Ask the expert: Should I retire when I still have a mortgage? Personal Finance Mortgage worries overriding retirement excitement? Marianna Hunt is back to take a look over whether retiring while still owing money on your mortgage is a bad idea. I want to retire at 55, which is in five years’ time. However, I still have nine years of repayments on my mortgage. I think I could just [...]
Number of ISA millionaires surges to record high with 25 people holding pots worth £12m Personal Finance The number of ISA millionaires in the UK hit a record high, as more Brits chose to plough their cash into the tax-shielded account. The total number of stocks and shares ISA millionaires increased by more than 50 per cent in the 2023/24 tax year, reaching a record 7,730 according to an FOI request from [...]
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 [...]
HMRC has been overtaxing pensioners for a decade- have you been affected? June 22, 2026 Two weeks ago it was revealed that HMRC has been overcharging millions of pensioners on their tax bill for at least a decade. The taxman had knowingly overcharged taxpayers in receipt of their state pension because of an error in how their income was calculated each year, increasing the bills of up to 8.7m pensioners [...]
Stop and think before asking for a bigger salary June 1, 2026 Comparison is the thief of joy, but many of us fall for it, especially when it comes to salary. John Coleman argues why everyone needs a 'financial finish line'.
Moving abroad won’t save you from the British tax man May 29, 2026 Brits have become ensnared in tax traps following an upheaval of the system by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the past two Autumn Budgets. UK households have been slammed by a number of shake-ups, including an extended freeze of the income tax thresholds, a hike to dividend tax and a new ‘mansion tax’ on properties valued [...]
Fix consumer attitudes to boost stock market participation, say industry experts April 15, 2026 Consumer anxiety over how to invest is the single-biggest barrier to getting more people to enter the stock market, fresh research has found. Targeted support was found most effective when focusing on consumer’s perceived attitudes of investing and the stock market, ultimately increasing investment by at least 30 per cent, according to new findings from [...]
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 [...]
The £4m prenup case: A banker, mistress and a court warning February 6, 2026 A recent High Court decision over a banker and heiress's multimillion-pound divorce is a reminder that prenups aren't bulletproof.
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 [...]