As of 6 April 2026, UK investors have a fresh chance to supercharge their savings and investments with a new £20,000 Individual Savings Account (ISA) allowance.
To maximize the benefits of the new 2026/27 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.
In addition to the tax-free ISA allowance remaining at a relatively generous £20,000 (for now – see below), the rules surrounding ISAs have undergone a welcome relaxation in recent years. 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 remember, 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.
Note that from April 2027 the Cash ISA allowance has been reduced from £20,000 to £12,000 per year for savers under the age of 65. Until then it remains at £20,000 a year for all savers, though.
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, with whom I invest myself) 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 JP Morgan Personal Investing (previously Nutmeg), a robo-manager platform that has produced good returns for me. You can read how my Housemartin and JPM investments (and others) are faring in my monthly investment updates such as this one.
Closing Thoughts
The start of a new financial year is a good 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 grasp 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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I’ll begin as usual with my JP Morgan Personal Investing (previously Nutmeg) Stocks and Shares ISA. This is the largest investment I hold other than my Bestinvest SIPP (personal pension).
As regular readers will know, in June last year I transferred most of the money in my former Nutmeg Fully Managed portfolio (just under £25,000) to a new Nutmeg Income Portfolio. I discussed this in detail in this post, but basically money in this port is invested to generate an income from share dividends and other sources. This is then paid monthly. Capital appreciation is targeted as well, but these portfolios are aimed primarily at older people (and others) who want/need their investment to generate a regular cash income.
In January my JPM Investing income portfolio generated £75.54 of income, which was duly paid in to my bank account on 24 March 2026. That means I have now received tax-free income of £273.68 in 2026 and a total of £745.14 since I opened the account in June last year. That’s about what I would have expected based on JPM’s projected annual return of just under 5% for income ports at my chosen risk level (five).
The less good news is that my income portfolio declined in value in March. It’s now worth £27,320 compared with £28,866 at the start of last month, a fall of £1,546. You don’t need to be an investment expert to know that this is mainly due to events in the Middle East. Nearly all of my share-based investments have been affected by this. Clearly it is disappointing, but as I always say, you do have to expect ups and downs when investing. As the screen capture below shows, my income port is still up by a respectable £1,716.97 (6.71%) after fees since I opened it last June.
I still have a smaller, growth-oriented pot using JPM Investing’s Smart Alpha option. This is now worth £4,606 compared with £4,974 (rounded up) a month ago, a fall of £368. Here is a screen capture showing performance over the last year.
Finally, at the start of December 2023 I invested £500 in one of Nutmeg/JPM’s thematic portfolios (Resource Transformation). In March 2024 I also invested a further £200 from referral bonuses (something I no longer receive). As you can see from the one-year screen capture below, this portfolio is now worth £934 compared with £996 (rounded up) last month, a decrease of £62.
Overall in March the value of my JPM investments fell by £1,976 or 5.55%. Against that I did, of course, receive £75.54 in income from my income portfolio. In total, then, I am £1900.46 down for the month.
On a more positive note, excluding income generated, the overall value of my JPM investments is still up by £3,385 or 11.47% since the start of April 2025. If you add to this figure the £745.14 of income generated by my Income portfolio to date, that gives a total profit for the last 12 months of £4,130.14 – still not a bad return in these uncertain times.
As I said above, some volatility is always to be expected with stock market investments, but in the longer term they tend to even themselves out (and typically outperform bank savings accounts, although that is never guaranteed). In general the worst thing you can do is panic and sell up when downturns occur (as happened last month). You are then crystallizing your losses rather than giving the markets time to recover. This is something I discussed last year in this blog post. Obviously nobody knows what will happen in the Middle East, but hopefully some sort of resolution will occur soon, if only because President Trump desperately needs an exit strategy to pacify his critics back home. Once a bit more stability returns to the region, we will hopefully see world stock markets rise again. Though of course there is no guarantee about this.
You can read my full original Nutmeg/JPM review here. If you are looking for a home for your annual ISA allowance, based on my overall experience over the last nine 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 Housemartin. As discussed in this post, the company rebranded last year from Assetz Exchange.
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 £309.64 in revenue from rental income. I have made a small net loss of £20.25 on property disposals. Capital growth generally has slowed, in line with UK property values generally.
At the time of writing, 17 of ‘my’ properties are showing gains, 3 are breaking even, and the remaining 24 are showing losses. My portfolio of 44 properties is currently showing a net decrease in value of £76.05. That means that overall (rental income minus capital value decrease and loss on disposal) I am up by £213.34. That’s still a respectable 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.
A further consideration is that property investments on Housemartin are less likely to be affected by stock market downturns, as happened in March due to the war in the Middle East. This again demonstrates the potential value of such investments for diversifying your portfolio during challenging times.
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 usually 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.
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.
In January this year, as Oil Worldwide hadn’t exactly been setting the world alight, I decided to switch my entire investment in this to another smart portfolio, InTheGame. This port, focusing on the computer gaming industry, has been the top performer for some time in my eToro virtual portfolio.
Unfortunately just as I switched away from Oil Worldwide, President Trump decided to invade Venezuela. This gave the oil industry a significant boost, which I would otherwise have benefited from. Meanwhile InTheGame has gone south, partly due to the recent fall in AI stocks along with the war in the Middle East. At the time of writing the value of my investment in this has fallen by nearly 17%. Hey ho! This does of course demonstrate that there are never any guarantees when investing and unexpected events can thwart the best-laid plans…
As you can see from the screen captures below, my original eToro investment (total value £888.36 in pounds sterling) is today worth £1,070.78, an overall increase of £182.42 or 20.53%.
Note: eToro now displays the value of investments in your native currency, although you can change this if you wish.
As mentioned above, my new investment in InTheGame is currently down by nearly 17%. My copy trading investment with Aukie2008 also fell in value in March, but it’s still showing an impressive overall profit of 56.36%. Of course, I have held this investment for quite a bit longer.
