Around 12 million customers will now have access to Blackrock’s iShares exchange-traded funds (ETFs) range via the Monzo banking app.
Blackrock is one of the largest fund managers in the world and one of the first to launch ETFs via its iShares range almost 30 years ago.
And now, 11 of the iShares ETFs will be available for Monzo customers to invest with ease. Nearly half (47%) of savers tend to put off investing because the overwhelming number of choices makes it difficult to start, Monzo’s research found.
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Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have become a commonplace part of the investment landscape. In just 35 years since the first ETF launched on the Toronto Stock Exchange, the amount of money invested in ETFs has reached $15 trillion as of the end of April 2025, according to data from ETF research house ETFGI.
With Monzo, users will be able to pick a range of ETFs and build their own portfolio.
Monzo’s ETF offer – how will it work?
Monzo launched a pilot of its ‘Build Your Own’ ETF investing feature on 17 June. Having offered a robo-adviser service that lets investors put their money into any of three pre-built investment pots, Monzo users can now take a more active approach to investing in ETFs.
“This new ETF offering is the next step in making investing even easier and more personal,” said Andy Smart, chief product officer at Monzo.
The pilot allows Monzo users to invest into any of 11 ETFs, all issued by BlackRock’s iShares, investing as little as £1 at a time. The ETFs available to invest in are:
- iShares Core S&P 500 UCITS ETF
- iShares Core FTSE 100 UCITS ETF
- iShares MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF
- iShares Core MSCI Europe UCITS ETF
- iShares Core MSCI World UCITS ETF
- iShares NASDAQ 100 UCITS ETF
- iShares Healthcare Innovation UCITS ETF
- iShares Metaverse UCITS ETF
- iShares Global Clean Energy Transition UCITS ETF
- iShares Blockchain Technology UCITS ETF
- iShares Automation and Robotics UCITS ETF
This selection of global and thematic options gives investors “simple, clear options with just the right amount of choice”, according to Smart. It reflects the results of Monzo’s research into would-be investors’ greatest interests.
The pilot is initially only available to Monzo users who haven’t yet used any of its investment offerings, with 25% of eligible customers being given access each week for the first four weeks from 17 June. Any Monzo users who haven’t yet invested with Monzo should see the product appear in their app at some point during this period.
Later this year, once the pilot is complete, the offering will be rolled out to all Monzo users.
What are the benefits of ETF investing?
There are various benefits to using ETFs to invest. “They offer diversification, with a single ETF typically holding a broad range of securities,” said Raymond Backreedy, chief investment officer at Sparrows Capital.
That can include multiple asset classes, such as stocks and bonds: Vanguard’s LifeStrategy range, for example, offers investors ready-made portfolios in varying ratios of stocks to bonds, as a convenient means of balancing risks.
“They’re transparent in that most ETFs disclose their holdings daily, so investors know exactly what they own,” Backreedy continued.
Because ETFs trade on a stock exchange like an equity, they also offer liquidity and flexibility. Most core ETFs also benefit from low expense ratios since many of them are index trackers.
“ETFs have quietly become one of the most powerful tools available to retail investors. They offer low-cost, instant access to diversified portfolios,” says Rahul Bashan, managing director at ARK Invest Europe.
How do I invest in an ETF?
One of the great advantages of ETFs is that they trade just like an individual stock on a stock exchange. That means they can be bought and sold in real-time, directly into your stocks and shares ISA.
You can buy an ETF from brokerages like Hargreaves Lansdown or AJ Bell, and there are also a range of investment platforms that specialise in ETFs.
InvestEngine, for example, offers zero account fees on ETF investing. As well as Monzo, other products like Moneybox offer investors a selection of ETFs that they can add to a stocks and shares or Lifetime ISA.
