Frequently asked questions

No. Plainpurse provides general financial education and illustrative tools only. We are not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and nothing here is personalised financial advice. For advice tailored to your circumstances, speak to a regulated financial adviser.

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Nowhere but your own device. The calculations happen locally using JavaScript in your browser; nothing you type into a calculator is sent to us or stored on a server.

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They're simplified, illustrative projections based on the numbers you enter and the assumptions stated on each tool, not guarantees. Real-world results will vary with actual interest rates, charges, inflation and investment performance.

Saving generally means keeping money somewhere stable and accessible, such as a savings account, with little or no risk of losing the amount you put in. Investing means buying assets such as shares or funds whose value can rise or fall, usually pursued over longer timeframes for higher potential growth.

There's no single right answer, but a common starting point is one month of essential costs, built up gradually toward three to six months over time. Our guide on starter emergency funds walks through how to begin.

It depends on the interest rate on the debt versus what you'd earn saving, and whether you have any buffer at all. Many people build a small starter emergency fund first, then prioritise high-interest debt, while still contributing enough to a workplace pension to get any employer match.

A credit score is a number lenders use to estimate how reliably you're likely to repay borrowing. Checking your own score through a consumer credit-checking service is a “soft” check and does not affect your score.

Common reasons include a new job, a change in company benefits, the State Pension starting, or HMRC correcting an earlier estimate. Our tax code guide explains how to read the code on your payslip.

It usually stays where it is, growing or shrinking with investment performance, and you can typically leave it in place or transfer it later. You'll usually be auto-enrolled into a new pension at your next employer too.

No. A Lifetime ISA is a type of ISA that can be used toward a first home or later retirement, with its own age limits and withdrawal rules outside those uses. A pension is a separate product with different tax treatment. Our investing guide explains ISAs as wrappers more broadly.

Tax thresholds, allowances and contribution limits are reviewed and changed periodically, often each tax year, so always check current figures on gov.uk or with HMRC before relying on a specific number. We aim to keep the underlying concepts accurate, but treat any specific allowance or threshold as something to verify.

No. Plainpurse focuses on explaining concepts and giving you tools to run your own numbers, rather than naming or ranking commercial products. Any affiliate links are clearly labelled — see our affiliate disclosure for how that works.

Our editorial policy explains how guides are researched, reviewed and updated. You can read the full process on our About page.

Possibly — it depends on how much you earn from it and whether it's already taxed another way. Our self-assessment guide covers who typically needs to register, but check gov.uk for the current income thresholds that trigger registration.

An index fund aims to track a market index as closely as possible. An actively managed fund has a manager trying to beat that index by picking investments, typically at a higher cost. Our investing guide covers this in more depth.