My Tesla shares, which I purchased as an afterthought with some spare cash I had in my account, are also down this month, but still showing an overall profit of over 234% since I bought them. 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.
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 an experiment, at the start of April last year I put £50 into an investment ISA with Trading 212. As mentioned in my 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 £59.87. That’s a decrease of £1.97 since last month but an increase of £9.87 or 19.7% over the eleven-month period since I opened it. It has even accrued a grand total of £1.08 in dividends, most of which has now been (automatically) reinvested.
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). If I increased my investment I would almost certainly become eligible for more dividends, and even more the longer I remain invested. If I had any spare money at the moment, I would consider doing this. Of course, I do now have an income-focused portfolio with JPM Investing as well (see above).
Moving on, I published various posts on Pounds and Sense in March. I have listed below those that are still relevant.
In Beat the Postage Stamp Price Rise, I pointed out that the cost of stamps is rising (again) on Tuesday 7 April 2026. That will be the SEVENTH rise in the price of first class stamps in just four years! Standard and large-letter stamps don’t have values printed on them and will still be valid after the April price rise comes in, so my top tip is to stock up now while stamps are still at the old price.
I also posted an updated version of Get a Free Share Worth up to £100 with Trading 212. Anyone who hasn’t done this before can get a free share worth up to £100 just by signing up for a new Trading 212 investment account via my link. The current offer closes on Tuesday 28th April 2026.
Also in March I published Are River Cruises Suitable for Solo Travellers. This was a follow-up to my earlier posts about how to save money on cruise holidays and the pros and cons of river cruises (for older travellers in particular). In this post I addressed a question asked by several readers as to whether river cruises are a good choice for solo travellers. The article sets out the pros and cons as I see them. My view, as expressed in the article, is that they can be, but it does depend on your travel style and budget.
What Is An Annuity – And Who Should Consider Buying One? discusses a subject that confuses many people. In simple terms, an annuity is a financial product that converts a lump sum of money – typically from your pension pot – into a guaranteed regular income for life (or for a fixed period). You buy an annuity from an insurance company. In return for handing over some or all of your pension savings, they promise to pay you a regular income, usually monthly, for the rest of your life. In the article I look at the pros and cons of annuities, and whom they are (and aren’t) likely to be suitable for.
How to Save Money on Travel Insurance covers a subject on many people’s minds at this time of year. Travel insurance is one of those expenses that can feel like a grudge purchase – until you need it. For UK travellers, especially older holidaymakers, having adequate cover is essential. In this article I set out some ways you may be able to save on travel insurance without compromising your safety or security. I also discuss saving money on travel insurance as an older person, and the issues that can be caused by war and civil unrest (especially relevant for destinations in or near the Middle East at the moment).
Finally, in March I published Don’t Miss Out – Use Your £20,000 ISA Allowance Before It’s Too Late! As I say in the article, the end of the tax year on 5 April 2026 is fast approaching and so is the deadline to utilize the annual tax-free Individual Savings Account (ISA) allowance. Unless you take action in the next few days, this opportunity to maximize your tax-free savings for the 2025/26 financial year will be gone for ever.
And speaking of deadlines, time is also running out to take advantage of EDF Energy‘s enhanced switching offer. Until 6 April 2026 you can get a FREE £75 (increased from £50) credited to your energy account when you switch to EDF via my link at https://edfenergy.com/quote/refer-a-friend/sunny-koala-9462. Terms and conditions apply.
I’ll close with my customary reminder that you can also follow Pounds and Sense on Facebook or Twitter (or X as it is 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 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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As the end of the tax year on 5 April 2026 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 2025/26 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 JP Morgan Personal Investing (formerly Nutmeg). I have also invested some money in a property IFISA from Housemartin (previously Assetz Exchange). Check out the Housemartin website here [affiliate link].
Finally, for shorter-term savings, I am using the Trading 212 Cash ISA. This currently pays me an interest rate of 3.60% AER. Higher rates are typically on offer to new Trading 212 clients for their first 12 months.
Note that from April 2027 the Cash ISA allowance has been reduced from £20,000 to £12,000 per year for savers under the age of 65. Until then it remains at £20,000 a year for all savers, though.
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.
In summary, the £20,000 annual ISA allowance for the 2025/26 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 looming deadline of 5th April 2026, 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.
If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
A quickie today to let you know that the price of stamps is rising again on Tuesday 7 April 2026. That will be the SEVENTH rise in the price of first class stamps in just four years.
On this occasion a standard first class stamp is going up from £1.70 to £1.80, a 6% increase. The price of sending a large letter first class is going up from £3.15 to £3.30, a 5% increase.
The price of sending a standard letter by second class post is increasing from 87p to 91p (a 5% 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.
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 standard second class stamps, that will save you £14 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 2026, you can see a full list of prices here
If you have any comments or questions about the above, as always, please do post them (no pun intended!) below.
If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
I’ll begin as usual with my JP Morgan Personal Investing (previously Nutmeg) Stocks and Shares ISA. This is the largest investment I hold other than my Bestinvest SIPP (personal pension).
As regular readers will know, in June last year I transferred most of the money in my former Nutmeg Fully Managed portfolio (just under £25,000) to a new Nutmeg Income Portfolio. I discussed this in detail in this post, but basically money in this port is invested to generate an income from share dividends and other sources. This is then paid monthly. Capital appreciation is targeted as well, but these portfolios are aimed primarily at older people (and others) who want/need their investment to generate a regular cash income.
In January my JPM Investing income portfolio generated £124.25 of income, which was duly paid in to my bank account on 24 February 2026. That means I have now received a total (tax-free) income of £198.14 in 2026 and £669.60 since I opened the account in June last year. That’s about what I would have expected based on JPM’s projected annual return of just under 5% for income ports at my chosen risk level (five).
My income portfolio grew in value in February. It’s now worth £28,866 compared with £27,687 at the start of last month, a quite impressive rise of £1,179.
