27 August 2026
Strategies parents are using to pay for private schoolMore than half a million families will be hit with a huge bill before school term starts in September. The first term’s fees for private school are due, and they can be eye-watering. If your children or grandchildren are among them, it’s worth considering the best ways to cover the cost.
Often parents will try to pay out of their income, which can...
24 August 2026
The tax perks parents in single-income households should knowWhen children come into the picture, many couples decide to transition to one parent remaining at their job and one staying at home to raise their child. This is a very personal decision. There is no right or wrong answer to managing the demands of a family. But going down this route does mean a big shift in your lifestyle and finances.
Single...
20 August 2026
Self-employed? How to avoid a retirement savings shockSelf-employed people are so busy running their own businesses that they could be sleepwalking into a pension nightmare. Only around a fifth of them pay into a pension and even when they do, they pay in less than their employed counterparts.
On top of that, there’s no employer contribution to make up the difference. It’s no wonder that so many self...
20 August 2026
Where should you be keeping your emergency fund?Investing is a smart way to build your wealth, and having an emergency fund is essential to not lose what you already have. Before you start your investment journey, it’s smart to build up an emergency fund that you can use when life comes at you with an unexpected twist.
An emergency fund is usually a pot of cash that amounts to between three and...
19 August 2026
What to know before giving a gift with strings attachedAs inheritance tax (IHT) changes loom large, more people will be considering giving gifts during their lifetime to cut their tax bill. However, different gifting methods offer varying degrees of flexibility.
If the individual making the gift is not really ready to let it go, or they’re worried about what their family might do with the money, they...
14 August 2026
What high earners might be wary of in Healey's first BudgetHigher earners already pay a massive chunk of tax here in the UK as the top 50% of earners pay 90% of all income tax, and the top 1% pay 27%. If they make over £100,000, they also fall off the cliff edge and lose incredibly valuable government support.
If you have a significant portfolio outside ISAs and pensions, you’re also highly likely to be...
14 August 2026
The £0 to £100,000 investment journeyGetting to your first £100,000 is no measly investment goal, but it’s absolutely achievable. Here, we’ll look at the steps you need to take and the traps to watch out for when building up your £100,000, and how long it might take.
The first £100,000 is the hardestEver heard the business saying that making the first million is always the hardest...
13 August 2026
The risk of opting for cash over investingNew analysis from AJ Bell shows the dramatic difference between keeping money in cash and investing it over the long term. Since 1999, when ISAs were launched, stock market investments have significantly outpaced both inflation and cash savings – with investors building far greater wealth despite short-term market ups and downs.
The analysis shows...
13 August 2026
Investing for university: why the Bank of Mum and Dad is so importantAs students find out their A-Level results, many parents of younger children will be giving thought to how they will pay for university in the future. It’s even more pertinent this year given growing scrutiny of the student loans system, which has been described as ‘broken’ and ‘unfair’ by government officials.
Certain parents might wonder if they...
13 August 2026
Seven fund ideas for your portfolioBefore you decide which fund to buy, you need to establish two key things: what is your risk appetite and how long is it before you need to access the money.
Those happy to ride out the ups and down of the market, and have time to do so, might be comfortable owning funds that invest in shares. Those with a more cautious mindset and/or a shorter...
7 August 2026
Average inheritance tax bill hits £231,000 as pension changes loom: what can you do?New government data found that the average tax bill for an inheritance tax paying estate has increased to £231,000, up 9% year-on-year. This comes ahead of the changes which will see pensions included within inheritance tax (IHT) from April 2027 onwards.
Although only around 5% of estates pay the tax, the amount being collected continues to hit new...
6 August 2026
Seven ways to get your finances Budget-ready without making panic movesLike Christmas, Budget speculation season has kicked off even earlier this year, with everything from wealth taxes to frozen tax thresholds being thrown into the mix.
When faced with the threat of higher taxes, people will always want to take steps to protect themselves. But if you do, it’s essential to focus on those you’ll be grateful for...
31 July 2026
Could your pension last to your 100th birthday? Here's howThe number of people aged 100 or more has doubled over the past 20 years, raising the point that as life expectancy continues to grow so to must our pension calculations.
