Plain Money

Saving, investing and tax explained in plain words for ordinary households.

personal finance

Summer Holiday Money: How Not to Lose £150 to Currency Fees Abroad

1 Aug 2026 personal finance

The September Plate Change: Why August Is the Cheapest Month to Buy a Car

31 Jul 2026 ISA

Cash ISA or Stocks & Shares ISA? What £10,000 Actually Earns You Over Ten Years

28 Jul 2026 Tax

Emergency tax on a summer job in the UK: why your first payslip is short, and how to get the money back

25 Jul 2026 personal finance

Selling Your Clutter on Vinted or eBay This Summer? Here's the £1,000 Rule HMRC Never Advertises

22 Jul 2026 Pension

Specified Adult Childcare Credits: The Free Pension Top-Up Grandparents Never Claim

19 Jul 2026 council tax

Your Council Tax Band Could Still Be Wrong From 1991 — And It's Costing You

16 Jul 2026 Energy Bills

Your Energy Direct Debit Is Probably Too High Right Now

13 Jul 2026 Self Assessment

The 31 July Tax Bill Self-Employed People Forget About

10 Jul 2026 Family Finances

The Six-Week Childcare Bill Nobody Budgets For Until It Lands

7 Jul 2026 Budgeting

The Back-to-School Bill Is Already Being Written — Beat It While It's Still July

3 Jul 2026 travel money

Your holiday money is quietly costing you more than the flights

30 Jun 2026 personal finance

The frozen tax thresholds quietly taking more of your pay

26 Jun 2026 Premium Bonds

Premium Bonds or an easy-access account? The 2026 maths most people get wrong

23 Jun 2026 Lifetime ISA

The Lifetime ISA trap: how the £450,000 cap catches first-time buyers

20 Jun 2026 Savings

Your savings are probably losing you money. Here's the half-hour fix

19 Jun 2026 Credit Score

Building a good credit score, and why it matters

15 Jun 2026 Money Safety

Spotting the scams that target your savings

11 Jun 2026 Estate Planning

Power of attorney: protecting your money if you cannot manage it

7 Jun 2026 Estate Planning

Wills and inheritance tax: the basics every household should know

3 Jun 2026 Pension

Drawdown or annuity: turning your pension into an income

30 May 2026 Pension

Pension consolidation: gathering up your old pots

26 May 2026 Investing

Robo-advisers or DIY: how should a beginner invest?

22 May 2026 Investing

Investment fees: how a single per cent eats your returns

17 May 2026 Investing

Pound-cost averaging: investing calmly when markets wobble

13 May 2026 Investing

Diversification: why you should not put all your eggs in one basket

9 May 2026 Economy

What a recession actually means for your money

5 May 2026 Economy

Inflation and the base rate: why your money keeps changing value

Gift Aid: making your charitable giving go further

27 Apr 2026 Banking

Cashback and reward credit cards: using them without getting burned

23 Apr 2026 Saving

Haggling down your bills: broadband, mobile and insurance

19 Apr 2026 Budgeting

Cutting the subscriptions you forgot you were paying for

15 Apr 2026 Budgeting

Tracking your spending without a spreadsheet meltdown

11 Apr 2026 Budgeting

Setting money goals that actually stick

7 Apr 2026 Debt

Buy Now Pay Later: the hidden risks behind the convenience

3 Apr 2026 Banking

APR or AER: what those acronyms on the small print mean

30 Mar 2026 Tax

Salary sacrifice: pensions, bikes and electric cars

26 Mar 2026 Debt

Student loans: should you ever overpay?

22 Mar 2026 Saving

Junior ISAs: a tax-free head start for your children

18 Mar 2026 Family Finance

Child Benefit and the High Income charge: the trap to know about

14 Mar 2026 Family Finance

Tax-Free Childcare: free money towards nursery bills

10 Mar 2026 Tax

The dividend allowance and investing outside an ISA

Capital Gains Tax for ordinary people

The Personal Savings Allowance: when is your interest taxed?

25 Feb 2026 Tax

Marriage Allowance: the tax break couples keep missing

21 Feb 2026 Saving

Easy-access or fixed-rate savings: which suits your cash?

17 Feb 2026 Saving

Regular saver accounts: high rates with a catch

13 Feb 2026 Saving

The FSCS £85,000 guarantee: how your savings are protected

9 Feb 2026 Insurance

Is breakdown cover worth paying for?

5 Feb 2026 Insurance

Cutting your car insurance premium, honestly