By Darren Sterling
Zero: Financial Knowledge
From Zero Financial Knowledge to Financial Confidence
The financial education the UK school system never gave you. 19 chapters covering everything from payslips to pensions, mortgages to investing, wills to digital legacy.
Available as a Kindle eBook, paperback, and audiobook.
Nobody taught you this at school
19 chapters of practical, jargon-free financial education — written like a knowledgeable friend explaining over coffee, not a textbook.
Payslips & Tax
Understand every line on your payslip, how tax bands really work, and the myths that cost people money.
Pensions
Starting 10 years earlier can double your retirement pot. The numbers will stop you in your tracks.
Child Pensions
£50/month from birth could grow to £828,000 by retirement. Almost nobody knows you can do this.
Mortgages
£100/month in overpayments could save you £26,500 and 4 years. We show you the strategies.
Investing
Shares, ETFs, gold, P2P lending, and property — explained from scratch for complete beginners.
Digital Legacy
100+ online accounts. Could your family access them if something happened to you tomorrow?
Choose your edition
Each edition is updated for the current UK tax year, so the numbers you read are the numbers that apply to you right now.
2026/27
17 April 2026
Updated for the 2026/27 UK tax year with the latest thresholds, rates, and State Pension figures.
Buy on AmazonGet your copy
Read it, print it, or listen to it — pick your format and your preferred retailer. (2026/27 edition.)
Ebook
Audiobook
19 chapters across 4 parts
Part 1: Foundations
- 1Introduction — Why This Exists
- 2Understanding Your Money — Payslips, Tax & National Insurance
- 3Banking Basics — Where Your Money Lives
- 4Budgeting — Knowing Your Numbers
- 5Savings & Emergency Funds — The Starting Point
- 6Insurance — Protecting What You Have
Part 2: Growing Your Money
- 7Pensions — The Biggest Thing You’re Ignoring
- 8Pensions for Your Children — The Gift of Time
- 9Your Home — Mortgages Demystified
- 10Mortgage Strategies — Saving Thousands
Part 3: Investing
- 11Investing Basics — Shares & ETFs
- 12Commodities — Gold, Silver & Physical Assets
- 13Other Investment Paths — Credit Cards, P2P, Currency & Property
- 14Day Trading — A Reality Check
Part 4: Planning Ahead
- 15Wills & Trusts — Where Your Money Goes
- 16Divorce — The Financial Side
- 17Your Digital Life — The Modern Problem
- 18Wealth Tiers — What Comes Next
- 19Closing — Your Next Steps
The book and the app work hand in hand
Every chapter pairs with the Zero app’s calculators and daily finance tracker — one one-off purchase on the App Store or Google Play, no account, no subscription.
Zero: Financial Knowledge provides financial education only. It does not constitute regulated financial advice under the FCA framework. The author is not a regulated financial adviser. Readers should consult a qualified adviser before making significant financial decisions.