The Meaningful Money Personal Finance Podcast

Welcome to another MM Q&A, taking in budgeting rules of thumb, pension tax relief and offshore worker pension contributions, and lots more besides! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA14    01:57  Question 1 Hi Pete, I’ve been a long-time follower of your podcast and hope to be retiring or entering my ‘renaissance’ in the next five years or so. I’d like to know if you think the 50, 30, 20 rule is still a good rule of thumb, or is there a better one? About a year ago, I decided to give a presentation on pensions to the new starters at my workplace. As I prepared, I realised that while I could explain the mechanics and importance of pensions, the bigger challenge would be addressing the feeling many have that they "can’t afford" to contribute due to financial pressures—especially for younger people. Reflecting on my own experiences during university and early work life, I noticed a pattern: no matter how much I earned, I always seemed to end up with zero by the end of the term or month. Earning more didn’t make me happier, and I was going out less compared to when I had very little. A detailed review of my spending revealed I was wasting money on unnecessary things—like buying three CDs instead of two, upgrading to a large coffee when a medium would do, or adding extras to my car that weren’t needed. It was only when I learnt to pay myself first that everything changed overnight. Recently, I’ve been listening to podcasts about retirement that emphasise health, purpose, and happiness. One by Dr. Chatterjee introduced the concept of core happiness versus junk happiness. Core happiness comes from meaningful, lasting fulfilment, while junk happiness provides short-term pleasure through things like sugar, smoking, alcohol, social media, or shopping. Looking back, much of my unnecessary spending was driven by junk happiness. While paying myself first helped control this, understanding the why behind it made a big difference. This led me to realise that my presentation shouldn’t just focus on the mechanics of finance—it also needed to explore the psychology behind spending. Understanding why we buy the things we do is important to becoming more financially secure while staying happy. It was something in one of Nischa’s videos that seemed to tie everything together at a high level: the 50-30-20 rule —50% for fundamentals, 30% for fun, and 20% for the future. So my question is ( I know I’ve gone around the houses so sorry about that) given today’s financial turbulence, do you think this is still a good rule to follow? Kind regards, Steve 09:16  Question 2 Hi Pete and Roger, Thanks for all the content you've put our over years, it really has been so helpful. I am 54 and have a work place pension with Fidelity where my employer matches my contributions to a certain level and I make additional through my monthly pay to the tune of £2.400 p.m. This summer I am due to inherit around £130,000 and will look to add around 20k of it  into my pension fund.  My question relates specifically to tax relief. I understand that when I make the contribution in the summer I will get 20pc tax relief automatically, but how will this show itself, will my contribution of 20k actually show on my pension balance a 24k?    Also as a 40pc high rate tax payer I understand I will need to to complete a tax return to claim the additional 20%.  This being the case, would I still be able to do this if I had left my employment later in the same tax year as I may be looking to retire in Autumn 2025.  Would it be the case that as I was no longer a higher rate tax payer as at 4 April 2026 I would not be able to claim the extra 20pc  on the 20k contribution the previous summer kind regards Gary 16:09  Question 3 Hi Pete & Roger, Firstly, I am absolutely addicted to your podcast. What you’re doing is nothing short of heroic and am waiting to see your names on the New Year Honours List. Sir Pete and Sir Roger has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? I am 34 and work in a career that gives me the opportunity to go on expat assignments (typically 3-year stints). This results in me becoming a non-tax resident in the UK meaning I can no longer contribute to the UK DC workplace pension and no longer able to contribute to my S&S ISA. My company do have an Offshore version of the DC pension but contributions to this are made after hypothetical tax so effectively there is no tax relief and to be honest I have really struggled to understand how I would access this pension come retirement and the UK tax implications so will likely avoid contributing to it this time around. When I go on an expat assignment, although I do get significant uplifts to my income, it interrupts my flow of regular pension and ISA contributions. The income I earn on assignment just mounts up and gets eaten up by inflation until I return to the UK and continue investing again. My question is what advice would you give to people like me? Should I speak to a financial planner before I go on assignment, or can I DIY this? Should I try to max out pension contribution limits before I go on assignment and max them out on return or should I be investing in GIAs while I am on assignment? What other considerations would you recommend? Thanks, Ryan 23:23  Question 4 Dear Pete and Rog, Thanks so much for your podcast - not just for the technical tips and tricks but for educating us towards and encouraging healthy relationships with finances. Q1 can I buy you a drink when I'm next in Cornwall? Q2 I don't know if this will resonate with other listeners, but here goes.... Pete, you have sometimes made reference to your upbringing in a Christian home, particularly in relation to talking (or not!) about money.  I appreciate that it may not be something you have chosen to follow in later life, but I guess if anyone understood the moral, ethical and belief issues surrounding money and Christianity, you might. As a Christian who tries to follow Biblical principles & the teachings of Christ, on one hand I strongly believe that what ever we have, be that time, skills, talents or money, they are a gift from God and we should use them or "steward them" well.  I am an NHS consultant so am fortunate to be in both 1995 and 2015 DB NHS pension schemes, expect to get a full state pension, am building an emergency fund, don't have bad debts, have adequate insurance / income protection and am seeking to invest a little of my spare money via an ISA into a low cost, passive, globally diversified index tracker (not financial advice!)  This seems wise to me.  I would encourage my fairly grown up children in this way too. On the other hand, there is much Biblical teaching along the lines of - "don't worry about tomorrow, what you will wear etc", "build up treasures in heaven rather than on earth" and "seek first the Kingdom of God".... Have you any thoughts or insights on how I might square some of this.  Or can you point me in the direction of planners / advisors who can? Many thanks once again. Robbie 31:14  Question 5 Hi Roger and Pete Love the show, which I have recommended to so many people. I consider myself a more mature investor with long-term savings, ISA's and Pensions who has also completed the build wealth course on Meaningful Academy and coaching with Alistair. I was listening to the Making Money podcast with Damien, and he was interviewing the COO of Nest who talked about how they are offering access to Private Equity investment via Schroders Capital. So my question is, what do you think of this as an option for further diversification, and are there any good options/ funds for private investors like me to access? Thanks in advance Jamie 35:23  Question 6 Hi guys, Been listening for a couple years now. Really enjoy the show and the rapport you both have. You’ve made me passionate about saving regularly into my stocks and shares ISA, maximising pension contributions and building up an emergency fund. My dad is 71 and has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He is still in good shape, but we are starting to think and plan more for the future. My sister and I have recently been set up to have power of attorney so we can help with various health and financial things when the time comes. My dad is selling a property (not his main residence) and once completed will have about £250,000 in cash sitting in his bank. He receives a DB pension of just under £60k a year which he can comfortably live on. £60k of the £250k is currently in a cash ISA with a decent enough rate. Although I think this may be best sat within a stocks and shares ISA tracking a global equity index fund, as he will almost certainly not need this money any time soon. Could he transfer the £60k cash ISA to a stocks and shares one? I have suggested for him to put £50k into premium bonds and I think he would like £50k readily available in an instant access account should it ever be needed. This would leave him with about £90k that we’re not sure what to do with. Do you have any tips for the remaining cash whether that be with a short term, or medium to long term view? (GIA? Fixed term income account? Gift the money? Anything else we’re missing?) His pension makes him a higher rate tax payer but his estate would fall under the inheritance tax threshold. (If my question is already too long, please don’t feel obliged to read this last part out!) Finally my sister and I are also concerned about potential fraud or him doing something daft. Not only because he has Alzheimer’s, but it seems anyone can so easily be caught out these days. Do you have any tips for us to help combat this or what his bank might suggest. We haven’t currently told his bank about his condition or that my sister and I have power of attorney. Thanks for all your great work, Steven

Transcribed - Published: 21 May 2025

This week's MMQ&A covered questions on whether you need an emergency fund in retirement, starting late and the mechanics of the residence nil rate band, among other things! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA13  Questions Asked 01:03  Question 1 Hello Pete n Rog Thank you for the brilliant podcast which has turned my money management around in four months. I love your banter as much as your expertise. My question is: Do people need an emergency fund in retirement, and if so how big should it be? With DB pensions coming my way I’ll have a guaranteed income so how important is it? Many thanks and keep up the great work Caroline   04:21  Question 2 Hi guys, I’m probably not your usual demographic so I’m not sure if this will be of enough use to your listeners but… Having grown up in what may be classed as modern day poverty (raised on state benefits, single parent family) I had zero financial literacy. This meant that when I started my career as a teacher I opted out of the pension because I “couldn’t afford” to pay into it… yes I know now that was a bad move! I eventually opted back in, but then took big chunks [of time?] out to travel and have children. I divorced and had to leave my career to raise my own children. I’m now 47 and staring into a huge financial hole (as I suspect are many mothers/divorcees). Now it’s not all doom and gloom as I have made a few intuitive moves. I own a large family home and a second property (these are mortgaged), but my worry is actual cash. State pension won’t touch the sides of what I’ll need. What would be your suggestion on how to start accumulating at this late stage? I’ve opened a vanguard pension and make personal and company contributions (I have a tuition business now) but it feels like too little too late as I’ve missed the opportunity for exponential compounding. I can’t work out how to figure out what I’ll need and then reverse engineer the numbers to see if I’ll make it! I have a high tolerance to risk, but Is it just pour as much as possible into the pension and pray? Keep doing this amazing podcast please as you have no idea who you are reaching and helping each week. Jenny   11:51  Question 3 Hi Pete & Roger, Love the pod, keep up the good work! My mum is in her eighties and has been asking me about inheritance tax and in-particular “passing on her home”.  We both take an interest in finance, so I said I’d read up on it online. I understand you can inherit up to £325,000 tax free.  My Dad passed away 9 years ago and I believe that his threshold would be taken into account as well, to make the total tax free amount £650,000. I then read that If you give away your home to your children or grandchildren, your threshold can increase to £500,000. I believe this would mean that the total threshold (with my late Dad in mind) would be £1,000,000? Her house is worth just under a million and she has approximately £100k in a Vanguard stocks and shares ISA. My main question is, if she were to make a change in her will to “pass on her home”, would this be an inheritance tax saving to her children in the future, as there would be less of a total amount to pay tax on? I’m, also unsure if the home has to be passed on to an individual, or if stating “her children in equal splits” would suffice. In reality, we would probably sell her home when the time comes, so I don’t know if there are additional rules around how long you would have to keep it for etc. Any clarity on this subject would be much appreciated. PS: There’s nothing dodgy going on here and we’re not wishing her away! Many thanks! John 17:19  Question 4 Dear Pete and Roger, Thank you for an excellent podcast and your contribution to allowing people to self improve their finances. I am 33 and think I was already on the more competent end of the financial spectrum before I found your podcast. I.e. I had no ‘bad debt’, had an emergency fund, had cleared my full student loan and overpayed our mortgage to clear 60% in 6 years (just in time for the rate rise!). That said, I now definitely have a better understanding of the fundamentals of financial stability and have started to invest in the last year since listening to you. I listen to a few other podcasts more directly targeting doctors to see if anything specific applies to me / the NHS pension, but still enjoy yours the most. Anyway, my question (regardless of whether you want to include the above compliment or not) is … why is more weight not given to S&S LISA’s for later life (alongside a normal S&S ISA)? My understanding is the ‘negatives’ would be … (1) loss of invested money if withdrawn early by way of the reverse 25% deduction (2) fees being slightly higher That said, if not withdrawn early, when comparing £4000 / year in a normal S&S ISA, the 25% bonus is surely a significant bonus even with slightly higher fees? What am I missing? Best wishes, Ben 21:23  Question 5 Great podcast My wife and I are both additional rate tax payers and hence our ability to put money into our pensions is limited. We have a field behind our house that we have thought about buying for a while and I was wondering whether the below was legal/valid. The govt introduced the concept of biodiversity net gain (BNG) around property development. There is a market in BNG units where you are paid (I believe) an upfront cost and you need to preserve the habitat for 30Y+. Receiving all the money upfront isn’t that tax efficient so executing in a pension would make sense. Can I 1. Buy the land behind us in my pension (believe I can get 2x leverage but not that important) 2. Sell the BNG units – bringing cash into the pension 3. Sell the field back to myself out of the pension for the amount I sold it to the pension for (clearly it’s worth less since it is now encumbered with the 30Y liability but ultimately if I want to pay full whack for it then can I?). I am happy to pay for the maintenance of the land inline with the BNG requirements I am now net flat (ish) on the land deal inside my pension but I’ve managed to get the upfront payment for the BNG in a tax free wrapper. If all that makes it too complicated I think I’m essentially asking if I can sell my pension an asset, realise a gain inside the pension and then buy it back (potentially at an off market price)? Hopefully makes sense, Best John 26:47  Question 6 Hello Pete & Rog, Long time listener and meaningful money fan... No worries if you don't get to answer this, just grateful for all of the amazing content you give away for free. Thanks to you both! In response to another question on a prior podcast Pete mentioned that he wasn't super keen on investment properties due to the fact that it's not very tax efficient and increasing regulations. I have a buy to let with no mortgage so I'm not leveraged like many landlords which has led to me questioning it as an investment. I don't especially enjoy being a landlord and I realise that quite often my SIPP returns are more than my rental income and the property increase in value over the year (I do charge quite low rent because I have a lovely tenant who has been there for 14 years). At 47 I'm thinking when the tenant finally does move on, rather than renting it out again, instead selling the property and paying the money into my SIPP and S&S ISA. It's worth ~£270k after £35k CGT and estate agent costs. I earn approx £50k and can back date my SIPP allowance from the last 3 years. I have a good emergency fund and my SIPP is currently £205k, LISA £45k, ISA £50k (and no mortgage on my own home, living with my partner with no kids, no debt). My plan to live on a fairly modest retirement of around £25,000 a year from my early to mid 60s depending on how my Investments do. Love the podcast and the clear way you explain things in a way even I can understand ;) Best wishes, Russell Send Us Your Listener Question We’re going to spin out the listener questions into a separate Q&A show which we’ll drop into the feed every 2-3 weeks or so. These will be in addition to the main feed, most likely, but they’re easier for us to produce because they require less writing! Send your questions to [email protected] Subject line: Podcast Question

