October 20, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Autumn Budget Predictions 2026: What Healey Could Announce

Autumn Budget predictions for 28 October 2026: every rumour on tax, ISAs, pensions and fuel duty, and what is already confirmed.

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October 15, 2026 — No Comments

Monzo Invest vs Freetrade vs Lightyear: Which App Costs Less?

Last updated: 15 October 2026. I checked every fee in this Monzo Invest vs Freetrade comparison on each provider's own site on 14 October 2026.

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate and referral links, which are paid links. If you click one and buy or sign up, I earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. Brands don't choose what I feature or what I say about them.

Not financial advice. This comparison is information, not a personal recommendation, and CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Nothing here tells you which account to open or what to buy. If you are unsure, speak to a qualified financial adviser. MoneyHelper explains how to choose one.

Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

Want a free share with Freetrade?

Freetrade picks the refer-a-friend share at random, worth £10 to £100, and the cheaper shares come up far more often. The steps and conditions are on my referral page.

See the Freetrade free share terms

More on Monzo. My Monzo guides hub covers the bank account, the paid plans and the savings pots alongside the investing side.

Investing appsHead to head

Monzo Invest, Freetrade and Lightyear, priced in pounds

If you already bank with Monzo, the easiest place to start investing is the tab you already have open. This Monzo Invest vs Freetrade comparison, with Lightyear as the third app, asks what staying put costs you. So I priced all three on the same jobs. That means the yearly fee on a £2,000 and a £20,000 pot, the charge for buying US shares, and the accounts each one will open. In short, Monzo charges £50 a year to hold £20,000. Freetrade's free plan and Lightyear charge nothing to hold it, but they bill you every time pounds become dollars.

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October 9, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best ETF Platform UK 2026: What It Really Costs to Hold ETFs

Which is the cheapest way to hold ETFs in the UK? I priced eight platforms on the same job, on a £2,000 pot and a £20,000 one, and the ranking flips.

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October 6, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Premium Bonds Alternatives UK 2026: Prize Savings Accounts Compared

Four Premium Bonds alternatives open to new savers, with each provider's published odds, prize tables, access rules and protection.

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September 21, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Managed Investment Platforms UK: 7 Compared

Seven UK managed investment platforms ranked on what they really cost, from J.P. Morgan Personal Investing to Monzo. All-in fees from 0.45% to 0.97%, every figure checked 10 September 2026.

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August 11, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Sprive Prize Draw Explained: How to Enter and What You Win

Sprive's "win £2,000 a week" headline is technically true and quietly misleading. The Sprive prize draw is a referral draw, not an overpayment one, and most entrants take home £5 a referral paid straight to their lender. Three draws are live right now, including £10,000 via Wayfair until 31 October. Here is the honest arithmetic on all three, plus the ones that closed.

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July 20, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

That Mortgage App on the Channel 4 Advert? It’s Sprive

Last updated: 13 October 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

I have used Sprive since October 2021, making regular overpayments through the app, first on a Nationwide mortgage and now on a Halifax one.

This article contains affiliate and referral links, which are paid links. If you click one and buy or sign up, I earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. Brands don't choose what I feature or what I say about them.

This is not financial advice. It is one homeowner's experience, shared to help you make your own call.

So you spotted the Sprive advert on the telly and wondered what that mortgage app actually is. Here is the short answer: yes, the mortgage app on the Channel 4 advert is Sprive, and it helps you chip away at your mortgage a little faster. Below, I explain what it does, whether it is legit, and what it is like to use.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

Want to try the app from the advert?

The current Sprive sign-up offer and how to claim it are kept up to date on our referral page.

Get the Sprive referral bonus

Just seen the advert? The app behind it is explained below. For every Sprive guide in one place, see our Sprive guides hub.

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June 23, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Premium Bonds vs Investing UK: Which One Suits You?

Last updated: 9 September 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate and referral links, which are paid links. If you click one and buy or sign up, I earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. Brands don't choose what I feature or what I say about them.

This is not financial advice. It reflects my own experience, so please do your own research or speak to a qualified adviser before making any money decisions.

Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

Premium Bonds vs Investing2026 Guide

Premium Bonds vs investing: a prize draw, or the stock market?

Premium Bonds vs investing is a money question I get all the time. So here is my honest, first-person take, because I have held both at once for four years. Crucially, this is not an either or for everyone. In my experience, the two really answer different questions.

Want the hands-off investing option?

Maybe you want investing that mostly runs itself, like the Premium Bonds draw does. In that case, a ready-made managed portfolio is the closest fit. The current JPMorgan offer, and how to claim it, are kept up to date on our referral page.

See the JPMorgan investing offer

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June 14, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Tom Insurance Review (UK): My Honest Take

Last updated: 14 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional or financial advice.

Cool Factor: 3/5

Tom insurance review2026 Edit

Fixed-for-life cover, a handy virtual GP, and a lot of phone calls.

This is my honest Tom insurance review, written as an actual customer rather than someone skimming the marketing. I took out a lifetime serious illness cover policy with Tom, so this Tom insurance review is based on living with the application, the price and the perks, not on a press release.

This article contains affiliate and referral links, which are paid links. If you click one and buy or sign up, I earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. Brands don't choose what I feature or what I say about them.

Want a Tom quote?

If this Tom insurance review has you ready to compare cover, you can start a quote through my referral link below. Meanwhile, the current offer and how it works sit on our Tom life insurance page.

Get a Tom quote

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