Today in Money: We start the week with our regular careers feature – this time, we find out what it’s really like to be a private investigator. We also report on the impact budget pension rumours are having. Use the comments box below to get in touch and subscribe to our newsletter.
Monday 13 October 2025 14:40, UK
This weekend’s deep dive into the jobs AI is gunning for garnered a lot of attention from readers.
Hundreds wrote in to share how the tech took their jobs, how they think AI should be managed, and their fears for the future.
If you missed the feature, you can scroll through it here…
Several readers got in touch to say AI wasn’t coming for people’s jobs – it already has.
I was a translator and proofreader but, after building up a freelance career over 20 years, now have no career at all. It isn’t coming for our profession – it has already destroyed it, but as most translators are self-employed in the UK, we are unable to easily unite to speak out.
Melanie H
I have recently been made redundant from a team of 40 that have also been made redundant. We worked in a call centre that has now gone fully AI technology. Most of us are struggling for work as the job market has nothing.
comicsans
Freelance editing and proofreading has dwindled to almost nothing, so have gone to a low paid admin job instead – until that is done by AI.
Villager
I think AI killed my profession two years ago! As a graphic designer, we were on the AI takeover frontline, along with copywriters. I still get a bit of work but I can’t make it work as a business anymore. Desperately trying to learn other things, but I’m now massively in debt.
Mark
AI anxiety is near constant for me in a world where I’m barely saving £100 per month. I’m desperate. 30% of my team was laid off in February, a further 12 employees let go last month. I have survivor’s guilt as I’m not sure why I’ve survived, but I expect it’s coming…
Harry
Those watching on from the sidelines keenly felt the threat posed by AI to society as a whole…
The truth is no job is safe. If AI replaces X amount of the workforce, that X will be looking for jobs that AI can’t do. Everything will become minimum wage as there’ll be no demand for any skills.
Matt Lock
There’s going to have to be a huge rethink on how the economy is run then, lots of angry unemployed people won’t stay quiet for long.
Lucyk
How are those not able to work [going to] be able to get any payments to live? How is the economy system going to function? Government’s got to assist the people.
Clifford Joned
Some readers had suggestions on how the government should tackle the problem…
Companies should pay taxes for each worker that is replaced. If AI does the work of 10, then pay the equivalent taxes for the 10 to the government. The firms would still save on wages. This was Thatcher’s mistake on robots.
Gloria Stonham
The use of AI for profit should be taxed and carefully regulated. Knowledge workers also need to explore ways to protect and claim ownership of their intellectual contributions. We need a framework to make society not just more efficient but more human-centered, not less.
Le Mai Doan
Others were less sympathetic to those losing their jobs…
Better get used to it. You lot asked for this when us boomers told you that computers took jobs. You didn’t care about us, or didn’t take any notice because you were doing so well. Financially, chickens coming home to roost. No sympathy whatsoever.
Jack
Securing work as a trader or medic was the way forward, said some…
Looking at the list of most and least exposed jobs to AI, I am definitely going to strongly recommend to my grandchildren to get trades through apprenticeships and to give university a very wide berth.
Theoldnick
Not going to replace scaffolders is it.
Mike Smith
Emergency worker – I think I should be safe. Can’t exactly see a machine understanding someone’s extreme pain and administering correct medication.
Paul Chall
And not everyone was convinced by the work Money feature writer Brad Young put in to the feature…
This article was absolutely written by ChatGPT
Kev Blewitt
The actual retirement age for both men and women is at its highest level since records began.
New figures published by the Office for National Statistics and cited by consumer expert Which? show that on average, men and women are staying in work until the ages of 65.8 and 64.7 respectively.
The rise, Which? said, is largely down to increases in the state pension age, which will climb to 67 between 2026 and 2028.
The actual retirement age is the highest level since such data was first collected back in 1984. 
Employment rates for 65 year olds have also increased to 42% for men and 29% for women.
If you’ve got your eye on a new iPhone 17, today could be the day you get the cheapest deal. 
Experts at Uswitch found that 29 days after the official tech launch is when prices typically hit their lowest point and deals peak in competitiveness. 
Customers who purchased the previous two iPhone models at this time saved an average of £78.88 a year. 
Since the iPhone 17 went on sale in September, deals with unlimited data have fallen about 7% in price on average, Uswitch found. 
“Pre-release and launch-day offers rarely compete with the discounts available once the initial rush has passed,” says Jez Samuel, Uswitch mobiles expert. 
“Before committing to a new handset, it’s worth comparing your options. The top current iPhone 17 deal on Uswitch is with iD Mobile, offering 100GB of 5G data for just £29.99 per month, with an upfront cost of £159.
“If you’re seeking a bigger bargain, a refurbished iPhone is a smart alternative, with prices for the iPhone 16 starting from £643 total for a SIM-free handset, via Uswitch. This is a great option for those looking to get hands on the latest AI features at a more affordable price point.” 
You can read more about the new iPhone below… 
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By James Sillars, business and economics reporter 
It’s been 10 years since “dieselgate” came to light.
That was the scandal that cost Volkswagen around £30bn in fines and compensation after it was revealed the German carmaker had fitted so-called defeat devices to most diesel models – software that would give a false, low, reading when the vehicles were undergoing emissions testing.
The bulk of that sum was paid out in the United States.
Here in the UK, Volkswagen settled claims for a £193m payout to owners in May 2022.
The next stage of dieselgate-related legal action is beginning at the High Court today.
Owners of diesel vehicles made by Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Nissan, Renault, Peugeot and Citroen are bringing their class action suit.
Their lawyers claim the companies, like VW, also used unlawful software to ensure emissions were kept within legal limits during testing.
They argue those limits were far exceeded during normal on-the-road use.
The case will focus on a small sample of diesel vehicles produced by the five manufacturers, which are being sued by nearly 850,000 claimants.
It is set to last three months and it could be well into 2026 before a judgment is reached. If successful, a further hearing would be needed to set any damages.
The firm handling the claims, Leigh Day, says the class action claim is unprecedented in scale for the legal system in England and Wales and could take in up to 1.6 million people if expanded.
The company believes the case could be worth up to £6bn.
As of yesterday, the countries of the Schengen system, Europe’s passport-free travel area, have started introducing new travel rules that are rolled out across the bloc within three months.
The new rules require all third-country passengers, including Britons, to have their fingerprints and photographs taken when they enter or exit most EU countries, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
One of the few – and busiest – EU airports to deploy the new system from day one is in Prague, where long queues quickly started forming yesterday, according to Simon Calder, The Independent’s travel correspondent.
While new digital border registration machines should eventually smoothen the process, biometric data had to be manually recorded by Czech border force on the first day, Calder reports.
UK passengers said they had to wait about an hour to 90 minutes at customs.
The wider response to the new system has been mixed, with one user reporting on social media that their processing time was no longer than two minutes.
Calder says the first British passengers arriving yesterday also reported short wait times.
Others said they underwent similar procedures in Prague before the new system took effect, with some experiencing delays while other didn’t.
Lloyds Banking Group has estimated the car finance compensation scheme could cost it £1.95bn after putting aside an extra £800m for the mis-selling scandal.
It had been assessing the impact since the Financial Conduct Authority revealed last week it was consulting on a compensation scheme, with up to 14.2 million car finance agreements potentially eligible for payouts.
The regulator had previously found that many lenders failed to disclose commission paid to brokers, which could have led to customers paying more than they should have between April 2007 and November 2024.
Eligible customers could receive an average of £700 each under the proposals.
By James Sillars, business and economics reporter 
If this year has taught us anything, it’s to closely watch Donald Trump’s Truth Social account to keep track of his dealmaking playbook.
On Friday afternoon, the US president threatened to impose additional tariffs of 100% on China in response to the country’s planned restrictions on exports of rare earth minerals – products that are crucial for the manufacture of tech from computer chips to jet engines.
The prospect of a return to trade war, rather than trade talks, sent financial markets into a tailspin with the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite in the US falling by 3.6% – its worst day since April’s trade war slide.
It was a similar story across US stock markets, while those in Europe were open just long enough to feel a hit.
The FTSE 100 fell by 0.9% on Friday.
Brent crude oil plunged by 4% to $62 a barrel and the dollar sank too. Bitcoin was down 17%, while gold – a popular safe haven during Trump’s second term – rose back above the $4,000 per ounce level.
Perhaps in reaction to the US stock market falls, Trump struck a different tone on social media over the weekend.
“Don’t worry about China, it will all be fine! Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment. The USA wants to help China, not hurt it!!!”
What?!
Some saw this as a so-called TACO (Trump always chickens out) moment.
Though others pointed out the whole thing was probably a staged play, prepping the ground for an expected meeting with President Xi at a summit later this month.
Either way, US futures are positive and stability has returned to shares in Europe as the FTSE has, like rivals, opened slightly higher at 9,445. That’s a rise of 0.2%.
Trump’s dealings have dominated stock market sentiment this year.
It’s an abrasive style but, looking across at the scenes in the Middle East right now, it’s sometimes difficult to fault it when the results almost always go in his favour.
A lack of clarity on potential pension changes in the budget is leading to “erratic behaviours” among those approaching retirement, experts have claimed.
Audit, tax and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg have released a statement ahead of the 26 November set-piece by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
“People in the 55-65-year-old age cohort are potentially jeopardising six-figure pension savings because of fears that the tax-free lump sum will be slashed,” Tomm Adams, a partner at the firm, said.
“This along with the fact that inheritance tax will also be levied on unused defined contribution pension pots from April 2027 is leading to a surge in people withdrawing their 25% lump sum, potentially needlessly, sacrificing future growth and reducing their ability to save further amounts tax-efficiently.
“The tax consequences they face can’t be undone once that can of worms is opened.”
What pension changes could we see in the budget?
Experts speaking to industry news agency Newspage have shared some of the ways pensions could be tweaked during the budget:
If you’ve ever spent your morning commute daydreaming about starting afresh with your career, this feature is for you. Each Monday, we speak to someone from a different profession to discover what it’s really like. This week, we chat to veteran private investigator Mike LaCorte.
