June 2, 2025

My Investments Update – June 2025

Nick Investing reviews, events 0 Comments

Here is my latest monthly update about my investments. You can read my May 2025 Investments Update here if you like.

I’ll begin as usual with my Nutmeg Stocks and Shares ISA. This is the largest investment I hold other than my Bestinvest SIPP (personal pension).

As the screenshot below for the year to date shows, my main Nutmeg portfolio is currently valued at £25,323. Last month it stood at £24,532, so that is a rise of £791.

Apart from my main portfolio, I also have a second, smaller pot using Nutmeg’s Smart Alpha option. This is now worth £4,059 (rounded up) compared with £3,934 a month ago, a rise of £125. Here is a screen capture showing performance for the year to date.

Finally, at the start of December 2023 I invested £500 in one of Nutmeg’s new thematic portfolios (Resource Transformation). In March 2024 I also invested a further £200 from referral bonuses. As you can see from the YTD screen capture below, this portfolio is now worth £804 compared with £770 last month, a rise of £34.

As you can see, May was a good month for my Nutmeg investments. Overall I was up by £950 or 3.25%.

I am still down slightly since the start of 2025, with the value of my investments decreasing by £242 or 0.08% since 1st January. On the other hand, their value has grown by £1,813 or 6.39% since the end of May last year. So, as I always say, the recent ups and downs do need to be taken in context. Some volatility is always to be expected with stock market investments, and over time they tend to even out. In general the worst thing you can do is panic and sell up when downturns occur (as happened in early April). You are then crystallizing your losses rather than giving the markets time to recover. This is something I had cause to discuss recently in this blog post.

You can read my full Nutmeg review here. If you are looking for a home for your annual ISA allowance, based on my overall experience over the last eight years, they are certainly worth considering. They offer self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs), Lifetime ISAs and Junior ISAs as well.

Moving on, I also have investments with P2P property investment platform Assetz Exchange. As discussed in this recent post, the company recently rebranded as Housemartin.

My investments with Housemartin continue to generate steady returns. Housemartin focuses on lower-risk properties (e.g. sheltered housing). I put an initial £100 into this in mid-February 2021 and another £400 in April. In June 2021 I added another £500, bringing my total investment up to £1,000.

Since I opened my account, my HM portfolio has generated a respectable £251.16 in revenue from rental income. I have also made a net profit of £0.57 on property disposals. Capital growth has slowed, though, in line with UK property values generally.

At the time of writing, 16 of ‘my’ properties are showing gains, 3 are breaking even, and the remaining 18 are showing losses. My portfolio of 37 properties is currently showing a net decrease in value of £47.34. That means that overall (rental income and profit on disposal minus capital value decrease) I am up by £204.39. That’s still a decent return on my £1,000 and does illustrate the value of P2P property investments for diversifying your portfolio. And it doesn’t hurt that with Housemartin most projects are socially beneficial as well.

The net fall in capital value of my Housemartin investments is obviously a little disappointing. But it’s important to remember that until/unless I choose to sell the investments in question, it is largely theoretical, based on the latest price at which shares in the property concerned have changed hands. The rental income, on the other hand, is real money (which in my case I’ve reinvested in other HM projects to further diversify my portfolio).

To control risk with all my property crowdfunding investments nowadays, I invest relatively modest amounts in individual projects. This is a particular attraction of Housemartin as far as i am concerned. You can actually invest from as little as £1 per property if you really want to proceed cautiously.

As I noted in this blog post, Housemartin is particularly good if you want to compound your returns by reinvesting rental income. This effectively boosts the interest rate you are receiving. Personally, once I have accrued a minimum of £10 in rental payments, I reinvest this money in either a new HM project or one I have already invested in (thus increasing my holding). Over time, even if I don’t invest any more capital, this will ensure my investment with Housemartin grows at an accelerating rate and becomes more diversified as well.

My investment on Housemartin is in the form of an IFISA so there won’t be any tax to pay on profits, dividends or capital gains. I’ve been impressed by my experiences with Housemartin and the returns generated so far, and intend to continue investing with them. You can read my full review of Assetz Exchange/Housemartin here and my article about the rebranding to Housemartin here. You can also sign up for an account directly via this link [affiliate].

In 2022 I set up an account with investment and trading platform eToro, using their popular ‘copy trader’ facility. I chose to invest $500 (then about £412) copying an experienced eToro trader called Aukie2008 (real name Mike Moest).

In January 2023 I added to this with another $500 investment in one of their thematic portfolios, Oil Worldwide. I also invested a small amount I had left over in Tesla shares.

As you can see from the screen captures below, my original investment (total value £888.36 in pounds sterling) is today worth £996.80, an overall increase of £108.44 or 12.21%.

Note: eToro now displays the value of investments in your native currency, although you can change this if you wish.

You can read my full review of eToro here. You may also like to check out my more in-depth look at eToro copy trading. I also discussed thematic investing with eToro using Smart Portfolios in this recent post. The latter also reveals why I took the somewhat contrarian step of choosing the oil industry for my first thematic investment with them.

As you can see, my Oil WorldWide investment has recovered a bit since last time and is at least back in profit now, although it’s not exactly setting the world on fire (excuse the bad joke).

Thankfully my copy trading investment with Aukie2008 has been doing better, with an overall 39.64% profit. To be fair, I have held this investment a little longer.

My Tesla shares, which I bought as an afterthought with a bit of spare cash I had in my account, have done particularly well since I bought them, with an overall profit of 211.13%. If only I had put a bit more money into this! As a matter of interest, I do find it quite strange that my Tesla shares keep going up in value, despite all the stories in the press and social media about consumers boycotting Tesla. Go figure.

You might also notice that I have small holdings in Prosus NV, a Dutch internet group, and South Bow, a Canadian energy infrastructure company. To be honest I don’t understand how I acquired these, but I assume they are some sort of bonus I was awarded. In any event, I am happy to have them in my portfolio!

eToro also offer the free eToro Money app. This allows you to deposit money to your eToro account without paying any currency conversion fees, saving you up to £5 for every £1,000 you deposit. You can also use the app to withdraw funds from your eToro account instantly to your bank account. I tried this myself and was impressed with how quickly and seamlessly it worked. You can read my blog post about eToro Money here. Note that it can also serve as a cryptocurrency wallet, allowing you to send and receive crypto from any other wallet address in the world.

If you would like more information about setting up an eToro account, please click on this no-obligation website link [affiliate]. Don’t forget that you also get a free $100,000 virtual portfolio, which you can use to experiment with trading and investing strategies. I have certainly earned a lot from mine.

As a bit of an experiment, I recently put £50 into an investment ISA with Trading 212. As mentioned in my recent blog post about dividend investing, I put it into the (Almost) Daily Dividends Portfolio, a ready-made portfolio or ‘pie’ on Trading 212. As you can see from the screen capture below, my portfolio is now worth £51.69, an increase of 3.3% over the two-month period. It has even accrued a grand total of 9p in dividends!

I am quite impressed with how this investment has been faring, despite the small amount I put in (which means I may be missing out on some smaller dividends) and also because you need to have held shares for a certain period to qualify for dividend payments. If I increased my investment I would almost certainly become eligible for more dividends, and would qualify for more the longer I remain invested. If I had any spare money at the moment, I would certainly consider doing this!

Moving on, I published various posts on Pounds and Sense in May. I have listed below those that are still relevant

Why a Financial Remedy Order is Essential on Your Divorce is another guest post from my friends at HCR Law. If you are unfortunate enough to be in this position, this article contains important advice and information on how to ensure your personal financial security going forward.

Where to Get Pension Advice contains important information for anyone who may be coming up to retirement age, which of course includes many Pounds and Sense readers. This collaborative article includes details of six potential sources of pension advice, including the pros and cons of each.