According to the latest government figures, there were 15,172 people who were at least 100 years old, two thirds of which were women.
When you’re planning for retirement, it’s...
28 July 2026
UK's gender tax gap narrows but pension and ISA disparity lingersThe UK has massively narrowed one of its financial gender gaps this year, which would usually be cause for celebration. However, this one is a slightly mixed blessing.
For the tax year 2026 to 2027, an estimated 18.9 million income taxpayers are women and 21.9 million are men – that’s a split of 46.3% women and 53.7% men, the latest government data...
22 July 2026
Should first-time home buyers wait and invest instead?Buying a home, even for those who’ve already been through several purchases, tends to mean quite a few sleepless nights and scrutiny of finances.
For most of us, it’s by far the most expensive item we will ever purchase. But it’s also been seen for a long time as one of the most important assets to hold in terms of financial growth, with homes...
17 July 2026
Are you paying more than your fair share of income tax?Most people accept that paying some amount of tax is important as a contribution to wider society, but it doesn’t mean we are jumping for joy when our tax bill is looking larger than last year.
It doesn’t help that the tax system is full of convoluted language and scenarios, which can mean that if you aren’t careful, you could end up with a much...
15 July 2026
What a new prime minister could mean for your moneyFormer mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham is set to become prime minister on 20 July, the seventh person to hold the position in the past decade.
After several weeks of limbo we're about to get a glimpse at what a Burnham premiership could mean for the nation’s finances. Currently, there's more we don’t know than that which we do, but there have been...
10 July 2026
Keeping your childcare benefits could save tens of thousands. How does it work?Childcare is often a hefty part of household expenses, particularly when parents are paying for additional care during the day or after school. For many families, government subsidies such as the funded hours or tax-free childcare can provide significant relief for the expenses.
However, data from the Department for Education shows that number of...
7 July 2026
Four steps to make passing down estates less painfulDealing with the loss of a family member is an extremely taxing process that most people know too well. While dealing with the grief, there is unfortunately also a legal side that needs to be handled to distribute their estate, which often falls to a family member. This includes tasks like gaining the legal right to deal with the departed's estate...
1 July 2026
Nine ways to beat the energy price hikeEnergy bills are rising as of 1 July, with the arrival of a new, more painful, price cap. We’re paying the price of higher wholesale gas prices after the outbreak of the Iran war, and despite the pull back since the ceasefire, today’s hike was already baked in.
The fact this is hitting at a warmer time of year means we may not feel the full impact...
24 June 2026
How to choose a money market fundMoney market funds provide a cash-like alternative to investors that can be held in a Stocks and shares ISA, while aiming to return slightly above the rate offered in cash accounts.
Investors often use these funds instead of cash because they are highly liquid and invest in things like short-term debt and treasuries, which are typically low risk...
19 June 2026
Don’t get caught out by this growing trend in investment fraudThe ways fraudsters attempt to take our hard-earned cash have become increasingly cynical – including tricks like pretending to be a family member with a new phone number.
The ‘Hi Mum/Dad I need cash for an emergency’ message from an unknown number cruelly plays on parental instincts and only adds to the hurt and distress involved in being a victim...
18 June 2026
Brexit 10 years on: what's the impact on your money?The impact of Brexit in the 10 years since the referendum is hard to untangle from everything else that has been going on over the past decade.
We’ve faced a global pandemic, runaway inflation prompted by war, and a bond crisis precipitated by a disastrous mini-Budget. However, there are some aspects of our finances that were clearly impacted by...
18 June 2026
Iran peace deal: what does it mean for your finances?After three and a half months of war between the US and Iran, a peace deal has been agreed that would include an extended ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Nothing can be guaranteed in this peace process, and with some terms of the agreement still unclear, there’s the chance that something could break in the fragile deal between the...
17 June 2026
Frozen thresholds drag 7 million into income tax net and 5,000 into IHTIncome tax thresholds have been frozen to the spot since April 2021, and inheritance tax bands since April 2020 – both were three prime ministers ago. These tax rules are set to stay until 2031 – and it’s anyone’s guess how many PMs may come and go in the interim. The number of additional taxpayers created by both freezes is impossible to ignore...
