Knowledge Hub
Find out more about personal finance, travel, technology, money saving tips and more.
Your capital is at risk if you lend to businesses. View full risk warning for more information.
Helping out the student in your life
It’s that time of year again when university applications are in, and there's a whole year group of students across the UK beginning the only too...
Fifty years’ history of inflation as told by the British press
From the price of food, to the amount of disposable income we have left after paying our mortgages and bills, inflation decides how rich we feel on a...
Protecting your real estate investment
Investing in your home by making improvements can not only help to protect or even increase the value of your home, it will also make living there...
When will you buy your first EV?
The question is no longer if you will ever drive an Electric Vehicle (EV) but rather when you will drive one.
The 2030 deadline for banning new...
How to buy an electric car (and know what to ask)
When looking to buy a car most of us will be familiar with the right questions to ask. How many miles per gallon does the car do? What is the...
How to charge (and pay for charging) your EV
There are two basic options to charge your EV, either at home or at a public charging point. But it can feel daunting and challenging to...
Power your car and save money
Electric vehicles (EV) will be the only choice for motorists buying new when we hit the Government’s Green Revolution target date in 2030. But as...
Best Electric Car for under £30,000
Best Electric Car for under £30,000 in 2023
If you’re buying a new car this year you may well have considered whether swapping to an EV is the best...
Just Do It Yourself!
Tackling jobs at home yourself rather than Googling the nearest repair technician, can be a great way to save some money.
However, with all the...
Cost Conscious Plants
As any avid gardener will tell you, there’s no such thing as browsing at a garden centre or nursery. If you love plants you’re going to buy them...
The Fun and (maybe) Valuable World of Collectibles
From comic books to coins and memorabilia to NFTs, collecting things is a very popular pastime. In a poll conducted by The Royal Mint in 2019 it was...
Look after your garden, increase the value of your home
Gardens can sometimes be overlooked as a way to increase the value of your home. A front garden can play a central role in adding curb appeal, and a...
Do you find crypto a bit cryptic?
There’s perhaps nothing easy about cryptocurrencies other, perhaps, than trying to ignore them since the inception of the world’s first ‘crypto’...
Don’t Let COVID Ruin Your Holiday
Recent research by holiday firm Hoseasons suggests that so-called ‘staycations’ will remain hugely popular in 2022, but a lot of people are also...
The ABC of ESG Investing
E for Environmental. S for Social. G for Governance.
Rarely does a buzz word or phrase successfully make the transition into the establishment but...
Investing for the future of the planet
What does green investing mean to you?
Everything seems to be turning green so much so that even the traditionally blue Tory party is adopting a...
Money Saving Technology for the Garden
Why is NASA interested in your garden?
Gardening is essentially agriculture on a micro scale, and because agriculture is one of the fundamental...
A Summer Boost for the Year of Saving Money!
Fixed Magazine has been working hard to encourage all our readers to save more money in 2021 as part of our £1000 Challenge. We’ve heard from people...
Save money with eco-friendly technology
Is it possible to save money and the planet at the same time?
All too often ‘going green’ seems to mean spending more. Whether its choosing...
Should you save cash in an ISA or is there something better?
Cash ISAs are offering pitifully poor returns at the moment – at the time of writing even the best on offer are hovering around the 1% mark and that...
Ten small changes you can make today for big savings tomorrow
The saying ‘Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves’ may have lost some of its impact with a £1 coin buying you very little...
How to start saving money - simple changes for big results
Saving up £1000 can sound like quite a daunting prospect, particularly if you generally get to the end of the month and there’s nothing left in the...
Cut Costs, Cancel Waste and Clear Debt
The £1000 savings challenge is all about trying to help you put away some money every day so that by the end of the year you’ve got more money than...
The Best Money Management Apps to help you save money
Managing your money via your mobile phone is something we’re all getting a lot more used to. Security has been proven to be no more of an issue than...
The Year of Saving Money and the £1000 challenge
Things have been tough for everyone over the past twelve months so here at HQ we’ve been thinking about what we could do to help people look forward...
