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Tax and wrappers · Guide
A self-invested personal pension adds basic rate tax relief at source, allows up to £60,000 a year of contributions and usually pays 25% tax-free. Budget 2026 kept those limits for 2027/28, but from 6 April 2027 most unused pension funds will count for inheritance tax.
Index funds & ETFs · Explainer
Income units pay a fund's dividends and interest to you in cash; accumulation units reinvest them. Outside an ISA, both are taxed the same way each year, and Budget 2026 raises tax on interest distributions to 24%, 44% and 49% from 6 April 2027.
US shares · Guide
US dividends paid to a foreign person are usually taxed at 30% at source. A valid W-8BEN form lets a UK resident claim the 15% treaty rate. It lasts until the end of the third calendar year after signing, and it does not remove US tax inside an ISA.
VCT, EIS & SEIS · Explainer
The Enterprise Investment Scheme still gives 30% income tax relief on up to £1m a year, or £2m with knowledge-intensive companies. Budget 2025 doubled what companies can raise from April 2026, and Budget 2026 made only technical fixes. The reliefs hinge on a three-year holding period.
Silver & platinum · Explainer
UK investors can hold silver as coins, bars, vaulted metal, exchange-traded commodities or mining shares. Physical silver bought in the UK carries 20% VAT, unlike investment gold, and the price is volatile: the Silver Institute says the annual average price rose 42% in 2025 and the metal hit an all-time high above US$121 on 29 January 2026.
Buy-to-let & landlord tax · Guide
A company pays corporation tax of 19% to 25% on rental profit and deducts mortgage interest in full. From 6 April 2027 individual landlords pay 24%, 44% or 49% on property income with an interest credit at the 24% property basic rate. Dividends, stamp duty land tax and the cost of moving existing property decide whether a company helps.
Cash & savings · Explainer
A fixed rate bond pays a set rate for a set term in exchange for locking your money away. In September 2026 one-year bonds averaged 4.35% and three-year bonds 4.56%, against 3.75% Bank Rate. FSCS cover is £120,000 per person per licence, and taxable interest costs more from April 2027.
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.
Investment trusts · Explainer
Investment trusts are listed companies that own a portfolio, so their shares can trade below or above the value of the assets. The AIC says the average discount narrowed from 12.3% to 11.6% over the first six months of 2026. Here is how discounts, gearing, dividends and costs work.
Tax and wrappers · Explainer
For deaths on or after 6 April 2027, most unused pension funds and death benefits count towards the estate for inheritance tax. HMRC expects about 10,500 more estates to pay in 2027/28. Budget 2026 also removed the two-year rule for death benefits from 28 October 2026.
Dividends & income · Explainer
Dividends above a £500 allowance are taxed at 10.75%, 35.75% or 39.35% in 2026 to 2027, depending on your band. Budget 2026 left those rates unchanged for 2027 to 2028, while tax on savings interest rises to 24%, 44% and 49% from April 2027.
Cash & savings · Explainer
Basic rate taxpayers can receive £1,000 of interest a year tax-free and higher rate taxpayers £500, with up to £5,000 more at 0% for people on low incomes. Budget 2026 kept those allowances but raised tax on savings interest above them to 24%, 44% and 49% from 6 April 2027.
Tax and wrappers · Guide
You can pay up to £20,000 into ISAs in 2026/27, and Budget 2026 kept that limit for 2027/28 while reversing the planned cash ISA cut. Inside a stocks and shares ISA, dividends, interest and gains are free of UK tax, but the investments can still fall in value.
Cash & savings · Analysis
Savers put £95.6bn into cash ISAs in 2024 to 2025, more than two and a half times the £37.2bn that went into stocks and shares ISAs. From 6 April 2027 under-65s can put only £12,000 a year into cash.
Rates & inflation · News
3.75%: Bank Rate is unchanged after a 6-3 vote in which three members of the Monetary Policy Committee wanted a rise to 4%. The next decision, with a new Monetary Policy Report, is due on 5 November 2026.
