Halifax Share Dealing is a British online broker, allowing customers to buy and sell shares in UK and international companies across a range of markets. It is a subsidiary of the Bank of Scotland which itself is part of the Lloyds Banking Group.

History

The firm was set up to manage the 7.5 million Halifax bank customers who were eligible for shares when the company went public in 1997. It dealt solely in Halifax shares before expanding in 1998 to offer a comprehensive service for retail customers to buy and sell shares in real time. Halifax Share Dealing was the first in the UK to offer a regular investment plan where customers can buy shares, known as ShareBuilder. Halifax Share Dealing has continued to expand, and now offers a Self Select Funds ISA (Individual Savings Account), a Self Select Stocks and Shares ISA, and a SIPP (self-invested personal pension). Its online research centre, Halifax Marketwatch, enables investors to research companies using a wide range of market information. The company also operates the iWeb online share dealing brand, a legacy of HBOS's 2003 acquisition of the IMIWeb online brokerage from Sanpaolo IMI. Halifax Share Dealing is based in Leeds and,, had more than one million customers. It is part of the Lloyds Banking Group, a British-based financial institution formed through the acquisition of HBOS in 2009 which provides UK retail, wholesale and international banking facilities, as well as insurance and investment services.

Criticism

The share dealing service receives mixed reviews in the media. Consumer magazine Which? praises the low platform fees but is critical of the dated web interface and poor security. Financial review site Boring Money has described the platform as ‘minimalist’ and expresses concern at the lack of two-factor authentication.

Awards

Awards won by Halifax Share Dealing include: