Money Confidential with Katie Morley

It’s a curtain call for Katie this week as we reach the series finale. From inheritance disputes to imposter syndrome and even asking mum for a cheeky 70k, we’ve covered all sorts. And it’s generated a lot of interest, with tonnes of emails and comments from Telegraph readers. So today, we’re going to do our best to work through your thoughts and opinions with two men who I’m told also have lots of thoughts and opinions - it’s not the two Ronnies but the two michaels! Michael Deacon and Michael Mosbacher!

When the time comes for our children to grow up and settle down with someone, we can only hope and pray that they choose that person wisely.

One couple who know this only too well are Malcolm* and his wife, Penelope, who did all they could to raise their three children to have good judgement. Yet have been horrified by every one of the long-term partners they have each brought home.

Malcolm and Penelope have worked hard to build an estate of around £2,000,000, and they wrote to the Telegraph's Money Confidential podcast with fears that when their children eventually inherit this money, it could end up with the unsuitable partners. Their plan is to leave their entire estate equally among their children, but they want to know: how can they keep their hard-earned fortune out of the "bad" partners' hands if their relationships don't work out?

Since her younger brother was born when she was six years old, Melanie* has always felt he was treated differently by their parents. Whereas she was shipped off to boarding school at the earliest possible opportunity, only coming home to visit twice a year, he attended a local school and lived at home until the age of 24.  

Recently, Melanie and her brother were called to their parents house where they were told that they had changed how they were going to be distributing their inheritance after both of them eventually die. Instead of splitting it 50/50 between Melanie and her brother as they had previously planned, they announced they had decided to divide it into six parts, four parts for Melanie's brother (so include his partner and their twins), and two parts for Melanie and her only son. 

For Melanie being told her inheritance had been drastically reduced, while her brother's had increased, felt like a huge slap in the face.

On hand to help is Psychological Consultant, Jessicca McGawley, who deals with emotionally charged family situations like Melanies' every day. Melanie and her brother clearly have very different relationships with their parents, but is it ever justified to treat siblings unequally when it comes to money and inheritances?  

There are few more joyous occasions than the weddings of our nearest and dearest, but for one anonymous Telegraph reader, a friends' upcoming nuptials are giving her sleepless nights. 

A close friend of 25 years has chosen to be a bride in Mauritius, and she's given our reader, who we'll call Ellie, the honour of being a bridesmaid. Though delighted to be asked, Ellie confesses to the Money Confidential podcast that she can't afford to attend the wedding, meaning she will have to decline the invite. 

Ellie is desperate not to let her friend down, but at the same time she feels she needs to put herself first. She says the cost of going to the friend's wedding will delay her future plans to settle down, and at 31, she feels she doesn't have time to waste.

The wine is delicious, the food is perfectly cooked, the conversation is relaxed and flowing. Yet there is one thing, especially for us Brits, that can really turn the sweetness of a perfect evening with friends bitter: the awkward matter of who pays for what.

On this week's episode of Money Confidential, Katie hears from two listeners at opposite ends of the wealth spectrum, and with very different dilemmas: Maggie* is fed up of being rinsed, while Charles* no longer wants to be lavished.