Savvy Investor Guide is an educational publisher. This page sets out the standards we hold every article on the site to, so you can judge our work by the same criteria we judge it by.
What we publish
Savvy Investor Guide publishes long-form, research-backed educational guides on UK and US personal finance: ISAs, SIPPs, pensions, retirement accounts, property investment, tax-efficient investing, and platform comparisons. Articles are designed for advanced beginners and intermediate investors who want comprehensive understanding without paying for a regulated adviser.
What we do not publish
- Personalised financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Savvy Investor Guide is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (UK) or the Securities and Exchange Commission (US). Our content does not constitute regulated advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
- Party-political framing. We cover enacted UK and US legislation factually. We do not frame articles around a single political party’s policy proposals and we do not editorialise on which party’s tax or pensions policy is preferable.
- Unedited AI output. We use AI tools to research and draft, but every published article is reviewed and edited by James Heppe-Smith before it goes live. Articles are not auto-published from a model.
- Affiliate-biased recommendations. We earn affiliate commissions from some investment platforms (see our Affiliate Links disclosure). We evaluate platforms on fees, investment options, and user experience, not on commission rates. We will recommend platforms where we have no affiliate relationship when those platforms are better for the reader.
Our editorial principles
- Primary sources. Every factual claim links to a primary source where one exists: HMRC, IRS, FCA, SEC, official scheme rules, academic research, or regulator statements. We do not cite secondary summaries when the primary document is available.
- Comprehensive long-form. Our flagship articles range from 5,000 to 13,000 words and include real scenarios with specific numbers, comparison tables, step-by-step implementation guides, FAQ sections, and authoritative citations.
- Show the working. Where there is calculation, we show the maths. Where there is interpretation, we say so explicitly.
- Date-stamped facts. Articles are reviewed at least annually for retirement-account content and quarterly for platform comparisons. Material updates are date-stamped at the foot of the article.
- Update or retire. When a rule changes substantively, the affected article is updated. When an article is so out of date that updating it would mislead, it is retired or fully rewritten.
- Errors corrected promptly. Reader-flagged errors are reviewed within five working days. Substantive corrections are noted at the foot of the affected article.
- Visible authorship. Every article carries a byline. The author’s name and editorial role are public on this site.
Who writes Savvy Investor Guide
Savvy Investor Guide is written and edited by James Heppe-Smith, CEO and Director of The Savvy Investor Limited. James is also the founder of Pension Plain (UK public sector pensions) and of Heppe-Smith Publishing. He is not an FCA-regulated financial adviser, investment adviser, tax adviser, or legal professional. He is an educator and publisher who creates comprehensive guides based on extensive research from authoritative sources.
How to flag an error
If you spot a factual error in any Savvy Investor Guide article, please tell us via the contact page. We review correction requests within five working days. Substantive corrections are noted at the foot of the affected article.
Corporate information
Savvy Investor Guide is operated by The Savvy Investor Limited, a UK-registered company (Company No. 14816921). Savvy Investor Guide is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (UK) or the Securities and Exchange Commission (US) and does not provide regulated financial, investment, tax, or legal advice.