Could You Benefit From Help to Save spotlights a lesser-known government scheme which, if you’re eligible, can give your finances a valuable boost. It’s an initiative aimed at helping people on low incomes (typically those receiving Universal Credit) build up their savings. Offering generous tax-free bonuses, this scheme can provide significant benefits for qualifying individuals.

How to Save Money on Rail Fares With Split Ticketing discusses a money-saving hack that savvy travellers can use to reduce their rail-fare costs – often by a substantial margin. Split ticketing involves breaking a journey into two or more smaller segments, purchasing separate tickets for each segment rather than one through-ticket. With the help of apps such as those discussed in the article, the process becomes simple and automated.

Finally, in What Are ETFs And How Can You Invest in Them? I shine a spotlight on these increasingly popular investment vehicles, explaining what they are, how you can invest in them, and how you can maximize the benefit by investing via tax-free ISAs.

I’ll close with a reminder that you can also follow Pounds and Sense on Facebook or Twitter (or X as we have to call it now). Twitter/X is my number one social media platform and I post regularly there. I share the latest news and information on financial matters, and other things that interest, amuse or concern me. So if you aren’t following my PAS account on Twitter/X, you are definitely missing out.

I am also on the BlueSky social media network under the username poundsandsense.bsky.social. Twitter/X remains my primary social media platform, but I will also post details of my latest blog posts, third-party articles and other financial news and resources on BlueSky for those who prefer to follow me there.

As always, if you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below. I am always delighted to hear from PAS readers

Disclaimer: I am not a qualified financial adviser and nothing in this blog post should be construed as personal financial advice. Everyone should do their own ‘due diligence’ before investing and seek professional advice if in any doubt how best to proceed. All investing carries a risk of loss.

Note also that posts on PAS may include affiliate links. If you click through and perform a qualifying transaction, I may receive a commission for introducing you. This will not affect the product or service you receive or the terms you are offered, but it does help support me in publishing PAS and paying my bills. Thank you!

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:

Why a Financial Order is Essential on Your Divorce

May 14, 2025

Guest Post: Why a Financial Remedy Order is Essential on Your Divorce

Nick Making Money events, families 0 Comments

Today I’m sharing a guest article on a subject nobody likes to think about, but one that could be crucial to ensuring your financial security in later life..

Sadly, growing numbers of older people are seeing their marriages break down and having to undergo the painful process of divorce. Even if relatively amicable, this is likely to be stressful and emotionally exhausting. And – even worse – any mistakes you make now can have serious consequences for your finances, both now and into the future.

My guest today, Victoria Fellows, a partner and head of family at the Birmingham office of HCR Law, knows this very well. And she has some important advice for anyone who may find themselves in this situation.

Over to Victoria then…

Divorce rates among individuals aged 50 and over – often referred to as ‘silver splitters’ – have been on the rise in the UK over recent decades, with the number of over-60s legally separating doubling since the 1990’s. This trend contrasts with the decline in divorce rates across younger age groups. It can be put down to various factors, such as longer life expectancy, empty nest syndrome and the increasing numbers of financially independent women who are able to support themselves outside marriage.

At the end of 2024, the Law Commission published a scoping report on financial remedies on divorce. This indicated that 60% of the couples who divorced in 2023 had not properly dealt with their finances upon divorce, sometimes thinking it was not worth obtaining an order from the court as they believed they had no assets justifying the expense of formally separating their finances.

So while these couples are now divorced, both parties remain vulnerable to a financial claim application from their former spouse at any point until they remarry or die. The case of Vince v Wyatt illustrated why this was a mistake. The parties had nothing when they divorced and did not bother to get a clean break order. Post separation, Mr Vince became a multi-millionaire through his own business activities. Mrs Wyatt was allowed to bring financial claims against him 20 years after the divorce, resulting in a significant financial award being made in her favour.

Resolving financial issues during a divorce is therefore crucial for both immediate stability and long-term security. This is especially true for silver splitters undergoing ‘grey divorce’ – another term referring to divorces in later life. Unlike their younger counterparts, they will not have years of working life ahead of them to build up savings or pensions. It is therefore crucial that the marital assets are divided fairly to help ensure that both spouses have financial security during their retirement. There is also the possibility that in their fifties or sixties, one spouse will come into a substantial inheritance post-divorce which, without a financial remedy order, the former spouse could make a claim on in the future.

So What Do Financial Agreements Look Like?

As a result of being married, both parties have a number of financial claims that they can make against each other. The orders that a court can make are as follows:

Orders for maintenance pending suit (‘interim’ spousal maintenance)
Periodical payments orders (spousal maintenance for joint lives, specific term and/or a nominal amount)
Lump sum orders
Property adjustment orders
Pension sharing orders

In deciding whether to make any of the above orders, the court must consider all the circumstances. These will include:

a) The income, earning capacity, property and other financial resources of each party or what they are likely to have in the foreseeable future, including any increase in that earning capacity.

b) The financial needs, obligations and responsibilities which each of the parties to the marriage has or is likely to have in the foreseeable future.

c) The standard of living enjoyed by the parties before the breakdown of the marriage.

d) The age of each party to the marriage and duration of the marriage.

e) Any physical or mental disability of either party to the marriage.

f) The contributions which either of the parties have made or are likely to make in the foreseeable future to the welfare of the family, including any contribution by looking after the home or caring for the family.

In every case the court also has to consider whether a ‘clean break’ is appropriate. A clean break is where the parties’ finances are arranged to allow them to separate without any further financial responsibility for each other. While the court must give consideration to this, it does not mean that there can or should be a clean break in every case. This will necessarily depend upon the other factors involved.

How Are Agreements Reached?

There are a number of ways in which financial matters can be resolved:

Discussions directly between the parties if they are able to discuss and agree a financial settlement that both of them are comfortable with.
Mediation where both parties try to reach agreement between themselves with the assistance of a trained mediator.
Negotiation through solicitors. Each party can appoint a solicitor to negotiate on their behalf. This approach is suitable for complex financial situations or when mediation isn’t appropriate.
Other forms of dispute resolution. Arbitration and collaborative law are further alternatives. Arbitration is effectively a ‘private’ process that largely mirrors court proceedings but where the parties have more control in particular in respect of timescales. Collaborative law is a separate process which may only be suitable in certain circumstances. Each person appoints their own collaboratively trained lawyer and both parties and their lawyers meet together to work things out face to face.
Financial remedy proceedings. If all other options fail, it may be necessary for formal court proceedings to be issued to resolve financial matters. An application for financial remedy can only be commenced after a Divorce Petition has been filed with the court. The proceedings usually involve attending court on three occasions. If financial settlement is not agreed at either of the initial two hearings, or in between them, then a final hearing will be listed at which the Judge after hearing evidence makes a decision that is binding on the parties. This would be the most cost-prohibitive option and can end with resolution of financial matters being taken entirely out of the parties’ hands.

Top Tips to Make the Process Easier

Seek professional advice as soon as possible. Consult with financial advisors and solicitors who are experienced in later-life divorce and can help navigate complex financial issues and ensure a fair settlement is not only reached but also incorporated into an order to be approved by the court.

Enter into full financial disclosure to ensure that all assets are disclosed and taken into consideration when looking at overall settlements that plan for short- and long-term financial security. This will take time, so start sorting out your paperwork early. This is likely to include bank statements, pension records and documents relating to any other investments you might have, e.g. premium bonds, stocks and shares, rental income, and so on.

Remember to consider wills and estate planning as divorce does not automatically revoke a will. It’s crucial to update wills to reflect new circumstances and ensure assets are distributed according to current wishes.

Divorcing later in life presents unique challenges, but with careful planning and professional guidance, it is possible to navigate the process and achieve a fair and secure financial settlement.

Victoria Fellows (pictured, below) is a partner and the head of the family team of the Birmingham office of HCR Law.

Many thanks to Victoria and her colleagues at HCR Law for an eye-opening article on this important topic. If you are unfortunate enough to find yourself in this situation, devoting some attention to financial planning now can potentially save you and your family a lot of grief in the future.

