What can you read here?
Six guides cover the questions that matter most before your money moves: the red flags of investment fraud, how to check an investment firm, how crypto and romance scams work, how much to keep in an emergency fund, how to make a personal financial plan, and what to understand before you invest.
Investment fraud red flags: how to spot a scam before you pay
Cold calls, 'AI trading' ads, fees to withdraw profits: Ownvance sets out the investment scam red flags, and what to do if you've already paid.
How to check an investment firm, broker or platform before you send money
Before you pay a broker, platform or 'account manager', check them. Ownvance explains the register, clone tests and who would hold your money.
Crypto and romance investment scams: how they work, step by step
How 'pig butchering' and fake crypto platforms work, why the profits on screen aren't real, and what Ownvance suggests if a loved one is involved.
How big should an emergency fund be? Sizing it from your own spending
Size an emergency fund from essential spending, not a rule of thumb. Ownvance explains how much to keep, where to keep it and when to clear debt.
How to make a personal financial plan, step by step
Plan your money step by step: income, essential costs, debts, emergency fund and goals. Ownvance shows what to write down and when to review it.
Before you invest: a checklist for your first investment
What to settle before your first investment, from emergency savings and debt to fees, risk and checking the firm. Ownvance sets out the checklist.
Where should you start?
Pick the guide nearest to the decision you're facing. If an investment offer has landed in front of you, begin with the fraud red flags and the guide to checking a firm. If an online contact keeps talking about crypto, read the romance scams guide. If you're getting organised, begin with the emergency fund and the plan.
- Someone has offered you an investment: start with investment fraud red flags, then how to check an investment firm.
- A new online friend or match keeps mentioning crypto profits: read how crypto and romance scams work before you send anything.
- One surprise bill would go straight on a card: how much to keep in an emergency fund.
- Your money feels disorganised: how to make a personal financial plan.
- You're thinking of investing for the first time: what to understand before you invest.
Are these guides advice?
No. Our guides are general information, written to help you ask better questions and spot problems early. They don't take your personal circumstances into account and aren't investment, tax or legal advice. Before you act, think about your own situation and, where you need a personal recommendation, speak to an authorised adviser.
Our important information says more. If you'd like help applying a guide to your own money, see our services.