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The Times and Sunday Times

ended 19. June 2026

The Times are running with our News Alert on silly financial mistakes made by six-figure earners. Ahead of our meeting with them tomorrow, if you have any other ideas for personal finance articles for The Times or Sunday Times, send them across. If you pitch a story idea and they want to run with it, your response to the alert we do will be pinned to the top so that you're included in the piece.  

3 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Adam Stiles
Managing Director at Helix Financial Partners
As a mortgage broker the biggest financial mistake I see by six-figure earners is missed or late payments on small debts. Missing any debt that is recorded by your credit file can have a huge impact on your wider financial circumstances especially when it comes to borrowing money. It doesn't matter how small the debt is. This can have a real detrimental impact if there are missed or late payments. I've had a client earning over £1m a year get turned down by lenders over a £25 default. In a society which is mainly run by computers, being flippant about the small things can mean that computer 'says no', irrespective of how much you earn.
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Graham Nicoll
Financial Planner, Chartered FCSI at NCL Wealth Partners
Some thoughts on topical subjects to write about:

The biggest myths about protection...and why these are preventing people from insuring their biggest asset - themselves.

The Hidden IHT Trap facing business owners - with pensions falling into the estate for IHT, Business Property Relief reducing and Property heavy wealth presenting IHT challenges, many business owners are thinking about IHT and Estate planning later than they should.

The challenges facing business owners looking to sell - why most business owners will never sell (either they can't or their valuation expectations are too high), or when they sell they don't realise the value they expected or when they do sell they are lost as their identity as a business owner has been lost.

The things new partners forget to plan for financially - becoming a partner is an exciting career milestone, but you go from employee to self-employed, losing many of the benefits and protections you previously had.

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Editor
Tracey Dixon
Buy-to-Let Mortgage Specialist & Owner at Pure Mortgage and Protection
One of the biggest financial mistakes I see high earners make is assuming that a six-figure salary automatically translates into financial security.
Many are so focused on building their careers that they neglect regular reviews of their mortgage, debts, savings and wider financial plans. As a result, they can end up paying more than necessary on borrowing, leaving money in underperforming accounts or missing opportunities to improve their long-term financial position.
I’ve worked with clients earning well into six figures who were surprised to discover they could save hundreds of pounds each month simply by reviewing their mortgage arrangements sooner. A high income can provide opportunities, but it doesn’t guarantee good financial outcomes.

The people who tend to build wealth most successfully aren’t always the highest earners. They’re usually the ones who review their finances regularly, plan ahead and make informed decisions rather than assuming everything will take care of itself