As the year-to-date screen capture below shows, this port has increased by £3,268 (12.74%) after fees since I opened it last June. That’s clearly good going, though I don’t suppose it will carry on like this indefinitely. Performance may have been helped a bit by the no-fees introductory offer on Nutmeg/JPM income portfolios until the end of 2025. That has of course ended now.
I still have a smaller, growth-oriented pot using JPM Investing’s Smart Alpha option. This is now worth £4,974 (rounded up) compared with £4,790 a month ago, an increase of £184. Here is a screen capture showing performance in the year to date.
Finally, at the start of December 2023 I invested £500 in one of Nutmeg/JPM’s thematic portfolios (Resource Transformation). In March 2024 I also invested a further £200 from referral bonuses (something I no longer receive). As you can see from the YTD screen capture below, this portfolio is now worth £996 (rounded up) compared with £956 last month, an increase of £40.
Overall in February I was up by £1,403 or 4.20%. In addition I did, of course, receive £124.25 in income from my income portfolio. In total, then, I am in profit for the month by £1,527.25.
Excluding income generated, the overall value of my JPM investments is up by £4,029 or 13.08% since the start of March 2025. If you add to this figure the £669.60 of income generated by my Income portfolio so far, that gives a total profit for the last 12 months of £4,698.60 – not a bad return in these uncertain times.
As I always have to say, some volatility is to be expected with stock market investments, but over the longer term they tend to even themselves out (and typically outperform bank savings accounts, although that is never guaranteed). In general the worst thing you can do is panic and sell up when downturns occur. You are then crystallizing your losses rather than giving the markets time to recover. This is something I had cause to discuss in this blog post.
You can read my full original Nutmeg/JPM review here. If you are looking for a home for your annual ISA allowance, based on my overall experience over the last nine 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 Housemartin. As discussed in this post, the company rebranded last year from Assetz Exchange.
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 £302.22 in revenue from rental income. I have made a small net loss of £20.25 on property disposals. Capital growth generally has slowed, in line with UK property values generally.
At the time of writing, 19 of ‘my’ properties are showing gains, 4 are breaking even, and the remaining 21 are showing losses. My portfolio of 44 properties is currently showing a net decrease in value of £69.21. That means that overall (rental income minus capital value decrease and loss on disposal) I am up by £212.76. That’s still a respectable 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 usually 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.
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.
In January this year, as Oil Worldwide hadn’t exactly been setting the world alight, I decided to switch my entire investment in this to another smart portfolio, InTheGame. This port, focusing on the computer gaming industry, has been the top performer for some time in my eToro virtual portfolio.
Unfortunately just as I switched away from Oil Worldwide, US President Trump decided to invade Venezuela. This gave the oil industry a significant boost, which I would otherwise have benefited from. Meanwhile InTheGame hasn’t been doing particularly well, partly due to the recent downturn in AI stocks. At the time of writing the value of my investment in this has fallen by nearly 14%. Hey ho! This does of course demonstrate that there are never any guarantees when investing and unexpected events can thwart the best-laid plans…
As you can see from the screen captures below, my original eToro investment (total value £888.36 in pounds sterling) is today worth £1,091.94, an overall increase of £203.58 or 22.92%.
Note: eToro now displays the value of investments in your native currency, although you can change this if you wish.
As mentioned above, my new investment in InTheGame is currently down by nearly 14%. My copy trading investment with Aukie2008 continues to do well, however, with an impressive overall profit of 62.08%. Of course, I have held this investment for quite a bit longer.
My Tesla shares, which I purchased as an afterthought with some spare cash I had in my account, are down again this month but still showing an overall profit of over 252% since I bought them. 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.
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 an experiment, at the start of April last year I put £50 into an investment ISA with Trading 212. As mentioned in my 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 £61.84, an increase of £11.84 or 23.60% over the ten-month period. It has even accrued a grand total of 97p in dividends, most of which has now been (automatically) reinvested.
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). If I increased my investment I would almost certainly become eligible for more dividends, and even more the longer I remain invested. If I had any spare money at the moment, I would consider doing this. Of course, I do now have an income-focused portfolio with JPM Investing as well (see above).
Moving on, I published various posts on Pounds and Sense in February. I have listed below those that are still relevant.
In How to Save Money on Cruise Holidays I looked at a type of holiday that has become increasingly popular with older adults. They offer a relaxed way to travel, with accommodation, meals, entertainment and transport between destinations all included in one package. Cruise prices can vary significantly, however, and it’s not always obvious where good value ends and unnecessary expense begins. So in this post I set out some ways to keep cruise costs under control, while still getting the most from your time away.
I also posted an updated version of Get a Free Share Worth up to £100 with Trading 212. Anyone who hasn’t done this before can get a free share worth up to £100 just by signing up for a new Trading 212 investment account via my link. The current offer closes on Wednesday 4th March so you will need to move quickly on this now!
Also in February I published a guest post on the subject Why a Post-Nuptial Agreement Could be a Wise Financial Decision. This concerns a subject that – while it might seem unromantic – could be crucial to ensuring your financial security in later life. This article is by Richard Scott, a partner in the family team at HCR Law. In it he explains the benefit of having a post-nuptial agreement in place if, sadly, your marriage (or civil partnership) should come to an end.
I also published another guest post, on the subject of How Your Morning Coffee Might Protect Your Brain as You Age. This concerns a subject close to many people’s hearts (including mine!) – what are the benefits (and risks) of coffee drinking and how much a day is best? It may be of particular interest to older people, as the latest research indicates that the caffeine in coffee (and tea) may offer some protection from dementia. The article is by Eef Hogervorst, Professor of Biological Psychology at Loughborough University. It was originally published in The Conversation.
Is a River Cruise Right for You? was a follow-up to my earlier article about how to save money on cruise holidays. In this article I focused on river cruises, which have become a very popular option among older travellers. I explored the pros and cons of river cruising – particularly for older people – and shared some tips to help you get the best value for money on your river cruise holiday.