Transcribed - Published: 14 May 2025

Join Roger as he interviews Pete to celebrate the launch of The Meaningful Money Retirement Guide, asking the questions you want answered! Order The Meaningful Money Retirement Guide: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/meaningful-money-retirement-guide/ Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/session574  02:10  Congrats on the new book, Pete - how was it writing this one, compared with the first? 05:39  Why write this book NOW? 07:10  What isn’t in the book that you wish you’d included? Or probably more difficult to answer, is there something that (having completed the audiobook after writing) that you felt it didn’t need? 10:00  How difficult did you find setting out concepts without going too in depth to potentially “lose people” or too simple to make the book not interesting enough? 13:07  How different do you find it writing "evergreen" content in your books vs more topical content for YouTube, and to a lesser degree for the podcast? 16:20  After reading the New retirement book, will it provide knowledge to go alone in retirement without seeking expensive financial advice? 20:05  Does the book help with a ‘soft’ retirement or is it just for those that want to completely stop work on a particular date? 25:00  What will the book offer the reader that I can’t get elsewhere? Is it worth paying for the Academy if I read the book? 28:38  What’s the best thing you would tell your 20yo self? 31:03  Would you lobby government to have PROPER financial teaching delivered to kids in school? How would you package your knowledge for teenagers? 33:22  Pete talks about a new podcast - Bank of Dad - which daughter Kate will host. 35:25  A few people asked: What are Pete’s plans for retirement? Did ‘die with zero’ change them? 38:00  Pete talks about Dave Ramsey and how he brought in different personalities. 41:35  Pete talks about practicing what he preaches.  

