Money guides

The thinking behind the numbers. Each guide is worked through with real 2026/27 figures, charts and a calculator to try your own.

Hands going through payslip paperwork beside a laptop How to read your payslipTax code, NI letter, YTD, emergency codes: every line of a UK payslip explained with a real example.7 minute read New Bank of England five and ten pound notes The 60% tax trap, and how to get out of itWhy earning between £100,000 and £125,140 costs 62p in every extra pound, and what a pension does about it.6 minute read Someone working out a budget on a laptop and calculator Salary sacrifice: what it really saves youSalary sacrifice versus net pay versus relief at source, worked out in pounds at six salaries.6 minute read A hand holding a set of house keys Stamp duty for first-time buyersPay nothing up to £300,000, 5% up to £500,000, and the cliff edge that costs thousands just above it.6 minute read A row of Victorian terraced houses How much can I borrow for a mortgage?Income multiples, deposits and stress tests, with what each salary can borrow and what it costs a month.7 minute read Graduates in caps and gowns Student loan plans comparedThresholds, rates and what each plan takes from your pay, side by side, for 2026/27.6 minute read A calculator, glasses and coins on a desk Tax year 2026/27: the dates that matterFrom 6 April to the 31 January self assessment deadline, every date that costs money if you miss it.4 minute read