NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA review: Is it worth it?

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for reference purposes only. Wise does not offer to buy or sell stocks, and all information on this page should not be considered financial advice. All investment decisions should be made after thorough research and consultation with a qualified financial advisor. Remember that investments, even in low-risk funds, are never guaranteed and your capital is at risk.

Want to start investing with a tax-efficient stocks and shares ISA, or looking to switch ISA provider? Whether you’re a new or seasoned investor, you’ll have a lot of choice when it comes to investment ISAs in the UK.

One popular provider is the high street bank NatWest, which has a Stocks and Shares ISA available to open online.

To help you decide if it’s the right option for you, we’ve put together a complete NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA review. We’ll cover all the essential info, including eligibility, features and those all-important annual, commission and trading fees.

So, let’s get started.

Who the NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA is best for?

The NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA can be used by any kind of UK investor, but it’s perhaps best for beginners. This is because it offers a choice of five ready-made funds with different risk profiles ranging from low to high risk. All are managed by experienced investment managers at private bank Coutts.

This is ideal if you’re new to the world of investing, as you can get started right away and know that your investments are in good hands. But it’s not necessarily the best fit for more experienced investors who want to choose and manage their own investments.

Read more about how stocks and shares ISAs work below.

📚How stocks and shares ISAs work

Who can open an account?

To be eligible for the NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:¹

• You’re a UK resident for tax purposes
• You’re between 18 and 84 years old
• You’re already a NatWest customer with access to online banking.

To apply, you’ll need your NatWest online banking details to hand, as well as your National Insurance (NI) number.

What currencies are supported?

All of the funds NatWest offers to Stocks and Shares ISA holders have British pounds as their base currency.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that international stocks and other investment products aren’t included, but it does mean that all trades are likely to be carried out in GBP.

NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA features

Now, let’s take a look at the key features of the NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA:¹

• Start investing with just £50
• Choice of 5 ready-made investment options, based on the level of risk you’re comfortable with - Defensive, Cautious, Balanced, Ambitious and Adventurous
• Manage investments online or via the NatWest mobile app
• All funds are managed by experienced Coutts investment managers.

NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA fees

Before you open any kind of ISA or investment account, you’ll need to know exactly how much it’s going to cost you.

Here are the main fees and charges you need to know about for the NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA:²

Fee	Amount
Platform fee	0.15% for investments up to £1m 0.10% for £1m+ to £5m 0.05% for £5m+
Fund fees	Up to 0.40%
Trading fees	Up to 0.07%
Withdrawal fees	None

Does the NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA have an account fee?

NatWest doesn’t charge an account fee as such for its Stocks and Shares ISA. But it does have a platform fee, which is essentially the same thing.

This is 0.15% for most investors, although it drops to 0.10% for investments with a value of between £1 million and £5 million, and to 0.05% for investments over £5 million.²

There’s also the fund management fee, which isn’t charged by NatWest - instead, it goes directly to the fund manager. This varies, but you won’t pay more than 0.40%.²

Trading fees with NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA

Alongside the platform and fund fees, you’ll also pay trading fees of up to 0.07% every time assets are bought or sold within your investment. NatWest terms these ‘transaction costs’.²

How much does NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA charge for UK stocks?

As NatWest only offers ready-made investment portfolios, you won’t have control over the buying and selling of stocks - whether UK or international.

But when your investment manager buys or sells stocks within your investment, transaction fees of up to 0.07% will apply.²

NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA withdrawal fees

NatWest doesn’t mention a charge for cash withdrawals from its Stocks and Shares ISA, so you should be able to withdraw freely. To make sure though, you might just want to check with the bank before making a withdrawal.

NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA commission fees

NatWest generally doesn’t charge commission fees, as it's all covered under the platform and trading costs.

How to buy stock with NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA

As the NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA only offers ready-made portfolios, your investment manager will be responsible for buying and selling stock within your investment.

All you need to do is sign up for your ISA, which you can do via the following steps:

1. Go to the NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA page and click ‘Invest now’
2. Sign into NatWest online banking (if you’re not already a customer, you’ll need to open an account and sign up for online banking in order to get the S&S ISA)
3. Follow the on-screen steps to open your S&S ISA
4. Read all the costs, fact sheets and other info about the 5 ready-made investment funds available
5. Choose a fund and the amount you want to invest.

If you’re planning to invest elsewhere, you might want to read our guide to buying shares in the UK below.

📚How to buy shares

Buying stock in another currency?

Buying or selling a stock or shares that aren’t traded in your local currency? Don’t let the currency conversion trip you up. Convert your stocks or shares into any currency with our handy tool, and you’ll always know what you’re getting.

