Interactive investor SIPP investments: ii says you can build a portfolio from UK and international shares, funds, ETFs, trusts, bonds, gilts and cash.
The list is ii’s own, taken from its SIPP and investment pages. Values can fall as well as rise, so you may get back less than you paid in. Whether an ii portfolio sits well beside your other pots is a fair thing to ask an FCA-authorised adviser; there is no fee for the ring-back, which you set up by putting your number and postcode into this page’s form.
What can you hold in an interactive investor SIPP?
ii’s SIPP page describes two ways to invest. For those managing their own, it says you can “Build your investment portfolio from our full range of UK and international shares, funds, bonds, trusts and more.” The other route is a ready-made Managed Portfolio, covered below.
The page then breaks the choice into shares, funds, ETFs, investment trusts, and bonds and gilts, with cash alongside. For what a SIPP is in general, see how a SIPP works; for how this account runs day to day, the Interactive Investor SIPP. The tax rules on what any SIPP may hold are in SIPP eligible investments, and other platforms word their lists differently, as Fidelity and AJ Bell show.
Shares: UK, US and other markets
ii says it offers “access to 17 global exchanges”, across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Sweden and Switzerland are marked as phone orders only. Japanese, Indian and Chinese shares are offered as ADRs, which trade on US exchanges and carry “ADR” in their title.
A SIPP can hold up to nine currencies, ii says: pounds, US dollars, euros, Canadian, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australian dollars, Swedish krona and Swiss francs. Converting pounds into another currency costs a foreign exchange charge, set by plan, and ii warns that currency changes can decrease the sterling value of international investments.
Tax on overseas dividends is a separate matter. ii’s SIPP FAQ says “Non-UK investments may be subject to dividend taxes applied by the country with tax jurisdiction over the investment and we do not offer a tax reclaim service for non-UK investments.”
Funds, ETFs and investment trusts
ii describes its fund range as “the full spectrum of fund types”: passive, active, income and accumulation. Its ETF page counts “over 1,000” exchange-traded funds, and says they can track bonds, property and currencies as well as share indices.
Investment trusts are described as a special type of fund. They are listed companies whose shares you buy and sell, and ii’s trusts guide lists sectors from infrastructure to commercial property and private equity. Which individual trusts sit on the platform is shown in ii’s search tools.
Bonds, gilts and cash
ii’s bonds page covers corporate bonds, government bonds (gilts are UK government bonds), bond ETFs, index-linked and high-yield bonds and money market funds. It warns that bonds “are not risk free”, because issuers can default and prices can fall when interest rates rise.
Cash can sit in the SIPP too. ii says “Cash held in your SIPP will also earn interest.” Rates change, so they are not printed here; SIPP cash interest rates compares them.
Ready-made options inside the SIPP
ii offers several ready-made routes for people who would rather not pick holdings. Managed Portfolios match you to one of 10 portfolios, with funds mostly from Aberdeen, which ii says it is part of; the ongoing charge is taken from the investment and “can range from 0.13% to 0.21%”, depending on the portfolio. ii says you should be “at least 5 years away from taking money out”.
The ii SIPP Selected Growth Option is “Vanguard LifeStrategy® 60% Equity Fund”. ii cautions that it “will not automatically invest in lower risk options as you approach your planned retirement age”. Six Quick-start Funds sit in three risk bands, and target retirement funds from Vanguard and BlackRock shift towards bonds as a chosen date nears. ii’s Highly Rated Funds tool is a list rather than a product.
How far a managed or ready-made route fits depends on how soon you need the money, which an adviser can look at with you during a free call-back request.
For how the Managed Portfolios, Quick-start Funds and target retirement funds compare as hands-off choices, see the ready-made ii SIPP.
What dealing costs depend on
On ii’s price list (last updated 1 October 2026) the charge per trade turns on what you buy. Funds are the cheapest to deal on the Plus plan and free on Premium; UK and US shares, ETFs and investment trusts included, share one rate; other international shares cost the most on every plan. Buying UK shares also carries 0.50% stamp duty.
Monthly plan fees, other charges and a worked comparison are in Interactive Investor SIPP fees; for the way these costs add to fund charges, read what pensions cost each year.
Interactive investor SIPP investment questions
Do I need a W-8BEN form to buy US shares in an ii SIPP?
Not if the SIPP is the only account you trade them in. ii says a W-8BEN lets you hold US shares and “you cannot trade US shares without it unless you are only trading in a SIPP”, so you need one if you also deal in US shares in an ii ISA or Trading Account.
Can I hold more than one currency in the SIPP?
Yes, up to nine, according to ii; an ISA holds pounds only.
Can I take income from these investments in retirement?
Yes, ii’s drawdown pages explain how; see ii SIPP drawdown.
Do ii’s Managed Portfolios have a minimum investment period?
No minimum is set, ii says, but every portfolio is designed for long-term growth of at least five years. Its SIPP page also asks that you be at least five years from taking money out.
What happens to a target retirement fund after its date?
ii says you can carry on holding one after its target date, and the fund may keep moving more of your holdings into lower risk bonds. Check what your fund does next before that date arrives.
Before you choose what to hold
Which mix suits you turns on your age, other pensions and when you need income. To talk it over, send your contact details through the quote form. The adviser who phones back is FCA-authorised, and the call is free.