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Practical, evidence-based personal finance for the long-term investor.
P800 HMRC Refund Letter: What It Means and What to Do
If you get a P800 text from HMRC, it is a scam. The real letter arrives by post between June and October. Average payout is £200 to £1,200. Here is how to actually claim it.
Self-Employed Mortgage UK 2026: One Year of Accounts?
Two years of SA302s is the default. Halifax, Kensington, Clydesdale, and a handful of others will look at one year if your last year was strong. The gap nobody tells you about.
How Does Trading 212 Make Money? The Real Answer
Trading 212 charges zero commission and pays decent interest on cash. So how does it actually make money? Five streams, and one of them quietly subsidises the rest.
LGPS UK 2026: What Your Council Pension Is Worth
Your council pension builds 1/49th of your salary a year, indexed for life, with an employer rate around 20%. Opt out and you give that up. Most LGPS members underrate it.
Market vs Limit Orders on Trading 212: Use a Limit
Trading 212 fills market orders at whatever price the book has when your tap reaches the server. On a £500 buy that can cost you a tenner you'll never get back. The fix is one extra field.
SA302 Explained: The Self-Employed Mortgage Form
The SA302 is the form the self-employed need to get a mortgage in 2026. HMRC stopped posting them in 2017. Download it yourself, pair it with the Tax Year Overview. Most miss that.
Tax Code Checker UK 2026/27: How to Check Yours
1.5 million UK workers are on the wrong tax code right now. Most never check. Here is how to pull yours from HMRC in five minutes - and the four codes that mean you are overpaying every payslip.
What Is a P11D? UK Benefits in Kind Explained for 2026/27
Your P11D is the form that lets HMRC tax your company car, your private health cover and your interest-free loan. From April 2027 it is being killed off entirely. Here is what it actually does to your payslip - and the K code that comes with it.
State Pension at 66 UK 2026: What You Actually Get
State Pension age is rising to 67 from April 2026. If you were born after 6 April 1960, the 'at 66' question is the wrong question. Here is what the £241.30 weekly headline really pays - and the £4 billion pensioners leave on the table.
Tax Rebate UK 2026: The Refund HMRC Won't Tell You About
The FCA banned Tax Credits Ltd for taking 48% of refunds. The next one is already trading. Here is how to claim your tax rebate yourself - including the £1,200 four years of marriage allowance most couples miss.
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