Ask the expert: Should I invest instead of buying a home? Personal Finance Fidelity personal financial specialist Marianna Hunt is back on hand to answer your burning questions, and today a reader wants to know whether to take the plunge and buy a property or invest. Q. I’m in my late 20s and have managed to save around £20,000, which I initially thought I’duse as a deposit to [...]
Ask the expert: Is £500k enough to retire? Personal Finance Fidelity personal finance specialist Marianna Hunt is back to help a reader who wants to know if they have enough in their portfolio to not only retire but to live the lifestyle they want. Q. I’m 55 and have built up a portfolio worth around £500,000 – split across pensions and ISAs. I’ve also paid [...]
‘Dragged out of the dark ages’: Investment industry welcomes risk warnings review Investing The UK investment industry has welcomed the findings of the Risk Warnings Review, emphasising the need to remove the extremes-focused view on investing. The review, a study commissioned by the Chancellor as part of the Leeds Reforms, found that consumers’ perception of risk has seriously hindered investing in the UK, with the state of risk [...]
Ask the expert: Can I afford a gap year in my 40s? March 11, 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 wishes to take a year off for travel but worries about disrupting long term savings plans. Q: I’m in my [...]
Ask the expert: How should I invest if I’m worried about an AI bubble? February 24, 2026 Fidelity personal finance specialist Marianna Hunt is back on hand to answer your burning questions. This week Marianna helps a reader who is fearful of a potential tech-fuelled stock market crash. Q:I’ve built up reasonable savings in my ISA, workplace pension and SIPP. Most of my investments are in global index funds, so I’m heavily [...]
DIY investment markets swells as more Brits take the plunge February 12, 2026 The UK DIY investment market ballooned by more than £100bn in 2025, as more Brits take the plunge in managing their own assets. The market swelled by 22 per cent last year, reaching £572bn by the end of December, up from the £468bn recorded in 2024, according to the last data from investment research firm [...]
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 [...]
Savers stick to cash amid fears over investment risks September 18, 2025 Fears over falling stock prices are prompting UK savers to avoid investing, new research has found, with Brits preferring to park their earnings in cash. According to online trading platform IG, three in five savers believe any form of retail investing is too risky, despite government and industry figures’ encouragement to increase their exposure to [...]
What has caused the M&A surge in the UK financial sector? August 27, 2025 The UK financial sector has seen an influx of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity so far this year as investors look to capitalise on emerging opportunities in the market. Growing economic stability in both the private and public markets, following a period of instability caused by inflation and soaring interest rates, has sparked a renewed [...]