My honest InvestEngine review after six months: no-fee ETF investing, the real bonus odds, and who this low-cost UK platform actually suits.
July 24, 2026Comments are off for this post.
InvestEngine Review UK: My Honest Take With My Own Money
May 9, 2026Comments are off for this post.
XTB App Review UK 2026: One Star Opinion (1/5)
Last updated: 10 June 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
I have used investing apps for over a decade, including Freetrade, Lightyear, Trading 212, Interactive Brokers and JPMorgan Personal Investing. This XTB app review is based on real, recent first-hand use on iPhone over the past few weeks.
This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are my own personal experience and observations. Other XTB customers have reported very different experiences, both better and worse, and you can read those views directly on the App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot. Nothing in this review constitutes professional, financial or legal advice, nor an allegation of wrongdoing by XTB. Capital is at risk when investing.
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 post does not contain any XTB referral links; where alternative brokers are mentioned, those links may include CoolCuration referral codes. We have no referral relationship with XTB and do not benefit financially from XTB itself.
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.
Cool Factor: 1/5
Welcome to our XTB app review. After spending the last few weeks battling with the broker's iOS app, surviving a verification process worthy of a Kafka novella, and being chased around the screen by stock notifications I never asked for, I have reached a personal verdict. It is not flattering. So if you have seen the ads and the free share offers, this XTB app review explains exactly what you would be signing up for, in my experience.
Read more
April 8, 2026Comments are off for this post.
What Is Investment Risk? A Beginner’s Guide for 2026
What is investment risk UK? Learn the types of risk, how to manage them, and where to start investing with confidence. Beginner-friendly guide.
March 15, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Cheapest Investment App UK (2026) – FX Fees Compared
Investing · FX fees2026 Edit
Commission-free is not cost-free
Last updated: 6 September 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
Looking for the cheapest investment app in 2026? The headline says "zero commission". Yet the foreign exchange (FX) fee on every US share quietly adds up. So we rechecked the live pricing for Lightyear, Robinhood, Trading 212, Freetrade, InvestEngine, Hargreaves Lansdown and J.P. Morgan. Then we worked out the real cost of buying a US share on each.
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 piece reflects what works for us, not a personal recommendation, so please do your own research or speak to a qualified adviser before investing. 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.
See the lowest flat FX fee in our comparison
Of the apps below, Lightyear currently has the lowest flat FX fee on US shares. The latest sign-up steps are kept up to date on our referral page.
Read more
November 17, 2025Comments are off for this post.
Monzo Investments Review UK 2026: Honest Verdict for Beginners
Last updated: 7 October 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
This is my own experience. I've invested in Monzo's Adventurous fund since November 2025, paying in £50 a month, with round-ups and my savings interest topping it up on the side.
This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are my own and do not constitute professional advice.
Cool Factor: 4/5 Stone cold
This Monzo Investments review is based on real money I've had invested since late 2025, not a quick five-minute demo. I wanted to invest without downloading five apps, reading 19 Reddit threads, and accidentally becoming a part-time day trader. Monzo Investments keeps things simple on purpose. You pick a risk level, deposit from as little as £1, and let BlackRock-managed funds do the heavy lifting. No stock picking. No fiddling. No "should I buy Nvidia" spiral at 1am. And with the recent launch of Build Your Own portfolios, there's now more choice than ever without losing that trademark Monzo simplicity.
Before you read on: 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.
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 the Monzo current-account bonus?
There's no live Monzo Investments referral, but you need a current account to invest anyway, and that one does have a working offer (rewards from £5, up to £50, sometimes up to £100). For the full lowdown on the bank itself, read my Monzo review UK after four years of daily use. The latest terms are on my referral page.
Get the Monzo current-account bonus
New to Monzo as well as to investing? My Monzo guides hub covers the bank account, the paid plans and the savings pots alongside the investing side.
Read more
November 5, 2025Comments are off for this post.
JPMorgan Personal Investing Review UK: Is It Worth It?
My JPMorgan Personal Investing review after years of my own pots: the redesigned app, fees, Chase linking, returns and the self-managed waitlist.
December 23, 2020Comments are off for this post.
ESG Investing JPMorgan Review: SRI Scores, Holdings and Fossil Fuels
ESG investing with JPMorgan Personal Investing: my SRI pot's MSCI scores, top 10 holdings and returns, and the parent bank's fossil fuel record.
Follow us: Instagram
Copyright 2026 CoolCuration | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Affiliate Disclosure | Cool Factor
-----------
We are proud supporters of a safer more private internet via encouraging people to use Brave browser and are actively taking on Spammers as part of ProjectHoneypot. This site is hosted on servers that run on 100% renewable energy in the UK thanks to GreenWebHosting.
This site contains affiliate links, including to Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase or sign up for a service via these links, at no extra cost to you. All offers and promotions are accurate at the time of publication but are subject to change or withdrawal by the businesses featured. We cannot guarantee their continued availability. Read our full affiliate disclosure.
Reviews and opinions on CoolCuration reflect the personal experience of our writers at the time of publication. They are not professional endorsements and your experience may differ. Scores use our Cool Factor rating system and are given independently of any commercial relationship.
All content on CoolCuration is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice, investment recommendations or an endorsement of any product or service. We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and do not offer personalised financial guidance. You should always do your own research or consult a qualified financial advisor before making any financial decisions.