I spent the week wincing at Bitcoin and a Microsoft buy I'd made too early — while the real money left the house quietly, by direct debit. Seventeen years in, I'd been optimising the wrong end. This week I sat down and worked out my household burn rate: the single number that quietly decides how much I've actually got to invest. Here's what I found, the two levers that move it, and why keeping more of your powder dry matters more than your next trade.

Another Sunday, another portfolio push — and the whole UK ISA community seems to be circling one thing: what Rachael from Accounts is planning for our tax-free accounts in 2027. The cash ISA cut. The 47% interest tax. The “will they, won’t they” charge on cash inside a Stocks & Shares ISA. Three changes, blurred into one big scare. So I’ve pulled them apart — what’s law, what’s still rumour, and why three groups are quietly fighting over your money. Plus what I’m doing about

Week 1 of 12 · ~1,160 words · ~5 min read Why I'm writing this on a soggy Sunday I'm writing this from a typical Scottish day in May — rain and hailstones. One of those grey days when you really can't be arsed moving. I watched the streaks of rain running down the window and while studying their paths It reminded me of the long-term portfolio losers I've held over the years. And my inability to sell them when I had the multiple chances. A thought hit me. I've got a family