Saving for University: A Realistic Plan for Parents Before Results Day
Student finance covers tuition in full via a loan, but the maintenance loan - meant to cover living costs - rarely stretches to cover everything,…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 11th 2026
Saving for Christmas Starting in January: Does a Christmas Savings Account Pay Off?
Starting to save for Christmas the January before feels almost absurdly early - but spreading the cost over 11 months rather than scrambling in November is…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 9th 2026
ISA Season Explained: Why Jan–Apr Is the Best Time to Act on Your Allowance
Every year, providers, comparison sites, and financial media ramp up ISA promotion between January and the start of April - a period the industry calls…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 7th 2026
How to Save for a Wedding Without Wrecking Your Finances
UK wedding costs have levelled off slightly after years of steady increases, but they remain a genuinely significant financial commitment for most couples.…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 5th 2026
Should You Overpay Your Mortgage or Save the Extra Cash Instead?
With mortgage rates and savings rates both having moved considerably over the past few years, the old rule of thumb - 'overpaying your mortgage is…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 3rd 2026
How to Save a House Deposit Faster in a High-Rent City
Saving a deposit while paying rent is one of the most common - and most difficult - financial challenges facing first-time buyers, particularly in…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 1st 2026
How to Use Round-Up Saving to Build a £1,000 Buffer Without Noticing
Round-up saving is one of the lowest-friction ways to build a savings buffer, precisely because it removes the need to make a conscious saving decision…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 30th 2026
Why 2026/27 Is Your Last Full-Allowance Year for Cash ISAs Before the 2027 Cut
We've covered this change in detail in our ISA & SIPP tax planning series - this is the shorter, savings-focused version for anyone reading the Saving…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 28th 2026
Junior ISAs Explained: Locking Away £9,000 a Year for Your Child
A Junior ISA (JISA) is one of the simplest tax-efficient accounts available to parents, but the annual allowance is large enough - and the access rules…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 26th 2026
How the Lifetime ISA Really Works (and Who It's Wasting Money For)
The Lifetime ISA (LISA) offers one of the most generous government top-ups of any UK savings product - but its rigid rules have also trapped savers into…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 24th 2026
Help to Save: The Government Scheme Low Earners Are Missing Out On
Help to Save offers a 50% government bonus on savings - a return no ordinary savings account or ISA can come close to matching - yet take-up has remained…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 22nd 2026
Premium Bonds vs a Cash ISA: Which Gives You a Better Return?
Premium Bonds are the UK's single most popular savings product, held by over 22 million people - but they don't pay interest in the conventional sense,…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 20th 2026
Regular Saver Accounts: The Best-Kept Secret for High Interest in 2026
While headline savings rates have generally sat in the 2–4.5% range through 2026, regular saver accounts have quietly offered some of the highest rates in…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 18th 2026
Fixed-Rate vs Easy-Access Savings: What Bank Rate Changes Mean for You
Choosing between locking your savings into a fixed-rate account and keeping them in an easy-access account isn't just about the headline rate on offer…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 16th 2026
How Inflation Quietly Eats Your Savings (and How to Stay Ahead of It)
Money sitting in a low-interest account doesn't just fail to grow - it can actively lose purchasing power over time if inflation outpaces the interest rate…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 14th 2026
How Much Should Your Emergency Fund Actually Be in 2026?
The advice to 'build an emergency fund' is everywhere, but the specific target - how many months of what, exactly - is where most people get stuck. Here's…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 12th 2026
Multiple ISAs in One Tax Year: The Rules Most People Get Wrong
A significant ISA rule change took effect on 6 April 2024, but a lot of savers - and even some bank staff - are still working from the old rules. Getting…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 10th 2026
Cash ISA or Easy-Access Savings Account: Which Wins in 2026/27?
For most savers with spare cash, the real choice isn't complicated products versus simple ones - it's a Cash ISA versus an ordinary easy-access savings…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 8th 2026
The Personal Savings Allowance Explained: How Much Interest Can You Earn Tax-Free?
Most people don't realise ordinary savings accounts already come with a built-in tax-free allowance - separate from ISAs entirely. Understanding the…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 6th 2026
The 1% Rule: A Painless Way to Start Saving on a Tight Budget
If saving feels impossible on your current budget, the 1% rule offers a genuinely low-friction way to start: save just 1% of your income, and increase it…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
August 4th 2026