Knowing what to do if you’ve been scammed and where to get help is crucial. Here are five key steps to recover from a financial scam.

1. Act quickly

Time is crucial when dealing with financial scams. Take immediate action if you think you’ve been scammed to minimise any further damage. If you’ve shared personal information, contact your bank or building society right away to report the fraud and freeze your accounts to prevent further unauthorised transactions.

If scammers have posed as a person you trust, such as a family member or your ...

Where financial planning makes a real difference

The 60% tax trap has become one of the most significant - and least understood - financial hurdles for UK earners. While the headline higher‑rate tax band suggests a 40% rate, the reality is far more punishing.

If your income is close to or above £100,000, you may be affected by the “60% tax trap.” This happens because your personal allowance is gradually taken away once your income passes £100,000.  For every £2 earned above that threshold, £1 of allowance is lost.

The effect is a marginal...

Yesterday we hosted our charity webinar to raise awareness of a very little-known disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) which currently has no cure.

DMD is a progressive condition diagnosed in childhood which causes all the muscles in the body to gradually weaken, including the heart and lungs. DMD almost always affects boys and is typically diagnosed in childhood between the age of three and six.

We also wanted to show our support for an incredible young man called Ben and share his story living with this condition to highlight...

Why speaking to your adviser matters more than ever

With mortgage rates shifting in response to global events, the Chancellor has asked the UK’s biggest lenders to step up support for borrowers. As part of this, lenders will soon be contacting 1.6 million customers whose fixed‑rate deals are ending this year to outline the help available.

While this is welcome news, it’s also important to remember one thing:

Your lender will only tell you about their own products.  Your adviser can tell you about a wide range of your options. 

Here’s w...

What protection behaviour tells us

In an increasingly digital world, it’s easy to assume that financial decisions are best made online, through comparison tools, calculators and automated journeys. But when it comes to protection, recent research suggests something very different. Despite the growth of technology in financial services, people still value human advice, especially when decisions feel personal, emotional or complex.

The AMI Protection Viewpoint Research highlights that around 70% of consumers believe personal contact is imp...

For 2026, Fox Payne are proud to have partnered with the charity Duchenne UK and specifically the Ben vs Duchenne Family Fund.  Please take 4 mins to watch Ben's film, then visit our Just Giving page to add your support by making a donation.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive condition diagnosed in childhood. It causes all the muscles in the body to gradually weaken, including the heart and lungs.  DMD almost always affects boys. It is typically diagnosed in childhood between the age of three and six. 

There is currently ...

Financial scams are more sophisticated than ever before, but a few tell-tale signs can give them away. Here are four ways to spot a financial scam and what to do if you think someone’s trying to scam you.

We’d like to think we wouldn’t fall for a financial scam, but the truth is we’re all vulnerable. Even amateur fraudsters can create convincing ads or replicate the websites, emails and phone calls of genuine financial businesses.

But no matter how sophisticated the attempt there are usually a few key signs that someone is trying to scam y...

In an ever-changing world, navigating your financial options can be challenging. Whether you’re thinking about ways to save, planning for retirement, considering how best to use your tax allowances, or thinking about how your estate might be passed on, it’s often hard to know where to begin. That’s where advice can make a real difference – helping you plan with clarity and purpose.

Making sense of pensions

Pensions remain one of the most effective ways to save for later life, yet, with evolving rules, changing allowances, and a wide rang...

What Financial Advice Really Covers

When people think about professional financial advice, they often picture help with tax planning, pensions, investments or mortgages. While these are all important areas, they only scratch the surface of what a financial adviser really does. 

A Personal Trainer for Your Financial Life

A helpful way to think about a financial adviser is like a personal trainer for your finances. A personal trainer doesn’t just hand you a workout plan; they take time to understand your goals, assess where you are now an...