Brean Horne
Brean is a personal finance writer at NerdWallet. She covers a range of financial topics and has written for consumer titles including Which?, Moneywise and The Motley Fool.
Articles by Brean Horne:
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How to Get Help with Childcare Costs
There is a lot of support available if you need help with childcare costs. From claiming free childcare hours to sharing a childminder with other parents, we run through 13 ways to help pay for childcare.
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Cheap Train Tickets: 15 Ways to Save Money on Rail Fares
Rail fare rises can feel out of our control but there are many ways to get cheap train tickets and save money. From booking in advance to travelling in groups, we share how to get cheap train tickets and cut the cost of your journey.
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Spring Statement Highlights 2022: How Will It Affect Your Finances?
The Spring Statement gives an update on the overall health of the economy since the Autumn Budget. From changes in National Insurance to a cut in fuel duty find out how the measures announced in the March 2022 Spring Statement affect you.
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38 Ways To Save Money on Your Food Shopping
There are lots of ways to save money on food shopping, from clever budgeting tricks to extending the shelf life of your groceries. Read on to find out how you can cut the cost of your next food shop.
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Cheap and Free Things to Do in Half-Term
From exploring castles to free tennis lessons, we round up 17 cheap or free things to do in half-term to keep your kids entertained.
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How to Manage the Rising Cost of Living
UK households are facing more financial pressure than ever as the cost of living rises at its fastest rate in decades. From saving on energy bills to managing debt, we explain how to manage price rises and where to get financial help.
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My First Home: "I Was Over The Moon When I Collected The Keys"
From saving up a deposit to finding the perfect home in South East London, we follow a recent first-time buyer in our My First Home series.
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6 things to do with unwanted Christmas presents
Receiving a Christmas gift can bring great joy during the festive season but sometimes they miss the mark and end up collecting dust at the back of the cupboard. From donating to charity to selling online, find out six ways to get the most from gifts that aren’t right for you.
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33 Christmas Money-Saving Tips
There are many ways to save money during the Christmas period. It all starts with setting a realistic budget to help avoid overspending. Read on to find out how our money-saving tips can help you save over the festive period.
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Five Ways To Save For A House Deposit
Are you ready to start saving for your first home? From tips on budgeting to how to boost your savings, find out how you can build up a lump sum for your house deposit.
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Fuel Shortage: How to Save Fuel When Driving
Petrol stations across the UK have begun to close their doors as fuel supplies at the pump dwindle. Read on to find out how fears of a fuel shortage have affected fuel supplies at petrol stations and simple steps you can take to save on fuel in the long term.
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11 Reasons Why Your Credit Score Has Gone Down
There are many reasons why your credit score might go down. Some may only cause temporary dips, while others may take longer for your credit score to recover. Find out some of the common causes of your credit score going down and how you can improve your credit history.
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Child Trust Funds: how to find lost accounts and manage your savings
More than 100,000 teenagers in the UK could be missing out on money in a lost Child Trust Fund account. Learn how Child Trust Funds work and the best way for young savers to make a return on their money.
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What is the average credit score in the UK?
Credit reference agencies each have their own system to calculate your credit rating, which makes it tricky to find a universal average credit score in the UK. Find out how your credit score is calculated and what is a good credit score.
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Cryptocurrency scams explained
Cryptocurrency scams are rising as digital currency becomes more popular among investors. Find out the most common types of cryptocurrency scams and what to do if you think you’ve been affected by one.
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Can You Get a Mortgage with Bad Credit?
You can get a mortgage with bad credit but the deals on offer may be limited and more expensive. Find out how bad credit mortgages work and whether it’s worth applying for one.
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What is forex trading and how does it work?
Forex trading involves buying and selling currencies to make a profit. It’s become the largest financial market in the world and you don’t need much money to get started. Here, we explain what forex trading is and some of the pros and cons to consider before investing.
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Is it Better to Rent or Buy?
Both renting and buying a home have pros and cons. The right option for you will depend on your circumstances and financial goals, so read on to find out more.
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15 ways to improve your credit score
Improving your credit score can help boost your chances of getting financial products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages. Here, we run through 15 simple tips and tricks that could help you improve your credit rating.
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Stamp Duty: What you Need to Know
Stamp duty is a tax you pay when buying property in England and Northern Ireland. How much stamp duty you pay will vary depending on whether you’re a first-time buyer and the value of the property.
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The Dangers Of Buy Now, Pay Later Schemes
Buy now, pay later schemes can be a handy way of instantly buying an essential item, but look a little deeper and you might find some nasty interest rates. Read on to find out the dangers of these schemes, the associated charges, when they can be useful and alternatives to these schemes.
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Rail Fare Increases: Why Have Train Ticket Prices Increased?
Rail fares have increased at their fastest rate in almost a decade. Find out why rail fares are going up and how to find cheaper train tickets and save money on transport.
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What is Conveyancing?
When you are buying or selling your home, conveyancing is the legal process you’ll need to go through to make sure that ownership is legally transferred to the buyer. Read on to find out what’s involved, how much it costs and how long it can take.
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What is Credit?
If you need to cover the cost of emergency expenses or large purchases you may need to consider using credit. Read on to find out what credit is and the different types available.
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What Are Long Term Business Loans?
