792, making it one of the oldest names associated with the London Stock Exchange; the company was incorporated and first listed in 1896, and the Direct platform itself launched in 2013. Raymond James Financial, the US financial services group, agreed to acquire Charles Stanley Group in July 2021 for approximately £279 million and completed the deal on 21 January 2022. The UK entity was renamed Raymond James Wealth Management Limited on 1 July 2025, and as at 30 June 2025 the combined Raymond James Wealth Management UK group, comprising Raymond James Investment Services and Charles Stanley, reported assets under management and administration of £46.8 billion. Charles Stanley Direct is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority. Raymond James is retiring the Charles Stanley corporate brand across its advised UK wealth business in favour of Raymond James Wealth Management, with the change reaching client-facing documents and communications from late 2026 through 2027. The company has said Charles Stanley Direct is the exception: it will keep its existing name and continue operating as a separate execution-only platform through the transition.
