Today, we’ve got an industry ranking of the best and worst parcel delivery firms, and we bring what you need to know about stocks and shares ISAs. Money reporter Jess Sharp is here with today’s other consumer and personal finance news, in our Money blog…
Thursday 23 October 2025 06:15, UK
In this week’s guide, we speak to Grace Whalley, a chartered financial planner at The Private Office, about how to get started with a stocks and shares ISA, and what you should be doing if you already have one… 
A quick introduction  
Everyone in the UK aged 18 or older is allowed to save £20,000 a year in an ISA, tax-free. 
You can use all or part of this allowance to invest your money in funds, bonds and shares in companies by using a stocks and shares ISA. 
The idea is that any returns you make are protected from income tax and capital gains tax. 
“This is particularly important now, as allowances like the dividend and capital gains tax thresholds have been reduced,” said Whalley. 
Unlike a cash ISA, which is simply a tax-free savings account, a stocks and shares ISA involves investing in financial markets, meaning the value of your money can go up and down. 
But Whalley points out that unless you sell when it’s down, it is possible to wait for a recovery. 
Who are stocks and shares ISAs suited to?
People who are comfortable taking on some risk, and have medium to long-term goals for their savings, can benefit from a stocks and shares ISA, Whalley said. 
They are particularly appropriate for people who can commit to investing for at least five years. 
This is because it allows time for markets to recover from any short-term dips. 
If you are looking for short-term gains, a stocks and shares ISA might not be the best option. 
You do not need to be an experienced investor to open an account – many providers offer simple, diversified, pre-made portfolios that can match the level of risk you would like to take. 
Thinking about opening one? Consider these things first 
Before opening a stocks and shares ISA, Whalley said you should: 
“Unlike cash savings, investments can fluctuate in value, and if you are forced to sell at the wrong time, you may get back less than you originally invested,” she said. 
“For those new to investing, this volatility can be unsettling, especially if you’re used to the stability of savings accounts. 
“That’s why building a diversified portfolio (having a mix of different assets) that aligns with your risk tolerance and investment time horizon is essential.” 
For example, long-term investors with a higher risk appetite might have more of their money in equities (shares), while more cautious or short-term investors may prefer a mix that includes bonds, absolute return funds or commodities to help protect against downside risk.
It’s also important to check if the provider you’re considering charges any fees. 
Most providers will apply a platform or service fee for managing your account. Some may also add a management charge or dealing fees each time you buy or sell assets. 
There could also be withdrawal or exit fees taken when you take your money out. 
“These fees can vary significantly between providers and can have a meaningful impact on your returns over time, so it’s important to compare costs before choosing where to invest,” Whalley added. 
Already got one? Here are 5 top tips 
1. Maintain a cash buffer
You can do this either in a cash ISA or an easy access savings account. 
“This helps ensure you’re not forced to sell investments during market downturns, which could lock in losses,” Whalley said. 
2. Review your portfolio twice a month
While it’s important to monitor your investments, checking them daily can lead to emotional decision-making. Instead, aim to review your portfolio once or twice a month to ensure it still aligns with your goals and risk profile.
“If your circumstances or objectives change, you may want to adjust your portfolio to increase or decrease the risk rather than withdraw your money entirely, effectively starting all over again,” she added. 
3. Remember your flexible option 
You also have the flexibility to transfer your ISA to another provider if you find one offering better service or lower fees and lots of providers now offer a flexible ISA facility. 
A flexible ISA allows you to re-contribute the amount you have withdrawn within the same tax year without affecting your ISA allowance, which helps with planning and budgeting. So, if you need some cash in the short term but are in a position to replace it back into the ISA within the same tax year, this flexible ISA rule is valuable.
4. Don’t withdraw and reinvest 
When looking to transfer between providers, it’s crucial to use the official ISA transfer process rather than withdrawing the money yourself. This ensures you retain the tax advantages of your ISA. 
“If you withdraw the funds and reinvest them manually, it will count as a new subscription and could exceed your annual allowance, resulting in the loss of the tax-free wrapper on any excess amount,” she warned. 
