https://financialadvisor.co.uk/ Independent education about financial advice and money decisions in the UK. Not regulated advice. en-gb Thu, 11 Jun 2026 06:00:00 GMT https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/complain-about-a-financial-adviserhttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/complain-about-a-financial-adviserThe complaint route that actually works: firm first, then the Financial Ombudsman, then FSCS if the firm has failed — with time limits, template structure and what compensation covers. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/cost-of-advicehttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/cost-of-adviceFixed fees, hourly rates and percentage-of-assets charging explained — and what each fee model really costs over ten years. Plain-English education, not advice. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/divorce-and-moneyhttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/divorce-and-moneyThe financial side of divorce in plain English: why pensions are the forgotten asset, how sharing orders work, the house decision, and which professionals do what. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/do-i-need-a-financial-adviserhttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/do-i-need-a-financial-adviserAn honest framework for deciding whether to pay for financial advice: when it earns its fee, when free guidance is enough, and a simple self-test. Education, not advice. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/equity-releasehttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/equity-releaseLifetime mortgages and home reversion in plain English: how compound interest works against you, the protections that exist, alternatives to try first, and the advice rules. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/find-an-adviserhttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/find-an-adviserWhere to look for an FCA-authorised financial adviser, how to use the FCA Register, independent vs restricted, and how to run a first meeting. Education only. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/how-financial-advice-workshttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/how-financial-advice-worksThe difference between regulated advice and guidance, what FCA regulation protects you from, and when paying for advice is usually worth it. Plain-English education. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/inheritance-tax-basicshttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/inheritance-tax-basicsHow UK inheritance tax actually works: the nil-rate bands, spouse exemptions, the 7-year gift rule, and what typically passes tax-free. Plain-English education, not advice. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/investing-basicshttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/investing-basicsRisk and return, diversification, fees and time horizons — the core concepts every first-time UK investor should understand before putting money anywhere. Education only. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/isas-explainedhttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/isas-explainedCash, Stocks & Shares, Lifetime and Junior ISAs explained in plain English: how the allowance works, how the types differ, and the questions to ask. Education only. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/lifetime-isa-vs-pensionhttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/lifetime-isa-vs-pensionFirst home or retirement, employee or self-employed: how the LISA's 25% bonus compares with pension tax relief, the withdrawal penalty, and how the wrappers stack. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/mortgages-explainedhttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/mortgages-explainedRepayment vs interest-only, fixes and trackers, loan-to-value and what lenders assess — UK mortgages explained in plain English. Education only, not advice. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/pension-consolidationhttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/pension-consolidationWhen merging old pension pots makes sense, when it destroys valuable guarantees, the charges comparison that decides it, and how transfers actually work. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/pensions-explainedhttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/pensions-explainedWorkplace, personal and State Pensions explained in plain English: how tax relief works, what auto-enrolment does, and the decisions that matter at each age. Education only. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/protection-insurancehttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/protection-insuranceLife insurance, income protection and critical illness cover explained in plain English — what each does and the order most planners think about them. Education only. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/retirement-income-optionshttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/retirement-income-optionsAnnuities, drawdown and lump sums explained in plain English: how each works, how withdrawals are taxed, and where free guidance and regulated advice fit. Education only. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/robo-advisers-vs-human-advisershttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/robo-advisers-vs-human-advisersWhat robo-advice actually is, what it costs versus human advice, what each is good and bad at, and the hybrid middle ground — explained without a product pitch. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/salary-sacrificehttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/salary-sacrificeHow salary sacrifice (salary exchange) works for pensions, why it saves National Insurance as well as income tax, and the catches around minimum wage, borrowing and benefits. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/state-pensionhttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/state-pensionHow the new State Pension works: qualifying years, checking your forecast, filling National Insurance gaps, deferral, and what the triple lock means. Plain-English education. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/what-to-do-with-an-inheritancehttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/what-to-do-with-an-inheritanceA calm, ordered framework for handling an inheritance: the waiting period, debts and tax questions, the parking strategy, and when an adviser earns their fee. Education, not advice. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/wills-and-powers-of-attorneyhttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/wills-and-powers-of-attorneyWhy most UK adults have neither a will nor an LPA, what intestacy actually does, what each document costs, and how they fit into financial planning. Education, not legal advice. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/workplace-pensionshttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/guides/workplace-pensionsHow auto-enrolment works, what the 8% minimum really means, why opting out is usually a pay cut, and the settings worth checking inside your workplace pension. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/advice-feeshttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/advice-feesWhat financial advice really costs in the UK, with sources cited and a quote-to-pounds calculator. https://financialadvisor.co.uk/jargonhttps://financialadvisor.co.uk/jargonForty financial terms translated into plain English.