About My Top Picks in the UK
The short version: we build free, no-sign-up calculators and guides for everyday UK money questions. Each tool explains how it works, names its data source where it uses one, and lists its limits. They are for planning and general interest. They are not financial advice.
What we do
My Top Picks in the UK (www.mytoppicks.uk) publishes free online tools and articles for people living in, or visiting, the UK. Most tools cover personal finance: take-home pay, mortgages, pensions, ISAs, Council Tax and savings. A few cover London life and everyday writing. Nothing needs an account, and most tools only use what you type in to work out your result.
How our calculators work
Every calculator page has a "How it works" section and FAQs that set out the formula or method behind the result. In summary:
- Tax and pay tools, such as the salary calculator and the pension calculator, apply HMRC's published Income Tax and National Insurance rates and thresholds for the tax year shown on the page. They cover England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own Income Tax bands, which these tools don't model.
- Allowance tools, such as the ISA allowance tracker, use the annual limits HMRC sets.
- Formula tools, such as the mortgage and compound interest calculators, use standard amortisation and compound-growth maths on the figures you enter.
- The Council Tax calculator applies the fixed national band ratios (A–H) to the Band D charge you enter from your own council's bill.
- The income percentile checker uses HMRC's Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2023-24, the latest published release.
Estimates and their limits
Some tools give illustrative estimates rather than official figures. We say so on the page:
- The London job salary guide and the London trip cost calculator use ballpark planning figures. They are not live salary surveys or live prices.
- The last coffee in the UK map combines prices that visitors submit, so it reflects what people have told us, not a formal survey.
Before you make a financial decision, check your own figures with the official source (for example GOV.UK, HMRC or your provider) or with a regulated financial adviser.
Keeping tools up to date
Tax rates, thresholds and allowances usually change at the start of each tax year on 6 April, and sometimes after a Budget. Each tool page shows a "Last updated" date, so you can see how recent its figures are. If you spot a figure that looks out of date or wrong, please tell us (see Contact) and we'll check it.
How the site is funded
The tools are free to use. Some links on the site may be affiliate links: if you click one and buy something, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate relationships never change how a calculator works out its result. See our Privacy & Cookie Policy for details.
Contact
To report an error, suggest a tool or ask a question, send us a message on Instagram at @mytoppicksuk.