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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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