Transcribed - Published: 7 May 2025

This week we devote an episode of the MMQ&A to pensions of all flavours, answering questions on public sector schemes, partial transfers, fund choices and much more! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA12    00:52  Question 1 Hi Chaps! I only recently got into podcasts and am frantically trying to listen to as many pension ones as I can. Yours are the most useful I’ve come across and now I can’t stop listening to them all! A small question I hope you can clarify for me please: I am 48 and a few years away from possibly an early retirement (hopefully 58) but trying to plan ahead. I have both a DB pension through work (NHS) and a personal Vanguard SIPP pension I also add to monthly and am of the understanding that you can take 25% tax free (up to the set limit) from your pensions overall and therefore my question is- could I take all the 25% tax free amount from my SIPP and leave the rest of my SIPP and all my DB pension pot to pay me a pension from. In example (arbitrary figures): my DB and SIPP are each worth £100000, totalling £200000. Therefore, under current rules, could I take £50000 tax free from the SIPP (the overall 25%) and the other £100000 in DB and £50000 left in my SIPP to pay me a pension monthly. Or is this not possible at all as they are different schemes, ie DB and DC? Many thanks Jon, from Norfolk   05:30  Question 2 Hi Guys, Firstly, a massive thank you for all the information you provide, it really has completely transformed my personal finances. I still have a long way to go until retirement (I've just turned 30) but thanks to you, I'm confident it won't have to be the state pension age! My question is – I work in Local Government and, whilst the salary is distinctly average (37k) it does come with the benefit of a DB pension scheme. I'm now considering making some additional contributions but there are two options available and I'm struggling to find any useful information online… – Make AVCs into what I understand to be a separate pension scheme more akin to a DC pension – Make APCs whereby I effectively buy more DB pension. It works out at approx an additional £10 guaranteed yearly income for every £80 (£100 if including tax relief) I contribute. In my head, this sounds good as long as I make it 10 years into retirement! Is there an obvious answer to this question? Only obvious downside to the DB option is, if I were to pass away before retirement, the additional pension is effectively lost and not paid to my next of kin! But then again, I don't intend to go anywhere anytime soon! Any thoughts appreciated and thanks again! Jack   12:03  Question 3 I have a question relating to the upcoming change in minimum pension age and how it affects those of us in the 55 bracket before the 6 April 2028 change.  I don’t know if there is any clarity from government yet but if I am 55 in September 2027 and take a PCLS 25% tax free from an AVC DC running alongside my DB pension scheme, then want to retire fully and start taking the DB in September 2028 when I am 56 is that possible? There seems to be a grey area about what happens after the April 2028 cut off to those of us in this age range. It doesn’t even appear clear if someone taking early retirement at 55 would then stop being eligible for monthly payments after April 2028 until they were 57. So they think they have retired fully, then when April comes around their payments stop! Appreciate that sounds a dramatic scenario but I haven’t been able to find anything comprehensive on it so hope you can help. I also have a question on DBs with AVCs which might be useful for others. If I have a DB pension valued at £300k and saved £75k in AVCs over the years, can I take the full £75k at 55/57 without it a) affecting the DB monthly amount which can be taken from age 60 in my case, and b) without it being classed as a pension event, so I can continue to contribute over £10k a year into a DC scheme as I plan to continue working until 60. Appreciate they are specific to me but thought there must be others in a similar position. Sorry for more long questions. Thanks for all the great podcasts, look forward to the next. Thanks, Don 19:34  Question 4 Hi Pete! Hi Rog! I've been a long time listener to your dulcet tones and concise advise for a long time and love what you guys do, so please keep doing it! Another pension Question I'm afraid! A while ago I consolidated a few old workplace pensions in to a SIPP, but I still have my current workplace DC pension ticking away. Its not great, being the bare legal minimum (2.5% contribution from my employer) and the fees seem higher than they should be. If I close that pension and transfer to my better performing and cheaper SIPP, I effectively opt-out of the employer contributions scheme. My question is what should I do to be most efficient with my pensions to ensure I am getting the benefit of employer contributions without paying over the odds for an underperforming scheme? I'm 34, and (thanks in no small part to you) feel somewhat on top of my finances. We have an almost balanced budget, regular savings (both short and longer term) in tax efficient wrappers and only a smidge of interest free debt all under control. My SIPP is knocking on for £50k, my DC around £18k. Thanks again Tom 26:49  Question 5 Hi guys Thank you for the advice from your book, podcasts and videos. They encouraged me be brave enough to open a Stocks and Shares ISA, to begin my investing journey. They also encouraged me consider income protection, which I now have. My question is about Additional Voluntary Contributions, compared with a SIPP. I am fortunate to be part a Local Government, Defined Benefit Scheme. I would like to contribute more to my retirement savings, each month a third into a pension and two thirds into a S&S ISA. My pension gives me the option of buying additional pension, however the rates are not very competitive. I make AVC to a third party provider. I have also started a SIPP. This has lower fees and better customer service, then the AVC provider. Something I can't quite understand. What are the benefits of making a AVC, which deducts my contribution pre-tax compared with making a contribution to a SIPP and claiming the tax back? I am a higher rate tax payer. My employer does not offer employer match or salary sacrifice. Thanks for all the help. Rob 29:45  Question 6 Hi question for your podcast if you’d be so kind. My question is about salary sacrifice and its effect on relevant earnings for the annual allowance. I’ll use some figures to illustrate and for simplicity assume tax relief and employer’s contributions are included in the amounts going into the scheme. I have my employers scheme and a separate SIPP. My income comes from employment and rents from property. I generally put anything I can from the property into the SIPP and sacrifice as much as I can into AVCs in my company pension to benefit from Sal sac. Scenario; my salary before tax is £60000. If I where to sacrifice £500 per month under and electric car scheme and £1500 per month into my pension (combination of pension contributions and AVCs) that would be a total of 24000 sacrificed from 60000 leaving me with a pre tax wage of £36000 and £18000 in my pension pot for the year. My question is what is now left of my annual allowance. Are my relevant earnings now only £36000 and therefore the £18000 already sacrificed come off the £36000 or do I have the £36000 left? Or something else? What would be the amount of money that I could put into my SIPP from my income from property and not break the annual allowance. I hope this makes sense. For ease assume previous years are full in respect to carry forward. Thank you both! Love the podcast! John. 32:30  Question 7 Love the show. Listen whenever I get a chance. I know you’ve covered investments, savings, pensions etc, but I’m after some advice. To keep it short as requested last week, I’ve been a public sector worker for 10 years now and have not paid into a pension scheme due to personal financial issues. I got promoted 3 years ago and am now in a much better financial position. I have still got 25 years service until I can retire, but am concerned I’ve missed out on a a large contribution for the pension scheme. Would I be better opting into the pension or looking at other alternative such as S&S index, ISA, etc? I do intend to promote a few more times before retirement so pension contributions/investments will increase with income. Looking forward to your advice. Regards, Raph

