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James Calloway

Portrait of James Calloway

Facts Deck author

James Calloway

Property & Markets Writer

Show the maths, then the opinion.

Mortgages & housing
Renting vs buying
Passive income
Crypto basics

Articles

16

Total reads

53

Topics

9

Writing since

Sep 2026

Profile

About James

James covers the big-ticket decisions: how much deposit you really need, what a base-rate change does to a mortgage payment, and when renting quietly beats buying.

His rule of thumb is to show the maths before the opinion, so readers can plug in their own numbers and reach their own conclusion.

Start here

Start here · James’s most-read

Is Crypto Still Worth It in 2026?

Bitcoin pulled back hard from its $126,000 all-time high, US regulators just handed crypto its clearest legal status ever, and institutions are quietly allocating in size. Here's the honest, data-grounded read on where crypto actually stands in September 2026.

Read the article

Byline

Articles by James

16 articles · latest September 21, 2026

Real Estate
Best Mortgage Calculators Compared: Which One Gives You the Real Number?
Get a different figure from every mortgage calculator you try? They're not wrong — they're answering different questions. Here's what each one actually tells you, and which number to trust when.
September 21, 2026 · 7 min read
Real Estate
First-Time Buyer's Guide to Mortgages in the UK (2026 Edition)
From a 0% deposit at Skipton to the permanent 5% Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, first-time buyers have more routes onto the ladder than in years — each with a real trade-off. Here's what deposits, rates, stamp duty, and the Lifetime ISA actually look like in 2026.
September 21, 2026 · 7 min read
Real Estate
Fixed vs Tracker Mortgage: Which Is Better in 2026?
The best 5-year fixed and tracker rates are now just 0.03 points apart — 4.38% vs 4.35%. With pricing this close, the real decision isn't which is cheaper, it's which risk you're willing to carry. Here's the honest breakdown.
September 21, 2026 · 7 min read
Real Estate
Help to Buy Alternatives in 2026: What's Actually Available Now
Help to Buy closed in 2023 and Deposit Unlock closed in April 2026 — but six other routes are live right now. Here's what each one actually offers, and which fits which kind of buyer.
September 21, 2026 · 7 min read
Real Estate
How Much Deposit Do You Actually Need to Buy a House in 2026?
The legal minimum is 5% — but the average first-time buyer in England puts down £63,855. Here's why the gap is so wide, how long it actually takes to save by region, and what gifted deposits and family springboard mortgages really involve.
September 21, 2026 · 7 min read
Real Estate
Mortgage Rates in 2026: What Homebuyers Need to Know Right Now
Everyone expected mortgage rates to fall in 2026 — instead the average 2-year fixed jumped from 4.84% to 5.7%. Here's why rates reversed, what it means for the 1.8 million fixed deals ending this year, and how to check your real number.
September 21, 2026 · 6 min read
Real Estate
Remortgaging in 2026: When It Saves You Money (And When It Doesn't)
Do nothing when your fixed deal ends and you'll roll onto a 7.13% Standard Variable Rate — roughly £230 a month more on a £250,000 mortgage. But remortgaging isn't automatically the right call for everyone. Here's when it pays off, and when a product transfer, or simply waiting, wins instead.
September 21, 2026 · 7 min read
Real Estate
Is It Cheaper to Buy or Rent in London Right Now?
Nationally, renting and buying have basically converged. In London, buying still costs roughly £865 a month more and 12–13 times more upfront — here's why the gap hasn't closed, and how long you'd need to stay for it to be worth it.
September 21, 2026 · 7 min read
Real Estate
The Real Cost of Renting vs Buying in the UK (2026 Numbers)
Average rent and the average first-time buyer mortgage payment now sit within £25 of each other. Once insurance, maintenance, and upfront costs are added, the real comparison — and the break-even point — looks very different.
September 21, 2026 · 7 min read
Investing
Crypto Staking vs Dividend Stocks: Where's the Real Yield?
8% staking versus 4% dividends looks like an easy call — until tax gets involved. Crypto has no ISA shelter and staking rewards are taxed as income on receipt. Here's what each actually nets you.
September 14, 2026 · 7 min read
Personal Finance
Passive Income in the UK: 9 Realistic Ways to Start in 2026
Peer-to-peer lending has largely left the UK retail market, and the dividend allowance just shrank to £500 — a lot of "passive income" advice hasn't caught up. Here are nine ways that are still real, honestly labelled for effort and risk.
September 12, 2026 · 8 min read
Personal Finance
ChatGPT for Personal Finance: Can AI Manage Your Money?
Two-thirds of AI users have asked it a money question, and the FCA is now reviewing whether tools like ChatGPT need regulating. Here's what AI is actually good at, where it's been shown to be biased or wrong, and how to use it safely.
September 11, 2026 · 8 min read
Investing
Bitcoin vs Ethereum vs Solana: Which Crypto Should You Hold?
Digital gold, the settlement layer, and the speed champion — Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana each answer a different question. Here's how they actually compare on market cap, fees, staking yield, and risk in 2026.
September 9, 2026 · 8 min read
Investing
Is Crypto Still Worth It in 2026?
Bitcoin pulled back hard from its $126,000 all-time high, US regulators just handed crypto its clearest legal status ever, and institutions are quietly allocating in size. Here's the honest, data-grounded read on where crypto actually stands in September 2026.
September 6, 2026 · 7 min read
Investing
Best Crypto Wallets for Beginners
New to crypto? Before you buy your first coin, you need somewhere safe to keep it. Here are the best hot wallets for beginners — explained simply, with zero jargon.
September 4, 2026 · 7 min read
Real Estate
Rent vs Buy: What Makes More Sense?
"Renting is throwing money away" is a slogan, not a calculation. Here's the real UK maths — the 5% Rule, true monthly cost, and the timeline that decides which option actually wins.
September 4, 2026 · 6 min read

Coverage

Beat map

Where James’s articles land, by category.

Personal Finance14
Real Estate10
Decision Making6
Investing5
Crypto4
Comparison3
Guides3

Editorial standards

How we write

1ResearchedWe lean on primary sources wherever we can: official rules, published rates and government data.
2Drafted with AI assistanceWe use AI tools to help research and draft articles. They speed us up. They don’t get the final say.
3Checked and editedThe Facts Deck team fact-checks and edits every article before it’s published.

Author profiles describe each writer’s coverage area. Spotted an error? Tell us and we’ll review it. Facts Deck is for education, not personal financial advice. Read the disclaimer.

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Elliot OseiCrypto & Digital Assets Writer5 articles
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Dorcas NwosuScams & Security Writer1 article