Plum is a smart money management app designed to automatically set aside money without you even thinking about it. It was founded in 2016, and started as a Facebook Messenger chatbot. Plum then launched the app (available on Android and iOS) which is designed to make managing your money easy, but it’s also effective for those who struggle to put that bit extra away. And the basic version is free.
Plum also gives you the option to invest some, or all, of your deposited money. You can choose between a range of investment funds, kept in a stocks and shares ISA or a general investment account. You should consider carefully which of these portfolios (you can choose multiple) is best for you, depending on your expertise and risk appetite. You can start investing with just £1.
3 June, 2024: Earn bonus cash when you refer friends to Plum
Through the Plum app, you can choose how much to invest in a range of investment funds, or automatically allocate a set percentage of your auto-deposits to go towards those funds. Examples of the investments funds available include “Tech Giants” (which includes shares of tech leaders such as Apple, Facebook and Google), or “Slow & Steady” (a mix of bonds and stocks).
Here are the portfolios available:
| Portfolio name | Types of investment | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Tech Giants | Invest in technology shares | 6/7 |
| Clean and Green | Invest in companies selected for their social responsibility | 5/7 |
| Rising Stars | Invest in the growth of new giants in Asia and Africa | 6/7 |
| The Medic | Invest in shares of healthcare, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies | 6/7 |
| Balanced Ethical | A mix of assets based on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria | 5/7 |
| Growth ethical | Invest in global companies selected for their environmental, social and governance (ESG) track record | 5/7 |
| American Dream | Invest in US company shares that tracks the performance of the S&P total market index | 5/7 |
| Best of British | Invest in the 100 largest public companies in the UK | 5/7 |
| European Essentials | Invest in large and mid-sized companies in developed markets in Europe. | 5/7 |
| Slow and Steady | 20% shares and 80% bonds. This fund expects to get moderate returns and is better protected from losses. | 3/7 |
| Balanced Bundle | 60% shares and 40% bonds. This fund has a balanced combination of shares and bonds. | 4/7 |
| Growth Stack | 80% shares and 20% bonds. This fund has high potential returns but is higher risk. | 5/7 |
In terms of withdrawals, you can withdraw your investments as often as you wish, although it can take up to 5 days for the money to return to your account.
If you do decide to invest, keep in mind that your capital is at risk and that you could get back less than you invested.
You can choose between 3 accounts:
This account is a standard investment account. There aren’t any tax benefits, so people usually choose this one if they’ve used their ISA allowance already.
You can invest in the same portfolios as with the other accounts. You may be liable to pay tax on profits over £3,000 in each tax year.
Plum has recently launched its SIPP, which lets you save up for your retirement. It’s designed to be automated and flexible. You can pay into your SIPP the same way as with its other products, and you can move existing pensions into your Plum SIPP.
The main benefit is that you can see all of your accounts in one place and invest in its wide range of funds. SIPP investors can choose from 8 funds designed for those investing for retirement.
Pensions can’t be cashed out until you turn55, but you do get tax relief from the government, which Plum applies for on your behalf.
With Plum’s ISA you can use your annual ISA allowance, which means that you can invest up to this amount each tax year without paying any tax on your profits. The allowance for the 2024/2025 tax year is £20,000.
It’s free to start setting aside money with Plum. The free Plum Basic plan includes the app download and registration, as well as unlimited deposits and withdrawals, and the automatic deposit feature and bill analysis.
But there are fees for investing your money with Plum:
As well as Plum Basic (free) and Plum Plus (£1 a month), there’s a third tier called Plum Pro, which costs £2.99 per month after a 30-day free trial. As well as the investment features you get with Plum Plus, you can unlock additional functionalities, such as cashback at certain retailers, a monthly spending “diagnostics” report and the “rainy day saver”. We go into more detail about Plum Pro below.
This is the premium Plum account tier, which costs £2.99 per month after a 30-day free trial.
With Plum Pro, you’ll get all the functionality available with Plum Basic and Plum Plus, as well as the following features:
In September 2020, Plum unveiled a new Interest Pockets feature, which enables its customers to earn interest on the money that they set aside in the app for the first time. When users create a new Pocket (which is a savings pot for a specific goal), they are now given the option to choose between a regular Pocket and one that pays interest.
Subscribers of the Plum Plus and Plum Pro plans can open an easy access Interest Pocket that currently pays interest of 0.55% AER. Plum Plus subscribers can open a single Interest Pocket, while those paying for Plum Pro are able to create multiple Interest Pockets.
In November 2020, easy access Interest Pockets were also extended to Plum Basic users, although the interest rate available to them is currently 0.35% AER.
Money set aside in Plum’s new Interest Pockets will be held on trust with the Investec banking group, which means these funds will be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
The “Naughty Rule” is a new feature which automatically sets money aside every time you buy something from a retailer you consider a “guilty pleasure”. Initially available on Plum’s Ultra subscription plan and to Plum Premium customers, the “Naughty Rule” covers a selection of the 50 most popular retailers used by Plum customers.
When you purchase something “naughty” from one of the specified retailers, Plum will automatically put aside a set amount into your savings. You can set the amount of money to be set aside, ranging from £1 (“Mildy Mischievous”) to £10 (“Very Villanous”).
Once the “Naughty Rule” has been fully enabled, Plum will make one extra saving per day when you spend at one of your chosen retailers.
Apart from money deposited in Interest Pockets, funds held in a general Plum account are not specifically covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (which protects deposits of up to £85,000), as the company is not a licensed bank. But Plum is authorised and regulated by the FCA as an e-wallet money agent of PayrNet (a subsidiary of Railsbank), which allows it to provide users with an e-wallet. Customer funds are held in a pooled account at a UK bank chosen by PayrNet and are protected by safeguarding rules.
Plum also considers its users’ safety and security a top priority – and here are some of the ways Plum works to keep you safe:
Plum was heavily funded through its startup phase by crowdfunding campaigns. However, now it’s established it looks to create its own revenue through two main revenue streams:
Finder spoke to Plum to learn more.
Pros
Cons
| Email support | |
|---|---|
| Telephone support | |
| In-app or live chat | |
| Contact form | |
| Branch support |
Saving is not an especially fun task, and while we all want to be doing it, doing the actual maths and remembering to transfer the money every week or every month requires a lot of commitment. So why not have it done automatically by Plum?
It’s a very smart concept, although there are a few drawbacks to consider. The main one is that Plum’s general account does not pay any interest. So your money won’t be growing unless you open an Interest Pocket, or you decide to invest your funds, which of course entails a whole different set of risks and issues. Get started by downloading the app.
Overall, Plum can be a smart and fun way to put money aside without doing much budgeting, or even having to go into your current account to manually make a transfer. Plum has started to offer interest-paying Interest Pockets, and also has a good range of investing options, some of which are suitable for beginners.
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
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