Platforms and pensions consultancy the lang cat, has hit out at direct investment charging structures, which it says leave investors with “all the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle but no clear picture of what the finished version should look like.”   

The firm hopes to clear things up for investors with its ‘Come and Have a Go: The (Late) Summer Special’ guide to the direct investing market.

The publication has the stated aim of “trim[ming] the fifty plus options that currently make up the direct investing platform market into a shortlist to help investors identify which one’s for them.”

The guide includes the lang cat’s heatmap pricing tables for ‘do it yourself’ ISA, SIPP and trading accounts and ‘do it with me’ and ‘do it for me’ ISA’s, as well as providing a current market overview, a look at new options and services on the horizon, and updates on the latest regulatory developments. 

The company will be issuing a fuller new guide to direct investing early in 2019 “in good time” for the traditional ISA season.

Mark Polson, principal at the lang cat, said: “The good news, thanks to new regulations, is that most pieces of the charging jigsaw are there now but arranging them into one clear picture is still far too difficult.

“Transparency has improved for investors but clarity remains in short supply.

“As the consumer research in the regulators recent study found there is a clear correlation between clarity of costs and charges and the extent to which investors will take them into consideration.

“Improvements in pricing structures, terminology and clarity will help investors understand charges and factor them in when making investment choices.”

The lang cat’s ‘Come and Have a Go’ (Late) Summer Special direct investing guide is free and can be downloaded from www.langcatfinancial.com.