Learn: Investing Costs & Broker Basics

Plain-English explainers on how brokers actually charge you and how the protections work — the background knowledge behind every comparison on FeesWizard. No jargon, no sales pitch. Capital at risk.

• What Is a CFD? Contracts for Difference Explained

  A CFD is a leveraged contract that tracks an asset's price without owning it. Learn how CFDs work, their costs and risks, plus UK and EU rules.

• What Is a Stocks and Shares ISA?

  A stocks and shares ISA lets UK savers invest up to £20,000 a year free of capital gains and dividend tax. Learn how it works, the rules and common mistakes.

• FSCS Protection for Investments: What It Covers

  The FSCS protects up to £85,000 per person per firm if an authorised investment firm fails. Learn what it covers, what it does not, and how to check a firm.

• Spread vs Commission: Understanding Trading Costs

  Spread and commission are two ways brokers charge for trades. Learn how each works, why commission-free is not free, and how to compare the true all-in cost.

• Copy Trading Explained: How It Works, and Is It Profitable?

  What is copy trading and is it profitable? How mirroring another trader's positions works, the real risks, and what to check before you copy. Capital at risk.

• Broker FX Fees Explained: The Hidden Cost of Buying US Stocks

  What a broker FX or currency-conversion fee is, when it applies, how it's charged, typical ranges, and a worked example on a £1,000 US-stock purchase. Capital at risk.

• What Is Payment for Order Flow (PFOF)?

  What is payment for order flow? How commission-free brokers earn from routing orders, the conflict-of-interest debate, and where PFOF is banned. Capital at risk.

• CFD vs Investing: Trading Contracts Versus Buying Real Shares

  CFD trading versus buying real shares: ownership, leverage, costs, dividends, tax and risk compared. Which suits long-term wealth building? Capital at risk.