Author: Kieran Walker

Investing in buy-to-let property can provide a steady rental income, helping supplement your retirement fund or form part of the legacy you leave for loved ones.

Statistics published by the government (29 August 2025) confirm that there were around 2.86 million private landlords in the UK in 2023/24.

Since then, the property landscape has changed, with the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and increased regulatory responsibilities for landlords.

However, buy-to-let remains a viable option for many. In this guide, you’ll find the pros and cons you’ll need to consider and some important questions to ask yourself.

Download your copy here: The pros and cons of investing in buy-to-let

If you have any questions about whether investing in a buy-to-let property might be right for you, please get in touch.

Please note: This guide is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at individuals only.

All information is correct at the time of writing (June 2026) and is subject to change in the future.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate buy-to-let (pure) and commercial mortgages. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or other loans secured on it.

As much as we love what we do, the Blue Wealth team also enjoys its time off. Our holidays give us the opportunity to recharge and rest, so we can give our best at work.

For most of us, travelling and spending time with family is one of our favourite things to do when we have time away from the office.

This month, Dan and Sarah took a week off to explore the wonderful city of Bilbao in northern Spain.

Keep reading to find out how they got on.

Birthday celebrations in a lively, friendly city

To celebrate Sarah’s birthday, she and Dan jetted off for a long weekend in Bilbao on Saturday 18 June.

As the largest city in the province of Biscay and the Basque Country, Bilbao is a lively and bustling destination with lots going on. While it’s highly populated and built-up, the city is also surrounded by mountains and has a rich historical heritage.

Sarah and Dan stayed at a fantastic hotel that overlooked the Guggenheim Museum – one of Bilbao’s cultural highlights and the reason why many tourists visit.

They enjoyed a trip to this iconic contemporary art museum, which was designed by architect Frank Gehry and has about 24,000 square metres of space organised around a spectaculaTeam updater atrium.

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

“We also went to the Museum of Fine Arts, took an open-top bus ride around the city, and did plenty of walking and eating. The pintxos were a local snack, a bit like a mini open-faced sandwich, and they were delicious.

“The weather was a bit changeable, but it was ideal for sightseeing and warm enough to sit outside most of the time.

“Over three nights, we packed a lot in and had a fantastic time. I’d highly recommend Bilbao, and we’d definitely return because there was so much to see and do that we couldn’t squeeze it all into our short trip.”

Get in touch

If you’d like to learn more about the Blue Wealth team and how we can support you with all your financial planning needs, we’d love to hear from you.

To find out more, please email hello@bluewealth.co.uk or call us on 0117-332 0230.

Please note

The content of this newsletter is offered only for general informational and educational purposes. It is not offered as, and does not constitute, financial advice.

Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) offer a simple and tax-efficient way to save and invest.

There are four different types of adult ISAs, with Cash ISAs being the most widely used. The latest government figures reveal that 66% of all ISA subscriptions were directed to Cash ISAs in the 2023/24 tax year. Moreover, 14.4 million people hold a Cash ISA and no other type of ISA.

However, in her 2025 Autumn Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a significant change to ISA rules, which will take effect from April 2027. This reform aims to reduce reliance on cash savings and encourage more people to invest.

According to FTAdviser, the chair of the Treasury committee has warned that there is “serious confusion” about how certain aspects of the new rules will work.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you understand what’s changing and how to make the most of your tax-efficient savings and investments when the new rules are in place.

The current ISA rules

In the 2026/27 tax year, you can contribute up to £20,000 to a single ISA or across multiple accounts, including:

• Cash ISAs
• Stocks and Shares ISAs
• Innovative Finance ISAs
• Lifetime ISAs (LISAs; contributions are limited to £4,000)

Aside from the subscription limit on LISAs, it’s up to you how you split your annual £20,000 allowance. However, any unused ISA allowance can’t be carried forward into the next tax year, so you need to “use it or lose it”.

You can also contribute up to £9,000 to a Junior ISA, which is designed for children aged under 18. This allowance is separate from your adult ISA allowance.

How ISAs are changing in 2027

From 6 April 2027, if you’re under 65, the amount you can contribute to a Cash ISA in a single tax year will be capped at £12,000.

Your overall ISA allowance will remain at £20,000, which means you could put the remaining £8,000 into a different type of ISA, such as a Stocks and Shares ISA.

It’s important to note that the government is introducing anti-circumvention measures to prevent people from using Stocks and Shares ISAs as a workaround to exceed the £12,000 cash cap.

These rules include:

• A 22% charge on interest earned on cash held within a Stocks and Shares ISA – The fee will be paid directly to HMRC by the ISA provider. This rule applies to everyone, regardless of their age.
• Restrictions on 100% “cash-like” holdings – To qualify as a valid investment ISA, your account cannot contain only low-risk mutual funds, which the government defines as Money Market Funds (MMF). You can include such assets, but they must be combined with other types of investments in your Stocks and Shares ISA. This restriction applies to people of all ages.
• Transfers from a Stocks and Shares ISA to a Cash ISA will be prohibited for under-65s – In contrast, you will be allowed to make unlimited transfers in the other direction: from your Cash ISA to an investment ISA.

These measures will only affect contributions you make from 6 April 2027. Any funds you’ve built up in a Cash ISA before this will continue to accumulate interest tax-free.

Why now might be the time to consider investing in a Stocks and Shares ISA

If you regularly use your full annual ISA allowance to top up your cash savings, these reforms might seem like unwelcome news.

And yet, investing at least £8,000 each tax year in a Stocks and Shares ISA when the new system comes into effect offers several benefits:

• Make use of the full £20,000 allowance – If you limit yourself to a Cash ISA, the amount you can save tax-efficiently will fall to £12,000 from April 2027. In contrast, investing your remaining £8,000 in a Stocks and Shares ISA allows you to make the most of your annual ISA allowance.
• Potential for higher returns – According to Moneyfacts, the average annual return for a Cash ISA is 1.79%, compared to 6.9% for Stocks and Shares ISAs. As such, investing some of your money could give you a better chance of beating inflation, which, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), stood at 2.8% as of 17 June 2026.
• Tax-efficient growth – Just as your savings in a Cash ISA are free from Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on interest, any investment returns you make in a Stocks and Shares ISA are free from Dividend Tax and CGT.
• Align your wealth with your goals – Cash ISAs and investment ISAs achieve different purposes. Cash savings allow you to cover short-term and unexpected costs, while investing could help you progress towards your long-term objectives. As such, using both types of ISA could support your broader financial plan and help you achieve your goals.

Of course, the value of your investments can go up and down, and past performance is no guarantee of future returns.

If you’re interested in starting a Stocks and Shares ISA but feel apprehensive about doing so, our financial planners can help. We’ll explain your options in plain English and support you to create an investment portfolio that aligns with your needs, goals, and appetite for risk.

To find out more, please email hello@bluewealth.co.uk or call us on 0117-332 0230.

Please note

The content of this newsletter is offered only for general informational and educational purposes. It is not offered as, and does not constitute, financial advice.

Blue Wealth is not responsible for the accuracy of the information contained within linked sites.

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.

Approved by Blue Wealth on: 20/07/26