Healey urged to ‘restore faith’ by ending personal allowance freeze in Budget Personal Finance UK savers are demanding chancellor John Healey end the freeze on the personal allowance in his maiden Autumn Budget, as more Brits get dragged into higher tax bands. A recent poll showed nearly 70 per cent of taxpayers want Healey to unfreeze the personal allowance, with critics arguing it has forced workers and pensioners into [...]
Ask the expert: I lost my job at 56. Can I retire? Personal Finance Lost your job in your 50s? Marianna Hunt is back to take a look into whether retiring early, cutting spending or returning to the workplace is the best option when thrust back into the job market later in life. I’m 56 and lost my job in January after a successful career in financial services. I’d [...]
State pension to top £13,000 as triple lock piles pressure on Healey Personal Finance The state pension is set to rise by £490 next year as a result of the triple lock, adding to “pressures” facing Chancellor John Healey as he draws up his first budget. New earnings growth data released on Tuesday has indicated that the triple lock pension will rise by 3.9 per cent. The triple lock [...]
Number of parents at edge of £100k tax trap to ‘grow dramatically’ September 10, 2026 The number of parents grouping just under the £100,000 ‘tax trap’ salary in order to maintain access to free childcare will “grow dramatically”, tax researchers have warned, while some households continue to claim the benefit despite earning above the income threshold. The Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (Centax) has estimated that there could be [...]
Ask the expert: Can I build a £1m pension by 60? September 1, 2026 Fidelity personal financial specialist Marianna Hunt is back on hand to answer your burning questions, and today a reader wants to know how to achieve a £1m pension pot. Q. I’m 32 and earn £50,000 per year. I only have about £55,000 in my pension currently and want to grow that to £1m by age [...]
Over one million pensioners hit by higher income tax rates September 1, 2026 The number of pensioners paying the highest rates of income tax has doubled in the last five years as frozen thresholds drag more Brits into higher bands. The amount of pensioners paying income tax at 40 per cent or 45 per cent has surpassed one million this current tax year, according to a freedom of [...]
Use AI for investing at your own risk, warns watchdog August 27, 2026 The financial watchdog has warned Brits using AI for investment advice that they may not be protected if things go wrong as more people turn to online chatbots. Four in five inexperienced investors admitted to using AI tools for help with their investment decision, according to the latest research from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). [...]
Pensioners to hand over bank statements in government benefits crackdown August 26, 2026 Pensioners will have to hand over their bank statements to the government as part of its crackdown on the ballooning benefits system. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) is preparing to inform pensioners they will need to provide bank statements as part of its review into Pension Credit claims, I News first reported. The [...]
Billions in pensions go missing: JP Morgan and Standard Life reconnect Brits with lost wealth August 24, 2026 Over £2bn in lost wealth was returned to savers in the first six months of the year, by firms including JP Morgan and Standard Life who want to reconnect Brits with lost money. The initiative, dubbed ‘Billions 4 Millions, returned £2.5bn in lost and uncliamed financial assets to consumers, spanning pensions, investments, savings and financial [...]
Ask the expert: Is this a hack for contributing £29,000 to an ISA? August 17, 2026 Fidelity personal financial specialist Marianna Hunt is back on hand to answer your burning questions, and today a reader wants to know if they’ve found a hack on UK ISA rules. Q. My grandson is turning 18 this year. I want to give him some money to invest in his ISA. Is it true that [...]