Bottoms Up! Enjoy a Lockdown tipple
Some of the best British artisan alcohols delivered direct to your door
Pubs and restaurants have been shut for weeks and there are rumours...
Dragons, unicorns and investing in 2021
Perhaps surprisingly European (including the UK) Venture Capital investment rose by $2bn in 2020 compared to 2019 despite challenges large and small...
The impact of COVID-19 on the UK property market
Data and information is starting to emerge pinpointing the parts of the UK economy hardest hit by the lockdown procedures put in place to deal with...
Online criminals are taking advantage of the pandemic – how you can stay safe?
The COVID 19 pandemic has unfortunately proven to be fertile ground for unscrupulous individuals looking to profit from these uncertain and worrying...
Keep Fit Without Getting Injured
With gyms and sports facilities closed over the last few months, our ability to exercise beyond the confines of our own home or local outdoor areas...
Does it Pay to use Buy Now Pay Later?
Klarna. Clearpay. Laybuy. Cool tech payment brands seem to be popping up all over the place when you get to the checkout whilst shopping online. ...
Should investors be taking the bull by the horns or running for cover?
The number of times the word ‘unprecedented’ has been used in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic by the press and on social media is probably, well,...
Get Your Lawn To Spring Back To Life
Get your lawn back into shape
Surely there is nothing more evocative of the approach of warmer, sunnier days than the distant whirring of a lawn...
Get Connected and Smarten Up Your House
Get Connected and Smarten Up Your House
There are a multitude of ways you can make your home smarter and easier to manage - from iRobots to...
The Art of Shopping and Saving
The Art of Shopping and Saving
Online, in-store, catalogues, mobile, social media. There are so many ways to shop nowadays which can be fantastic...
What can you do to protect your money from Coronavirus?
The situation with the Coronavirus and its effects on the world economy are currently so fast moving it would be impossible to write anything helpful...
Save up or pay off debt?
The average household is over £15,000 in debt a record amount. Whilst a sizeable chunk of this is mortgage debt, but a great deal is also credit...
Save without breaking a sweat
Our guide shows you how to get the best deals at your local gym
Exercise is big business. In Britain 10million people have gym membership, and the...
Getting the best out of the January Sales
The January sales are well-known for being one of the best bargain hunting months. A little bit of preparation ahead of the sales could put you in...
The best free apps to enhance viewing and listening to sport for all fans
Technology is now a key part of most sports, whether it’s used to aide viewing or actually as part of adjudicating the sport itself. It’s even made...
Go Away Christmas
I’m not sure about you but there’s something vaguely depressing about Christmas nowadays.
Whether it’s the hype starting earlier and earlier so that...
Pack right to save time and money
Whilst it is comforting to know airlines implement enhanced security checks nowadays, it still means an extra layer of time consuming hassle when...
Maximise investment return from your property in these uncertain times
By - Melanie Matthews, Freelance writer
With Brexit looming and still no deal in sight, only one thing’s for certain - the current economic...
Understanding your brain and how it could help you save more money
Have you ever wondered why you find it hard to save more money?
Is it because you don’t have any more money to save? Or because you’ve got to hold...
What are you worth?
Whilst most of us aren’t going to make the Sunday Times Rich List at any point in our lives, it can still be interesting to figure out how much our...
Save the world without breaking the bank
How to be eco-friendly as well as pocket-friendly
Saving the world seems a pretty big ask. And it seems every day there’s another challenge to face...
That’s (FREE) Entertainment!
How to save money and still have fun with the kids
We may all mourn the passing of a time when all you needed to entertain kids was to throw them out...
Get the kids on the property ladder
We all know the picture looks bleak for home ownership in a landscape of rising house prices, faltering wage increases and tough mortgage terms and...
Cut the cost of your social life without staying in
By - Emma Lunn, Personal Finance Journalist
Living on a tight budget doesn’t mean having zero social life. Whether you like eating out, theatre or...
What are Cryptocurrencies and should you invest in them?
Are investors behaving like sheep by trying to invest in Bitcoin, or is this really the Next Big Thing?