Finally, in Get Your Will Written Free of Charge in March, I explained how – if you and/or your partner are over 55 – you may be able to get your will written for free by taking advantage of Free Wills Month. Appointments are limited and on a first come, first served basis, so it’s important to take action on this as soon as possible. Once all available appointments are taken, the campaign will close. This may happen before the end of March.
I’ll close with a reminder that you can also follow Pounds and Sense on Facebook or Twitter (or X as it is called 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 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:
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 2nd March 2026.
The charities involved include the NSPCC, Dogs Trust, Help for Heroes, Mind, Stroke Association, PDSA, Royal British Legion, Alzheimers Research UK, Mencap, British Heart Foundation, Age UK, and so on. You can see all the charities involved on this web page.
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 obviously 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 2nd 2026. 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 2nd 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.
If you enjoyed this post, please link to it on your own blog or social media:
I’ll begin as usual with my JP Morgan Personal Investing (previously Nutmeg) Stocks and Shares ISA. This is the largest investment I hold other than my Bestinvest SIPP (personal pension).
As regular readers will know, in June last year I transferred most of the money in my former Nutmeg Fully Managed portfolio (just under £25,000) to a new Nutmeg Income Portfolio. I discussed this in detail in this post, but basically money in this port is invested to generate an income from share dividends and other sources. This is then paid monthly. Capital appreciation is targeted as well, but these portfolios are aimed primarily at older people (and others) who want/need their investment to generate a regular cash income.
In January my JPM Investing income portfolio generated £72.70 of income, which was duly paid in to my bank account on 24 January 2026. That means I have now received a total (tax-free) income of £544.16 to date. That’s about what I would have expected based on JPM’s projected annual return of just under 5% for income ports at my chosen risk level (five).
My income portfolio grew in value again in January. It’s now worth £27,687 compared with £27,052 at the start of last month, a rise of £635. That, does, however, include £651 transferred from what remained in my Fully Managed account (mentioned above), which I have now closed. I had kept a small amount in this for comparison purposes. But as my new Income Portfolio appeared to be generating better returns overall, I couldn’t see much point keeping it. If you subtract this, the Income Portfolio actually fell slightly in value last month by £16.
As the screen capture below shows, this port has increased by £2,083.66 (8.14%) since I opened it in June last year. That’s clearly good going, though I don’t suppose it will carry on like this indefinitely. I should maybe also mention that performance may have been helped a bit by the no-fees introductory offer on Nutmeg/JPM income portfolios until the end of 2025 (which has of course ended now).
I still have a smaller, growth-oriented pot using JPM Investing’s Smart Alpha option. This is now worth £4,790 (rounded up) compared with £4,714 a month ago, an increase of £76. Here is a screen capture showing performance over the last year.
Finally, at the start of December 2023 I invested £500 in one of Nutmeg/JPM’s thematic portfolios (Resource Transformation). In March 2024 I also invested a further £200 from referral bonuses (something I no longer receive). As you can see from the screen capture below, this portfolio is now worth £956 (rounded up) compared with £934 last month, an increase of £22.
Overall in January I was up by £82 or 0.33%. In addition I did, of course, receive £72.70 in income from my income portfolio. Overall, then, I am in profit for the month by £154.70.
Excluding income generated, the overall value of my JPM investments is up by £1,805 or 5.71% since the start of February 2025, so the April 2025 fall (caused largely by Trump’s tariffs) has now fully reversed. If you add to this figure the £544.16 of income generated so far, that gives a total profit for the last 12 months of £2,349.16 – not a bad return in these uncertain times.
As I always have to say, some volatility is to be expected with stock market investments, but over the longer term they tend to even themselves out (and generally perform better than bank savings accounts, although that is never guaranteed). In general the worst thing you can do is panic and sell up when downturns occur (as happened in April last year). You are then crystallizing your losses rather than giving the markets time to recover. This is something I had cause to discuss in this blog post.
You can read my full original Nutmeg/JPM review here. If you are looking for a home for your annual ISA allowance, based on my overall experience over the last nine 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 Housemartin. As discussed in this post, the company rebranded last year from Assetz Exchange.
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 £297.72 in revenue from rental income. I have made a small net loss of £20.25 on property disposals. Capital growth generally has slowed, in line with UK property values generally.
At the time of writing, 14 of ‘my’ properties are showing gains, 7 are breaking even, and the remaining 23 are showing losses. My portfolio of 44 properties is currently showing a net decrease in value of £79.97. That means that overall (rental income minus capital value decrease and loss on disposal) I am up by £197.50. That’s still a respectable 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 usually 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.
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.
Last month, as Oil Worldwide hadn’t exactly been setting the world alight, I decided to switch my entire investment in this to another smart portfolio, InTheGame. This port, focusing on the computer gaming industry, has been the top performer for some time in my eToro virtual portfolio.
Unfortunately just as I switched away from Oil Worldwide, US President Trump decided to invade Venezuela. This gave the oil industry a significant boost, which I would otherwise have benefited from. Meanwhile InTheGame hasn’t been doing particularly well. At the time of writing the value of my investment in this has fallen by over 6%. Hey ho! This does of course demonstrate that there are never any guarantees when investing and unexpected events can thwart the best-laid plans. Hopefully in the coming months things will improve again!
As you can see from the screen captures below, my original eToro investment (total value £888.36 in pounds sterling) is today worth £1,119.21, an overall increase of £230.85 or 25.99%.
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 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 mentioned above, my new investment in InTheGame is currently down by over 6%. My copy trading investment with Aukie2008 continues to do well, however, with an impressive overall profit of 65.20%. Of course, I have held this investment for quite a bit longer.
My Tesla shares, which I purchased as an afterthought with some spare cash I had in my account, are down this month but still showing an overall profit of over 280% since I bought them. 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.
