Should you consider Junior ISAs for your kids? Personal Finance The end of the tax year is creeping closer, concentrating the minds of UK savers and investors on the hunt for the best deal. While most of the noise surrounding the 5 April deadline centres on securing the most favourable interest rates on cash ISAs and finding stocks and shares ISA with the lowest fees, [...]
Allow pensions savings to go into housing deposits, says FCA chief Personal Finance The head of the financial watchdog has suggested that the UK should have the “contentious debate” about whether pension savings could be put towards housing deposits. Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), said there was greater scope for pension savings to support financial resilience, particularly among lower income households. “We have [...]
Ask the expert: I’m in my 40s. Should I start derisking my pension? Personal Finance Fidelity personal finance specialist Marianna Hunt is back to help a reader who wants to retire early but is unsure on how to protect the value of their investments as they prepare to stop working. Q: I’m in my late 40s and calculate that I’ve got enough saved into pensions to retire at age 57. [...]
UK investors overpaying platform fees by hundreds of pounds February 5, 2026 UK investors who fail to shop around are overpaying hundreds of pounds in platform fees leaving some missing out on compound gains. Over 50 per cent of UK investors are using the market’s 12 most expensive providers, with both active and passive investors shelling out hundreds in fees alone, according to the latest research from [...]
New Years optimism wears off as economic expectations drop February 4, 2026 New Year’s optimism is beginning to fall away with the number of people expecting the economy to improve this year falling at the start of February. According to the latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll of UK voters, the number of people expecting the economy to improve in the next 12 months has fallen by four [...]
Ask the expert: Should I pay into an ISA, pension or overpay my mortgage? January 28, 2026 Fidelity personal finance specialist Marianna Hunt helps a saver decide where to place their capital as interest rates fall. Q: In light of current interest rate expectations, is it better to pay down my mortgage, pay into my pension or invest in an ISA? I have a £350,000 property with a £200,000 mortgage at 4 [...]
Ask the expert: We pay for our adult children to live at home. Will that result in an IHT liability? January 26, 2026 Fidelity personal finance specialist, Marianna Hunt, is on hand to help parents who are concerned that letting their adult children live at home could lead to a large IHT bill. Q: Our adult children live in our house. We pay for all food, utilities, council tax etc, but don’t charge any rent. Is that an [...]
Ask the expert: I’m a higher rate taxpayer. Where can I save that won’t result in a big tax bill? January 22, 2026 Fidelity International personal finance specialist, Marianna Hunt, helps a taxpayer looking to lower their tax bill. Q: I’m a higher rate tax payer and likely to become an additional rate taxpayer. I currently hold both a cash and stocks and shares ISA. I also have Premium Bonds and a healthy amount in pensions. Where can [...]
High earners could be missing out on thousands in pension tax relief January 19, 2026 High earners could be at risk of losing a quarter of a million pounds in pension tax relief through failing to reclaim by the self-assessment tax return deadline. Brit ensnared in the £100,000 tax trap could see thousands of pounds slipping out of their grasp, as well as valuable free childcare support, according to wealth [...]
Divorced retirees more likely to rely on the state pension January 14, 2026 Thousands more divorcees depend on the state pension compared to those in a marriage as the financial impact of separation continues to ripple into retirement across the UK. Nearly 70 per cent of divorcees rely on the state pension for their main source of income after leaving the workforce, compared to 45 per cent of [...]