The world seems to have gone 'Cryptocurrency...
How Facebook’s Libra could change the way you use money
This week Facebook announced its own digital currency, dubbed ‘Libra’.
The social media giant has already made seismic changes to the way we...
Do women know something men don’t about how to save money?
Women still manage to save as much money as men despite having a lot less disposable income according to Crowdstacker research.
We’ve taken data...
What’s on offer from road trips round Britain?
By Tina Walsh, Travel writer
Trips round Britain by Road and Rail offering some truly breath-taking views.
With around 19,491 miles of coastline,...
The Thrifty Gardener
Spring has definitely now sprung, with plenty of colourful flowers emerging and a revival of all the greenery in the garden. This is a most hopeful...
The open road – How leasing is changing how we drive
The way we drive, and what we drive, has changed hugely in the last twenty years. In particular more of us than ever are choosing not to own a car...
The Beginners Guide to ISAs
When flicking through the money pages in your paper or browsing savings articles online, you’ve probably seen the term ISA but many people don’t...
How much cash should you put aside for emergencies?
Life can throw some curveballs. We help you calculate how much easy-access cash you should keep on hand.
Luckily most of us don’t live in areas where...
The hidden risks of opening the bank of Mum and Dad
If you’re thinking of lending or gifting money to your offspring, wise up to the pitfalls first.
Young property buyers have long relied on the so-...
Get the Most Out of Black Friday and Cyber Monday
A little bit of preparation ahead of this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday could put you in pole position to get the best bargains. With our...
Robot Mortgage Brokers – Here to Stay or Just a Fintech Fad?
Clever robo-brokers could be the future of mortgage brokerage but can AI really take over from humans?
Up until recently, the task of finding the...
Could money saving apps work for you?
The answer to saving money could be in your pocket. Find out how you can use your phone to stash the cash.
Crowdstacker takes a look at its list of...
Are you Confounded by Compounding?
Find out how compounding your interest can boost your returns
Personal Finance journalist Emma Lunn looks at the power of compounding and how it...
5 Things You Should Discuss With Your Kids Before They Go to University
Take a look at these top student money tips – from tax to TV licences
In the third and final part of our series about how student’s can manage their...
Is ‘Time In The Market’ the Key to Better Investments?
Keeping your money invested could be a better long-term strategy than trying to second-guess the stock market
Making money from the stock market is...
Contents Insurance for University Students is a Must-Have
With today’s students often owning hundreds of pounds’ worth of kit, finding insurance to cover their belongings is essential.
In part two of our...
Top Money Tips for Your University-Bound Loved Ones
Personal Finance expert Andrew Hagger has written a three-part series of articles for Crowdstacker to help your children or grandchildren manage...
EIS – What is The Enterprise Investment Scheme?
EIS – What it is and why you need to know
Crowdstacker’s own crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs is EIS-eligible. But what is EIS and how can you use it...
Fed up with your bank but need help choosing a new current account
Founder of Moneycomms.co.uk, Andrew Hagger, is determined to help us put aside our financial apathy and switch to a better current account. Here are...
Travel Money Essentials – Pack a low-cost card with your passport
By Andrew Hagger, Personal Finance Expert from Moneycomms.co.uk
With the summer holiday season gathering momentum now may be an ideal time to check...
Get your investments 'beach ready'
Don't panic, this isn't yet another article about eating kale and drinking matcha tea to get your body ready for public scrutiny on the beach this...
The benefits of being an early bird
Sometimes waiting until the last minute to get things done is a reality of modern day busy living. Most of the time you can get away with it and no...
The new Innovative Finance ISA
Stay in the know - here's everything you need to know about investing in an ISA with Crowdstacker.
The Innovative Finance ISA, also known as the...
Accelerate your Business: Lessons from the Front Line
Download your copy of 'Accelerate your business: Lessons from the Front Line' here.
As part of our work to support growing businesses in...
Britain's Got Business Talent - The Deep Dive
Crowdstacker dives deep into accounts to assess suitable businesses for peer to peer investing
The FCA is due to publish a review of the...
