Your account

There are two types of numbers you’ll have as a Bestinvest client.

Here’s what they’re for and how to find them.

Client number

This is your unique customer number, and relates to your account as a whole. You can use it make requests to link to other Bestinvest clients, such as a spouse or other family members.

To find your client number:

• Click on the 'Profile' icon and select 'Security details' in the main menu
• Your client number is at the top of the page
• You can also find your client number on the email we sent when you opened your Bestinvest account, or on your most recent statement

Account (BI) number

A Bestinvest account number always begins with the letters 'BI' ('B' and 'I') followed by a series of numbers

It is specific to each account you have so you will have a different BI number for each account - ISA, SIPP, Investment Account etc. You can reference this number when contacting our support team for account related queries.

To find your BI number:

• Select an account from your main dashboard
• At the top of this page is the type of account you hold (Stocks and Shares ISA for example) and directly underneath is your Bestinvest account number (BI number) along with the first and last name of the account holder
• You can also find your BI number on the email we sent when you opened your Bestinvest account

You can access online copies of the following documents:

• Quarterly statements -  this document provides a summary of your portfolio, the assets you hold along with a more detailed breakdown of any transactions during the period
• Contract notes - this document acts as a receipt for a trade and is produced each time you make a trade providing detailed information about the transaction
• Tax certificates - this document is produced annually around the end of June for applicable accounts (usually Investment accounts) and summarises any income received on your account during the period
• Direct Debit agreements - these documents summarise the details of any monthly direct debits you have instructed us to set up

To find your documents:

• Select the 'Profile' icon in your account
• Select 'Documents' in the menu
• Your documents are organised in different tables based off the document type
• Use the time period selector to filter documents from a certain period
• You can view and download each document

When there is a mandatory or voluntary corporate action, we will get in touch via email to notify you and in the case of a voluntary action, provide you with the opportunity to choose whether to participate or not.

If you would like to submit a proxy vote as a shareholder or attend a shareholder meeting in person, we can handle this process for you by liaising with our proxy voting provider on your behalf.

To help us cast your vote or submit an attendance request in time, please get in touch as soon as possible.

• Send us a message using our contact form
• Select 'AGM' from the dropdown menu
• Enter your instructions in the comments field

Please note: our proxy voting provider has a deadline earlier than the AGM deadline. If it has passed the provider deadline, it will be processed on a best endeavors basis. Normally it's 10 days before the main deadline.

Bestinvest is committed to dealing with complaints effectively and fairly in accordance with the Financial Conduct Authority's complaint handling rules and guidance. If our clients have cause to complain, it will be dealt with by a dedicated team focused on ensuring that clients are treated fairly during the process. Please see our complaints handling procedure for more detail.

If our clients are not satisfied with the outcome of their complaint, they will have the right to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge, at The Financial Ombudsman Service Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR, or by going to their website www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.

If you do need to make a complaint, either email clientresolution@evelyn.com or call us on 020 7189 9999. 

Before you can close your account you need to:

• Transfer your investments to another provider or sell them down to be converted into cash
• Withdraw any remaining cash to your nominated bank account

For SIPP accounts you can't withdraw from your account until age 55 (rising to 57 2028). However you can transfer to a new SIPP provider.

How to close your account

• Once you've initiated sales of all investments held in your account, send us a message using our contact form
• Select 'Account closure' in the menu dropdown
• List the account number(s) of the account(s) you are closing
• We would be grateful if you could also state the reason for closing your account

What happens next?

• Once we've received your account closure request, it typically takes 7-10 working days to close your account

Your account will remain open for 6 months after closure to receive any interest/dividends. This will be forwarded to your new counterparty or your bank details until the account is fully closed. You will also receive valuations until the account is fully closed.

• Please send us a message
• Select 'Client Reporting' from the dropdown menu and add your BI account number
• Include in the comments field the date you want the valuation for and the date period required

We recognise this is a very difficult time so please speak to us about any adjustments you would like us to make for you.

You can inform us about the death of the account holder by getting in contact via phone or email, whatever suits you best.

We will need some documents from you to enable us to progress with handling the estate:

• Certified copy of the death certificate
• Confirmation of whether the deceased had a Will
• If there is a Will, we need a certified copy
• If there is no Will, the next of kin needs to apply for letters of administration (for more information on this topic, see Citizens Advice's guide on dealing with the financial affairs of someone who has died)
• Depending on the size of the portfolio, we may require a Grant of Probate before we can release any of the funds

Remember that a Power of Attorney (POA) ceases upon death. If you held a POA, then you will no longer be able to make decisions about the deceased’s account.

• Click on your 'Profile' icon in the top right hand corner of your screen and then select 'Bank details' from the menu
• Click 'Add' if you're adding bank details for the first time or 'Edit' to update your existing bank details
• Remember to click 'Save' after you've made your updates so these changes take affect

If you update your bank details

• For your security you won’t be able to withdraw money from any of your Bestinvest accounts for 1 working day, but you will still be able to keep to keep trading
• If you have any monthly contributions set up, your new account details will be automatically updated
• If you made the changes less than 10 working days before your Direct Debit is usually taken, it may still come from your old account or may not go through. Don’t worry, all existing Direct Debits are covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee, and we will get in touch if any unexpected issues arise.