The transfer process is straightforward: you simply open a new ISA with your chosen provider, complete their transfer form, and they’ll handle the rest. You can transfer both cash and stocks and shares ISAs, and you’re free to move between types.
5.  Multi-asset managed portfolios are a great option
“These portfolios are designed to match different risk levels and offer diversification across asset classes and geographic regions, whilst offering an actively managed service,” she explained. 
6. Time in the market – not timing the market 
While it’s tempting to react to short-term fluctuations, staying invested and focused on your long-term goals is usually the best strategy.
Amazon and FedEx have been crowned the best parcel delivery firms in an annual survey by the industry watchdog. 
Both companies had a 57% customer satisfaction score, according to the Ofcom research. 
UPS and DHL ranked second with a 55% score, followed by Parcelforce with 52%. 
At the bottom of the table was Evri, with a customer satisfaction score of 31% – and a dissatisfaction score of 41%. 
Yodel came second to last with a satisfaction score of 38%.
“Customer satisfaction is our top priority and every parcel matters to us. That is why, over the past year, we’ve invested £57m in our operations and technology – all to make our parcel delivery service smoother, faster and more sustainable,” an Evri spokesperson said. 
Overall, more than two-thirds of people had experienced a delivery issue in the past six months. 
The most common issue was delayed deliveries, followed by parcels being left in an inappropriate location. 
Around 20% of people complained that the delivery driver did not knock loudly enough, or they didn’t leave enough time to answer the door.
Finally today… Some pension savers could see a boost to their retirement funds as part of government reforms that allow more people to save in collective pots. 
Collective defined contribution schemes are a new type of pension scheme that sees both the employer and employee contribute to a collective fund. 
Under new government regulations, more employers will be able to pool multiple pension schemes into a collective fund, giving workers regular pension payments for life.
The government said the funds can potentially offer more security and higher average incomes throughout retirement, when compared with people saving into individual pension pots.
Collective defined contribution schemes could potentially boost retirement incomes by up to 60%, it added.
Zoe Alexander, executive director of policy and advocacy at industry group Pensions UK, said the funds “share risks between savers”.
The government is also launching a consultation on “retirement CDC”, which it said would allow people who have saved into a defined contribution scheme to transfer their pension pot into a CDC scheme at retirement.
What are the pros and the cons of this new design?
Rachel Vahey, head of public policy at AJ Bell, said supporters of CDC schemes argue that they give employees a new option where risks are shared, investment returns are smoothed to remove sudden falls and rises, and retirement incomes will be higher. 
However, these are untested schemes, and we have not seen the proof that these claims are correct.
“Instead, depending on how successful – or not – the scheme’s investment performance is, people’s final target pension could be adjusted,” she said. 
“It could go up, but it could also be reduced, even once it has started to be paid. Meaning it’s difficult for people to rely on, but with no control to change it.
“CDC schemes also rely on sharing risk amongst a known group of people, so it’s likely it will be impossible to transfer out of the scheme once you have picked it for your retirement income. So even if your income is being adjusted downwards, because of the scheme’s investment performance, you may be stuck with that solution.” 
You can eat for free at one of the newest fried chicken shop chains in the country on Thursday. 
Dave’s Hot Chicken – which has branches in London (Shaftesbury Avenue), Birmingham (New Street) and Manchester (Printworks) – is giving out free sliders on to customers who download its app. 
To claim the deal, you need to download the Dave’s loyalty app, sign up and show your free slider reward voucher in store. 
You will be able to enjoy the free food between 11am and 9pm, with a warning that queues to get in will be cut after that. 
There will be 69 million sliders available – enough for everyone in the country to enjoy – but the deal is limited to one slider per person. 
Be warned, the restaurants get very busy without any promotions running, so get there early or be prepared to queue. 
A new market-leading savings account has been launched by Zopa. 
The Smart Saver account offers 4.75% AER for 12 months. 
The rate is made up of a 3.25% AER variable rate and a 1.5% bonus. 
You will get the 4.75% rate automatically for the first month, but to continue earning it, you’ll need to deposit at least £500 a month. 
In any month that you don’t deposit £500, your interest will drop down to 3.25% AER.
To open an account, you need to have a Biscuit current account with Zopa, be over 18 years old and be a UK resident. 
