The Pekvio blog
Clear, honest writing on money, privacy and getting more from the data you already own.
How to budget without Open Banking
Open Banking is convenient — but it's not the only way. Here's how to budget properly without connecting your bank to anything.
Are budgeting apps safe? A UK privacy guide
Budgeting apps can be safe — but "safe" depends on what they access and how they handle your data. Here's exactly what to check before you trust one.
Are budgeting apps safe? A UK privacy guide
Are budgeting apps safe? The answer depends on what 'safe' means to you. A plain-English guide to the real privacy risks of linking your bank to a budgeting app.
Best budgeting app UK 2026: the honest guide
We compared the UK's top budgeting apps on the things that actually matter: price, privacy, and whether they make you connect your bank. Here's the honest verdict.
Your financial health score, explained
Pekvio distils your entire financial picture into a single health score. Here's what goes into it, what the number means, and how to move it.
Setting financial goals you'll actually hit
'Save more' isn't a goal, it's a wish. Here's the difference between goals that fade by February and goals that get funded every single month.
How to plan your debt-free date
A debt without a payoff date is a treadmill. Here's how to turn loans and credit cards into a concrete countdown, and shave years off it with surprisingly small changes.
Test big money decisions before you make them
Can you afford the bigger flat? What happens if you cut eating out by half? Pekvio's What-If sandbox lets you rehearse financial decisions against your real history, risk-free.
Your savings rate matters more than your salary
Plenty of high earners are broke, and plenty of modest earners are quietly building wealth. The difference comes down to a single percentage, here's how to find and improve yours.
Building a monthly budget that actually sticks
Most budgets fail within six weeks, not from lack of willpower, but from bad design. Here's how to build one around your real spending instead of your ideal self.
The £300-a-year subscription leak (and how to plug it)
Forgotten subscriptions are the quietest drain on your finances. Here's how they pile up, why cancelling is deliberately hard, and a system for getting that money back.
How to read a bank statement like a financial advisor
Your monthly statement contains more insight than most people realise. Here are the five things a professional looks for, and how to spot them yourself.
The hidden cost of 'free' budgeting apps
If you're not paying for the product, your spending data probably is the product. A clear-eyed look at how free finance apps make money, and what it costs you.
How AI categorises your transactions (and why it's accurate)
Uploading a statement and watching it organise itself feels like magic. Here's what's actually happening under the hood, and why it gets more accurate the more you use it.
The best YNAB alternative if you value your privacy
YNAB is a brilliant budgeting tool, but it wants a live connection to your accounts. If that's a dealbreaker for you, here's what a privacy-first alternative looks like.
Is it safe to link your bank to a budgeting app?
Open banking is regulated and encrypted, but 'safe' is more complicated than 'encrypted'. Here's an honest look at the real risks of linking your bank, and how to decide what you're comfortable with.
Budgeting without connecting your bank: a UK guide
You don't need to hand a budgeting app your bank login to take control of your money. Here's a practical, UK-focused guide to budgeting from the statements you already own.
Stop budgeting in spreadsheets: get your evenings back
Manual budgeting spreadsheets eat hours every month and quietly fill up with errors. Here is why uploading a statement and letting AI do the analysis beats maintaining formulas.
Sinking funds: the budgeting trick for irregular bills
Car insurance, Christmas, the annual subscription that always catches you out — irregular bills wreck budgets. Sinking funds are the simple fix, and they're easier to set up than you think.
Why we built a finance app with no bank connections
Most money apps ask for your bank login on day one. We think that's backwards. Here's why Pekvio works from the statements you already own, and why that makes it more powerful, not less.