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 an experiment, at the start of April last year I put £50 into an investment ISA with Trading 212. As mentioned in my 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 £58.80, an increase of £8.80 or 17.60% over the ten-month period. It has even accrued a grand total of 87p 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). If I increased my investment I would almost certainly become eligible for more dividends, and even more the longer I remain invested. If I had any spare money at the moment, I would consider doing this. Of course, I do now have an income-focused portfolio with JPM Investing as well (see above).
Moving on, I published various posts on Pounds and Sense in January. I have listed below those that are still relevant.
In What Are Index Funds and How Can You Invest in Them? I looked at one of the most straightforward and cost-effective ways to invest in the stock market, especially for long-term savers and beginners. Index funds track a market index such as the FTSE 100, giving you broad exposure to many companies at once. This helps spread risk and keeps costs low.
I also posted What Are Investment Trusts and How Can You Invest in Them? Investment trusts are a distinctive type of investment company with some unique features; and for the right investor, they can offer real advantages. In this article, I explained what investment trusts are, how they work, and their pros and cons compared with alternatives such as ETFs and open-ended funds.
Also in January I published Planning a UK Holiday This Year? Here Are Some Ideas for you! In this article – an update of an annual post – I shared links to my blog posts about a variety of UK holiday destinations I’ve visited in the last few years, in case you might wish to consider them for short (or longer) breaks in the year ahead.
Finally, I published Make the Government Pay! How to Use Gift Aid to Redirect Your Tax Money. In this article I discussed a perfectly legal way to ensure that at least some of your tax money goes to causes you genuinely support than simply vanishing into the government’s coffers. Gift Aid is a scheme that allows charities to reclaim tax on donations made by UK taxpayers. You can of course use it to boost the value of your donations to the organizations in question – but, as my post reveals, you can even use it to reallocate some of your tax money without spending any money directly.
I’ll close with a reminder that you can also follow Pounds and Sense on Facebook or Twitter (or X as it is called 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 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:
For many of us 2025 was another difficult year, with a cost-of-living crisis driven especially by rising gas and electricity costs.
With the festive season behind us now – and a cold and miserable start to the new year – many of us are understandably desperate for something to look forward to in the year ahead.
Some will be planning to head abroad in search of sunnier climes. But others may be deterred by the cost of going overseas and the additional hassles it may entail.
So today I thought I’d share links to my blog posts about some UK holiday destinations I’ve visited in the last few years, in case you wish to consider them for short (or longer) breaks in the year ahead. Clicking on any of the links below will open my post about the place concerned in a new tab, so you won’t have to keep clicking the Back button to return here.
Llandudno in North Wales is somewhere I’ve been visiting regularly for over ten years now (most recently in 2025, when I went twice). It’s a traditional British seaside resort with a long pier, Punch and Judy show, sweeping promenade, and plenty more (you can see the stunning Victorian seafront in the cover image). It’s very popular with both older people and young families. As well as my main review, my October 2020 Coronavirus Crisis Experience Update includes details of a short break I enjoyed there just before the Welsh government imposed another lockdown 😮
Minehead is a North Somerset coastal town. I enjoyed a short break there in 2020 as well, at a time when lockdown rules were relaxed. It was my first visit to Minehead and I particularly enjoyed visiting the National Trust property Dunster Castle, which is just a couple of miles down the road. Sadly the West Somerset Railway which starts (or ends) in Minehead was closed due to the pandemic when I went, but I’d love to go back for a trip on this heritage steam railway sometime in the future.
Aberystwyth is in mid-Wales on the Cardigan Bay coast. I have visited it three times now, the first two staying at the Marine Hotel and the most recent at a self-catering apartment called Sea Brin. Aberystwyth is quieter and less commercialized than Llandudno (mentioned above), and the fact it’s a university town means it has quite a cosmopolitan feeling. It’s a good place to chill out, but there are plenty of interesting things to see and do as well.
I visited Aberdovey for the first time in April 2023. It’s a small town on the mid-Wales coast. It’s about ten miles north of Aberystwyth and five miles south of Tywyn, the home of the Talyllyn Railway (see below). It’s a charming, laid-back place, perfect for a relaxing short break. It has a beautiful beach (with watersports for those who want them) and some great cafes and restaurants. I wouldn’t go there for the night-life, though – even the chip shop closes at 8 pm!
I had a particular reason to visit Hewenden MIll Cottages, as my sister Liz and her family live just a couple of miles down the road in Wilsden. Even if I didn’t have family connections, though, I would definitely recommend them for a short break. The accommodation consists of a number of former mill-workers’ cottages, in a beautiful woodland setting. The cottages (such as the one below, where I have stayed myself) are spacious and well equipped. From here you can visit Haworth – home of the Bronte sisters – and the Victorian model village of Saltaire. The area is also great for walking and cycling.
The Aberdunant Hall Holiday Park and Hotel (to give it its full name) is about four miles from the North Wales coastal town of Porthmadog You can stay in the hotel itself (which is quite compact) or in accommodation around the park. I stayed in what they call a Forest Pod, which is roughly the equivalent of half a caravan. It was okay for a short break but if you went as a couple the cramped conditions could put a strain on your relationship! If I went again I would book a room in the hotel or maybe one of the Woodland Escape Suites in the park. I still enjoyed my stay there, and found the location convenient for visiting a range of places including Portmeirion (where the sixties TV series The Prisoner was filmed) and the Ffestiniog Railway, which runs from Porthmadog to Baenau Ffestiniog. It’s also on the edge of Snowdonia, with lots of opportunities for walking and mountain climbing.
Lake Vyrnwy is a few miles over the border from Shropshire into Wales. I went there in 2019 after watching a TV show about the history of this artificial lake, which was originally created to provide a water supply for the people of Liverpool in the 19th century (it’s now naturalised and if you weren’t aware of its history you wouldn’t know it was man-made). I stayed at the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel and Spa, which is near the dam at the western end of the lake. This was originally built to accommodate senior managers and engineers on the construction project, though it has of course been extended and modernised many times since. If you want to visit Lake Vyrnwy, it’s the best (possibly the only) option. I happened to choose a bitterly cold weekend just before Easter for my visit, which spoiled it a bit. Still, I enjoyed the beautiful scenery and some great walks. It’s probably not a place to take children, however, as there might not be enough for them to do.
