Investment education for thinking investors
Comprehensive UK and US guides on retirement, ISAs, SIPPs, IRAs, tax-efficient investing, and property. Built around primary sources, not soundbites. Edited by a real human, not a content farm.
Edited by James Heppe-Smith · Educational publisher, not authorised or regulated by the FCA (UK) or SEC (US).
Editor’s picks
The pieces we think are worth your half-hour right now.
Mortgage rate cuts vs the 6% reality
Santander, Halifax, BM Solutions and Nationwide all cut rates this week. So why is the average 2-year fix still around 5.78%? UK gilt yields hit 17-year highs and that is where the answer lives.
Read the guide →Premium Bonds rise to 3.8% from July
NS&I’s prize rate goes up for the first time since November 2023. The expected return is now back above easy-access cash ISAs — but the median holder still wins nothing. Whether the rebase actually changes the maths.
Read the guide →Tax-loss harvesting in the US and UK
Crystallise capital losses without tripping the US wash-sale rule or the UK 30-day bed-and-breakfasting restriction. 2026 figures, the ETF pairs that actually work, the ten mistakes that quietly destroy most harvesters’ tax benefit.
Read the guide →ISA vs SIPP: the complete comparison
Which tax wrapper builds more wealth for you? Tax relief versus tax-free withdrawals, access ages, the 2026/27 dividend and pension-IHT changes that shift the balance, and an interactive calculator to model your own numbers.
Read the guide →The complete 401(k) optimisation playbook
$35,750 contribution limits for ages 60-63, mega backdoor Roth at $72,000, Traditional vs Roth, mandatory Roth catch-up for $150k+ earners, expense ratios, and what to do at job changes. Built to add six figures to lifetime retirement savings.
Read the guide →Backdoor Roth IRA: step-by-step
Income too high for a direct Roth IRA? The backdoor opens the door for high earners at $7,500 a year in 2026 ($8,600 if you are 50+). Fidelity, Vanguard and Schwab walkthroughs. Pro-rata math. Form 8606 line by line.
Read the guide →Browse by topic
Six topic areas where the site has real depth. Each card opens that category’s full archive.
Retirement Planning
FIRE planning, Roth conversions, withdrawal rates, healthcare bridges, and the maths behind retiring on your own timeline.
12 articles →Tax Strategy
Tax-loss harvesting, asset location, Roth conversions, capital gains timing, and the IRS/HMRC rules that move real money.
9 articles →Investment Strategies
Index funds vs active, three-fund portfolios, factor investing, asset allocation by age, and the strategies that hold up across decades.
11 articles →IRAs & Tax-Advantaged Accounts
Traditional vs Roth, backdoor and mega-backdoor Roth, HSA investing, 401(k) optimisation, 529-to-Roth rollovers under SECURE 2.0.
8 articles →Property Investment
Residential vs commercial, BTL economics, getting started with limited capital, the deal maths that determines whether a property pays.
7 articles →UK Investing
ISAs, SIPPs, mortgage and gilt-yield context, FCA regulation news, and the UK-specific tax-efficient investing playbook.
Growing →
Meet the editor
James Heppe-Smith
Founder and editor of The Savvy Investor’s Guide and Pension Plain. Writes about UK and US personal finance, retirement planning, tax-efficient investing, and property — for the kind of reader who wants the working, not just the conclusion.
Not a financial adviser. The Savvy Investor’s Guide is an educational publisher. We are not authorised or regulated by the FCA (UK) or the SEC (US), and our content does not constitute personalised financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. We cite primary sources, show the maths, and explain trade-offs. We don’t tell you what to do.
Latest articles
The six most recent guides from the blog.
- Lifetime ISA Complete Guide 2026: Bonus, Penalty and LISA vs Pension
The Lifetime ISA hands you a 25% government bonus, up to £1,000 a year, towards a first home or retirement. But the 25% withdrawal penalty is harsher than it first looks, the £450,000 property cap has not moved since 2017, and for many savers a pension still wins. Here is exactly how the LISA works in 2026, who should open one, and the traps to avoid. - Inherited IRA Rules 2026: The SECURE Act 10-Year Rule Explained
If you have inherited an IRA, the rules changed dramatically under the SECURE Act. Most non-spouse beneficiaries must now empty the account within 10 years, and since 2025 many also face annual required withdrawals along the way. Here is exactly who the 10-year rule applies to, who is exempt, how Roth IRAs differ, and how to time withdrawals so you keep more of what you inherit. - Triple Tax-Advantaged Accounts: The Complete US Guide (HSA, and What Else Counts)
The HSA is the only mainstream US account with three layers of tax protection. Why Roth IRAs, traditional 401(k)s, and 529 plans don’t count, what the 2026 HSA contribution limits are, and the investment-HSA strategy that turns it into a stealth retirement account. - OBBBA in 2026: the SALT cap is now $40,000 and your 529 can pay $20,000 of K-12 tuition
Two OBBBA provisions took effect 1 January 2026 and are reshaping US tax planning for the 2026 return. The SALT deduction cap jumps from $10,000 to $40,000 for filers below $500,500 MAGI. The 529 K-12 limit doubles to $20,000 per student and now covers tutoring, books, and credential programs. - 529 to Roth IRA: The 15-Year Rule Explained (2026)
The most-asked question on the new 529-to-Roth IRA rollover route: how does the 15-year rule actually work? A focused FAQ covering the 15-year clock, the 5-year contribution exclusion, the $35,000 lifetime cap, the beneficiary-change uncertainty, and a worked planning example for 2026. - How Much Could £1,000 Invested Actually Earn? Worked Returns for UK Beginners 2026
Not a strategies piece; a worked returns piece. Cash ISA, Stocks and Shares ISA, SIPP, REIT, peer-to-peer compared with real numbers over 1, 5, 10, and 25 years. The compounding table, the SIPP top-up maths, and what the historical record actually says about a global equity index fund.
Also worth reading on Pension Plain
Our sister site covers UK public sector pension schemes in plain English. Two pieces that complement the Savvy Investor coverage.
Pension inheritance tax from April 2027: what public sector members need to know
HMRC’s 11 May technical note explained for NHS, Teachers, Civil Service, AFPS, LGPS members. What is protected (the main DB pension), what is caught (AVC pots), and the new withholding-notice mechanism.
Read on Pension Plain →LGPS six megafunds: which pool is your fund in?
Border to Coast, LGPS Central, London CIV, LPP, Northern LGPS, Wales Pension Partnership. What pooling means for the £390bn LGPS, what changes in October 2026, and what (if anything) members will notice.
Read on Pension Plain →Brand family
Also from James
Across UK public sector pensions, indie publishing, and the parent holding company.
Pension Plain →
UK public sector pensions explained. NHS, Teachers, LGPS, Civil Service, AFPS, Police, Firefighters, McCloud remedy. Plain-English explainers for ordinary scheme members.
Heppe-Smith Publishing →
Independent publishing imprint. Cozy fantasy (The Last Route), non-fiction, and indie publishing services. Multiple pen names, one author.
VitaVerse LLC →
The Wyoming-registered parent holding company. Owns Pension Plain and Heppe-Smith Publishing. Sister entity to The Savvy Investor Limited.
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