My JPMorgan Personal Investing review after years of my own pots: the redesigned app, fees, Chase linking, returns and the self-managed waitlist.
November 5, 2025Comments are off for this post.
JPMorgan Personal Investing Review UK: Is It Worth It?
October 16, 2025Comments are off for this post.
Biscuit Bank Account Review 2026: Is It Worth It?
Last updated: 6 September 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 advice.
Cool Factor: 3/5
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.
Thinking of opening Biscuit?
The refer-a-friend bonus is live again at £20, and our Zopa Biscuit referral page carries the steps and the current terms.
This Biscuit bank account review takes a look at Zopa's free current account after months of real-world use. Zopa rebuilt it during 2026, so it now pays 1% AER (variable) as standard and lets you pick one benefit on top: 2.75% AER (variable) interest, 3% cashback on eating out, or 3% cashback on bills. There is a free Caffè Nero drink every month as well. But does it actually deliver? We break down what works, what falls short and whether it deserves a spot on your phone in 2026.
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October 9, 2025Comments are off for this post.
Monzo vs Biscuit Bank Account: Which Is Best in 2026?
Last updated: 22 August 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.
Leaning towards Monzo?
New customers who join through a referral link can land a random reward from £5, up to £50 (sometimes up to £100), and we keep the live offer details on our Monzo referral page.
If you are weighing up Monzo vs Biscuit for your everyday banking in 2026, the answer depends on what you actually want from your bank account. One pays interest and cashback on a free account. The other gives you some of the best budgeting tools in UK fintech. Both are app-only, both are FSCS-protected, and both let you spend abroad without fees.
In this comparison, we break down how Monzo and Zopa's Biscuit bank account stack up across savings rates, cashback, features, travel perks, and sign-up offers, so you can decide which one deserves your direct debits.
Comparing Monzo with more than Biscuit? I have also put it against Starling and Chase, and my Monzo guides hub collects every Monzo guide in one place.
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October 8, 2025Comments are off for this post.
What Is Sprive, and How Does the App Work? (UK Guide 2026)
Last updated: 24 October 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
I've used Sprive since October 2021, with Nationwide and now Halifax as my lender. This guide is based on the actual setup process and daily use since then.
How does the Sprive app work? You link a current account and your mortgage, then set a monthly saving range. Sprive collects money by direct debit into a safeguarded balance, based on your spending. With one tap, that balance goes to your lender as an overpayment. Cashback from gift cards bought in the app adds to the same pot.
The one thing to check first is your lender's overpayment allowance, usually 10% of the balance a year on a fixed rate. Go over it and you can pay an early repayment charge, so set the range with that limit in mind.
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 information, not financial advice, and CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Just here for the sign-up bonus?
The current Sprive offer and the steps to claim it are always kept up to date on our referral page.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Getting started with Sprive? This guide covers the basics. For everything else, from cashback to the prize draws, see our Sprive guides hub, all in one place.
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September 28, 2025Comments are off for this post.
How to Reduce Mortgage Payments UK: Practical Ways That Work (2026)
Last updated: 13 October 2026. I checked every rate and lender option in this guide on how to reduce mortgage payments against the Bank of England, Moneyfacts and Citizens Advice on 13 October 2026.
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
I've overpaid my own mortgage through Sprive every month since October 2021, and in June 2026 I remortgaged from Nationwide to Halifax. These are the moves I've actually used or weighed up for myself.
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. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. This article is for information only. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Consider speaking to a qualified mortgage adviser before you change your repayment plan.
Want the Sprive sign-up bonus?
If automated overpayments appeal, the current Sprive welcome offer and the steps to claim it are kept up to date on our referral page.
If you want to reduce mortgage payments, there are two different jobs to do. The first is cutting what the loan costs you: getting off an expensive rate, timing your remortgage and plugging the leaks that drain your budget. The second, meanwhile, is lowering the monthly figure itself when money is tight. Be aware, though, that some ways to shrink the monthly payment cost you more over time.
Looking to clear it sooner instead? Our guide to paying off your mortgage faster is the speed plan, and everything we have written on Sprive, the app I use to overpay, sits in our Sprive guides hub.
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September 21, 2025Comments are off for this post.
Taxfix Review UK: Is It Worth It for Self Assessment?
Last updated: 9 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 advice.
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.
If you are looking for an honest Taxfix review UK, you are in the right place. Taxfix (formerly TaxScouts) is an online tax service that pairs you with an accredited accountant to file your Self Assessment. No HMRC rabbit holes and no trips to an office. You answer a handful of questions, upload your documents and let someone qualified handle the rest.
We have used the service ourselves and followed its evolution from TaxScouts to Taxfix. Below is our full verdict, including what works, what could be better and whether the price is justified.
Cool Factor: 4/5
Thinking of trying Taxfix?
The latest new-customer offer and how to claim it are kept up to date on our referral page.
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September 3, 2025Comments are off for this post.
Best Savings Account UK 2026: Every Rate Checked
Last updated: 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.
This guide is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
UK SavingsOctober 2026 Edit
Every rate here was read off the bank’s own page tonight
Picking the best savings account UK savers can open comes down to one question: how soon do you need the money back? Get that right and the rate follows. So I checked every figure below directly on each provider’s own website on 14 October 2026, rather than lifting it from a comparison table.
The Bank of England base rate sits at 3.75%, held at the most recent decision. Easy access tops out near 5%, one and two year fixes sit around 5%, and the best regular savers still pay 8%. Below you will find easy access, notice accounts, regular savers, fixed bonds, cash ISAs and NS&I, each with the deposit-taker named.
Want the £20 Zopa Biscuit bonus?
Zopa’s referral offer is live again, and the current terms and the exact steps sit on our referral page.
June 14, 2025Comments are off for this post.
Robinhood $50K Referral Offer: Has It Ended? (Latest Update)
Last updated: 9 June 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.
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.
The Robinhood referral offer that gave new users a slice of a $50,000 prize pool has now ended. The promotion ran from November to December 2025 and is no longer available. If you landed here hoping to claim it, don't worry. Robinhood UK still runs referral deals and seasonal promotions, and we keep track of the latest on our dedicated Robinhood guide page.
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June 4, 2025Comments are off for this post.
Stock Events App Review: A Portfolio Tracker Worth Your Time?
Last updated: 9 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 advice. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
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.
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.
This Stock Events app review covers everything we like (and a few things we do not) about one of the highest-rated portfolio trackers on both app stores. Stock Events promises a clean, ad-free way to monitor your stocks, dividends, earnings, and more from a single screen. After spending time with it, here is our honest take on whether it delivers.
Cool Factor: 4/5
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March 20, 2025Comments are off for this post.
ISA Allowance Deadline: Use Your £20,000 Before April 5th
Last updated: 22 August 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
This post covered the 2025/26 ISA allowance deadline of 5 April 2026, which has now passed. The information below applied to that tax year.
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.
CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Investing involves risk and you can lose money. Tax rules can change and their effects vary based on individual circumstances. Always do your own research or speak to a qualified financial adviser before making decisions about your money.
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.
The ISA allowance deadline falls on 5 April every year, and once it passes, any unused portion of your £20,000 tax-free allowance is gone for good. Whether you are looking at a Stocks and Shares ISA, a Cash ISA, or a personal pension, the clock is ticking on the 2025/26 tax year.
This year, there are extra reasons to pay attention. Dividend tax rates are rising from 6 April 2026, and the Cash ISA allowance is being cut from 2027. Here is how to make the most of your allowance before the reset.
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