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Disclaimer

Claughtdeck publishes education and commentary. We are not your adviser. Capital is at risk whenever you trade or invest, including the risk that you lose everything you commit, and leveraged products can amplify that loss.

We are not FCA-authorised

Claughtdeck is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We do not carry on regulated activities. We do not deal in investments, arrange deals, manage investments, safeguard client money, or give personal advice. Nothing on this website is an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity.

Before you give money to any firm that offers trading or investment services, check that the firm is authorised for that activity, using the Financial Conduct Authority’s register at register.fca.org.uk. A similar name is not a match. Warnings about unauthorised firms are listed by the FCA.

General information only

Pages are written for a general UK audience. They do not consider your circumstances, your tax residence, your debts, your goals, or your appetite for loss. If you need a decision made for you, speak to an authorised adviser. MoneyHelper, at moneyhelper.org.uk, is a free impartial place to start if you are unsure what kind of help exists.

Day trading and leveraged products

Day trading is speculative. Many people who try it lose money. Contracts for difference are complex and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly because of leverage. A large majority of retail client accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Each authorised firm publishes its own percentage; read that firm’s disclosure rather than a number repeated on social media. Financial spread betting can lose more than a small stake feels like it should, and it can behave like gambling even when the firm is regulated.

Retail protections, including leverage limits and negative-balance protection where they apply, are not a recommendation to use the product. Electing professional-client status removes protections. Do not do it to unlock a feature.

Long-term investing is still risk

A decade-long plan can fall, sometimes for years. Past performance of markets, funds, or any method is not a guide to future performance. Inflation, costs, and your own decision to sell at the worst moment can erase the result you expected. Diversification reduces some risks and does not remove the risk of loss.

Tax

Tax comments on this site are general, based on our reading of publicly described 2026/27 rules for a typical private individual in the UK. They may be wrong for you. Scottish income tax, residence, the badges of trade, pension access, and future Budgets can all change the outcome. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and can change. Confirm figures on GOV.UK or with a qualified tax adviser before you rely on them.

Illustrations and scenes

Hypothetical tables, including the ISA contribution illustration, use assumed constant rates so that compounding can be seen. They are not forecasts, not fund performance, and not an indication of what you will receive. Composite scenes in the journal are fiction built from patterns. They are not testimonials and they are not results.

No endorsement

Mention of a market, an exchange, a wrapper, or a public body is not an endorsement of a product or a firm. We do not accept payment to rank brokers, and we do not link to account-opening offers.

Accuracy

We correct errors when we learn of them. Email [email protected] with the page address. A correction does not create liability for decisions taken before the correction.

If this is hurting

If trading, spread betting, or the chase to get even is affecting your sleep, your relationships, or your ability to pay bills, stop and talk to someone outside the market. GamCare is on 0808 8020 133 and at gamcare.org.uk. GambleAware is at gambleaware.org. StepChange helps with debt at stepchange.org. If you are in crisis, call 999, or Samaritans on 116 123.