Check out our international stock ticker tool.

Explore international stocks 🌍

Disclaimer: Wise's international stock ticker provides information for reference purposes only. This tool and platform does not offer to buy or sell stocks, and the data displayed here should not be considered financial advice. All investment decisions should be made after thorough research and consultation with a qualified financial advisor. We make no guarantees regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and users should exercise caution and seek professional guidance when making investment choices.

How is the NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA mobile app?

You can use the NatWest mobile banking app for managing your Stocks and Shares ISA.

It’s available for both Android and iOS devices, and lets you check and manage your portfolio at any time. You can manage your investments, top up your account and withdraw funds.

NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA customer service

If you need help with your NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA, you can contact customer services by phone.

Call the Help and Support team on 0345 877 7103. This line is available from 9.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.³

NatWest also has a dedicated support page for managing your NatWest Invest account.

Alternatives to the NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA

NatWest is far from the only provider of stocks and shares ISAs in the UK. There are plenty of alternatives you can choose from, such as:

• Barclays Investment ISA
• Halifax Stocks and Shares ISA
• HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA
• Lloyds Stocks and Shares ISA
• Moneybox Stocks and Shares ISA
• Trading 212 Stocks ISA
• Vanguard Stocks and Shares ISA.

FAQs about investing with Natwest S&S ISA

How to withdraw from a NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA?

You can withdraw money from your NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA using online banking or the NatWest mobile app.

Follow these steps:⁴

1. Click ‘View account’ for the account you want to withdraw from
2. Click ‘Actions’ and then ‘Withdrawal’
3. Enter the amount or percentage you want to sell from each fund
4. Confirm.

The funds will then be sent to your verified bank account.

Before you make a withdrawal, it’s worth checking whether or not this is a flexible ISA. This means that any withdrawn funds that are then replaced won’t count towards your annual ISA limit.

You can read more about how non-stocks and shares ISAs work below.

📚How ISAs work

How long does it take to withdraw from a NatWest S&S ISA?

NatWest doesn’t say how long it takes for withdrawn funds to arrive in your bank account. But it may depend on when you make the request, as investments can only be sold during market hours. After this happens, you should receive the money in your nominated bank account pretty quickly.

Can I transfer a NatWest cash ISA to a stocks and shares ISA?

You generally can’t transfer cash ISAs to stocks and shares ISAs. However, you can transfer an existing stocks and shares ISA held elsewhere into a NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA.

Grow your international money with Wise

Not sure about using a stocks and shares ISA to help you save?

With a Wise account, you can earn a return by investing your GBP, EUR and USD, and choose how your money is used. Simply select your chosen currency account then under ‘Options’, select ‘Earn’ and choose ‘Stocks’ or ‘Interest’.

All your money is held as ‘cash’ by default, so you can’t earn a return on what you spend, but it isn’t at risk in the market.

If you select the ‘Stocks’ option, we’ll invest some or all of your money (you can choose to allocate all or part of your chosen currency) in the index tracking fund we’ve chosen.

And if you opt for Wise Interest you can choose to give us permission to invest all or some of your money in the interest-earning fund we’ve chosen, this will depend on the currency.

Wise Interest can help grow your international money and start earning a return on the pounds, euros and dollars in your account. When you use Wise Interest, you can send and spend your money whenever you want, including your gains and you can transfer up to 10,000 GBP (or equivalent) each day from Interest currencies. Anything above will add a processing time of up to 2 working days.

To protect your account, we may occasionally need to temporarily limit the amount of money you can withdraw, send, or spend daily. In this case you’d still get full access to your money within 2 working days.

We invest your money in government-backed asset funds. This means that when the central bank rates change, your return does too. You can check the 7 day past performance on the Wise Interest page. Past performance doesn't guarantee future growth. Capital at risk. Growth not guaranteed.

Why not turn on Wise Interest, to help boost your money?

Learn more about Wise Interest

Capital at risk. Growth not guaranteed. Wise Assets UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with registration number 839689. When facilitating access to Wise investment products, Wise Payments Ltd acts as an Introducer Appointed Representative of Wise Assets UK Ltd. Please be aware that we do not offer investment advice, and you may be liable for taxes on any earnings. If you’re uncertain, we urge you to seek professional advice. To find out more about the Funds, visit our website.

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Sources used for this article:

1. NatWest - Stocks and Shares ISA
2. NatWest - Investment fees
3. NatWest - managing a NatWest Invest account
4. NatWest Investments Online - withdrawals

Sources checked on 27-Jun-2025