You can withdraw your money at any time without any penalties, and you can save up to £250,000. 
An expert’s thoughts… 
Our regular savings expert Anna Bowes from The Private Office said: “It’s good to see some competition continuing to keep best rates elevated – although once again this is a carrot to encourage people to open a bank account with the provider. 
“Before opening a current account in order to have access to a savings account, you should make sure that the current account is appropriate. 
“There is no monthly fee to pay to hold the current account, and you can earn 2% AER interest on any balance held. However, rather than leaving too much in the current account, it would make sense to move it into this linked easy access pot as it’s better to earn 4.75% AER rather than 2%.
“This is an app-only offering, so may not be appropriate for everyone, although these do seem to be getting more and more popular, especially for everyday banking.” 
Are there alternatives? 
Bowes said Cahoot was paying 5% but only on up to £3,000. 
Santander also has its Edge Saver paying 6% AER but only on up to £4,000 and there is a monthly fee to pay on the Edge current account needed to hold the savings. 
Pets can now be classed as baggage by airlines, meaning owners will be entitled to less compensation if their animal is lost. 
Europe’s highest court, the European Court of Justice, made the ruling in a case after a passenger tried to claim compensation for her lost dog. 
The passenger, who was named in court documents as Felicisima, lost her pet on a flight from Buenos Aires to Barcelona in October 2019.
Due to her size and weight, the dog, Mona, was supposed to travel in a pet carrier in the hold.
But she escaped while being taken to the plane and was never found. 
The owner filed a claim with the airline for €5,000 (£4,340) for “non-material damage” as a result. 
While Iberia accepted liability for the dog going missing, it argued that the amount she was claiming for exceeded the limit for checked baggage. 
The court ruled that the owner had failed to make any special declarations in relation to the baggage, and so could not claim the €5,000 and was entitled to a smaller amount. 
Simon Calder, travel expert at The Independent, said pet owners should try to take their animals on flights as cabin luggage instead. 
“The answer is to have a small pet that you can actually take into your cabin with you. A number of airlines will allow that. Of course, there are rules about how big it can be, but basically take your pet as cabin baggage if you possibly can.” 
Workers paid the voluntary real living wage are set to get a 6.7% pay rise after new rates were announced today. 
The hourly rate will rise by 85p to £13.45 an hour, or 6.7%, and by 95p to £14.80 an hour in London – a 6.9% increase.
For full-time workers, this means they will take home £2,418 more per year than someone on the government’s minimum wage – or £5,050 more if they work in London.
More than 16,000 employers, including Ikea, Uniqlo, Everton FC and Aviva have signed up to pay the real living wage, which is set by the Living Wage Foundation. 
In total, around 438,000 people are employed by businesses who have made the commitment, the foundation said. 
“We all need a wage that covers life’s essentials, and the real living wage is the only UK wage rate independently calculated based solely on what is needed to cover rising living costs,” Katherine Chapman, executive director of the Living Wage Foundation, said. 
“The new rates announced today will make a massive difference to workers and their families, helping them to better cope with the costs of rent, bills, food and other essentials, and to live with stability and security.” 
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We learned this morning that beef inflation hit 27.5% in September – which probably didn’t surprise anyone who has looked to buy mince or a steak lately.
Business and economics correspondent Paul Kelso has investigated what’s going on – have a read…
Economists had widely expected inflation to peak in September before starting to fall. 
But they were predicting a rate of 4% today, not 3.8%. So is this the peak – or are further rises on the way? 
Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said this was “probably” the peak in inflation, and it should fall to 3.5% or less in October thanks to declines it utility and fuel prices. 
By the end of next year, he expects it to hit the Bank of England’s 2% target. 
“Food price inflation may yet rise further, perhaps back above 5% by December, but there are… good reasons to expect it to fall back next year,” he said. 
“And if we’re right in thinking that weak employment will significantly weigh on wage growth next year, then CPI inflation may surprise most people by falling to 2% by the end of next year.”
Yael Selfin, chief economist at consultancy firm KPMG UK, went further to say inflation could drop to 2% in the first half of 2026. 
Our business and economics correspondent Paul Kelso gives his take below… 
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