Personal Finance Tips

How to close a Hargreaves Lansdown account

Alex Beaney

30.06.26

Read time 3 minutes

Have investments with Hargreaves Lansdown, but are thinking of switching to another provider? Perhaps HL no longer meets your needs or you want to try out a new platform - or you’ve simply achieved your investment goals and want to enjoy your returns.

Whatever your situation, this guide is for you. Read on to find out how to close a Hargreaves Lansdown account in the UK in a few simple steps.

We’ll look at how long it typically takes to close an account, whether there are any fees involved and the key things you need to do before starting the process.

Learn more about the Wise account

Things to know before closing your Hargreaves Lansdown account

Before starting the process of closing your account with Hargreaves Lansdown, there are a few important things you need to know:

If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to set up a nominated bank account - this is what any returns and withdrawals will be paid into
You’ll need to sell your investments first - head here to find out how to do it
You’ll need to cancel any pending transactions, including Direct Debits and regular withdrawals
Your account balance must be zero, so this means withdrawing all funds from Hargreaves Lansdown to an external bank account first
When the value of the account falls below £50, it’ll be closed¹
You’ll need to wait a few days for all your trades to be settled and the money paid into your nominated bank account.

You might also want to consider whether you’d prefer to transfer your portfolio to another provider, rather than sell all your investments and close the account.

This could be useful for investors who have a Stocks & Shares ISA, as transferring rather than withdrawing could mean that your investment returns stay within their tax-protected wrapper.

How to close a Hargreaves Lansdown current account - step-by-step

If you’ve sold your investments, withdrawn all funds and cancelled all pending transactions, you’re ready to close your account.

The good news is that it’s pretty quick and easy to do. You can either contact Hargreaves Lansdown customer services for help, or simply empty your account balance to trigger the automatic closure of your account.

Here’s what you need to do:¹

Login to your account on the Hargreaves Lansdown website or app
Sell any live investments
Select ‘Withdraw money’ from the relevant tab
Enter the amount you want to withdraw, and select ‘Next’
Select ‘Confirm payment’ to continue
As soon as the value of the account falls below £50, HL will close your account.

How long does it take to close a Hargreaves Lansdown current account?

Once you’ve completed the steps above, the process of closing your account should start right away.

However, you’ll need to wait for any trades to be settled, and then for any withdrawn funds to reach your nominated bank account. Here are the timelines you need to know about:¹

The settlement period for funds is 4 working days
The settlement period for shares is 2 working days
Withdrawn money should reach your bank account either the same day, or the next working day.

Are there any fees to close a Hargreaves Lansdown account?

No, Hargreaves Lansdown doesn’t charge any fees to leave the provider and close your account. There are also no fees involved in transferring your portfolio in or out.²

This means you can leave the platform whenever you want, without having to worry about additional charges.

How Wise could save you money when investing

After reading this, you should be all set to close your Hargreaves Lansdown account. Just make sure to sell your investments, and withdraw all funds before requesting the closure.

If you move onto another investment platform, it could be worth opening a Wise account alongside it. It’s a powerful multi-currency account that makes global investing easier - and potentially cheaper too.

With Wise, you can get local account details to link to your new investment account. This means you can add funds and receive funds in the same currency you’re trading in, without the platform charging you high currency conversion fees.

Wise offers the mid-market exchange rate on currency conversions, along with low, transparent fees. This gives you full control, so you don’t get stung by high FX fees and can save money whenever you trade.

Looking for an alternative way to help grow your income? Check out Wise Interest.

Simply open a Wise account online and switch on Interest to start earning returns on GBP, USD and EUR - while still having easy access to your money.

Investments can fluctuate, and your capital is at risk. Interest is offered by Wise Assets UK Ltd, a subsidiary of Wise Payments Ltd. 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.

✅ Sign up with Wise for free

Sources used:

Hargreaves Lansdown - Help - How to close an HL account
Hargreaves Lansdown - Help - Transferring to another provider

Sources last checked 02-Apr-2026

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.