Tools and services we recommend
A short, opinionated list of tools that genuinely help the kinds of decisions our calculators model — running a small business, securing your accounts, keeping your energy bills down. Every link on this page is an affiliate link.
Links marked “Sponsored” are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. See our editorial standards.
Section 1
Small business & sole trader
If you’re running the business behind a break-even, profit-margin or VAT calculation, these two cover the two most common scenarios — taking card payments in person, and selling online.
SumUp
From £19 · no monthly fees
The low-overhead pick. Pay-per-transaction (1.69% typical), no contract, reader pays for itself in ~50 transactions. Best for cafes, tradespeople, market stalls, hairdressers — anyone who takes fewer than ~£2k/month in card payments.
Shop SumUp readers
Shopify
Free trial · then from £19/mo
Industry standard if you’re selling physical goods online. Replaces hosting + payments + inventory + shipping + email marketing in one subscription. Over-engineered for a card-reader-only business; right fit once you need an actual website.
Start free trial
Section 2
Books we’d actually read
A short list of the non-fiction finance books worth your time. These come up often in our guides. All links go to Amazon UK.
The Psychology of Money
Paperback ~£9
The behavioural classic. Short, genre-defining read on why sensible money decisions are almost entirely about temperament — not spreadsheets. Best starting point for anyone new to personal finance.
View on Amazon
Smarter Investing
Paperback ~£15
The UK-focused companion to the Psychology of Money. Passive index investing, proper asset allocation, tax-wrapper mechanics — all written for a UK audience with UK tax rules in mind.
View on Amazon
The Simple Path to Wealth
Paperback ~£13
US-flavoured but the thesis — live below your means, index invest, minimise fees — maps cleanly onto UK ISAs and SIPPs. The most quoted book in /r/UKPersonalFinance.
View on Amazon
Running a Limited Company
Paperback ~£25
For directors of UK Ltds. Annual updates covering CT changes, dividend vs salary, expenses, VAT thresholds. Pays for itself on the first chapter for most one-person companies.
View on Amazon
How to Save Inheritance Tax
Paperback ~£25
The UK IHT planning standard. Gifting strategies, trusts, Business Relief, 2027 pension changes. Anyone with an estate above the nil-rate band should read this before speaking to a solicitor.
View on Amazon
Daily Telegraph Tax Guide 2025
Paperback ~£20
Annual UK tax reference updated every April — every allowance, every band, every relief. We keep a copy on the desk year-round for quick lookups while writing the calcs.
View on Amazon
Section 3
Security & privacy
The accounts we talk about on the site — HMRC, bank, brokerage, pension — are the ones that matter most if credentials leak. These are what we actually use.
NordPass
Free tier · Premium ~£1.49/mo
Zero-knowledge password manager — NordPass never sees your master password. Cross-device sync, breach alerts, autofill in every browser. The free tier is already enough for most people.
Try NordPass
NordVPN
From ~£2.79/mo
Main use-case for us: safely accessing UK banking / HMRC portals from public Wi-Fi while travelling. Also unblocks geo-restricted financial research for non-UK market data.
Get NordVPN
How we pick what goes on this page
We only list tools either we use ourselves or have a strong opinion about after researching the alternatives. No sponsored reviews, no paid placements — just affiliate commission on purchases made through these links (which never changes the price you pay). Full policy on our editorial standards page.