Where should a complete beginner start learning about investing?

I am a recently retired woman who is totally financially illiterate!!

I have no great interest in making buckets of money, but I am increasingly frustrated by my total lack of basic financial knowledge regarding things like- gilts, funds, bonds, etc.

I am increasingly concerned by greenwashing and feel I need to start at the beginning of understanding finance to get fully to grips with the skullduggery of carbon credits, etc.

Please can you advise a plain English informative book I can purchase to calm my frustrations!!!

Hi Hilary,

Plain English is exactly what we're here for, so you've come to the right place.

I'd actually start you somewhere better than a book: our Investing for Beginners course. It's designed to take you from a standing start, step by step, in plain language with no jargon assumed, ideal for exactly the frustration you describe.

Alongside that, these free guides are worth dipping into as specific terms come up. We would read them roughly in this order:

Funds explained — a no-nonsense walk through what a fund actually is (we call it "the compilation album of the investing world"), with a gentle intro to bonds and shares along the way.

Bonds explained — what bonds are and how they work, in plain terms this will also cover gilts.

Sustainable and ESG investing guide — on greenwashing specifically, this untangles the confusing terms (ethical, green, impact, ESG) and is a good grounding for spotting when something is greener in name than in substance.

Our investing guides hub — the home base for all of the above, plus ETFs and investment trusts, so you can explore as your curiosity grows.

And since you asked for a book too, a couple of plain-English reads that beginners tend to get on well with are How to Own the World by Andrew Craig and What They Don't Teach You About Money by Claer Barrett. Both are warm, jargon-free and written for people who want the basics explained like human beings.

Do come back to us with any questions along the way. We are more than happy to help.