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    James Max

    Property expert and radio presenter

    James Max, a former investment banker with Morgan Stanley, was a candidate on the first ever British TV series of the The Apprentice, making the semi-final before he heard the words “you’re fired”. He has presented current affairs radio shows for the BBC, LBC and TalkSPORT and TalkRADIO. A former board member of BNP Paribas’ UK real estate business, he currently acts as an adviser to Stanhope, and is a trustee of the Royal Albert Hall.

    @thejamesmax  on Twitter (link opens in a new browser window)

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    • Friday, 25 August, 2023
      Advice & Comment
      Life insurance? I’d rather save the cash

      Cover can make sense for those with little or no savings who are only just managing

    • Friday, 28 July, 2023
      Sport
      Rich People’s Problems: Is sports coaching worth the money?

      I’m never going to be Carlos Alcaraz, yet I spend £1,500 a year on tennis lessons

    • Thursday, 29 June, 2023
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Can I cut costs in the garden?

      You can’t avoid the price of your bit of paradise

      A group of gardeners from the 1930s digging a large hole
    • Thursday, 25 May, 2023
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Should I cut back on my holiday spending?

      Weigh up the rising cost of travel against priceless memories

      The view from a room at Hotel Cipriani, Venice
    • Friday, 28 April, 2023
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Why has my car insurance gone up so much?

      It feels like some companies just don’t want my business

    • Thursday, 23 March, 2023
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: What I learnt from my brother’s death

      Ed showed me that time matters more than money

      A family celebrates together with firework sparklers
    • Thursday, 23 February, 2023
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: I just haven’t got enough money

      Where do I start if I want to take a hatchet to personal spending?

    • Wednesday, 25 January, 2023
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Should I sell my alpine ski apartment?

      Costs are rising and climate change makes snowfalls less predictable

      Living room in an alpine chalet, with a view of snow-covered mountains
    • Thursday, 24 November, 2022
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Have I got enough money to retire?

      You should save at least 12 per cent of your earnings every year — it’s too late for me

      A table with glasses and champagne on a tropical Caribbean beach
    • Friday, 28 October, 2022
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Am I barking mad to pay for pet insurance?

      With a premium of about £4,000 a year, the money might do better in a rainy day savings account

      James Max’s dogs Barnaby and Stanley
    • Friday, 30 September, 2022
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Should I keep my Aga cooker switched off?

      As energy bills soar even those of means are trying to find ways to save

    • Thursday, 25 August, 2022
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Saving the dinner party with McDonald’s

      Economise by all means, but keep entertainment on the menu

      A McDonald’s meal
    • Friday, 29 July, 2022
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Should I ditch my Amex Centurion card?

      The annual fee is rising by more than 50 per cent

    • Thursday, 23 June, 2022
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Leave the airport hordes behind, take a road trip to the sun

      I’ve had enough of flyers with massive suitcases masquerading as hand baggage and flinch at those lacking spatial awareness

      The town of Fayence in Provence
    • Thursday, 26 May, 2022
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Is the business lunch off the menu?

      If anyone takes me to a chain restaurant, you can’t trust their judgment on bigger issues

      A scene from the television series ‘Mad Men’, showing two ad executives dining in a restaurant
    • Thursday, 28 April, 2022
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: My debt is becoming an albatross

      ‘By the time I got to the checkout I was presented with a bill for £210. How on earth did that happen?’

      A woman shops at a supermarket vegetable aisle
    • Friday, 1 April, 2022
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Is my new electric Jaguar worth the wait?

      Only narcissists with more money than sense still go for supercars. Class buys future-proofed, understated battery performance

      A Jaguar I-Pace electric car on the road
    • Thursday, 24 February, 2022
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: I’ve got superyacht envy

      Bidding on a boat could sink your finances

    • Friday, 28 January, 2022
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Big houses mean power struggles

      Energy crisis provides a lesson in ‘Aganomics’ for property owners

    • Thursday, 30 December, 2021
      Private wealth
      Rich People’s Problems: Living the high life on private jets

      Covid has magnified all the faff and time spent queueing for commercial flights

    • Friday, 26 November, 2021
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: How to get a bigger bonus

      Investment bankers are in line for a bumper bonus season — but you’ll need sharp elbows

    • Thursday, 28 October, 2021
      Menswear
      Rich People’s Problems: My wardrobe malfunction

      Having lost three stone, should I invest in some new suits?

    • Friday, 24 September, 2021
      Advice & Comment
      Rich People’s Problems: Should I slum it on a package holiday?

      Snobbery about all-inclusive deals is misplaced, says James Max

      Tourists enjoy the sun on the beach at Ermones in Corfu, Greece, 09 October 2020
    • Friday, 27 August, 2021
      Consumer trends
      Rich People’s Problems: The true cost of losing weight

      Carb loading under lockdown could require investing in a new XXL wardrobe

    • Tuesday, 3 August, 2021
      UK property
      Rich People’s Problems: Is a holiday home worth the hassle?

      ‘Bees in the chimney, subsidence, fallen trees, roof leaks — and I haven’t even mentioned insurance, council tax and maintenance’

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