reviews Archives - Pounds and Sense https://www.poundsandsense.com/tag/reviews/ A UK blog covering personal finance and much more from an over-60 perspective Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:37:57 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.poundsandsense.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/coffeespecs-150x150.png reviews Archives - Pounds and Sense https://www.poundsandsense.com/tag/reviews/ 32 32 My Investments Update – April 2026 https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-investments-update-april-2026/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-investments-update-april-2026 https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-investments-update-april-2026/#respond Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:52:00 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14470 Here is my latest monthly update about my investments. You can read my March 2026 Investments Update here if you like. 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 […]

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]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-investments-update-april-2026/feed/ 0 Get a Free Share Worth Up To £100 With Trading 212 https://www.poundsandsense.com/get-a-free-share-worth-up-to-100-with-trading-212/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=get-a-free-share-worth-up-to-100-with-trading-212 https://www.poundsandsense.com/get-a-free-share-worth-up-to-100-with-trading-212/#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:50:06 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=4931 Offer Reopened! Today I’m featuring a way you can get a free fractional share worth up to £100 by signing up (for the first time) with an online share trading platform called Trading 212. Trading 212 is unusual in that it offers commission-free and fee-free share trading. As a special offer, until Tuesday 28th April 2026 they […]

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]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/get-a-free-share-worth-up-to-100-with-trading-212/feed/ 6 What Is an Annuity – and Who Should Consider Buying One? https://www.poundsandsense.com/what-is-an-annuity-and-who-should-consider-buying-one/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-is-an-annuity-and-who-should-consider-buying-one https://www.poundsandsense.com/what-is-an-annuity-and-who-should-consider-buying-one/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:00:55 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14410 If you’re approaching retirement (or have retired already), you’ve probably come across the term annuity. For some people it represents security and peace of mind. For others it feels restrictive and poor value. So what exactly is an annuity – and who should consider buying one? Let’s take a closer look. What Is an Annuity? […]

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]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/what-is-an-annuity-and-who-should-consider-buying-one/feed/ 2 Are River Cruises Suitable for Solo Travellers? https://www.poundsandsense.com/are-river-cruises-suitable-for-solo-travellers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=are-river-cruises-suitable-for-solo-travellers https://www.poundsandsense.com/are-river-cruises-suitable-for-solo-travellers/#respond Sun, 15 Mar 2026 10:26:47 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14396 My recent posts about cruise holidays and river cruises have generated quite a bit of interest among PAS readers. One asked if I could say something about the suitability of river cruises for solo travellers. I thought that was an interesting question (and one that’s relevant to me personally). So today I shall be addressing […]

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]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/are-river-cruises-suitable-for-solo-travellers/feed/ 0 My Investments Update – March 2026 https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-investments-update-march-2026/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-investments-update-march-2026 https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-investments-update-march-2026/#respond Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:22:41 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14360 Here is my latest monthly update about my investments. You can read my February 2026 Investments Update here if you like. 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 […]

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]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-investments-update-march-2026/feed/ 0 My Investments Update – February 2026 https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-investments-update-february-2026/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-investments-update-february-2026 https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-investments-update-february-2026/#respond Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:28:30 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14255 Here is my latest monthly update about my investments. You can read my January 2026 Investments Update here if you like. 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 […]

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]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/my-investments-update-february-2026/feed/ 0 Make the Government Pay! How to Use Gift Aid to Redirect Your Tax Money https://www.poundsandsense.com/make-the-government-pay-how-to-use-gift-aid-to-redirect-your-tax-money/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=make-the-government-pay-how-to-use-gift-aid-to-redirect-your-tax-money https://www.poundsandsense.com/make-the-government-pay-how-to-use-gift-aid-to-redirect-your-tax-money/#respond Sat, 24 Jan 2026 11:32:29 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14237 As more people in the UK find themselves paying income tax again – particularly retirees whose pensions, savings interest and state pension now push them over the personal allowance – it’s natural to feel frustrated about how that money is used. While we don’t get much say over how most of our taxes are spent, […]

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]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/make-the-government-pay-how-to-use-gift-aid-to-redirect-your-tax-money/feed/ 0 Planning a UK Holiday This Year? Here Are Some Ideas For You! https://www.poundsandsense.com/planning-a-uk-holiday-this-year-here-are-some-ideas-for-you/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=planning-a-uk-holiday-this-year-here-are-some-ideas-for-you https://www.poundsandsense.com/planning-a-uk-holiday-this-year-here-are-some-ideas-for-you/#comments Tue, 20 Jan 2026 11:40:29 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=7343 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 […]

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]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/planning-a-uk-holiday-this-year-here-are-some-ideas-for-you/feed/ 6 What Are Investment Trusts and How Can You Invest in Them? https://www.poundsandsense.com/what-are-investment-trusts-and-how-can-you-invest-in-them/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-are-investment-trusts-and-how-can-you-invest-in-them https://www.poundsandsense.com/what-are-investment-trusts-and-how-can-you-invest-in-them/#respond Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:58:28 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14214 When most people think about investing, they picture stocks and shares, funds, ISAs and perhaps ETFs. But there’s another long-established option that often flies under the radar: Investment Trusts. Despite the name, investment trusts aren’t trusts in the everyday sense. They are a distinctive type of investment company with some unique features – and for […]

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]]> https://www.poundsandsense.com/what-are-investment-trusts-and-how-can-you-invest-in-them/feed/ 0 What Are Index Funds and How Can You Invest in Them? https://www.poundsandsense.com/what-are-index-funds-and-how-can-you-invest-in-them/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-are-index-funds-and-how-can-you-invest-in-them https://www.poundsandsense.com/what-are-index-funds-and-how-can-you-invest-in-them/#respond Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:19:06 +0000 https://www.poundsandsense.com/?p=14204 Today I thought I would take a closer look at Index Funds. These are among the most straightforward and cost-effective ways to invest in the stock market – especially for long-term savers and beginners. Instead of trying to pick individual shares, index funds track a market index such as the FTSE 100, giving you broad […]

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