The Talyllyn Railway (also mentioned under Aberdovey) is a heritage steam railway in Wales. It starts in the town of Tywyn in mid-Wales, so in October 2018 I booked a short break there. To be honest there isn’t a great deal else to do in Tywyn, but it makes a good base for a day on the railway. And the railway itself takes you through some stunningly beautiful countryside. If you buy one of their very reasonably priced Day Rover tickets, you can get on and off at any station along the route. I highly recommend an hour or two at Dolgoch, which has some great walks and lovely waterfalls.
Warner Leisure Hotels have 16 country and coastal resort hotels across England and Wales. They have a strict adults-only policy, and appeal mainly to an older clientele (based on my experience, the average age is around seventy). As well as accommodation they offer a variety of leisure activities, including day trips, quizzes, guided walks, archery and bowls, social dancing, swimming, and so on. Most of these activities are included in the price, as is the evening entertainment. I have stayed at Bodelwyddan Castle in North Wales and Alvaston Hall in Cheshire. Some aspects I liked, others I wasn’t so keen on, as you can read in my review. You can also see their latest offers by clicking on the banner ad below [affiliate].
About five years ago I took a short break in the English Lake District. I stayed at the Waterhead Hotel, just south of Ambleside, at the north end of Lake Windermere (England’s largest lake). The hotel is located literally a few yards from the lake (hence the name, of course). If you haven’t visited the Lake District before, the area should definitely be on your ‘To Do’ list. There are many miles of beautiful countryside to explore, along with attractions such as Beatrix Potter’s house and Wray Castle. And, of course, you must buy a day ticket for the Windermere lake steamers. You can travel the length of the lake in style on these vessels, while sipping a hot chocolate (or something stronger) and listening to commentary on the scenery passing alongside. Highly recommended 🙂
I visited the Isle of Man for the first time in April 2024, staying in the island capital Douglas. I went on a heritage-railway-themed break offered by Newmarket Holidays. So naturally I had trips on the Isle of Man Steam Railway and also the Manx Electric Railway. The latter takes you from Douglas to Laxey and onward to Ramsey. Laxey is the home of the iconic Lady Isabella waterwheel, the largest working waterwheel in the world. The IOM is about the same latitude as Liverpool so obviously the weather can be variable, but I was lucky enough to get wall-to-wall sunshine during my stay. I flew to the island from Birmingham Airport which took about 45 minutes, but you can also get a ferry from Heysham or Liverpool. The Isle of Man is charming and verdant, and largely unspoiled. Definitely worth considering if you’re looking for something a little bit different for a short (or longer) holiday.
I visited Lanbedrog for the first time in July 2021. It’s a village on the Llyn (or Lleyn) Peninsula in NW Wales. I stayed at an Airbnb property, the first time I had done this (Llanbedrog doesn’t have any hotels as far as I know). It’s by the coast, roughly half way between Pwllheli (famed for its Butlins camp, now run by Haven Holidays) and trendy Abersoch. It has a beautiful sandy beach which would be perfect for families with young children (or grandchildren). I very much enjoyed my three-night stay and found it a perfect place to relax and chill out after months of lockdown. The National Trust mansion (and garden) Plas yn Rhiw is about seven miles away.
I stayed in Criccieth in North Wales for the first time in June 2022, although I had visited the town in the past. It’s a lovely place to relax and chill out. It has excellent road and rail connections, and there are also some high-quality tourist attractions nearby, including Portmeirion and the Ffestiniog Railway. Criccieth itself is best known for its castle which dominates the town. Although it’s a ruin, many of the walls are still standing and you can enjoy some amazing views across the bay, as far as Harlech Castle and beyond.
I visited Lavenham in Suffolk for the first time in August 2022. It is said to be England’s best-preserved medieval town, with over 300 listed, timber-framed houses. There are various historic buildings such as the Guildhall and Little Hall you can look around. Lavenham also boasts a variety of highly rated pubs and restaurants, and some lovely tea rooms and coffee houses as well! 🍮
Barmouth is a traditional Welsh seaside resort about ten miles south of Harlech. I visited in September 2022, staying at an elegant Victorian Gothic hotel called Tyr Graig Castle. Barmouth has a clean, attractive promenade and beautiful sandy beach which goes out a long way. There is plenty to do for families, including a funfair and amusement arcades. There are various restaurants and fast food outlets along the seafront. There is also a railway station with regular trains to Pwllheli in one direction and Aberystwyth and beyond in the other. Nearby attractions include Harlech Castle, Portmeirion and the Fairbourne miniature steam railway 🚂
I visited the historic city of Bath in June 2023. There is lots to see and do, although top of many people’s lists will be the stunning Roman Baths. Bath Abbey is well worth a look too, and you can admire the beautiful Georgian architecture around the city for free! Read my top tips for anyone visiting Bath in this post, including the excellent self-catering accommodation I stayed at.
Other Resources
Here are links to a few other blog posts that may be of interest if you are planning a UK holiday this year…
In recent years Airbnb has become increasingly popular for self-catering holidays. You can book anything from a spare room in someone’s home to a whole house or apartment. My recent short breaks in Lavenham and Llanbedrog (see list above) were in Airbnb properties. You can read all about the booking process in my post.
Finding a cashpoint in an unfamiliar town (or village) can be challenging, so you might find this free app a useful resource to download. It has helped me avoid embarrassment on several occasions.
If your thoughts are turning further afield, you may be considering a cruise holiday as an option. Even if you can’t go abroad, I can testify from personal experience that a cruise of the British Isles (like these, perhaps) can be very enjoyable and enlightening. My blog post sets out a range of tips and advice that will be particularly relevant for first-time and solo cruisers.
