About Smart Investor UK

Independent investing guides, honest platform reviews, and practical financial education — built for everyday UK investors.

JH
Founder & Author

James Hartley

Personal Finance Writer & Self-Directed Investor

Self-Directed Investor ISA & ETF Investor Platform Tester UK Markets

James Hartley is a personal finance writer and self-directed investor with experience navigating UK investment markets. He invests through platforms including Trading 212, Vanguard, and eToro, and personally tests every platform he reviews — holding real investments in ISAs, ETFs, and individual shares.

James founded Smart Investor UK to cut through the jargon and make investing more accessible for everyday people in the UK. Every guide, review, and comparison on this site reflects his own research and first-hand experience.

About Smart Investor UK

Smart Investor UK is an independent personal finance website covering trading platforms, stocks and shares ISAs, beginner investing guides, pensions, ETFs, dividends, and tax. Our goal is to give UK investors clear, honest, and practical information so they can make more confident financial decisions.

We are not affiliated with any single platform or provider. Our rankings and reviews are based on independent research, real account testing, and publicly available data — not paid placement.

✅ Our Editorial Standards

  • We personally open and test every platform we review
  • All content is written and fact-checked by James Hartley
  • Affiliate commissions never influence our ratings or editorial opinion
  • We cite primary sources including the FCA register, HMRC, and provider sites
  • Pages are reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current rates and rules
  • All investing content carries appropriate risk warnings in line with FCA guidance

Important: Not Financial Advice

Smart Investor UK is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). All content on this site is for educational purposes only and does not constitute regulated financial advice. We may receive commissions when you open accounts via links on our site — this does not affect our editorial independence.

Capital is at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up. Always do your own research or speak to a qualified, FCA-regulated financial adviser before making investment decisions. Read our full disclaimer →