Transcribed - Published: 30 April 2025

This week we answer questions on the loose theme of capital gains tax and investing via General Investment Accounts (GIAs). Spoiler alert - nothing’s as simple as it might seem! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA11    01:06  Question 1 Whenever a question comes up in our Facebook group about Capital Gains and GIAs (General Investment Accounts) I get a sinking feeling as I do not know much about that type of account, and I don’t have one myself.  I am not alone. I have gathered questions from our listeners about capital gains, so in this episode Pete & Roger can tell us all about Capital Gains, Dividends, and anything else we need to know about using a GIA, and other situations which involve capital gains tax. 19:03  Question 2 Hi both, I've recently discovered your podcast and have thoroughly enjoyed my commutes listening to you. Personable and informative. I have a question about selling my buy-to-let property that is in my personal name. My mortgage term is ending in June 2026 and I'd like to sell it for one of better quality that has less issues. I'm currently a higher-rate taxpayer but we're planning to start a family in the next year, meaning I'll be on maternity leave for 12 months which will push my salary down to basic-rate. Impossible to plan when I'll get pregnant but it would be useful to know how HMRC calculates my salary (and over what time period) so that I pay basic-rate CGT when selling my buy-to-let? Apologies for a very wordy question! Thanks a lot and best wishes, Winnie 22:17  Question 3 Hi Pete, I hope you're doing well! I’ve been really enjoying the Meaningful Money podcast and had a question I’d love to hear your thoughts on the show: In a general investment account (GIA), is it's better to use an income fund to avoid triggering CGT if income is needed (assuming the dividends covers the needs in the short term)? Thanks so much for your wisdom! And keep up the great work on the podcast! :) Best regards, Chloe 26:53  Question 4 Hi Pete, Roger (and Nick who I assume is reading this :-)) I have a question I'd be grateful if you could answer which is around capital gains tax on any shares or funds held outside an ISA/pension. To use an example with higher numbers so that the allowance is used for simplicity: - You have £100k in a GIA - it increases by £10k a year for the first two years; - it's then down £2k in the third - the total value is now £118k - You then want to draw out £10k - How do you work out what capital gains the tax is to be paid on i.e. is the full £10k considered a gain? - Is the withdrawal from the original £100k or from the increase in value i.e. gain? - Would you be better to withdraw up the annual allowance every year and then put it back in to reduce the gain, considering there's no allowance for the impact of inflation? Love the show, keep up the good work in whatever format you decide going forwards - you've made real differences to the way I've managed my investments over the years, especially at scary times like Covid and your book and courses have given my kids the education they need for their long investing lives. Thanks, Dino 36:39  Question 5 Hi Pete & Rodger, I started a deep dive into our overall finances over the Christmas period, to set the picture I am 47, my wife’s 42 and we have two children a boy 5 & a girl 3. I received a diagnosis last year which will have a long term impact on my ability to sustain my current level of income & type of work I do. We have a 154k mortgage with 19 years left on the term, with the uncertainty around my health I have decided to target maximum overpayments on the mortgage, this year we can pay 18k extra. My questions are: 1. I plan to save circa 1k per month salary to put into the overpayment pot, I am hopeful that the HL shares will meet past highs and I can use some of that money to top up the salary savings and hit our target. Do I pay tax on the profit I make from selling shares? If it’s no more than 3k? I was hopeful I could sell shares annually and withdraw the gains annually, then reinvest in same stock when they dip. I realise that past performance isn’t always guaranteed but monitoring since covid the stocks I am invested in are fluctuating from a £15 low to £20 high annually. So looking to sell at £19.5. Is this the best way to use the extra cash at present given the plan to access quickly at times. I have maxed out isa allowance for current FY (2024/25) but will probably pay the 1k per month into an isa in new FY. 2. I am planning to do lump sum overpayment rather than setup monthly, just to give easy access to funds should they be required. I plan to cash in some company SIPPS annually when they aren’t taxable (after 5 years) that sum will be on average 1k per year. Will the SIPPS cashed in and gains from HL sales leave me vulnerable to paying capital gains tax? If all goes to plan we could be mortgage free by 2033 approximately and there would be less of a dependency on my salary. Deep down I just want us to be setup financially as best we can with the uncertainty around my health. I would really appreciate your views, love the podcast and it’s been a real source of knowledge to me. Best Regards Lee 43:52  Question 6 Hi Pete & Roger, I found your YouTube channel last year and through that the Podcast – both are absolutely fantastic and have helped me and my family so much with many aspects of managing our money and planning our finances. My question relates to if and to what extent capital gains tax can be offset by making SIPP contributions. My wife and I jointly own a buy to let property that we are selling in the new financial year (25/26).  When the sale completes, we expect to each have a taxable capital gain of around £30,000.  My wife earns around £10k a year from a part time job, therefore most of her gain will be taxable at the lower rate of 18%.  For the last couple of years, she has made annual gross SIPP contributions 100% of her earnings (£10,000) which is the maximum gross contribution she can receive basic rate tax relief on. This year, as well as contributing the usual £10,000 gross, (100% of earned income), can she also contribute up to a further £30,000 gross and receive basic rate tax relief on this additional contribution, thus offsetting the CGT paid on the gain from the property sale?  If so, with CGT payable at 18% and basic rate tax relief of 20%, contributing the full £30,000 would actually more than offset the CGT (which I fear is too good to be true). If this is the case, is there any other strategy we should be considering to achieve the same or similar outcome?  I have really struggled to find definitive guidance around this, so any clarity you can provide will be much appreciated. Many thanks and keep up the great work. Steve

Transcribed - Published: 23 April 2025

We really hesitated to put anything out regarding the current market volatility as we didn’t want to add to the noise. But now that we’re a couple of weeks in, hopefully the hysteria is starting to abate, and we can take something of a measured of things. We want to reassure you that discomfort is normal, but also provide some context that things are not as unprecedented as they might seem… Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/session571  02:20  This time it’s different. 11:30  The US market is too concentrated. 15:26  I don’t have time to make it back. 20:50  Time IN the markets beats timING the markets. 25:48  Action (or inaction!) – What you need NOT to do?  

