Your UK money guides hub
Banking, budgeting, international transfers and the apps changing UK money. 13 independent guides covering the products you use every day.
4
Guide categories covered
30M+
UK current accounts (UK Finance)
£200B+
UK personal remittances per year (World Bank)
60+
UK digital banks active in the market
Money is no longer just about the bank on the high street. The average UK adult now holds one current account, one savings account and at least one fintech app, juggling switching incentives, rewards, lending and overseas spend across multiple providers. Knowing which guide applies to which problem is half the battle.
Below you can browse all 13 Selectra UK money guides, grouped into four areas: head-to-head comparisons, current accounts, international money transfer and the fintech apps changing how Britain banks. Filter by category, open the guide that matches your question and skip straight to the answer.
The four pillars
The four pillars of our UK money library
Start with the sub-hub that matches your question. Each opens onto a focused set of guides written for UK readers.
Compare banks and apps
Comparisons
Side-by-side reviews of the biggest UK banks and fintechs. Starts with the cult Monzo vs Revolut head-to-head, with more app and account battles added regularly.
Open the sub-hubCurrent accounts
Accounts
Find the right UK current account: switching incentives, monthly fees, overdraft costs, rewards and packaged extras explained in plain English.
Open the sub-hubMoney transfer
International
How to send money internationally for less. Wise, WorldRemit and XE compared, plus step-by-step guides on fees, exchange rates and delivery times.
Open the sub-hubTechnology
Fintech
Digital banks, budgeting apps and tools like Curve. How fintech is changing UK banking and which apps actually save you money.
Open the sub-hubEvery UK money guide
Browse all 13 guides
Filter by category to focus on comparisons, accounts, money transfers or fintech tools.
Compare banks and apps
Comparisons . Head-to-head
Side-by-side reviews of the biggest UK banks and fintechs. Starts with the cult Monzo vs Revolut head-to-head, with more app and account battles added regularly.
Current accounts
Accounts . Daily banking
Find the right UK current account: switching incentives, monthly fees, overdraft costs, rewards and packaged extras explained in plain English.
Money transfer
International . Send abroad
How to send money internationally for less. Wise, WorldRemit and XE compared, plus step-by-step guides on fees, exchange rates and delivery times.
Technology
Fintech . Digital banks
Digital banks, budgeting apps and tools like Curve. How fintech is changing UK banking and which apps actually save you money.
Monzo vs Revolut
Comparison . Fintech duel
The two best-known UK digital banks compared on fees, features, lending, savings, overseas spend and customer support.
Best current accounts
Editor pick . Top picks
Our shortlist of the best UK current accounts this year by switching bonus, rewards, overdraft cost and customer satisfaction scores.
Sending money abroad
How-to . Step by step
A complete guide to international transfers from the UK: SWIFT vs SEPA, mid-market rates, hidden bank fees and the cheapest provider for each corridor.
Wise (TransferWise)
Review . Mid-market rate
How Wise charges the real exchange rate, what its transparent fee structure looks like in practice and which currencies offer the best value.
WorldRemit
Review . Cash pickup
WorldRemit pricing, payout options (cash, mobile money, bank deposit) and which African, Asian and Latin American corridors are cheapest.
XE Money Transfer
Review . High-value swaps
XE's fee-free model on larger transfers, supported currencies, delivery speed and how its rates compare with Wise and high-street banks.
Best budgeting app UK
App review . Budget smarter
Emma, Snoop, Money Dashboard, YNAB and the bank-native budgeting tools compared. Which app suits which money personality.
Curve card
Review . All cards in one
How Curve lets you combine every bank card into one, plus its Anti-Embarrassment Mode, Go Back in Time feature and subscription tiers explained.
Digital banking
Explainer . Branchless
What a digital bank actually is, the difference between an app-only challenger and a traditional bank's mobile app, and the FSCS protections that apply.
Guides at a glance
What each guide actually covers
A quick visual key to every guide, tagged by topic so you can scan the library in seconds.
