The gap between Monzo Perks and Max is £10 a month, and it buys three insurance policies. Priced honestly against buying them separately.
A year of paying £9 a month for Monzo Perks, with the honest maths on what I actually claim and what earns nothing.
August 22, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Monzo Perks and Max Price Increase 2026: Every New Price
Monzo Perks goes from £7 to £9 a month and Max from £17 to £19. Here are all the new plan prices, the dates that matter, and the honest maths.
August 11, 2026Comments 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 £5,000 via adidas until 30 September. Here is the honest arithmetic on all three, plus the one that closed.
July 25, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Best Free Budgeting Apps UK 2026
The best free budgeting apps in the UK for 2026, compared: what each free tier really includes, what is paywalled, and who each app suits.
July 20, 2026Comments are off for this post.
That Mortgage App on the Channel 4 Advert? It’s Sprive
Last updated: 20 July 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
I have used Sprive with my Nationwide mortgage since October 2021, making regular overpayments through the app, so this is written from about four years of real use.
This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.
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 after four years of real 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.
Just seen the advert? The app behind it is explained below. For every Sprive guide in one place, see our Sprive guides hub.
Read more
June 22, 2026Comments are off for this post.
How Does Sprive AutoSave Work?
Sprive AutoSave2026 Guide
Sprive AutoSave, explained in plain English
Last updated: 19 July 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
I have run my Nationwide mortgage through Sprive since October 2021, so more than four years now, making regular overpayments through the app. Because of that, this guide to Sprive AutoSave comes from steady real use rather than a quick demo.
This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.
This is general information, not financial advice. Sprive deals with your mortgage, so your circumstances matter and it is worth doing your own research.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
So what actually happens when you switch on Sprive AutoSave? In short, you set an amount, and each month it quietly moves that money into a holding pot inside the app, ready for your mortgage. Above all, you stay in control, because nothing reaches your lender until you tap to send it. Below, I walk through exactly how Sprive AutoSave works, where the money sits, and how to pause or switch it off, with notes from four years of real use.
Setting up AutoSave? The walkthrough is below. For every Sprive guide in one place, see our Sprive guides hub, updated as the app changes.
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May 5, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Mortgage Overpayment Savings: How Much Could You Save? (2026)
Last updated: 9 June 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
I've been using Sprive with my Nationwide mortgage since October 2021, making £100 monthly overpayments through the app. This post is based on over four years of real use and real numbers.
Most people know they should overpay their mortgage. Almost nobody knows by how much, or what it actually saves them. So we built a free mortgage overpayment calculator to find out. Then we ran our own numbers through it. The mortgage overpayment savings took us by surprise. We've since added a compare-to-savings toggle so you can see whether overpaying or saving the same money comes out ahead at your specific rates.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or mortgage advice. Mortgage products, rates, and overpayment terms vary by lender. Always check your lender's overpayment policy before making extra payments. This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
See your own overpayment savings
Our free calculator shows what your overpayments could save, and whether saving the cash instead would beat them.
Open the overpayment calculator
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April 26, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Chip App Review UK 2026: 3 Years Tested, Rates, Prize Saver, Fees
Last updated: 10 September 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
This Chip app review UK draws on three and a half years of my personal daily use, starting 3 November 2022, across auto-save, the Instant Access Saver, Prize Savings, ChipX (briefly) and a Chip Stocks and Shares ISA.
This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.
This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Some features of Chip involve investing, which carries risk including the possible loss of capital. Savings rates can change. Always do your own research or consult a qualified financial adviser. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Fancy trying Chip yourself?
New customers can pick up a £50 bonus with a qualifying £1,000 deposit held for 90 days; the current code and full terms are on our Chip referral page.
Cool Factor
★★★★☆
4 out of 5 · Stone cold
My Chip app review UK is grounded in the actual ledger: £174.41 in interest earned, £180 in tax-free prize wins, £0.80 in investment returns, and three and a half years of daily use since November 2022. That is the unvarnished record of what I have personally taken out of Chip across four different account types. Below is what I kept, what I binned, what works, and the one quirk that still mildly irritates me.
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April 19, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Monzo Savings Pots Explained: Rates, FSCS Protection and How to Start (2026)
Last updated: 9 September 2026. I re-checked every Monzo savings pots rate against Monzo's own pages on 9 September 2026.
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
Monzo savings pots are one of the most useful things in UK banking. Yet plenty of people with a Monzo account still leave spare cash in the main balance, earning nothing. A pot takes about thirty seconds to set up. Better still, it starts earning the same day. No paperwork, no second app, no waiting.
I keep six or seven pots running at any one time. Bills, holiday, an emergency fund, two savings pots earning interest. Plus one labelled "don't touch" that I absolutely do touch. Below is what each type pays, what the higher rates cost, and where the money actually sits.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice. Savings rates are variable and change often. Always check the current rate in the Monzo app or at monzo.com first. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.
Not on Monzo yet?
Sign up through my referral link. A random reward starting at £5 arrives once you make your first card payment.
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