Our fees vary depending on complexity, jurisdictions and objectives… A standard surveillance job might cost anywhere from £1,500-£2,500 a day. A due diligence report for a corporate merger could be £5,000-£15,000. Blackmail resolution involving travel, cyber support, and legal coordination might start at £25,000 and scale up. Longer-term retainer risk management models are where we earn the most.
Here’s one of my secrets for investigating… People often reuse usernames. By tracking a username across platforms, databases, and forums, you can build a surprisingly complete profile, even if the person thinks they’ve been discreet. 
Curiosity, genuine, relentless curiosity, is the single most important skill in this profession… You have to be deeply interested in people, behaviours, patterns, and anomalies. It’s that instinct to ask why, to dig one layer deeper than everyone else, that often leads to the breakthrough. You can teach someone the technical elements, but curiosity, in my opinion, can’t be taught. It’s either part of your mindset, or it’s not.
There isn’t one set path… I entered the industry at a time when training was scarce, so much of it was hands-on. Today, I encourage new investigators to take formal courses, join professional associations like the ABI and continually educate themselves.
Reputation is everything… If you’ve delivered results under pressure and acted with integrity, people remember and recommend you. We don’t advertise in the traditional sense.
Blackmail cases are increasingly common… especially in high-net-worth circles. Crypto scams and family disputes involving hidden wealth are also on the rise. Our other most common cases include…
Success in my industry is often difficult to shout about… The most significant wins usually happen quietly, behind closed doors, under strict confidentiality. That said, one standout moment was being awarded Investigator of the Year by the World Association of Detectives in 2017 in Bucharest, which was a rare moment of public recognition in a very private world. The case involved a high-profile international blackmail scheme targeting an individual at extreme personal and reputational risk. We uncovered the blackmailers, neutralised the threat, and restored the client’s safety and peace of mind. It was a complex operation involving digital forensics, covert surveillance, and cooperation with the UK police and is one of the most satisfying cases I’ve led. 
I’ve traced hidden assets across multiple jurisdictions in a contentious divorce… and exposed a romance scam that spanned two continents.
I find myself deeply affected by any case involving… vulnerable individuals. Especially young people at risk, survivors of abuse, or families desperate for answers. 
A Canadian family reached out in absolute distress… Their daughter had travelled to the UK to meet a man she’d only known via an online chatroom. She was over 18, so the authorities weren’t particularly responsive, despite growing concerns about her safety. The family feared she was being manipulated or held in a coercive environment. We stepped in, traced her location and quickly identified signs that she was in a highly vulnerable and potentially dangerous situation. Through sensitive and careful handling and liaising with the authorities, we were able to intervene, safeguard her and help facilitate a safe return. Afterwards, her family sent me a photo of them all reunited, smiling and hugging. That image is something I’ll never forget. It reminds me that what we do isn’t just investigative, it’s personal. These aren’t just cases; they’re people’s lives. 
Private investigation salaries can vary significantly… A newly qualified professional investigator might earn around £20-£30,000, often working irregular hours, subcontracting for agencies, or building up their own portfolio. Earnings can increase to more than £50,000. If you own your own agency, like I do with Conflict International, income potential becomes far greater. Running multi-jurisdictional investigations and serving high-net-worth clients or corporate entities can mean annual earnings stretching into six figures.
I regularly work over 60 hours a week… Operating globally means my phone rings at all hours. When a client calls from Dubai at midnight UK time, you need to answer. It’s not uncommon for me to jump on a flight the next day or manage multiple live cases across different time zones. That said, I do try to schedule three to four breaks a year, ideally somewhere quiet where I can get in lengthy cycles and switch off. But I’m never fully offline. It’s a lifestyle, not a 9-to-5 job.
The biggest misconception of being a private investigator is… That it is all action-packed, glamorous work, like something out of a James Bond film or a Sherlock Holmes novel. People imagine car chases, dramatic confrontations, or sitting in dark rooms connecting red string on cork boards. The reality is quite different. Most of the work is slow, deliberate, and detail-oriented. 
Some elements of the job match TV detectives… Like using disguises or running surveillance operations. But there’s far more legal compliance, GDPR navigation, and ethical decision-making than TV ever shows. We’re not vigilantes, we operate within strict legal frameworks, often under intense scrutiny.
We routinely turn down work that raises red flags… Sometimes it’s obvious: someone wants us to “follow” an ex-partner under suspicious circumstances, or they’re trying to use our services to gain leverage in a personal dispute without legal cause. We’ve had people ask us to access private messages, hack social media accounts, or “ruin someone’s life”.
There are a few things I sometimes dislike about my job… Chasing unpaid invoices is definitely one of them. We put in a huge amount of time, care, and specialist expertise into our work, often under immense pressure, so having to chase clients who go quiet once they’ve got what they need is not only frustrating but disheartening. But, sometimes, the hardest part is seeing the truth, knowing exactly what’s happening, but being unable to act due to legal limitations, jurisdictional issues, or a client’s decision not to pursue it. Despite all that, I wouldn’t change what I do. But yes, like any job, it comes with its shadows.
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