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 2025

As usual, we cover lots of ground in this week’s Q&A, including tax-free cash recycling, private medical insurance and Lifetime ISAs. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA10  00:57  Question 1 Dear Pete & Roger. I'm a long-time listener and love the podcast, especially more so since Roger joined back in season 21. I'm an additional rate taxpayer with income below the threshold for the tapered annual allowance. I have been contributing £45k to my workplace defined contribution pension via salary sacrifice for the last couple of years, and my effective tax relief rate on contributions is 47%. This coming April (2025) I will turn 55 and will be able to access my pension. I am considering increasing my salary sacrifice contributions by £14,000 per year and funding this by taking just under £7,500 PCLS (i.e. tax-free cash) from my pension. Having watched the MeaningfulMoney video on Tax-Free Cash Recycling and checked the HMRC web site, I know this is not considered tax-free cash recycling because the PCLS withdrawals will be below £7,500 per year. However, I don't know if sacrificing £7,500 of tax-free cash in return for £14,000 of new contributions will have any unintended consequences. In retirement I plan to withdraw money via UFPLS and use tax-free cash to minimise my effective tax rate and have no plans to use it to fund large purchases. Have I missed anything? Simon. 04:01  Question 2 Hi Pete, I hope you're doing well! I’ve been really enjoying the Meaningful Money podcast and had a question I’d love to hear your thoughts on the show: With the long waiting times on the NHS, is having private health insurance a new 'must have' protection or still a 'nice to have'? Thanks so much for your wisdom! And keep up the great work on the podcast! :) Best regards, Chloe 07:05  Question 3 Hi guys - thanks for all you do with this podcast. I've been incredibly fortunate to find you in my 20's and absorb so much useful knowledge. My question is surrounding LISA's. My fiancé and I currently live separately but we're looking to move in together ahead of our wedding this summer. She owns her own home and I currently rent so we'll be moving into her house. Our plan is to live for a couple of years in her (or soon to be our) house as she managed to secure a favourable rate that will help us to save together for our next home. The majority of my current house deposit (around £35k) is in a LISA, however in the last year or so I've quickly realised that our next home together will probably sit above the £450k limit that LISA's allow. Given that we live in a pretty expensive area and want to stay here, is there anything you would suggest? We've thought about me 'buying in' to her current house but we don't want to remortgage and lose the favourable fixed term. Any ideas? Cheers, Joe 11:38  Question 4 Hi Butch & Sundance, my question is about SIPPs & ISAs and tax implications when used with State Pension and a Defined Benefit Pension. I’m planning to retire 7 years before state retirement age (67) and plan to use a DB pension and SIPP in those 7 years. The annual income from the DB pension will exceed the current basic rate income tax annual allowance (£12,570) and withdrawals from the SIPP outside of the tax-free lump-sum, would all incur basic rate income tax. I would like to keep investments that continue to grow, but with the removal of some IHT benefits within a SIPP, is it now worth withdrawing more than I need each year and moving the SIPP investments to a Stocks & Shares ISA over the next 7 years and therefore reduce tax paid over the following 20-30 years from the age of 67? Or am I making more of minor issue than is needed? Keep up the excellent work, Jack 16:36  Question 5 Hi both, Love the podcast! I have a question regarding pensions. I have an employer (defined contribution) pension that had been with one provider (chosen by my employer) for the last 11 years. My Company has recently terminated the agreement and mine and my employers contributions are now all going to the new provider and fund. I chose not to transfer my original pension from the original provider to the new provider, as the existing fund had been performing so well. Following a review of both pensions over the last 6 months, I discovered that my existing pension had continued to be perform very well - over double the return compared to the new pension provider and fund). Whilst I understand I could switch funds with the new provider, my preference would be to do an annual transfer from my new pension fund & provider to the original provider and fund. I cannot seem to find any information on how to do this (all the information online is focused around transferring and shutting the new account - I don't want to do as my employer and personal contributions will continue to be directed to the new provider and fund. Thanks for your help, Matt 21:25  Question 6 Hi Pete and Roger I have a question about pensions for low earners. I have been listening to your show for the past year and loved the simplify and OS series, with your helpful explanations I have managed to get my self employed husband to increase his pension contributions, built up 6 months of emergency funds and have opened our first stocks and shares isa for long term savings. My question is about my pension contributions. I have about 13 years in an NHS pension from before I had children. For the past 8 years ( since the children were born) I have worked very part time or not at all so have not really made much in the way of pension contributions. I am currently 45 and I work seasonally for 4 months of the year. We live comfortably on my husband’s income and as mine is irregular income it is not allocated to specific spending. My plan this year was to try and save all my income (about £7000) and contribute to a personal pension (a SIPP?) to catch up on my own pension contributions (I do have an employer one but it’s very basic). My question is: if I pay into a personal pension will I still get tax relief added? As my earnings are below the personal allowance I don’t pay income tax. I can only find information on the £2880 for none earners or employee pensions. Also how much of my income can I put in a pension? I.e. if I do get tax relief can I only put in 80% of my earnings?  Do I also need to subtract my work pension contributions? Thank you for all your amazing work. Best wishes, Lindsey