As always, if you have any comments or queries about this article, please do leave them below.

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:

May 5, 2025

My Investments Update – May 2025

Nick Investing events, reviews 0 Comments

Here is my latest monthly update about my investments. You can read my April 2025 Investments Update here if you like.

I’ll begin as usual with my Nutmeg Stocks and Shares ISA. This is the largest investment I hold other than my Bestinvest SIPP (personal pension).

As the screenshot below for the year to date shows, my main Nutmeg portfolio is currently valued at £24,532. Last month it stood at £25,065, so that is a fall of £533.

Apart from my main portfolio, I also have a second, smaller pot using Nutmeg’s Smart Alpha option. This is now worth £3,934 compared with £4,027 a month ago, a fall of £93. Here is a screen capture showing performance for the year to date.

Finally, at the start of December 2023 I invested £500 in one of Nutmeg’s new thematic portfolios (Resource Transformation). In March I also invested a further £200 from referral bonuses. As you can see from the YTD screen capture below, this portfolio is now worth £770 compared with £783 last month, a fall of £13.

As you can see, April was a roller-coaster month for my Nutmeg investments. There were some big dips in the early part of the month, followed by a partial but nonetheless welcome recovery. Overall I am down by £639 over the month. This is mostly due to the continuing instability in world markets, caused by the trade tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump and other economic factors.

Nonetheless, the value of my Nutmeg investments is still up £838 in the last twelve months. And their value has increased by £2,920 or 11.10% since the start of January 2024. So the recent falls do need to be taken in context. Ups and downs are always to be expected with stock market investments, and over time they tend to even themselves out. In general the worst thing you can do is panic and sell up when downturns occur, as you are then crystallizing your losses. This is something I had cause to discuss recently in this blog post.

You can read my full Nutmeg review here. If you are looking for a home for your annual ISA allowance, based on my overall experience over the last eight years, they are certainly worth considering. They offer self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs), Lifetime ISAs and Junior ISAs as well.

Moving on, I also have investments with P2P property investment platform Assetz Exchange. As discussed in this recent post, the company recently rebranded as Housemartin.

My investments with Housemartin continue to generate steady returns. Housemartin focuses on lower-risk properties (e.g. sheltered housing). I put an initial £100 into this in mid-February 2021 and another £400 in April. In June 2021 I added another £500, bringing my total investment up to £1,000.

Since I opened my account, my HM portfolio has generated a respectable £245.97 in revenue from rental income. I have also made a profit of £4.78 on property disposals. Capital growth has slowed, though, in line with UK property values generally.

At the time of writing, 18 of ‘my’ properties are showing gains, 1 is breaking even, and the remaining 18 are showing losses. My portfolio of 37 properties is currently showing a net decrease in value of £54.67. That means that overall (rental income and profit on disposal minus capital value decrease) I am up by £196.08. That’s still a decent return on my £1,000 and does illustrate the value of P2P property investments for diversifying your portfolio. And it doesn’t hurt that with Housemartin most projects are socially beneficial as well.

The net fall in capital value of my Housemartin investments is obviously a little disappointing. But it’s important to remember that until/unless I choose to sell the investments in question, it is largely theoretical, based on the latest price at which shares in the property concerned have changed hands. The rental income, on the other hand, is real money (which in my case I’ve reinvested in other HM projects to further diversify my portfolio).

To control risk with all my property crowdfunding investments nowadays, I invest relatively modest amounts in individual projects. This is a particular attraction of Housemartin as far as i am concerned. You can actually invest from as little as £1 per property if you really want to proceed cautiously.

As I noted in this blog post, Housemartin is particularly good if you want to compound your returns by reinvesting rental income. This effectively boosts the interest rate you are receiving. Personally, once I have accrued a minimum of £10 in rental payments, I reinvest this money in either a new HM project or one I have already invested in (thus increasing my holding). Over time, even if I don’t invest any more capital, this will ensure my investment with Housemartin grows at an accelerating rate and becomes more diversified as well.

My investment on Housemartin is in the form of an IFISA so there won’t be any tax to pay on profits, dividends or capital gains. I’ve been impressed by my experiences with Housemartin and the returns generated so far, and intend to continue investing with them. You can read my full review of Assetz Exchange/Housemartin here and my article about the rebranding to Housemartin here. You can also sign up for an account directly via this link [affiliate].

In 2022 I set up an account with investment and trading platform eToro, using their popular ‘copy trader’ facility. I chose to invest $500 (then about £412) copying an experienced eToro trader called Aukie2008 (real name Mike Moest).

In January 2023 I added to this with another $500 investment in one of their thematic portfolios, Oil Worldwide. I also invested a small amount I had left over in Tesla shares.

As you can see from the screen captures below, my original investment (total value £888.36 in pounds sterling) is today worth £975.36, an overall increase of £87 or 9.79%.

Note: eToro now displays the value of investments in your native currency, although you can change this if you wish.

You can read my full review of eToro here. You may also like to check out my more in-depth look at eToro copy trading. I also discussed thematic investing with eToro using Smart Portfolios in this recent post. The latter also reveals why I took the somewhat contrarian step of choosing the oil industry for my first thematic investment with them.

As you can see, my Oil WorldWide investment has seen a downturn in April and is actually worth marginally less than when I invested. That’s clearly disappointing after last month’s improvement, but reflects the global economic turmoil caused largely by US President Trump’s tariffs.

Thankfully my copy trading investment with Aukie2008 has been doing better, with an overall 33.82% profit. To be fair, I have held this investment a little longer.

My Tesla shares, which I bought as an afterthought with a bit of spare cash I had in my account, have done particularly well since I bought them, with an overall profit of 158.24%. If only I had put a bit more money into this!

You might also notice that I have small holdings in Prosus NV, a Dutch internet group, and South Bow, a Canadian energy infrastructure company. To be honest I don’t understand how I acquired these, but I assume they are some sort of bonus I was awarded. In any event, I am happy to have them in my portfolio!

eToro also offer the free eToro Money app. This allows you to deposit money to your eToro account without paying any currency conversion fees, saving you up to £5 for every £1,000 you deposit. You can also use the app to withdraw funds from your eToro account instantly to your bank account. I tried this myself and was impressed with how quickly and seamlessly it worked. You can read my blog post about eToro Money here. Note that it can also serve as a cryptocurrency wallet, allowing you to send and receive crypto from any other wallet address in the world.

If you would like more information about setting up an eToro account, please click on this no-obligation website link [affiliate]. Don’t forget that you also get a free $100,000 virtual portfolio, which you can use to experiment with trading and investing strategies. I have certainly earned a lot from mine.

Finally, just for fun I put £50 into an investment ISA with Trading 212. As mentioned in my recent blog post about dividend investing, I put it into the (Almost) Daily Dividends Portfolio, a ready-made portfolio or ‘pie’ on Trading 212. As you can see from the screen capture below, my account is already in profit, and has even accrued 2p in dividends!

Moving on, as I said last time, I am no longer writing for the Mouthy Money website, as they have decided to take their content creation in-house. From a personal perspective I am obviously disappointed about this, but I had a good run with them and wish them every success going forward. You can still read all the articles I contributed to Mouthy Money over the years by visiting my profile page on the website. How long they will keep this in place I really can’t say!

In April I did have a guest post on my friend Sally Jenkins’ writing blog. Sally asked me some questions about my writing career for a regular feature she runs on her blog. I enjoyed answering the questions, which included “What are the most important qualities required by a writer?” and “What writing resources have you found most useful?” If you have any interest in writing, hopefully you may find this of interest.

I also published several posts on Pounds and Sense in April. I have listed below those that are still relevant

In Why Now Could Be the Ideal Time to Take Advantage of Your New Tax-Free ISA Allowance, I pointed out that everyone received a new £20,000 ISA allowance from the start of the new tax year on 6 April 2025. My article sets out some good reasons for taking advantage of the new allowance sooner rather than later, especially in light of persistent rumours that the government plans to restrict the allowance (for cash ISAs at any rate) in the autumn budget.

