Interactive Investor S&S ISA - Regular investment delay

[spence1886]

Seeking the wisdom of the masses in case anyone has considered this before.

I am going to be moving my S&S ISA from Fidelity to II to benefit from reduced costs. The free regular investing with II collects money on the 12th of a month (by direct debit) but it is not invested until the first Wednesday in the following month. That is a delay of at least 21 days every month. Existing clients retain the third wednesday of the month trade date (same month as collected), so invest 14 days earlier.

Has anyone any experience gaming the system such you can send monies by standing order a week or so before the "first Wednesday" and still benefit from the free regular investing?

I know I could ask II the question directly, but I imagine they will say the system is the system, rather than actually saying "yes, your way will work".

Alternatively, should I just suck it up and ignore it on the basis that a 14 day investment delay over the long term will make no material difference? In a rising market I will "lose" but a falling market "gain" from the delay and so the delay is not something to even consider?

[Simpo Two]

spence1886 said:

Alternatively, should I just suck it up and ignore it on the basis that a 14 day investment delay over the long term will make no material difference? In a rising market I will "lose" but a falling market "gain" from the delay and so the delay is not something to even consider?

That would be my thought - unless you want a sudden 'stagging' opportunity but you can always buy shares directly.

[spence1886]

Simpo Two said:

spence1886 said:

Alternatively, should I just suck it up and ignore it on the basis that a 14 day investment delay over the long term will make no material difference? In a rising market I will "lose" but a falling market "gain" from the delay and so the delay is not something to even consider?

That would be my thought - unless you want a sudden 'stagging' opportunity but you can always buy shares directly.

Thanks - I can't argue against that. As this is primarily a drip feed buy and forget portfolio, which I do occassionally actively trade when i see potential opportunities, I can do as you say on a manual transaction basis.

I think the adoption of an Amazon Prime mentality to life in general - everything is now so instant - means that seeing the delay automatically triggers the "why does it need to take so long, what's II's angle?" type questions.