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VCT, EIS & SEIS · Explainer
SEIS gives UK taxpayers 50% income tax relief on up to £200,000 a tax year invested in new shares of very young companies, with capital gains and loss reliefs on top. The reliefs are generous because the risk is severe: most start-ups fail, and the shares are hard to sell.
Venture & angel · Explainer
Early-stage companies are among the riskiest things a private investor can own: most fail, the shares are hard to sell and any return can take many years. UK tax reliefs soften losses without removing them, and the FCA's crowdfunding rules are built around the risk of losing everything.
Rates & inflation · Explainer
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.
Venture & angel · Explainer
Convertible loan notes and advance subscription agreements both let a start-up take money now and issue shares later, usually at a discount to the next round. The difference that matters to UK investors is tax: an ASA can qualify for SEIS or EIS if it meets HMRC's conditions, while shares from a converting loan generally cannot.
Passion assets · Explainer
Global art sales rose 4% to an estimated US$59.6bn in 2025, but the growth sat at the top of the market and art pays no income. Fees on both sides of a sale, the artist's resale right and capital gains tax on works above £6,000 all cut into any gain, and selling can take time.
Passion assets · Explainer
Casks of whisky are sold as investments with no FCA regulation, no published price list and no compensation scheme behind the buyer. The court, police and advertising record shows what goes wrong and what proper ownership papers look like.
Index funds & ETFs · Explainer
Open-ended funds and ETFs can track the same index at similar cost. The difference is how you buy them: funds deal with the manager at a forward price, ETFs trade on an exchange all day with a spread, and their tax and stamp duty rules differ.
REITs · Explainer
A UK REIT is a listed property company that pays no UK tax on its rental profits and gains as long as it pays out 90% of those profits. You get property income without being a landlord, but the share price can sit well below the value of the buildings.
Digital assets · Explainer
Crypto marketing in the UK has carried risk warnings, a 24-hour cooling-off period and an incentives ban since October 2023, and retail investors have been able to buy crypto ETNs since October 2025. A full FCA regime starts on 25 October 2027; until then most crypto activity has no FSCS or ombudsman protection.
Index funds & ETFs · Explainer
An ETF is a fund whose shares trade on a stock exchange like a company's, usually tracking an index. You buy it through a share-dealing account, ISA or SIPP at a live price, paying the ongoing charge plus dealing costs and a spread.
Corporate & retail bonds · Explainer
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.