Finally, coach holidays are another very popular option among older people especially. I don’t have much experience of this myself, but my friends at Over 60s Discounts have a great article about coach holidays for over-60s in the UK. This includes a list of popular UK destinations and details of several companies offering low-cost coach holidays.
Closing Thoughts
I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and it has given you a some ideas for UK holidays.
Obviously I am a 60-something male and nowadays usually travel on my own. So if your circumstances are different from mine, I understand that some of the destinations mentioned above might not hold as much appeal. In addition, I live in Staffordshire, so the places I go are all reasonably accessible from there.
Finally – as I noticed when reading back my list – I do have a bit of a penchant for places with heritage steam railways nearby, so please bear that in mind as well 😀
Of course, I’d love to hear your views about any of the destinations mentioned, or any other places in the UK you would recommend for a short break or longer holiday. Please leave any comments or questions below as usual.
Note: This is a fully revised update of an annual post.
I’ll begin as usual with my JP Morgan Personal Investing (previously Nutmeg) Stocks and Shares ISA. This is the largest investment I hold other than my Bestinvest SIPP (personal pension).
As regular readers will know, in June this year I transferred most of the money in my former Nutmeg Fully Managed portfolio (just under £25,000) to a new Nutmeg Income Portfolio. I discussed this in detail in this post, but basically money in this port is invested to generate an income from share dividends and other sources. This is then paid monthly. Capital appreciation is targeted as well, but these portfolios are aimed primarily at older people (and others) who want/need their investment to generate a regular cash income.
In December my JPM Investing income portfolio generated £75.04 of income, which was duly paid in to my bank account on 24 December 2025. That means I have now received a total (tax-free) income of £471.46 to date. That’s about what I would have hoped for based on JPM’s projected annual return of just under 5% for income ports at my chosen risk level (five).
My income portfolio grew in value again in December. It’s now worth £27,052 compared with £27,015 at the start of last month, a rise of £37. As the screen capture shows, the port has actually increased by £2,099.98 (8.42%) since I opened it in June this year. That’s clearly good going, though I don’t suppose it will carry on like this indefinitely. I should maybe also mention that performance may have been helped a bit by the no-fees introductory offer on Nutmeg/JPM income portfolios until the end of 2025. That has ended now, of course.
I still have a smaller, growth-oriented pot using JPM Investing’s Smart Alpha option. This is now worth £4,714 compared with £4,685 a month ago, an increase of £29. Here is a screen capture showing performance over the last year.
And at the start of December 2023 I invested £500 in one of Nutmeg/JPM’s thematic portfolios (Resource Transformation). In March 2024 I also invested a further £200 from referral bonuses (something I no longer receive for reasons I won’t bore you with). As you can see from the screen capture below, this portfolio is now worth £934 (rounded up) compared with £931 last month, a small increase of £3.
Finally, I still have a small amount left in my original Nutmeg/JPM Fully Managed portfolio. I have kept this largely for comparison purposes. This has also increased slightly in value from £637 at the start of December to £642 (rounded up) now, a rise of £5.
Overall in December I was up by £74 or 0.31%. In addition I did, of course, receive £75.04 in income from my income portfolio. Overall, then, I am in profit for the month by £149.04.
Excluding income generated, the overall value of my JPM investments is up by £2,914 or 9.58% since the start of 2025, so the April 2025 fall (caused largely by Trump’s tariffs) has now fully reversed. If you add to this figure the £471.46 of income generated so far, that gives a total profit for the last 12 months of £3,385.46 – not a bad return in these uncertain times.
As I always have to say, some volatility is to be expected with stock market investments, but over the longer term they tend to even themselves out (and generally perform better than bank savings accounts, although that is never guaranteed). In general the worst thing you can do is panic and sell up when downturns occur (as happened in April last year). You are then crystallizing your losses rather than giving the markets time to recover. This is something I had cause to discuss in this blog post.
You can read my full original Nutmeg/JPM review here. If you are looking for a home for your annual ISA allowance, based on my overall experience over the last nine years, they are certainly worth considering. They offer self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs), Lifetime ISAs and Junior ISAs as well.
As mentioned above, Nutmeg have rebranded as J.P. Morgan Personal Investing and their website is now at www.personalinvesting.jpmorgan.com.
Moving on, I also have investments with P2P property investment platform Assetz Exchange. As discussed in this post, the company has 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 £291.50 in revenue from rental income. I have made a small net loss of £21.68 on property disposals. Capital growth generally has slowed, in line with UK property values generally.
At the time of writing, 13 of ‘my’ properties are showing gains, 5 are breaking even, and the remaining 24 are showing losses. My portfolio of 42 properties is currently showing a net decrease in value of £72.54. That means that overall (rental income minus capital value decrease and loss on disposal) I am up by £197.28. That’s still a respectable 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 usually 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.
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 £1,152.75 an overall increase of £264.39 or 29.76%.
Note: eToro now displays the value of investments in your native currency, although you can change this if you wish.
As you can see, my Oil WorldWide investment is in profit, though at 10.37% it is nothing to get excited about. My copy trading investment with Aukie2008 has been doing better, with an impressive overall profit of 63.35%. To be fair, I have held this investment a bit longer.
My Tesla shares, which I bought as an afterthought with some spare cash I had in my account, are up again this month. They are showing an overall profit of 304.65% since I bought them. 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.
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 an experiment, at the start of April this year 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 portfolio is now worth £57.34, an increase of £7.34 or 14.60% over the nine-month period. It has even accrued a grand total of 77p 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). If I increased my investment I would almost certainly become eligible for more dividends, and even more the longer I remain invested. If I had any spare money at the moment, I would consider doing this. Of course, I do now have an income-focused portfolio with JPM Investing as well (see above).
Moving on, I published various posts on Pounds and Sense in December. I have listed below those that are still relevant.
My Top 20 Posts of 2025 is pretty self-explanatory. In this post I listed the top twenty posts on Pounds and Sense in 2025, based on comments, page-views and social media shares, excluding any that were no longer relevant. I hope you might enjoy revisiting these posts, or seeing them for the first time if you are new to PAS.