Make the right investment choices
A full FCA Review of the crowdfunding (and P2P) industry is expected in the autumn. As part of this we anticipate more guidelines about the type and...
How we pick winning businesses
The FCA Review of the P2P Industry is expected in the next few weeks. Speculation about what it might say and the recommendations it might make have...
The three key investment attributes people want
The Investment Triptych
Artists from Frank Sinatra to AC/DC may have sung about the merits of being a millionaire, but our latest research shows...
Online Platforms – why, which and how?
Looking to invest online but can’t decide which platform to use? Personal finance journalist Emma Lunn looks at why online platforms can be useful...
How to become a better investor
by Personal Finance Journalist, Ruth Jackson
To become a better investor, you may need to change your investment behaviour. There are a few expensive...
Where to find financial advice
To mark the launch of Crowdstacker’s eBook 'Your Essential Guide to Personal Finance' we have commissioned a series of complementary articles...
How to Save £££s on Your Next Holiday
Want to know some ways to keep your holiday costs down without compromising on quality or enjoyment?
By personal finance journalist...
Hat trick of Government reforms
The hat trick of government reforms is set to disrupt preferred savings strategies. Will cash ISAs, pensions and stocks and shares continue to be the...
Why you need to know about new Personal Savings Allowance
From April 6th most people in the UK will no longer pay tax on the first £1000 interest generated from their savings or P2P investments.
The...
The new Innovative Finance ISA
Soon you’ll be able to keep some of your Peer to Peer returns tax free with the new Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA).
By our guest writer, personal...
What's the difference - bonds vs P2P loans?
By our guest writer, personal finance columnist, Sue Hayward.
With bank savings accounts currently only offering paltry savings, with the best...
The Personal Savings Allowance is coming
By our guest writer, personal finance journalist, Andrew Hagger
UPDATE: The Personal Savings Allowance is here! Find our how much you could...
Out with the turkey and tree...
...in with thrift and good intentions
By our guest writer, personal finance journalist, Emma Lunn.
The Christmas splurge is now over, and whilst our...
High interest savings accounts
By our guest writer, personal finance journalist, Emma Lunn
High interest savings accounts - have you read the terms and conditions?
Those...
Is it time for property investors to look beyond buy-to-let?
By our guest writer, personal finance journalist, Felicity Hannah
With cuts to tax relief, increases in stamp duty and changes to Capital Gains...
Crowdstacker in Numbers - How Our P2P Platform Stacks Up
We deal with numbers all day, every day.
Working in our industry means there are always calculations just waiting to be worked out. And...
Protection limits for savers are being cut from January 2016
By our guest writer, personal finance journalist, Andrew Hagger
Generally, people are happy to trust their savings with UK banks...
Changes aplenty for savers
By our guest writer, personal finance journalist, Andrew Hagger
Changes aplenty for savers in the coming months – here’s what you need to know...
Where to put your money next
By our guest writer, personal finance journalist, Felicity Hannah
When your bonds mature, could a more creative investment earn a greater...
Saving for your grandchildren
By our guest writer, personal finance journalist, Andrew Hagger
Like many proud grandparents up and down the country, the arrival of your...
Guide to Crowdfunding
What is crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is a method of financing projects using money contributed by multiple investors using the internet. Investors...
The 10% rule
By our guest writer, finance journalist, Emma Lunn
If you’re making the move from saving money in cash to investing in other asset classes, it’...
How safe is peer to peer lending?
By our guest writer, personal finance journalist, Harriet Meyer
By slotting a portion of your savings in peer to peer you are putting your...
Don't know your Zopa from your Kickstarter?
We were going to start this guide with a quick whistle stop tour of examples where crowdfunding has been used throughout history to get projects off...
Debt. Friend, Foe or Frenemy?
Debt. The very word is enough to send the sun scurrying behind the clouds and shivers running up and down your spine.
And yet, the...
The Big Fight – Risk versus Benefit
The idea of risk is fascinating. Think about it. Risk is so much a part of everyday life that we cannot avoid it. It’s just not...