Hargreaves Lansdown has topped the Platforum's first list of Britain's best D2C platforms despite charging a higher price than many competitors.
After a year of stellar returns from Japan, investors are concerned the Japanese equity funds that beat competitors in 2013 will not be able to deliver again this year.
Charles Stanley Direct has moved to capture large clients from competitors by scrapping its own charge for new or re-reg clients with £500,000 or more, for a limited period.
D2C platform Charles Stanley Direct reported a net revenue increase of just £3,000 in 2013, blaming rising industry costs, but the wealth manager saw revenues jump 18% overall as AUM hit a record £20bn.
Charles Stanley Direct has cut its share dealing rate by 25% to £7.50 per trade for the whole of January, in a bid to encourage clients to annually rebalance their portfolios.