You can update your email address, phone number and residential address online or via the app.

• Click on your 'Profile' icon in the top right hand corner of your screen 
• Select 'Personal details' from the menu
• Click 'Add' or 'Edit' to amend your details
• Remember to click 'Save' after you've made your updates so these changes take affect

Please note that changes to your email and phone number will be be reflected online instantly. Changes to your residential address can take a few days to update online.

If you are logged in to your account online or via the app you can update your username, password or PIN information.

• Click on your 'Profile' icon in the top right hand corner of your screen
• Select 'Security details' from the menu
• Click 'Edit' next to the login detail you want to update
• Remember to save your changes so they take effect
• You will receive an email to confirm the changes have been made

If you can't remember your login credentials or are having trouble accessing your account online, you can reset your details.

We can accept an original copy of your marriage certificate or deed poll so we can verify the document.

If you send a copy, it must be certified with the certifier confirming the profession & contact details.

It must also state:

• “I [insert certifier name] certify that the photograph is a true likeness of [insert client name] and that 
  this is a true copy of the original document that I have seen”.  

OR

• “I [insert certifier name] certify that the document is a true copy of the original document that I have 
  seen”.

Send us a scanned copy of the document via email to best@bestinvest.co.uk.

We will then update our systems with your new name.

When you first set up your account you will have been asked to create login details which consists of three elements: username, password and PIN.

To log in to your account online via a web browser:

• Click the 'Login' link at the top of our website or navigate to the login page directly here (bookmark this page for ease of access later)
• Follow the two-step process of entering your login credentials

To log in to your account via our mobile app

Make sure you have the latest version of the app installed on your device. 

Download iOS app

Download Android app

• Open the latest version of the mobile app
• You can choose to login with a biometric ID (face or fingerprint) or with a username
• Logging into the app with a username follows the same process outlined above for web browsers
• Logging in with a biometric ID requires the initial set up, followed by entering your username, password and PIN. The next time you visit the app you will just use the biometric method to login without having to enter login credentials
• You can turn on/off biometric login in the app by navigating to Profile > Security details > Scroll to the bottom of the page to toggle on/off 'Log in with Face/Fingerprint ID'

If you run into any issues or have forgotten your login details select the 'Forgot login details?' link on the login page and follow the steps to reset your details.

If you are still unable to access your account online contact our team on 020 7189 9999.

When you log in to your account online you will be presented with your main investment dashboard which gives a high level summary of your accounts and investments.

Here are some key areas of your account:

• Select 'Investments' from the menu to toggle between your different accounts
• 'Add cash' gives you a quick way to contribute cash to any of your accounts with a debit card
• 'Invest' will take you to our investment search where you can browse through the investment range (this will open in a new browser window)
• The 'Profile' icon is where you can mange or update key details such as linked bank account details, login details and contact information. It's also where you can access your documents.
• Select an account under the 'My accounts' table and you will see a more detailed view of that account such as the investments held, performance data, portfolio breakdown and your transaction history. It's also where you can add and withdraw cash and set up monthly savings. 
• 'Life plan' is where you can experiment with our digital tools such as the Retirement goal and Grow my money
• 'Coaching' is a dedicated space for you to book free sessions with our Investment Coaches and learn more about what coaching offers.

Before you start

• When buying shares, your Cash available to invest balance in your chosen account needs to be sufficient to cover the value of your trade
• You should fully research your chosen investment before you invest. Make sure you are comfortable with its expected performance and understand the potential risks involved.
• You can only place a trade once per day on the same fund or share.

For buying new funds

• Go to the 'Summary' page of your chosen account
• Navigate to the 'Funds' table and click on 'Add funds' at the top
• Use our ‘Investment search’ tool to find your chosen investment
• Click 'Invest now' and follow the prompts on screen to enter how much you'd like to invest and submit your request

For buying or selling existing funds

• Go to the 'Summary' page of your chosen account
• To buy more funds, click on the plus symbol (+) under the 'Funds' table
• To sell funds, click on the minus symbol (-) under the 'Funds' table and select 'Sell'
• From here, you will be guided through the steps to choose how much you would like to buy or sell and complete your request

Buying new stocks or shares

• Go to the 'Summary' tab of your chosen account
• To the right hand side of the 'Stocks & shares' table click on the 'Add stocks & shares' link at the top of the table
• From here you will be guided through the steps to select if you would like to 'Buy now' or 'Buy via limit order' and then input the specific number of shares or a cash amount that you would like to purchase

Buying more of existing stocks or shares

• Go to the 'Summary' page of your chosen account
• In the 'Stocks & shares' table click on the plus symbol (+) next to the share you'd like to buy more of
• From here you will be guided through the steps to select if you would like to 'Buy now' or 'Buy via limit order' and then input the specific number of shares or a cash amount that you would like to purchase

Selling stocks or shares

• Go to the 'Summary' page of your chosen account
• In the 'Stocks & shares' table click on the minus symbol (-) next to the stock/share you'd like to sell
• From here you will be guided through the steps to select if you would like to 'Sell now' or 'Sell via limit order' and then input the specific number of shares or a cash amount that you would like to sell

Monthly or regular savings is a way to automatically contribute to your account each month via Direct Debit.

