Ask the expert: How do I convert my property portfolio into a pension? April 2, 2026 Do you have a personal finance question that you’re struggling to find an answer to? Email askthexpert@cityam.com Questions will be published anonymously. Fidelity personal finance specialist Marianna Hunt is back to advise a reader who is looking to turn their property portfolio into pension income. Q: How do you convert an exclusively property portfolio into [...]
Awful April: brace for a wave of stealth tax rises March 31, 2026 April is upon us and the new tax year will usher in a range of tax hikes, despite the absence of any headline rate rises, with frozen thresholds, shrinking allowances and tighter reliefs set to hit families, workers and savers. The harsh impact will also be felt as Brits are hit with a wave of [...]
The end of the tax year is approaching: Here are the key allowances to use March 12, 2026 The end of the tax year is fast approaching with April 5 just weeks away. Many people will be awaiting the opportunity to renew their ISAs to manage their tax bill, but others will be prioritising making the use of key tax allowances. Many of these allowances cannot be carried forward into the new tax [...]
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 [...]
Wetherspoon shares sink after business rates knock profit January 21, 2026 Wetherspoon shares slumped on Wednesday after the pub giant laid bare the scale of the financial hit from November’s tax-raising Budget. The FTSE 250 member said cost rises across energy, wages, repairs and business rates had put up costs by a staggering £45m in the 25 weeks to mid-January. That would imply a cost rise [...]
Scottish higher earners at risk of being hammered with more tax January 13, 2026 Higher earners in Scotland could pay over £1,000 more in extra tax, as the Scottish Finance Secretary copies Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget playbook. Finance Secretary Shona Robison opted to raise the tax threshold for both basic and intermediate tax payers, but left the higher rate unchanged, which is likely to drag more earners into higher [...]
Retail investor tax anxiety hits record highs January 13, 2026 Retail investor anxiety surrounding taxes has hit a record high, as Brits work to absorb the impact of Autumn Budget policy changes. Nearly 50 per cent of UK investors said they were concerned about the impact of taxes and government policies on the performance of their portfolios for the coming year in December, up from [...]
UK investors spooked by tax hikes on dividends and savings December 16, 2025 Rachel Reeves’ Budget decisions have raised alarm bells among DIY investors after they were hit with tax hikes and cuts to incentives, despite the Chancellor’s aim to push more funds into public markets. Over 70 per cent of investors said they were concerned about the increased basic and higher rates of taxes on dividends, property [...]
Autumn Budget: Dividends set to be subject to tax hike November 26, 2025 Dividends are set for a tax hike next year, in a move that could potentially push people away from investing in the stock market. Individuals who take dividends from a company or who earn dividends from shares pay different tax rates according to the income tax band they fall under. From April 2026, a two [...]