In Why You Should Beware of Going ‘All-In’ on Electricity I focused on a topic that has become of increasing concern to me in recent months. Over the past decade, UK households have been encouraged to electrify almost everything. Cars are going electric. Gas boilers are being phased out in favour of electric heat pumps. Even cooking is increasingly moving from gas to electricity. Of course, on paper this all fits with the Government’s drive towards Net Zero. But in this post I addressed a growing issue that doesn’t get discussed nearly enough: What happens if the electricity supply isn’t always there when you need it?
Also in December I published New Trading 212 Offer – Get a Guaranteed £25 Cash. This is a rare opportunity to get a guaranteed £25 cash by opening a new Trading 212 Invest account (it’s different from their usual free share promotion, which is currently closed). My post explains what you have to do to claim this money. The offer ends on 20 January 2026.
I also published another syndicated guest post by Primrose Freestone, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology at Leicester University. This one is on the subject Can You Wear the Same Socks More Than Once? I published another article by Dr Freestone recently on how often you should wash your bedding, which generated a lot of interest. If you enjoyed that article, hopefully you will like this one as well. Again it contains a lot of eye-opening information, including some tips on when and how you should launder socks.
Finally, in What Are the Best Video Calling Tools for Older People? I discussed the benefits for older folk of using video-calling tools and apps to keep in touch with friends and family. I described a range of options, explaining how they work and whom they might be most suitable for. This article was published with Christmas in mind, but obviously it is relevant at other times of the year as well.
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 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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If you’ve been thinking about dipping your toes into investing – or you’re just after a quick cash boost at this expensive time of year – there’s a new Trading 212 offer on the table that’s worth checking out.
There is a £25 welcome reward for new UK customers who sign up and complete a few simple steps with Trading 212. Note that this is a limited-time offer that closes on 20 January 2026.
💰 What’s the Offer?
Trading 212 is currently running a limited-time promotion in the UK where new customers can earn a £25 cash reward by:
Signing up for a Trading 212 Invest account using a referral link (like mine below)
Verifying your identity
Depositing funds and ordering a free Trading 212 card
Using the card to make 3 transactions of £5 or more each within 10 days of opening your account
Once those conditions are met, you get £25 in cash credited to your account – and you can use that money however you like!
Here’s a breakdown of what you need to do if you want to take part in this offer:
📌 Step 1: Sign Up Click through my referral link and register for a new Trading 212 Invest account (UK residents only, new users only).
📌 Step 2: Verify Your Account Trading 212 requires standard ID checks (passport, driving licence, address details, etc.). This helps satisfy regulatory “Know Your Customer” requirements.
📌 Step 3: Deposit Funds Add at least £1 to your Trading 212 account – although you may want to deposit a bit more so you can do Step 4 straight away as well.
📌 Step 4: Order & Use Your Card Order the free Trading 212 card and make three transactions of £5 or more – these can be everyday purchases you’d make anyway.
📌 Step 5: Get Your £25 After you meet the criteria, your £25 reward should be credited within a few business days. (You will have to wait 30 days before you can withdraw it.)
💷 What Is the Trading 212 Card?
As part of this offer, you need to order and use the Trading 212 card. So what exactly is it?
The Trading 212 card is a free debit card (physical and virtual) linked directly to your Trading 212 Invest account. It allows you to spend money held in your account just like you would with a normal bank debit card. Here is a quick summary of how it works…
Linked to your Trading 212 balance Any uninvested cash in your Trading 212 account can be used for card payments.
Everyday spending You can use the card in shops, online, and via contactless payments, just like a standard debit card.
No need to invest You don’t have to buy shares or funds to use the card. You can simply deposit money and spend it.
Free to order There’s no charge to order the card, and it’s managed through the Trading 212 app.
UK and overseas use The card can be used abroad, making it handy for travel or online purchases from overseas retailers (although exchange rates and fees can vary, so always check the latest terms).
Even after the bonus is paid, some people choose to keep the card as a secondary spending card, while others simply withdraw their money and stop using it. There’s no obligation to keep spending with it long term.
As always, it’s worth keeping an eye on Trading 212’s terms and conditions, as card features and fees can change over time.
💡 Why This Is a Good Deal
This is a no-brainer for most people because:
You don’t need to invest in stocks and shares to earn the £25 – just make normal card purchases you were planning to do anyway.
The minimum effort required is low: three card payments within 10 days.
You can withdraw the bonus cash after a short delay and spend it or reinvest it however you choose.
🧠 Things to Know
Offers like this can end or change at any time – so if you are interested, it’s worth acting sooner rather than later.
This is different from Trading 212’s free share promotion, which exists separately and offers up to £100 in free shares for new users. I discussed this offer in a separate blog post. Note that the Trading 212 free share offer is not available at the time of writing and I don’t know when (or if) it will return.
You must use a referral link to qualify for the £25 bonus.
You must also open an Invest account to qualify. A Stocks ISA, Cash ISA or CFD account won’t work (though you can open any of these subsequently).
📌 Final Thoughts
If you’ve been on the fence about trying out a stock trading or investment app, this £25 welcome reward from Trading 212 is a genuinely easy way to benefit from signing up. It doesn’t require any complicated investing – you can simply earn the bonus and decide what comes next. Just be sure to follow the steps above carefully and meet all the qualifying requirements.
And don’t forget that this limited-time offer closes on 20 January 2026.
As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.
Disclosure: If you take up this offer via my referral link, I will also receive a cash bonus for introducing you. The £25 cash bonus is guaranteed if you follow the steps set out above. If you choose to reinvest this money, however, be aware that – as with all investing – there is a risk of loss if you put the money into equities (stocks and shares). You should always do your own “due diligence” before investing and seek advice from a qualified financial planner/adviser if in any doubt how best to proceed.
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I published various posts on 
