Moving with The Times

The £100k Salary Myth
“Why earning £100k+ still doesn’t make you feel wealthy”
Loss of personal allowance (the £100k “tax trap”)
Private school fees / mortgages / childcare pressures
Lifestyle inflation masking real wealth

The £1m Pension Trap
“Why high earners are accidentally triggering huge pension tax bills”
Directly impacts affluent professionals
Tapered annual allowance confusion
Carry forward mistakes

Divorce = Wealth Destruction (for Women Especially)
“Why divorce is the biggest financial risk for women over 40”
Women keeping the house but losing long-term income (pensions)
Hidden pension inequality in HNW couples
Long-term impact vs short-term decisions

Is the Government quietly making first-time buyer support less generous?

The Government is consulting on replacing the Lifetime ISA with a new First Time Buyer ISA, but could the new scheme actually leave young savers worse off?

Under a LISA, the 25% government bonus is added immediately and benefits from years of investment growth. Under the proposed First Time Buyer ISA, the bonus wouldn't be paid until the house purchase takes place.

That means a saver investing £4,000 receives growth on £5,000 under a LISA, but only on £4,000 under the new scheme.

Even more surprisingly, withdrawals appear to reduce future bonus entitlement. In some circumstances, a saver making a partial withdrawal could lose all entitlement to the government bonus, potentially leaving them worse off than under the current LISA despite its controversial withdrawal charge.

The proposed First Time Buyer ISA appears to be less about helping younger savers and more about cutting the Treasury’s costs.

The Great Landlord Divide
While much has been written about landlords leaving the market, a more interesting trend is emerging beneath the headlines.
I'm seeing a growing divide between smaller or accidental landlords, many of whom are choosing to sell due to higher costs, regulation and changing tax rules, and professional landlords who are actively expanding their portfolios.
The investors continuing to buy are approaching property very differently. They are focused on cash flow, tenant demand, EPC considerations and long-term portfolio planning rather than relying on house price growth alone.
This raises an interesting question: are we witnessing the professionalisation of the private rental sector, where fewer landlords own a larger proportion of rental property?
A feature could explore who is leaving, who is buying, how investor behaviour is changing, and what this means for tenants, housing supply and the future shape of the rental market.