The Start here hub
The foundations of investing for UK readers, before you choose an asset class: risk, diversification, tax wrappers, debt and how advice works. Every page is free and written for a first read.
Foundations · Explainer
Compound interest is interest earned on interest, and it works for savers, against borrowers and in reverse through charges and inflation. For illustration, £10,000 at 5% a year compounds to about £43,219 over 30 years, against £25,000 with simple interest. CPI inflation was 3.5% in September 2026.
Tax and wrappers · Analysis
28 October 2026 is Budget day, and 11 tax changes for investors are already law before the Chancellor speaks. They run from higher dividend tax since April 2026 to a £12,000 cash ISA limit for under-65s from April 2027.
Foundations · Guide
A diversified portfolio owns things that do not all fall for the same reason at the same time. That means spreading across and within asset classes, countries and currencies, rebalancing as markets move, and keeping costs down.
Tax and wrappers · Guide
Tax-efficient investing in the UK usually runs in a familiar order: employer pension money, a cash buffer, ISAs, more pension, then a general investment account using its allowances. Here are the 2026 to 2027 limits and what changes on 6 April 2027.
Foundations · Guide
Start investing in the right order: clear expensive debt, build a cash buffer, use the tax wrappers, then invest money you can leave for five years or more in a low-cost spread of holdings. Here are the 20 things to know first, with the 2026 to 2027 figures.
