Every story from every desk, newest first.
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.
VCT, EIS & SEIS · Analysis
On a £10,000 stake, SEIS relief cuts the money at risk to £5,000 and EIS relief to £7,000 before loss relief. If the company fails, an additional-rate taxpayer loses £2,750 net under SEIS and £3,850 under EIS: the reliefs change the size of the bet, not the odds.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Scam Watch · Guide
Investment scams share recognisable warning signs, and the FCA's Firm Checker and Warning List let you check a firm in minutes. If money has gone, call your bank and report to Report Fraud, the service that replaced Action Fraud in December 2025.
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.
Gold · Guide
UK investors can own gold as coins or bars, as vaulted metal, through exchange-traded commodities or through mining shares and funds. The routes differ on cost, VAT, capital gains tax, ISA and SIPP eligibility and who you depend on if something fails.