Why Has My Bank Abandoned Me? is an opinion piece by a writer friend who has asked to be known at SD. In it she laments the changes at UK banks in recent years that have hit older customers (in particular) hard. I could certainly relate to some of the experiences she describes in her article. Take a look and see if you agree.

I’ve already mentioned my post about Why UK Retirees Shouldn’t Panic Over Trump’s Tariffs and Market Wobbles. In this I pointed out that whilst the recent downturn is disappointing for investors, the worst thing you can do is panic and sell up, as this will crystallize your losses. In this post I draw a parallel with the Covid crash and point out that this was followed by a sustained rise in stock market values. Of course, nobody knows how current events will play out, but hopefully the upward trend seen over the last couple of weeks will continue. In any event, historically stocks and shares have delivered better returns than savings accounts over most periods of five years or longer.

Tow Like a Pro – Caravan Safety Tips From the Experts was a guest post from my friends at Compass, who are specialist leisure and caravan insurers. The post reveals the most common causes of accidents with caravans and sets out some top tips for staying safe when towing one.

Finally, How to Publish Your Book (and Earn Royalties) was a guest post from my writing friend Sally Jenkins (as mentioned earlier I had a guest post published myself on Sally’s blog in April). In her article, which generated a lot of interest, Sally set out the main options for getting a book published and making money from it. She also revealed some resources she has used herself in her successful freelance writing career.

I’ll close with a reminder that you can also follow Pounds and Sense on Facebook or Twitter (or X as we have to call it now). Twitter/X is my number one social media platform and I post regularly there. I share the latest news and information on financial matters, and other things that interest, amuse or concern me. So if you aren’t following my PAS account on Twitter/X, you are definitely missing out.

I am also on the BlueSky social media network under the username poundsandsense.bsky.social. For the time being anyway, Twitter/X will remain my primary social media platform, but I will also post details of my latest blog posts, third-party articles and other financial news and resources on BlueSky for those who prefer to follow me there.

As always, if you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below. I am always delighted to hear from PAS readers

Disclaimer: I am not a qualified financial adviser and nothing in this blog post should be construed as personal financial advice. Everyone should do their own ‘due diligence’ before investing and seek professional advice if in any doubt how best to proceed. All investing carries a risk of loss.

Note also that posts on PAS may include affiliate links. If you click through and perform a qualifying transaction, I may receive a commission for introducing you. This will not affect the product or service you receive or the terms you are offered, but it does help support me in publishing PAS and paying my bills. Thank you!

If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:

April 28, 2025

Why Now Could Be the Ideal Time to Take Advantage of Your New Tax-Free ISA Allowance

Nick Investing Tax, savings, events 0 Comments

As of 6 April 2025, UK investors have a fresh chance to supercharge their savings and investments with a new £20,000 Individual Savings Account (ISA) allowance.

ISAs represent a golden opportunity for investors to make their money work harder while shielding their returns from the taxman. With tax-free allowances for income frozen until April 2028 and tax-free thresholds for dividend tax and capital gains tax being slashed in the last few years, it’s more important than ever to protect your hard-earned savings and investments within an ISA wrapper.

To maximize the benefits of the new 2025/26 allowance, there’s a strong case for acting swiftly and using at least part of your £20,000 ISA allowance sooner rather than later. This is due to the power of compounding. By investing early, you give your money more time to grow, benefiting from the potential snowball effect of returns generating further returns. So the sooner you invest that £20,000 (assuming you are fortunate enough to have it) the more opportunity it has to multiply over time.

Another reason to use your ISA allowance sooner rather than later is that there are reports that Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering slashing the tax-free allowance for cash ISAs in particular, potentially to as little as £4,000 a year. It’s probable there will be an announcement about this in the Autumn Budget. Any change is highly unlikely to be backdated, however – so taking advantage of the full allowance now could be a canny move.

In addition to the tax-free ISA allowance remaining at a relatively generous £20,000 (for now), the rules surrounding ISAs have recently undergone a welcome relaxation. One of the most significant changes is the ability to open more than one ISA of the same type (e.g. a stocks and shares ISA) with different providers in the same tax year. This means investors are no longer limited to a single provider for each type of ISA, giving them greater flexibility and choice in managing their investments.

Previously, investors were restricted to opening one cash ISA, one stocks and shares ISA and one innovative finance ISA (IFISA) per tax year. This restriction could prove frustrating for those seeking to diversify their investments or take advantage of new opportunities as the tax year progressed. Now, with the freedom to open multiple ISAs of the same type, investors can shop around for the best rates, terms and investment options without being limited to a single provider for each ISA type. They can also move some or all of their money from one provider to another without jeopardizing its tax-free status.

It’s important to note, however, that while the rules have been relaxed, the overall annual ISA allowance remains fixed at £20,000. This means that any contributions made across multiple ISAs of any type will count towards your total allowance for the tax year. You should still therefore take care not to exceed the annual limit to avoid any potential tax charges.

Cash ISAs offer a secure and accessible way to save, providing a tax-free environment for your savings with the added benefit of easy access to your funds when needed. Meanwhile, stocks and shares ISAs open the door to potential higher returns by investing in a wide range of assets such as equities, bonds, and funds, albeit with a higher level of risk. With a stocks and shares ISA you will never incur any liability for dividend tax, capital gains tax or income tax, even if your investments perform exceptionally well. Of course, there is no guarantee this will happen, but over a longer period stock market investments have typically outperformed cash savings, often by a substantial margin. IFISAs (e.g. from Housemartin) allow you to invest is property crowdfunding and other forms of peer-to-peer finance. They are more specialized, but may appeal to some investors looking to further diversify their portfolios.

In recent years I have invested much of my own annual ISA allowance in a stocks and shares ISA with Nutmeg, a robo-manager platform that has produced good returns for me. You can read my in-depth review of Nutmeg here if you wish.

Closing Thoughts

The start of a new financial year is a great time for UK investors to review their savings and investment strategies. Whether you’re looking to start a new ISA or maximize your contributions to existing accounts, taking action early can set you on the path to optimizing your returns from this important tax-saving opportunity.

By investing sooner rather than later and taking advantage of the increased flexibility in ISA provider options, savers and investors can make the most of their money while minimizing their tax liabilities. So seize this opportunity to build your wealth and protect it from the taxman today!

As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.

Disclaimer: I am not a qualified financial adviser and nothing in this blog post should be construed as personal financial advice. Everyone should do their own ‘due diligence’ before investing and seek professional advice if in any doubt how best to proceed. All investing carries a risk of loss.

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April 19, 2025

Why UK Retirees Shouldn’t Panic Over Trump’s Tariffs and Market Wobbles

Nick Pensions & Benefits, Investing pensions, retirement, events 0 Comments

If you’ve been watching the news lately, you’ll probably have seen headlines about stock markets taking a tumble thanks to a wave of tariffs announced by Donald Trump. It’s enough to make any retiree feel uneasy – especially if your pension is tied to the markets.

But before you start panicking or making any big changes, take a deep breath. Here’s what you really need to know.

What’s Going On?

President Trump’s tariffs are stoking fears of a global trade war. Investors don’t like uncertainty, and the markets are reacting with volatility. There have been drops not just in the US but across the globe, including here in the UK.

For retirees, that can feel personal. If your pension pot or retirement income is invested in stocks and shares, you might be wondering: Am I going to be okay?

Short answer: Yes, if you stay calm and avoid knee-jerk reactions.

Why This Isn’t the Time to Panic

Markets have always had ups and downs. That’s not new. Whether it was the financial crisis of 2008, the Brexit vote, or the COVID crash (see below), every downturn has sooner or later been followed by recovery.

If you sell investments during a dip, you lock in those losses. But if you ride it out, your portfolio has every chance to bounce back, as has happened before. History is on your side.

