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Money notes
Plain-English thinking on budgets, mindset, pensions, ISAs and the changes that affect your money. Each post ends with one small action to take this week.
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The money conversation you keep putting off
It's Talk Money Week. If something happened to you tomorrow, would anyone know where everything is? What your family would need to find, why pensions make it more pressing from April 2027, and how to start the conversation.
1 day ago3 min read


What to do when someone dies in Scotland: a step-by-step checklist
The main steps after a death in Scotland, in the order most families meet them, from registering the death to applying for confirmation.
3 days ago3 min read


Could Your Business Run Without You?
46% of Scottish business owners expect to leave within five years, yet half haven't planned for it. What the Budget changed, and why it matters more whether your business can run without you.
4 days ago4 min read


The Saturday Edge – week ending 30 October 2026
The Budget left headline tax rates unchanged and markets took it calmly, while oil rose to a six-month high, US tech shares slid and gold fell sharply.
6 days ago3 min read


The Budget, decoded for the self-employed and savers
Savings tax rises from April 2027, the trading allowance triples and pensioners get a new allowance. Here is the Autumn Budget 2026 in plain English, with one calm step for this week.
Oct 294 min read


What is a "death file", and what should go in it?
One of the kindest things you can leave behind: what a death file is, what to put in it, what to leave out and where to keep it.
Oct 272 min read


The Saturday Edge – week ending 23 October 2026
Oil jumped about 6% on US-Iran fears while most share markets fell, led by tech and Asia, and the FTSE 100 slipped 1.8% ahead of Wednesday's Budget.
Oct 244 min read


Budget nerves? Let your plan beat the headlines
The new Chancellor's first Budget lands on Wednesday 28 October. Here's what's already decided, three questions to ask before reacting to any rumour, and why last year's panic moves are a warning.
Oct 222 min read


The Saturday Edge – week ending 16 October 2026
AI and chip shares sold off and the Nasdaq had its worst week since June, while the FTSE 100 rose 3.1% for its best week since April.
Oct 174 min read
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