How to compare two Irish PIA fee quotes

PIA Centre · Checked 7 November 2026 against the Bill as introduced on 19 October. Final rules and provider terms may change.

A €5 monthly account fee is €60 a year. A 0.40% annual platform fee also costs €60 at a €15,000 balance. Either could be the cheaper offer for you, depending on how much you hold and how often you trade.

A worked fee comparison

These are invented prices for comparison, with a constant balance for one year. Both examples assume a fund charge of 0.20% a year and zero dealing, advice and foreign-exchange costs. No provider has supplied these quotes. The figures show fees before investment account tax.

Balance	A: €5/month plus fund cost	B: 0.40% plus fund cost
€5,000	€70	€30
€15,000	€90	€90
€50,000	€160	€300

At €50,000 the common fund charge is €100. Add €60 for A or €200 for B. At €5,000 the fixed charge alone consumes 1.2% of the account. That is why comparing percentages at just one balance can give a new investor the wrong impression.

What changes if you buy monthly?

Suppose A also charges €2 per purchase and B includes purchases. Twelve trades add €24 to A. The break-even balance rises from €15,000 to €21,000: €84 divided by 0.004. One trade a year under the same terms would put it at €15,500. Use the dealing pattern you actually expect.

What to copy from a provider’s price list

Record the effective date, platform minimum, fund charge for your share class, dealing fee, currency conversion charge and any advice or exit fee. Check whether a quoted all-in price already includes the fund charge before adding it. Where a price is missing, mark it unknown. A blank field can materially change a comparison.

Check published provider terms or model a longer investment period. The proposed investment account tax has a separate calculation. See the worked daily valuation example.