Speaking of which…

Consider The Covid Crash

In early 2020 it became clear that COVID was going to be a massive deal, and markets world-wide fell dramatically. And yet by mid-March, as the chart below from Yahoo Finance reveals, they were already recovering.

The recovery in stock market values continued through 2021. If you check out my in-depth review of the Nutmeg robo-adviser investment platform, you can see this for yourself. Overall, the period from March 2020 to December 2021 saw a big rise in the value of my Nutmeg investments. If I had panicked in early 2020 and withdrawn all my money then, I would certainly have been thousands of pounds worse off.

Your Pension Is Built to Withstand This

Most UK pensions – especially workplace and private pensions – are designed for long-term sustainability. They’re usually diversified across different types of assets like stocks, bonds and property. This helps soften the blow when markets get rocky.

If you have a defined benefit pension, you’re likely shielded from market fluctuations altogether. These pensions pay a fixed income and aren’t directly tied to the stock markets.

For those with defined contribution pensions – the majority of us these days – yes, the value can go up and down. But remember, pensions are managed by professionals who adjust strategies to navigate global changes like the current one.

What You Can Do (Instead of Worrying)

Check in with your adviser – They can help you understand how exposed your pension is to current events and whether any changes are needed. See also my article on Why Over-50s May Need an Independent Financial Adviser.
Keep a cash buffer – If possible have a few months’ worth of living expenses in cash or savings, so you’re not forced to sell your investments during market lows.
Stay diversified – A mixture of investments across regions and sectors helps spread risk.
Ignore the noise – Newspaper headlines are designed to grab attention. Focus on your long-term goals instead.

One other point is that, if you’re in the early days of retirement especially, dips can present an opportunity to buy while values are depressed, in the hope of gaining when (hopefully) they recover. This won’t be appropriate for everyone and it’s important to proceed cautiously. Timing the market is notoriously difficult, and if you get this wrong you can lose money rather than making it. But if you are careful (and not overly risk-averse) there are undoubtedly opportunities to be found at these times.

Bottom Line

Trump’s tariffs might be shaking the markets, but your retirement doesn’t have to be shaken with them. Your pension plan is more robust than you might think, and a temporary dip doesn’t mean disaster.

If you’re feeling anxious, that’s normal – but don’t let fear drive your financial decisions. Speak to a financial adviser if you need reassurance (I have one myself) and above all, keep your cool. Retirement is a long game, and a smart strategy will see you through.

As always, if you have any comments or questions about this article, please do leave them below.

DISCLOSURE: I am not a professional financial adviser and nothing in this article should be construed as personal financial advice. If you are uncertain how best to proceed, I strongly recommend speaking to a qualified financial adviser or planner. They will take the time to fully understand your particular circumstances and advise you how best to proceed. All investing carries a risk of loss.

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March 28, 2025

My Investments Update – April 2025

Nick Investing events, reviews 0 Comments

Here is my latest monthly update about my investments (slightly earlier than usual due to other commitments). You can read my March 2025 Investments Update here if you like.

I’ll begin as usual with my Nutmeg Stocks and Shares ISA. This is the largest investment I hold other than my Bestinvest SIPP (personal pension).

As the screenshot below for the year to date shows, my main Nutmeg portfolio is currently valued at £25,065. Last month it stood at £25,850, so that is a drop of £785.

Apart from my main portfolio, I also have a second, smaller pot using Nutmeg’s Smart Alpha option. This is now worth £4,027 compared with £4,151 a month ago, a fall of £124. Here is a screen capture showing performance for the year to date.

Finally, at the start of December 2023 I invested £500 in one of Nutmeg’s new thematic portfolios (Resource Transformation). In March I also invested a further £200 from referral bonuses. As you can see from the YTD screen capture below, this portfolio is now worth £783 compared with £803 last month, a fall of £20.

As you can see, March has been another disappointing month for my Nutmeg investments. Overall I am down by £929. This is mostly due to the continuing instability in world markets, caused by the the trade tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump and other economic and social factors.

Nonetheless, the value of my Nutmeg investments is still up £1,477 in the last twelve months. And their value has increased by £3,559 or 13.52% since the start of January 2024. So the recent falls do need to be taken in context. Ups and downs are always to be expected with stock market investments, and over time they tend to even themselves out. In general the worst thing you can do is panic and sell up when downturns occur, as you are then crystallizing your losses. Indeed, I am considering topping up some of my investments now while values are depressed. That’s just how I’m thinking, of course, and doesn’t constitute investment advice!

You can read my full Nutmeg review here. If you are looking for a home for your annual ISA allowance, based on my overall experience over the last eight years, they are certainly worth considering. They offer self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs), Lifetime ISAs and Junior ISAs as well.

Moving on, I also have investments with P2P property investment platform Assetz Exchange. As discussed in this recent post, the company recently rebranded as Housemartin.

My investments with Housemartin continue to generate steady returns. Housemartin focuses on lower-risk properties (e.g. sheltered housing). I put an initial £100 into this in mid-February 2021 and another £400 in April. In June 2021 I added another £500, bringing my total investment up to £1,000.

Since I opened my account, my HM portfolio has generated a respectable £238.70 in revenue from rental income. Capital growth has slowed, though, in line with UK property values generally.

At the time of writing, 15 of ‘my’ properties are showing gains, 2 are breaking even, and the remaining 19 are showing losses. My portfolio of 36 properties is currently showing a net decrease in value of £52.78, meaning that overall (rental income minus capital value decrease) I am up by £185.92. That’s still a decent return on my £1,000 and does illustrate the value of P2P property investments for diversifying your portfolio. And it doesn’t hurt that with Housemartin most projects are socially beneficial as well.

The overall fall in capital value of my Housemartin investments is obviously a little disappointing. But it’s important to remember that until/unless I choose to sell the investments in question, it is largely theoretical, based on the latest price at which shares in the property concerned have changed hands. The rental income, on the other hand, is real money (which in my case I’ve reinvested in other HM projects to further diversify my portfolio).

To control risk with all my property crowdfunding investments nowadays, I invest relatively modest amounts in individual projects. This is a particular attraction of Housemartin as far as i am concerned. You can actually invest from as little as £1 per property if you really want to proceed cautiously.

As I noted in this blog post, Housemartin is particularly good if you want to compound your returns by reinvesting rental income. This effectively boosts the interest rate you are receiving. Personally, once I have accrued a minimum of £10 in rental payments, I reinvest this money in either a new HM project or one I have already invested in (thus increasing my holding). Over time, even if I don’t invest any more capital, this will ensure my investment with Housemartin grows at an accelerating rate and becomes more diversified as well.

My investment on Housemartin is in the form of an IFISA so there won’t be any tax to pay on profits, dividends or capital gains. I’ve been impressed by my experiences with Housemartin and the returns generated so far, and intend to continue investing with them. You can read my full review of Assetz Exchange/Housemartin here and my article about the rebranding to Housemartin here. You can also sign up for an account directly via this link [affiliate].

In 2022 I set up an account with investment and trading platform eToro, using their popular ‘copy trader’ facility. I chose to invest $500 (then about £412) copying an experienced eToro trader called Aukie2008 (real name Mike Moest).

In January 2023 I added to this with another $500 investment in one of their thematic portfolios, Oil Worldwide. I also invested a small amount I had left over in Tesla shares.

As you can see from the screen captures below, my original investment (total value £888.36 in pounds sterling) is today worth £1,072.80, an overall increase of £184.44 or 20.76%.

Note: eToro now displays the value of investments in your native currency, although you can change this if you wish.

You can read my full review of eToro here. You may also like to check out my more in-depth look at eToro copy trading. I also discussed thematic investing with eToro using Smart Portfolios in this recent post. The latter also reveals why I took the somewhat contrarian step of choosing the oil industry for my first thematic investment with them.

