About Hargreaves Lansdown
We are one of the UK’s leading independent financial service providers and asset management specialists. Our mission is to help investors make more of their investments by providing the best information, the best service and the best prices. We are a fund supermarket, a fund manager, a discount broker, a stockbroker, a pensions specialist, an annuity specialist, a wealth manager and a financial adviser– in other words a one-stop shop.
Our experts can simplify and streamline your affairs and free up your time by helping you to choose, buy, sell, hold and manage your investments. As a one-stop shop, we remove unnecessary duplication and give you the benefit of low, transparent charges and market-leading initial and annual savings on funds. Last year, we saved private investors over £100 million in charges on their investments.
We are completely free of proprietary links so you can rely on the total independence of our experts - and as your investments prosper, we hope that you will give us more of your business. If we exceed your expectations, then we hope to become not only your first port of call for advice but that you will also refer friends and family to us.
Award winning services
We win prestigious awards every year for delivering exceptional services to clients across the financial spectrum. In 2008, for example, we have been named What Investment magazine's Best SIPP Provider and the Best Investment Manager at the FT and Investors Chronicle Wealth Management Awards. All our accolades are listed elsewhere on our website - but underlying all of them is a commitment to excellence shared by everybody in the Hargreaves Lansdown team. We know from satisfaction surveys that 98% of clients rate our service better or as good as they could find elsewhere. Our knowledge and experience is also recognised by the national media – you’ll find the views and advice of our experts virtually every week in the national press.
What we do
Our services have evolved in response to client demand over the years, culminating in our flagship Vantage service. This is the in-house investment administration system which now underpins all our operations. It enables you to hold different types of investments together in one place with one valuation and dealing service.Our services include self-select ISAs, funds, shares, SIPPs and group SIPPs. We also offer discretionary portfolio management and a range of multi-manager funds for clients who don't want to choose and manage their own holdings.
Past & present
Hargreaves Lansdown was established in 1981 by Peter Hargreaves and Stephen Lansdown, and under the section History, we explain our credentials and experience. Today, we are one of the leading providers of investment management products and services to private investors in the UK. As at 30th June 2008 we held £11.1 billion of assets under administration on behalf of private investors. We explain more in the HL today section.
In May 2007 Hargreaves Lansdown embarked upon a new phase in its growth and development by releasing 25% of its share capital to obtain a listing on the London Stock Exchange. This transparency demonstrates that our direct business model makes it possible to offer highly competitive prices while still achieving attractive profitability. In the calendar year 2007 we provided more than £100 million in discounts and rebates for our clients, whilst still achieving a 42 per cent rise in underlying profits for the financial year ended 30 June 2008 of £57.8 million.
Our future
The key to the growth and success of our services is that we listen to our clients and respond to their needs. We really do welcome your comments and criticisms. If you really do think we are doing something wrong or you have suggestions for improvement we want to hear from you. Of course, it is good to hear when you think we are doing something well, too! Meanwhile we will continue to talk to new and potential clients about their investments and also expand our Financial Practitioners division since we have established that many clients would like a local representative.