UK money guides, in plain English

Every guide reports the rules as they are, names its sources, and pairs with the calculator that runs your numbers. Reviewed for the 2026/27 tax year.

Your pay & tax

How much tax will I pay on my salary?

Income tax and National Insurance on a UK salary, band by band, with a worked example.

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How are dividends taxed in the UK?

The £500 allowance, the 10.75%, 35.75% and 39.35% rates, and how dividends stack on your salary.

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Studying & student loans

Should I pay off my student loan early?

Why it behaves like a graduate tax, and the one question that decides whether overpaying helps or wastes money.

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Working for yourself

Self-employed tax rates: what you'll actually pay

The two taxes on your profit, what you keep at each level, and the January bill nobody warns you about.

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Saving & investing

Are Premium Bonds worth it?

What a typical holder actually wins, your real odds, and the two cases where they beat a savings account.

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ISA vs SIPP: which is better?

Where each wrapper gives its tax break, when each one wins, and a worked example.

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Is the Lifetime ISA being scrapped?

What the Treasury consultation confirms, what is still blank, and what it means if you hold one.

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How much emergency fund do I need?

How many months to hold, where to keep it, and how to build it without derailing everything else.

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How much Capital Gains Tax will I pay?

The £3,000 exempt amount, the rates on shares and property, and how gains stack on your income.

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Buying a home

How much can I borrow for a mortgage?

Income multiples, the affordability stress test, and what lenders actually check.

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Should I overpay my mortgage?

What overpaying saves, the 10% annual limit, and when saving or investing beats it.

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Retiring

How does pension tax relief work?

The 20% that's automatic, the 20% or 25% you have to claim yourself, and the band where relief is worth 60%.

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How much do I need to retire in the UK?

How to size a retirement pot, what the rules of thumb assume, and the number for your income.

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Guides are information, not financial advice, and every figure is sourced to gov.uk, HMRC or the named provider. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the source.