As you can see, my Oil WorldWide investment is currently showing a profit of 12.31%. That’s a welcome improvement since the portfolio was rebalanced by eToro. The investment team at eToro periodically rebalance all smart portfolios to ensure that the mix of investments remains aligned with the portfolio’s goals, and to take advantage of any new opportunities that may present themselves.

My copy trading investment with Aukie2008 has been doing better, with an overall 32.06% profit. To be fair, I have held the latter investment a bit longer.

My Tesla shares, which I bought as an afterthought with a bit of spare cash I had in my account, have done particularly well since I bought them, with an overall profit of 144.84%. If only I had put a bit more money into this!

You might also notice that I have small holdings in Prosus NV, a Dutch internet group, and South Bow, a Canadian energy infrastructure company. To be honest I don’t understand how I acquired these, but I assume they are some sort of bonus I was awarded. In any event, I am happy to have them in my portfolio!

eToro also offer the free eToro Money app. This allows you to deposit money to your eToro account without paying any currency conversion fees, saving you up to £5 for every £1,000 you deposit. You can also use the app to withdraw funds from your eToro account instantly to your bank account. I tried this myself and was impressed with how quickly and seamlessly it worked. You can read my blog post about eToro Money here. Note that it can also serve as a cryptocurrency wallet, allowing you to send and receive crypto from any other wallet address in the world.

If you would like more information about setting up an eToro account, please click on this no-obligation website link [affiliate]. Don’t forget that you also get a free $100,000 virtual portfolio, which you can use to experiment with trading and investing strategies. I have certainly earned a lot from mine.

Moving on, as I said last time, I am no longer writing for the Mouthy Money website, as they have decided to take their content creation in-house. From a personal perspective I am obviously disappointed about this, but I had a good run with them and wish them every success going forward. You can still read all the articles I contributed to Mouthy Money over the years by visiting my profile page on the website. How long they will keep this in place I really can’t say!

I also published several posts on Pounds and Sense in March. Some are no longer relevant, but I have listed the others below.

In Beat the Postage Stamp Price Rise!, I pointed out that stamp prices are rising again on 7th April 2025. This will actually be the the SIXTH rise in the price of first class stamps in just three years. See what prices are going up, along with my recommendations for mitigating the effects of the increases.

And in From Saving to Spending – The Retirement Mindset Shift I discussed a subject that has been on my mind recently as I enter my 70th year. This is how to negotiate the mindset shirt from saving to spending in retirement, and how (hopefully) to get the balance right.

The Pros and Cons of Investing for Dividends discusses a strategy that has been growing in popularity with older investors particularly. Dividend investing offers the potential for generating income combined with capital appreciation. In this post I examine the pros and cons of a dividend investing strategy and set out a few tips and guidelines for those new to this.

Finally, in Spotlight: The Mintos P2P European Investing Platform I take a closer look at Mintos, Europe’s largest P2P investment platform. As well as the ability to generate above-average returns by investing in loans to businesses world-wide, they have added new diversification options, including bonds, ETFs and real estate. And until the end of April they have a bonus offer for anyone investing €1,500 or above on the platform. In my blog post I look at the pros and cons of investing with Mintos and provide more details about their April bonus offer.

One other thing is that we’re currently just over a week away from the end of the 2024/25 financial year. If you still haven’t used all of your 2024/25 £20,000 tax-free ISA allowance, you have just a few days left before it’s gone. It is more important than ever to use all your tax-free allowances while you can, as the government looks set to reduce some of these allowances later in the year. See my recent blog post for more information.

I’ll close with a reminder that you can also follow Pounds and Sense on Facebook or Twitter (or X as we have to call it now). Twitter/X is my number one social media platform and I post regularly there. I share the latest news and information on financial matters, and other things that interest, amuse or concern me. So if you aren’t following my PAS account on Twitter/X, you are definitely missing out.

I am also on the BlueSky social media network under the username poundsandsense.bsky.social. For the time being anyway, Twitter/X will remain my primary social media platform, but I will also post details of my latest blog posts, third-party articles and other financial news and resources on BlueSky for those who prefer to follow me there.

As always, if you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below. I am always delighted to hear from PAS readers

Disclaimer: I am not a qualified financial adviser and nothing in this blog post should be construed as personal financial advice. Everyone should do their own ‘due diligence’ before investing and seek professional advice if in any doubt how best to proceed. All investing carries a risk of loss.

Note also that posts on PAS may include affiliate links. If you click through and perform a qualifying transaction, I may receive a commission for introducing you. This will not affect the product or service you receive or the terms you are offered, but it does help support me in publishing PAS and paying my bills. Thank you!

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March 11, 2025

Beat the Postage Stamp Price Rise!

Nick Saving Money events 0 Comments

A quickie today to let you know that the price of stamps is rising again on Monday 7 April 2025. That will be the SIXTH rise in the price of first class stamps in just three years.

On this occasion a standard first class stamp is going up from £1.65 to £1.70, a 3% increase. The price of sending a large letter first class is going up by substantially more, from £2.60 to £3.15. That’s an increase of 55p or an inflation-busting 21%.

The price of sending a standard letter by second class post is increasing from 85p to 87p (a 2% rise), One small bit of good news is that the cost of sending a large letter second class is not rising and remains at £1.55.

Standard letters can weigh up to 100g and measure a maximum of 24cm x 16.5cm x 5mm. Large letters can measure 35.3cm x 25cm x 2.5cm but still have to weigh under 100g. If they weight over 100g, higher rates apply, and if they weigh over 750g they have to go at parcel rates.

The cost of many of Royal Mail’s ‘Signed For’, ‘Special Delivery Guaranteed’ and ‘Tracked’ services will also rise from 7 April, as will the price of sending parcels first and second class. You can see a full list of prices by clicking here (PDF).

Saving Money on Stamps

So is there anything you can do to mitigate the impact of the latest price rises?

Well, my number one recommendation is to stock up now while stamps are still at the old price. Standard and large-letter stamps don’t have values printed on them and will still be valid after the April price rise comes in. If you can afford to buy (say) 100 standard first-class stamps and 100 large letter first class stamps, that will save you an impressive £60 in total.

The best bet for buying stamps is – of course – your local post office. If you don’t have one near at hand, however, you can also buy in bulk from The Royal Mail Shop (minimum order £50 for free delivery)..

Amazon also sell postage stamps, though costs vary and when I checked some prices were significantly higher than at post offices. But they may be worth a look, especially if you are an Amazon Prime member.

Another option you could consider is the online auction site eBay. There can be good savings to be made here, but check reviews and ratings carefully and be wary of offers that are clearly too good to be true.

Remember, also, that older UK stamps without barcodes are no longer valid.

For more information about the price rise and all the new rates from 7 April 2025, you can access the Royal Mail April 2025 pricing guide here (PDF).

If you have any comments or questions about the above, as always, please do post them (no pun intended!) below.

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March 3, 2025

My Investments Update – March 2025

Nick Investing events, reviews 0 Comments

Here is my latest monthly update about my investments. You can read my February 2025 Investments Update here if you like.

I’ll begin as usual with my Nutmeg Stocks and Shares ISA. This is the largest investment I hold other than my Bestinvest SIPP (personal pension).

As the screenshot below for the last twelve months shows, my main Nutmeg portfolio is currently valued at £25,850. Last month it stood at £26,528, so that is a decrease of £678.

Apart from my main portfolio, I also have a second, smaller pot using Nutmeg’s Smart Alpha option. This is now worth £4,151 compared with £4,267 a month ago, a fall of £116. Here is a screen capture showing performance over the last twelve months.

Finally, at the start of December 2023 I invested £500 in one of Nutmeg’s new thematic portfolios (Resource Transformation). In March I also invested a further £200 from referral bonuses. As you can see from the screen capture below, this portfolio is now worth £803 (rounded up) compared with £832 last month, a fall of £29.

As you can see, February has been a disappointing month for my Nutmeg investments. Overall I am down by £823. This is mostly due to a general decrease in share values in the second half of the month.