There are two types of monthly savings:

• Monthly cash saving - deposits cash into your accounts cash balance which you can invest when you want
• Monthly investment savings - purchases an amount of your chosen fund each month

All monthly savings are collected from your linked bank account on or around 25th of the month.

See 'how to set up monthly cash savings'

See 'how to set up monthly investment savings'

When you're logged into your account your main dashboard contains high-level information about all of your accounts, investments and any linked accounts.

To access the information about individual investments, select the relevant account from the 'My accounts' table. This will take you to a page that shows each investment that you have within that account.

You can easily navigate between accounts using the dropdown menu.

Book cost refers to the amount you paid for an investment and includes all charges that apply to the investment, such as stamp duty and dealing charges.

Getting book cost updated:

• Send us a message using our contact form
• Let us know the security/SEDOL and what the updated book cost is
• We can pass this onto our custodian to update your account

The linked accounts feature allows you to link to accounts of other Bestinvest clients, such as a spouse or other family members, making it easier for you to view your combined investments.

It's worth noting that linking your account to another Bestinvest client does not allow you to perform transactions on their account such as contributing cash or purchasing investments.

Before you start you’ll need to know the Client number of the person whose account you want to view.

Linking accounts with another Bestinvest client is quick and secure.

To request linking with another account:

• Go to the profile section of your account and click on ‘Linked accounts’
• Enter the Client number of the person you want to link accounts with and click ‘Send request’
• We’ll then send an email to the person you’ve requested to link accounts asking them to approve or reject the request

If your request is approved:

• You’ll get an email from us letting you know that your request has been approved
• When you next log in to your account (Profile > Linked accounts), you’ll see the name of the person you linked with under the heading ‘Accounts I can view’

If your request is rejected:

• You’ll get an email from us letting you know that your request has been rejected
• You can make another request by following the same steps as before

What do I do if I receive a request to link accounts? 

Before you accept a request, you should check you know the person making the request.

To approve or reject their request follow these steps:

• Go to the profile section of your account and click on ‘Linked accounts’
• Under the ‘Others who can see my account’ section you’ll see the name of the person and a ‘Pending approval’ status. Click ‘Authorise’ or ‘Reject’

How do I remove access to someone who has linked their account to mine?

• Go to the profile section of your account and click on ‘Linked accounts’
• Under the ‘Others who can see my account’ section you’ll see the name of the person
• Click ‘Remove’ to revoke access

Life plan is a digital tool in your account designed to help you set, track and achieve goals which are meaningful to you.

You can set two types of goals:

• The Retirement goal allows you to set a high-level plan for when you want to retire and how much money you think you’ll need to fund your retirement. You can then see how you might achieve this based on how much money you can invest now and over time
• For those not thinking about retirement right now, Grow My Money allows you to see how much your money could grow based on what you could put in today and your target growth rate. It assumes no withdrawals are made during the period so you can watch your investment value grow until you are in a position to achieve whatever your financial goal might be.

You can access Life plan by:

• Clicking on ‘Life plan’ in the main menu at the top of your screen once logged in to your account
• Select ‘Retirement’ if you want to set a retirement goal or ‘Grow my money’ if you want to simulate different scenarios for how your money could grow based on what you put in today.

What are Coaches?

We have a team of Coaches based around the UK. They are trained to give you general guidance to help with your investing. This may include information about different types of investments or principles for you to follow.

Learn more and meet the team here

What is coaching and what can a Coach do for you?

Coaching is a free service we offer where you can discuss your investing goals with a member of the team. It's usually conducted online and typically lasts 45 minutes. You can book as many coaching sessions as you like.

A coach can guide you and give you hints and tips about your investing options. They can help you with things like setting up a financial plan, using your tax allowances and different ways to invest.

If you’re looking for personalised investment recommendations, your coach will be happy to put you in touch with the right expert to discuss our Portfolio Health Check advice package, which has no ongoing commitment.

How to book a coaching session

• Log in to your account and click on ‘Book an appointment’ on the top right-hand side of the screen, a window will open
• We use a piece of software called Calendly to manage coach bookings
• Pick a date and time, then fill in a few details about what you want to discuss during your coaching call and how you’d like to be contacted (we normally do video calls, but we can phone you too).
• When you click ‘Schedule event’ we’ll confirm your appointment and who you’ll be talking to