Long-term business loans typically come with lower interest rates, but the lengthy terms mean more interest to pay over time.Learn the types of long-term loans and how to compare and apply.
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How Does Buy Now, Pay Later Work?
Buy now, pay later schemes offer shoppers the chance to delay paying for their goods up front or to split the cost over monthly instalments. Read on to find out how they work and whether they impact your credit score.
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How Long Does a CCJ Stay On Your Credit File?
County court judgments (CCJs) can stay on your credit file for years but they don’t have to be there forever. You may be able to get a CCJ removed from your credit history more quickly – here’s our guide to how to do it.
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What affects your credit score
Knowing what affects your credit score can help to improve your chances of being accepted for new credit. Here, we share the actions that could affect your credit score positively and what you should avoid to help improve your credit history.
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Credit scores explained
Credit scores can help us judge how likely we are to be accepted for financial products such as mortgages, credit cards and loans. Find out how credit scores work and why it is important to keep an eye on yours.
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How to trade forex
Foreign exchange trading, or forex trading, is a popular investment choice in the UK. Read on to find out what you need to get started as a forex trader.
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How to find a forex broker
If you’re thinking about investing in forex you’ll need a forex broker to get access to the market and start trading currency. Here we explain what a forex broker is and offer tips on how to find the right broker for you.
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How to avoid forex scams
In the UK investors lose millions of pounds every year to forex trading scams. Here we run through some of the most common forex scams and give tips on how to avoid them.
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What’s the Difference Between Freehold and Leasehold?
Most home buyers in the UK have two main options when choosing a property: it will usually be offered freehold or leasehold. With freehold, you will own the property and land. With leasehold, you’ll own the property for a fixed period of time but not the land it is built on.
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First Homes Scheme: How it Works and Could You Benefit?
The First Homes scheme was introduced to help first-time buyers get on the property ladder in their local area. The price you’ll pay for a First Homes property, which needs to be a newly built home, will be at least 30% lower than the market value but there are a number of boxes to tick to qualify.
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Inheritance Tax: Thresholds, Allowances and Relief Explained
Inheritance tax is charged when someone leaves behind an estate worth more than £325,000. Understanding how inheritance tax works ensures your heirs will receive the money or assets you plan to pass on. Read on to find out how it works.
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How A Bridging Loan Can Finance Property Purchases
A bridging loan acts as a bridge between the sale of one property and the purchasing of another. It is a short-term option that helps bridge a gap, making it possible to buy a new house before selling your old one.
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Understanding the Main Types of Debt
Understanding the main types of debt can help you find the best way to borrow and make repayments. Read on to find out how each type of debt works and whether it could be right for you.
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What is Debt and Does it Affect You?
Debt is created when you borrow money from a business or person. You’ll usually have to repay the money you owe plus interest to the lender. Having debt isn’t always bad as long as it’s managed well. Read on to find out exactly what debt is and how it affects your finances.
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House Removals – Everything you Need to Know
House removals can ease the stress of moving house by handling the heavy lifting for you. Several factors, such as distance, the services needed and the number of items, determine house removal costs. Here’s how to find the right company to keep your move affordable.
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Five Mortgage Tips for First-Time Buyers
Collecting the keys to your first home is a thrilling prospect, but first you need to tackle the mortgage application process. Read on to find out five simple tips every first-time buyer should know before applying for a mortgage.
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Debt Help: 7 Ways to Get Your Finances on Track
Dealing with debt can be stressful, but you don’t have to struggle through it alone. Read on to find out about all of the places offering debt help to get your finances on the right track.
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What’s Involved in an Exchange of Contracts?
Near the end of a property transaction, both parties sign contracts detailing what is expected and it’s at this stage that they commit to go through with the agreement.
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What is a Property Chain and How Can it Affect You?
A property chain is when the successful completion of a property sale depends on several other purchases going through. If one person pulls out of the chain or runs into problems or delays, it can affect the house-buying process for everyone else.
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How Much Mortgage Can I Afford?
You’ll need to take a good look at your finances to work out how much mortgage you can afford. Read on to find out four steps that could help you.
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8 Tips for First-Time Home Buyers
Whether you’re a first-time buyer or moving onto a new home, buying a house can feel overwhelming. Here are some tips to help make the process of buying a house run more smoothly.
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How to Get Out Of Debt: A Step-By-Step Guide
Worried about how much money you owe? Support is available if you’re finding it increasingly hard to repay your debts. Read on to find out how to get out of debt and specific strategies for dealing with credit card, overdraft and loan repayments.
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Debt Management Plans: Here’s What You Need to Know
A debt management plan is an informal agreement between you and your lenders that may help you clear your unsecured debts if you’re unable to pay them. Read on to find out how they work and if a repayment plan could be the right solution for you.
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What is a good credit score?
A good credit score, or a good credit rating, opens up a world of financial possibilities because it shows lenders you are a reliable, low-risk borrower. But each credit reference agency has its own rating system so what a good credit score is for one might not look the same for the others.
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How To Check Your Credit Score
There are lots of simple ways to check your credit score to find out how likely you are to be accepted for new credit.
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How Tax Codes Work and What to Do If Yours Is Wrong
Tax codes are used to calculate how much income tax you must pay. It's important to check to make sure your code is correct. Having the wrong tax code could leave you paying too much or too little tax. Read on to find out more.
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