Saxo Bank

Saxo Bank is a genuinely strong, low-cost investment platform, and for the right investor it earns its reputation. Custody charges and monthly costs are low, the range of markets and instruments is wide, and for a long-term passive strategy built around low-cost ETFs the savings on trading charges compound meaningfully over time.

There are caveats. A nominal trade is needed roughly every six months to avoid inactivity fees, the breadth of instruments can overwhelm less experienced investors, and the platform is not available to US citizens (or some Canadian residents). Most importantly, Saxo offers execution, not advice: it is built for investors comfortable making and owning their own decisions, who can resist the temptation to tinker, and who do not need sophisticated wealth structuring around their portfolio.

For a confident do-it-yourself investor that is no criticism; it is the point. Where Saxo stops, though, is exactly where planning begins, the coordination of investments with structures, pensions, protection and succession, and the discipline to stay invested through the cycles. That layer is what AES adds.

If your portfolio is around GBP 500,000 or more, a no-obligation Second Opinion will show whether your current approach still serves your plan, and what it is really costing you.