Gilts · Explainer
Low-coupon gilts and capital gains tax
Gains on gilts are free of capital gains tax but coupons are taxed as income. A gilt with a small coupon, priced below £100, turns most of its return into the tax-free part.
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Gilts · Explainer
Gilts or a fixed-rate savings account? How to compare them by tax band
The right comparison is what you keep after tax, and that depends on your tax band and your Personal Savings Allowance. Then weigh deposit protection against government credit, and a fixed term against a market price.
Money market funds · Explainer
Money market funds and the 2027 ‘cash-like’ test
Money market funds hold short-term debt and aim to track money market rates, but they are investments, not deposits. From April 2027 a stocks and shares ISA can hold them only as part of a portfolio.
Cash & savings · Explainer
The 22% charge on cash inside stocks and shares ISAs, explained
From 6 April 2027 interest earned on cash inside stocks and shares and innovative finance ISAs faces a flat 22% charge. The ISA manager pays it, nobody can reclaim it, and it applies at every age.
Cash & savings · Explainer
Premium Bonds against gilts and fixed-rate savings: what each really pays
NS&I's prize fund rate is 4.35%, but that is an average and most holders get less. Set against gilts and fixed-rate savings, the comparison turns on your tax band and how much certainty you want.
Rates & inflation · Explainer
Inflation and your money: cash, index-linked gilts and real returns
UK inflation was 3.1% in August 2026, enough to turn a taxed 4% savings rate into a real loss for higher-rate taxpayers. Index-linked gilts pay more as prices rise, with price risk and a 2030 index change attached.
Corporate & retail bonds · Explainer
Bonds explained: gilts, corporate bonds and bond funds
A bond is a loan you can trade: fixed payments, a fixed end date and a price that moves against yields. Gilts, corporate bonds and bond funds differ in who you lend to, how you get your money back and how they are taxed.