Transcribed - Published: 2 April 2025

Welcome to another Q&A show - this week we cover tax free cash from DB pensions, annuities vs drawdown and whether you should pay down a buy to let mortgage or invest. Plus quite a bit more! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA9  Questions 00:41 Question 1 Hi Pete and Roger. Thanks for your wisdom over the years. My question came about from an answer you gave on a previous Q&A about AVCs and tax free cash. You mentioned it was possible (sometimes) to use AVCs as tax free cash to preserve the maximum DB benefit. I have some follow up questions that relate to - A small DB pension that doesn’t appear to offer tax free cash. - A small DB pension that does offer tax free cash, but I have left that job so can no longer contribute to that pension (AVCs or otherwise) I don’t have AVCs in these pensions, but I do have a DC pot separately. Would I be able to use take tax free money from my DC pension if I took it at the same time I took the DB pension sort of in lieu of the tax free component of my overall pension? I suspect this is clutching at straws, but thought it worth checking. Many thanks. Loyal listener, Mark 03:11 Question 2 Hi Pete & Roger! I hail from Northern Ireland and enjoy your Podcast to keep my mind active and up to date in all things financial - Top job. I have been looking at having a go at Voyant after various spreadsheets of my own as a way to play with the numbers so was considering a meaningful academy course - question is which course is right for me? I am in mid 40's and financially secure so in theory wealth all ready built? Mortgage paid, multiple residential and commercial properties owned debt free and an sizeable equity portfolio and so should I be looking at the retirement or wealth course? John   05:30 Question 3 Great podcast and been an avid listener for the last year. I have a question which, I think I know the answer but I'd be curious on your perspective. Background: - I divorced in 2021 and as part of that agreed to transfer the house over to my ex-wife and a charge put on the deeds so that when it's sold I'm owed a percentage of the sale. - The house going on the market will be (or should be) triggered when my youngest son reaches 18 or leaves full-time education. This will be either 2028 or 2031. - Since the divorce I've been able to purchase another house and this is my permanent residence. I'm a higher rate tax payer, and when that ex-marital home is sold I'd expect to get somewhere around £200k. However I won't actually need that to hit my retirement goals and would prefer to pass that onto my 3 kids. Could you please discuss options on how I might do that in the most tax efficient way. Best Regards, Dave   10:38 Question 4 Hello Pete & Rog, I stumbled across the show a month ago and have been "binge listening" since then, its amazing, where have you been all my life, keep it up guys. I am actively preaching the Gospel according to Pete to all and sundry. I am a 61 years old Veteran in receipt of a Military (DB) pension to the amount of £18k per annum, which is index linked to CPI. Additional to this, I have a moderate private pension to the amount of £150k which I contribute £500 per month, it has an approx growth of circa 15% I also have a small Stocks and Shares ISA, valued at £15k which I contribute a minimum of £250 per month, this is also growing at approx 14% pa. I am currently working and contributing the minimum amount into a work placed pension with NEST. I am planning to look at retirement at either my next birthday in October 25 (62yrs old) or continue until 65 as I am enjoying work. I have deliberately avoiding factoring in my wife as she is a senior manager within the public sector and has a good DB scheme Final/Average earnings Pension. My question is pension related and I have a dilemma as to decide between either an Annuity to boost my Mil Pension or veer towards a form of drawdown option at a higher rate until SPA and then look to reduce down withdrawals in order to be tax efficient and make it last longer? I am debt free with mortgage paid off and only real major expense is a holiday account which we both contribute to as we like luxury holidays, I hear Rog saying "spend it now". No plans to put anything towards estate planning as both sons are very successful and they will probably inherit our home in time. Just looking for some guidance on what feels may be the right decision under the circumstances, keep up the great work guys, love the show. Michael   16:34 Question 5 Dear Pete & Rog, I have a pensions Annual Allowance query, the answer to which might be of interest to the MeMo community. A relative uses salary sacrifice for her occupational DC pension scheme, and the employer contributes £40k, annually, into her plan. Normally, she doesn’t make any personal contributions into any pension schemes, but after receiving a windfall, she is minded to do so via a newly opened SIPP — she has rejected the option of increasing her salary sacrifice amount, and wishes to contribute part of her windfall separately from her occupational DC scheme. Her (post-sacrifice) relevant UK earnings are £35k, so she is planning to contribute £20k gross into the SIPP (£16k net); in order to consume the full Annual Allowance limit of £60k [£40k (employer) + £20k (personal)]. The SIPP provider has advised her that she can actually contribute the whole £35k (gross) by using ‘carry forward’; as she hasn’t made any personal contributions in previous years [she’s only ever used salary sacrifice]. Is the SIPP provider correct? Kind Regards, James   18:15 Question 6 Husband and I are in our late 50's. We have a £30k interest only mortgage on our home, with £350k of interest only mortgages on 3 buy to let's. Husband has £350k in personal pension and I have a civil service pension (I have taken my final salary element of civil service pension). My B2L' s give £2300 income per month against associated costs of £1100 per month. My question is around reducing our borrowing versus investing in stocks and shares ISA. I have been comfortable in having my buy to let's on interest only mortgages but I am now questioning my approach. We are intending holding at least 2 of the 3 properties throughout our retirement. I am thinking of using the next 5 years to position ourselves for our retirement. I could start to invest £500 into a stocks and shares ISA or I could pay down the mortgages. I am torn between approaches and would value your input on this. I have only just discovered your podcast and it is now a weekly listen for me. I hope I have explained this fully and look forward to hearing your views. Helen.  