Nonetheless, the value of my Nutmeg investments is still up £390 since the start of the year. And their value has increased by £3,441 or 12.67% in the twelve months since the end of February 2024.

You can read my full Nutmeg review here. If you are looking for a home for your annual ISA allowance, based on my overall experience over the last eight years, they are certainly worth considering. They offer self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs), Lifetime ISAs and Junior ISAs as well.

Moving on, I also have investments with P2P property investment platform Assetz Exchange. As discussed in this recent post, the company recently rebranded as Housemartin.

My investments with Housemartin continue to generate steady returns. Housemartin focuses on lower-risk properties (e.g. sheltered housing). I put an initial £100 into this in mid-February 2021 and another £400 in April. In June 2021 I added another £500, bringing my total investment up to £1,000.

Since I opened my account, my HM portfolio has generated a respectable £235.31 in revenue from rental income. Capital growth has slowed, though, in line with UK property values generally.

At the time of writing, 17 of ‘my’ properties are showing gains, 1 is breaking even, and the remaining 19 are showing losses. My portfolio of 37 properties is currently showing a net decrease in value of £50.24, meaning that overall (rental income minus capital value decrease) I am up by £185.07. That’s still a decent return on my £1,000 and does illustrate the value of P2P property investments for diversifying your portfolio. And it doesn’t hurt that with Housemartin most projects are socially beneficial as well.

The overall fall in capital value of my Housemartin investments is obviously a little disappointing. But it’s important to remember that until/unless I choose to sell the investments in question, it is largely theoretical, based on the latest price at which shares in the property concerned have changed hands. The rental income, on the other hand, is real money (which in my case I’ve reinvested in other HM projects to further diversify my portfolio).

To control risk with all my property crowdfunding investments nowadays, I invest relatively modest amounts in individual projects. This is a particular attraction of Housemartin as far as i am concerned. You can actually invest from as little as £1 per property if you really want to proceed cautiously.

As I noted in this blog post, Housemartin is particularly good if you want to compound your returns by reinvesting rental income. This effectively boosts the interest rate you are receiving. Personally, once I have accrued a minimum of £10 in rental payments, I reinvest this money in either a new HM project or one I have already invested in (thus increasing my holding). Over time, even if I don’t invest any more capital, this will ensure my investment with Housemartin grows at an accelerating rate and becomes more diversified as well.

My investment on Housemartin is in the form of an IFISA so there won’t be any tax to pay on profits, dividends or capital gains. I’ve been impressed by my experiences with Housemartin and the returns generated so far, and intend to continue investing with them. You can read my full review of Assetz Exchange/Housemartin here. You can also sign up for an account directly via this link [affiliate]. Bear in mind that, as from the current financial year (2024/25), you can open more than one IFISA per year.

In 2022 I set up an account with investment and trading platform eToro, using their popular ‘copy trader’ facility. I chose to invest $500 (then about £412) copying an experienced eToro trader called Aukie2008 (real name Mike Moest).

In January 2023 I added to this with another $500 investment in one of their thematic portfolios, Oil Worldwide. I also invested a small amount I had left over in Tesla shares.

As you can see from the screen captures below, my original investment (total value £888.36 in pounds sterling) is today worth £1,056.29, an overall increase of £167.93 or 18.90%.

Note: eToro now displays the value of investments in your native currency, although you can change this if you wish.

You can read my full review of eToro here. You may also like to check out my more in-depth look at eToro copy trading. I also discussed thematic investing with eToro using Smart Portfolios in this recent post. The latter also reveals why I took the somewhat contrarian step of choosing the oil industry for my first thematic investment with them.

As you can see, my Oil WorldWide investment is showing a profit of 8.77%. That’s a small but nonetheless welcome improvement since the portfolio was rebalanced by eToro. The investment team at eToro periodically rebalance all smart portfolios to ensure that the mix of investments remains aligned with the portfolio’s goals, and to take advantage of any new opportunities that may present themselves.

My copy trading investment with Aukie2008 has been doing better, with an overall 31.18% profit. To be fair, I have held the latter investment a bit longer.

My Tesla shares, which I bought as an afterthought with a bit of spare cash I had in my account, have done particularly well since I bought them, with an overall profit of 163.81%. If only I had put a bit more money into this!

You might also notice that I have small holdings in Prosus NV, a Dutch internet group, and South Bow, a Canadian energy infrastructure company. To be honest I don’t understand how I acquired these, but I assume they are some sort of bonus I was awarded. In any event, I am happy to have them in my portfolio!

eToro also offer the free eToro Money app. This allows you to deposit money to your eToro account without paying any currency conversion fees, saving you up to £5 for every £1,000 you deposit. You can also use the app to withdraw funds from your eToro account instantly to your bank account. I tried this myself and was impressed with how quickly and seamlessly it worked. You can read my blog post about eToro Money here. Note that it can also serve as a cryptocurrency wallet, allowing you to send and receive crypto from any other wallet address in the world.

If you would like more information about setting up an eToro account, please click on this no-obligation website link [affiliate]. Don’t forget that you also get a free $100,000 virtual portfolio, which you can use to experiment with trading and investing strategies. I have certainly earned a lot from mine.

I had six more articles published in February on the excellent Mouthy Money website. The first is titled Travelling to Europe This Year? Here’s Why You Need a GHIC Card. If you’re unfamiliar with the GHIC or how it differs from the previous European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), this article reveals everything you need to know, from how to apply to why it’s so important for your travels.

Also in February Mouthy Money published How to Check Your Tax Code and Correct it if Necessary. Understanding your tax code and ensuring its accuracy can prevent you from overpaying (or underpaying) tax. In this article I explained everything you need in order to check and understand the code you have been allocated.

And in Make Extra Money Renting a Room I turned the spotlight on this traditional (but none the worse for that) method for making some extra money. If your circumstances allow it, letting a room in your home can be a great way of generating a sideline income. It will provide a regular, ongoing income stream, which could prove a lifeline in these financially challenging times. And you can choose between getting a full-time lodger or offering short-term lets. Better still, under the Rent a Room Scheme you can make up to £7,500 a year this way entirely tax free!

In What is the Trading Allowance and How Can You Profit From It? I discussed this valuable allowance for UK residents looking to earn extra income from trading or side hustles. Even if you have a full-time job already, under the Trading Allowance you can earn up to £1,000 a year without having to declare that income to the taxman or paying tax on it. Read my article for the full lowdown!

And in Could You Benefit From the Help to Save Scheme? I discussed this lesser-known government initiative which, if you’re eligible, can give your finances a valuable boost. The Help to Save scheme aims to help people on lower incomes build up their savings. Offering generous tax-free bonuses, Help to Save can provide significant benefits for qualifying individuals.

Finally, in Could a Smart Thermostat Save You Money?, I revealed how these clever devices can save you money on your energy bills. I recently had one fitted myself. In this article I reveal which I chose (and why) and share some tips based on my own experiences. My heating engineer Dave, who installed it for me, also gets an honourable mention!

As I’ve said before, Mouthy Money is a great resource for anyone interested in money-making and money-saving. From the range of articles published in February, I particularly enjoyed Where to Find the Best Money-Saving Resources in 2025 by regular MM contributor Shoestring Jane. Jane writes mainly about money saving and frugal living. You can see all of her articles for Mouthy Money via this web page.

The not-so-good news about Mouthy Money is that due to a change in their business strategy they will no longer be commissioning external content writers such as me and Jane. From a personal perspective I am obviously disappointed about this, but I have had a good run with them and wish them every success going forward. I will continue to follow Mouthy Money with interest and recommend PAS readers do the same. I am also available for other writing work in the personal finance sphere if anyone else should need me!

I also published several posts on Pounds and Sense in February. Some are no longer relevant, but I have listed the others below.