Compare banks and apps
Current accounts
Money transfer
Technology
Monzo vs Revolut
Best current accounts
Sending money abroad
Wise (TransferWise)
WorldRemit
XE Money Transfer
Best budgeting app UK
Curve card
Digital banking
Last updated: August 2026. Banking products, fees and exchange rates change. Always confirm directly with the provider before opening or switching.
6 questions to ask
How to pick the right money guide
Six checks that take you from a vague question (“am I paying too much?”) to the right Selectra guide.
Define the money job
Are you opening a new account, sending money abroad, switching to a digital bank, or just comparing two apps? The job decides which sub-hub answers your question first.
Daily banking or one-off?
A current account guide answers daily questions: fees, overdrafts, switching bonuses. A transfer guide answers one-off questions: cheapest provider for a specific corridor.
High-street or app-only?
High-street banks still win on branch access and joint accounts. App-only banks (Monzo, Starling, Revolut) lead on UX, overseas spend and instant notifications.
Real exchange rate or markup?
High-street banks add 3-5% margin on overseas transfers. Wise, XE and WorldRemit publish the mid-market rate plus a transparent fee. Always compare the total amount received.
FSCS protection
Any UK-authorised bank gives £85,000 FSCS protection per person per institution. E-money apps like Wise and Revolut safeguard funds differently. Check the protection before depositing big sums.
Test before committing
You can hold multiple UK accounts and apps in parallel for free. Open the challenger you are curious about, run salary into it for a month, then decide before closing the old one.
What it costs in 2026
The price tags worth knowing this year
Most UK money tools have a free entry tier. The real cost is in fees you only see when you transact: overdraft interest, weekend FX markups and SWIFT correspondent charges.
£0
Free current account at Monzo, Starling, Chase UK and most high-street banks
0.4%
Typical Wise fee on a UK to EUR transfer (mid-market rate, no FX markup)
£175
Recent switching bonus from First Direct, NatWest and others under CASS
Indicative pricing from provider websites and CASS data, 2026. Always confirm the current offer and exact fee before signing up.
Keep exploring
More on UK money and finance
Found the guide you needed? Now explore the wider Selectra UK money library.
Banks
Bank reviews
Detailed reviews of every UK bank we cover: HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest and the major challengers, with switching tips and FSCS protection notes.
ExploreHub
Money home
The top of the Selectra UK money section. Editor picks, latest articles, and shortcuts into every guide, bank review and comparison we publish.
ExploreNext door
Insurance
Once the banking and budgeting is sorted, check the insurance home page for guides on home, car and travel cover for UK consumers.
ExploreUK money FAQ
The Selectra expert answers your questions
There is no single winner: it depends on whether you value switching incentives, rewards, overdraft costs, branch access or app quality. Our shortlist of the best UK current accounts covers the leaders in each category, including First Direct for service, Chase UK for cashback and Monzo for budgeting tools.
Yes. Both Monzo and Starling are fully UK-authorised banks, regulated by the FCA and the PRA. Eligible deposits up to £85,000 per person, per institution are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, exactly like an HSBC or Barclays account.
For most transfers under £50,000, Wise (formerly TransferWise) wins on transparency: real mid-market rate plus a small percentage fee. For very large transfers, XE often beats Wise on total cost. For cash pickup in Africa, Asia or Latin America, compare WorldRemit. Always compare the total amount delivered, not the headline fee.
A digital bank like Monzo, Starling or Chase UK has no branches and was built mobile-first. A banking app from Barclays or HSBC is the mobile interface for a traditional branch bank. Digital banks typically lead on UX, instant notifications and overseas spend, while traditional banks still win on cash deposits, joint accounts and branch access.
Curve lets you combine all your bank cards into a single physical or virtual card, then choose at checkout which underlying account to charge. It adds features your bank does not: switch the charge to a different card up to 30 days after the transaction, lock the card instantly in-app and earn rewards on top of your existing card.
Sort your money in 2026
Find the right UK money guide in minutes
Open the sub-hub closest to your question, or jump straight to a single guide. Switching a UK bank account takes 7 working days under the Current Account Switch Service, and most transfers settle within hours.