Debunking Common Myths About Over-50 Life Insurance is a guest post on behalf of my friends at British Seniors Insurance Services. It sets out seven common myths about life insurance for over-50s, including ‘I’m too old to get life insurance’ and ‘Life insurance for over-50s is too expensive’, and explains why these commonly-held beliefs are incorrect.

Marriage in Later Life – A Guide to the Financial and Legal Implications is another guest post, this time by my colleagues at HCR Law. In this eye-opening article, their family law specialist, Victoria Fellows, sets out some important considerations to take into account if you are thinking of marrying (or remarrying) in later life.

In How to Make Money From Stoozing, I discuss this method of making extra income by taking advantage of interest-free offer periods on credit cards. If you are well organized you can make hundreds of pounds by doing this, but there are certain pitfalls to avoid. My article sets out everything you need to know and shares some useful resources.

Don’t Miss Out! Use Your £20,000 ISA Allowance Before It’s Too Late is a reminder that the current tax year ends on 5 April 2025 – and if you don’t use your 2024/25 tax-free ISA allowance before that date, it will be gone forever. In my article I explain the main types of ISA and reveal the ones I invest in myself. I also reveal why using your ISA allowance may be especially important in the current tax year if certain rumours are to be believed.

Finally, in Get Your Will Written Free of Charge in March, I discuss Free Wills Month, which actually starts today (3rd March 2025). This event brings together a group of well-respected charities to offer members of the public aged 55 and over the chance to have their wills written (or updated) free using participating solicitors across the UK. If you don’t currently have a will, this no-obligation opportunity is well worth checking out.

I’ll close with a reminder that you can also follow Pounds and Sense on Facebook or Twitter (or X as we have to call it now). Twitter/X is my number one social media platform and I post regularly there. I share the latest news and information on financial matters, and other things that interest, amuse or concern me. So if you aren’t following my PAS account on Twitter/X, you are definitely missing out.

I am also on the BlueSky social media network under the username poundsandsense.bsky.social. For the time being anyway, Twitter/X will remain my primary social media platform, but I will also post details of my latest blog posts, third-party articles and other financial news and resources on BlueSky for those who prefer to follow me there.

As always, if you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below. I am always delighted to hear from PAS readers

Disclaimer: I am not a qualified financial adviser and nothing in this blog post should be construed as personal financial advice. Everyone should do their own ‘due diligence’ before investing and seek professional advice if in any doubt how best to proceed. All investing carries a risk of loss.

Note also that posts on PAS may include affiliate links. If you click through and perform a qualifying transaction, I may receive a commission for introducing you. This will not affect the product or service you receive or the terms you are offered, but it does help support me in publishing PAS and paying my bills. Thank you!

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February 24, 2025

Get Your Will Written Free of Charge in March

Nick Everything Else events 7 Comments

Did you know that March is Free Wills Month?

Free Wills Month brings together a group of well-respected charities to offer members of the public aged 55 and over the opportunity to have their wills written or updated free using participating solicitors across the UK. The next one begins on Monday 3rd March 2025.

The charities involved include the NSPCC, Dogs Trust, Samaritans, Mind, Stroke Association, PDSA, Royal British Legion, Alzheimers Research UK, Mencap, British Heart Foundation, Age UK, and many more.

The scheme covers simple wills only, including ‘mirror wills’ for couples. In the latter case, only one member of the couple has to be 55 or over. If you need a complicated will (most people don’t) you can still have this done but may have to pay a top-up fee.

I strongly believe in using a properly qualified solicitor to draw up your will. In the last few years there have been a couple of occasions when failing to do this has caused problems and delays for members of my family. An up-to-date will written by a solicitor will ensure that your wishes are respected and will avoid causing legal complications for your loved ones after you are gone.

Free Wills Month means what it says. There are no catches, although the organizers hope that you will choose to leave a donation to charity in your will. There is no obligation to do this, however.

To take part in Free Wills Month click through to the website on or after March 3rd 2025. You can then pick a solicitor from the list of companies taking part and contact them to book an appointment. Appointments are limited and on a first come, first served basis, so it’s important to call as soon as possible. Once all available appointments are taken, the campaign will close. This may happen before the end of March.

Until March 3rd you can enter brief details on the Free Wills Month website and will then receive an email reminder when the scheme opens.

If you have any comments or questions about this subject, as ever, please do post them below.

This is an annual update of this post.

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Use Your Tax-Free ISA Allowance Before It's Too Late!

February 22, 2025

Don’t Miss Out! Use Your £20,000 ISA Allowance Before It’s Too Late

Nick Saving Money, Investing events, Tax 0 Comments

As the end of the tax year on 5 April 2025 approaches, so too does the deadline to utilize the annual tax-free Individual Savings Account (ISA) allowance.

The clock is ticking, and unless you take action in the next few weeks, this opportunity to maximize your tax-free savings for the 2024/25 financial year will be gone.

ISAs are a popular choice for savers and investors alike, offering a tax-efficient way to grow your wealth. With a diverse range of options available, from cash ISAs to stocks and shares ISAs and innovative finance ISAs, individuals have the flexibility to tailor their savings strategy to suit their financial goals and risk appetite.

The current ISA allowance stands at £20,000, providing a significant opportunity to shield your savings and investments from tax. This allowance represents a generous sum that, if left unused, cannot be carried forward to future years. In essence, any portion of the £20,000 allowance that remains untapped by the upcoming deadline will be lost, representing a missed opportunity for tax-free growth.

For those who have yet to fully utilize their annual ISA allowance, now is the time to take action. Whether you’re looking to bolster your rainy-day fund with a cash ISA, seeking to invest in the stock market through a stocks and shares ISA, or diversify your investment portfolio with an IFISA, there’s no shortage of options available.

Cash ISAs offer a secure and accessible way to save, providing a tax-free environment for your savings with the added benefit of easy access to your funds when needed. Meanwhile, stocks and shares ISAs open the door to potentially higher returns by investing in a wide range of assets such as equities, bonds and funds, albeit with a higher level of risk. And an Innovative Finance ISA, or IFISA for short, allows you to invest via P2P/crowdfunding platforms, further diversifying your portfolio (though again with a higher level of risk).

With an ISA you will never incur any liability for dividend tax, capital gains tax or income tax, even if your investments perform exceptionally well. Of course, there is no guarantee this will happen, but over a longer period stock market investments have typically outperformed cash savings, often by a substantial margin.

In recent years I have invested much of my own annual ISA allowance in a stocks and shares ISA with Nutmeg, a robo-manager platform that has produced good returns for me (almost 20% over the last year alone). You can read my in-depth review of Nutmeg here. I have also invested some money in a property IFISA from Housemartin (previously Assetz Exchange). You can see my latest post about Housemartin here. You can also check out my February 2025 Investments Update to see how my Nutmeg and Housemartin investments (and others) have been faring recently.

Finally, for shorter-term savings, I am currently using the Trading 212 Cash ISA. The interest rate paid by Trading 212 is reducing from the current 4.9% to 4.5% from the start of March, but it’s still competitive with other cash ISA providers and has fewer strings attached..

With just a few weeks left to take advantage of this valuable tax benefit, delaying now could prove costly. By acting swiftly you can ensure that your savings and investments are positioned to grow tax-free, setting yourself up for a better financial future.

This has become all the more important with reports (such as this one) suggesting Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering changing the rules applying to ISAs, and in particular reducing the tax-free allowance for cash ISAs to as little as £4,000.

In summary, the £20,000 annual ISA allowance for the 2024/25 tax year presents a golden opportunity to maximize your tax-free savings and investments. Time is of the essence, though. Unless you act before the impending deadline on 5th April 2025, this valuable allowance will be lost forever. If you have the money available, therefore, seize the opportunity now to help secure your financial future.

As always, if you have any comments or questions about this article, please feel free to leave them below.

Disclaimer: I am not a qualified financial adviser and nothing in this blog post should be construed as personal financial advice. Everyone should do their own ‘due diligence’ before investing and seek professional advice if in any doubt how best to proceed. All investing carries a risk of loss.

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