Transcribed - Published: 26 March 2025

It’s another Q&A, and this week’ we’re talking Lifetime ISA withdrawals, whether you need life insurance and the NHS pensions scheme, among other things! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA8  01:08  Question 1 I just wanted to start by thanking you so much for your podcast. I'm probably one of your younger listeners, having started listening to you when I was 26. I feel very fortunate to have discovered your podcast at such a young age, as it means I will hopefully have years, if not decades, to put your excellent advice into practice. I have a quick question that I was hoping you could help me with. I currently have a LISA that I was planning to use as a deposit for a house. However, I am now planning to move to Australia permanently with my Aussie fiancée. I have separate savings that I can use for a deposit now, but since ISAs are not recognised in Australia while UK SIPPs are, would it be wise to take the 25% hit by withdrawing the money from my LISA and transferring it into a SIPP to benefit from higher rate tax relief and continued tax advantages? I understand you cannot offer specific advice, but I would be interested to hear if there are any general pitfalls or advantages in this plan that I should be aware of. Many thanks! Simon   04:40  Question 2 Will try to keep this brief but is challenging. Do we need life insurance? If I die whilst employed my wife gets a lump sum which will cover our only debt the mortgage through my DB pension scheme. If I retire aged 60-65 my lump sum will cover any mortgage remaining if still have one. My wife has no such pension / cover if she were to die (currently between jobs). I have emergency fund / Overpay into pension for tax relief & child benefit purposes / and recently opened stocks and shares ISA for myself and  2 children. Age 39 trying to build for future but started late :) Many thanks Lee   09:55  Question 3 Many thanks for all the ongoing information and discussion, I’ve been listening for years, but still learning and trying to put into practice all positive behaviours (just like with diet and exercise, knowing and doing are rather different!). A question and a thought. Question; (apologies, after I typed it, it turned out to be very long and NHS specific so feel free to ignore, but I think the point about revising tax returns after submission when new info comes is more generally applicable). I’m in the NHS pension scheme and am awaiting my RPSS after McCloud judgement. They were due by October. It’s November and I haven’t had mine (many others say the same). I believe they are prioritising those with who have definite AA charges and I doubt my NHS figures trigger that as I was part time for much of the relevant period. However, I also contributed to a private pension every year, the amounts varied, but were usually calculated quite closely using the AAPSS that I had at the time to maximise residual allowances - so basically I think I may now have Annual Allowance issues that I didn’t at the time, but am not being prioritised by the NHS pension scheme for a new statement because they don’t know about my extra contributions. Added to this I have already submitted my 23-24 tax return before I realised there might be a problem. Others have added a comment to theirs essentially saying ‘watch this space for more information’ and apparently have 12 months to amend them once their RPSS arrives. So, the question is, can I still change my tax return (submitted on behalf by my accountant if that’s relevant) if new information becomes available after Jan 31st (or even in the new tax year)? Do you have any advice for those waiting documents from the NHS pension scheme or insider knowledge re. Timescales for remaining documents? Anja   13:28  Question 4 Thank you so much for an amazing podcast! My question… After 7 years of a long distance relationship, I’m  talking to my partner about moving in together. Apart from checking your significant other listens to the podcast (mine does - phew) what are the most important areas to cover when thinking about joint finances, particularly if you haven’t talked much about money before? Thank you! Elizabeth   19:07  Question 5 Hi Pete and Roger! Thank you so much for the show. I’ve been listening for the past 6 years and have gone from saving for a house to learning about pensions and now actively pursuing building my pension and ISA pots so that I can be ‘work optional’ as soon as possible (hoping to be there in 5 years and would not have known where to even start if it wasn’t for your podcast). My question is how does the actual mechanics of drawing down from a pension work? Is there an equivalent of PAYE for pension draw downs? How is income tax calculated and collected? Would a tax return need to be done? Thanks so much!! Gavin   24:07  Question 6 I am approaching the Lifetime Allowance (used 91.43%) but my Armed Forces Pension tax-free amount I received was less than the 25% for the amount of LTA used ( 58.96%). I have a Transitional Tax Free Allowance Certificate to ensure I am still able to receive the maximum tax-free amount (£268,275).  I have currently received £168,932.69 as a tax-free amount.  In order to realise the maximum tax-free amount I will need to exceed the LTA by £259,143.76. Finally, I am still able to max out my contributions each year at £60,000 to help reduce my tax bill. If I continue to max out my contributions each year and exceed the LTA to realise the tax-free amount, what are the implications of this or should I consider paying the money into other investment accounts? Regards, Martin  

Transcribed - Published: 19 March 2025

Welcome to another Q&A show. This week we cover moving abroad, inheritance tax and paying into a pension while drawing from another, and lots more besides! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA7   01:16  Question 1 I’ve been a long time listener for my entire working career and your podcast has been invaluable to getting me to the great position I’m in now. I have recently been offered a very exciting job opportunity abroad (specifically Luxembourg) and I’m thinking about financial issues I might want to cover. I am 29 and have a mid-five figure sum in each of my ISA, LISA, and DC pension in the UK. I hope to save and invest heavily abroad with a FIRE sort of philosophy. I wonder if there are any big things to think about in preparation for a move, or things to do while in the EU that will make a move back easier. I realise this is probably a complex question, and maybe too niche for a podcast episode. I’ve considered getting a one-off consultation with a financial advisor before my move, do you think this would be worthwhile, and if so what sort of service or green flags should I be looking for? (Assuming Jackson’s is not a specialist in this area!) Thank you again! Stuart 06:24  Question 2 Hi Pete, Hi Roger, May I ask a question about pensions now being subject to IHT. My father in law’s strategy for passing on his wealth was to pass on an unused pension, previously protected from IHT, and he had also invested in AIM shares, again also previously exempt from IHT but now subject to 20% tax. He is nearly 82. What options might you suggest for him to consider on either of those points, but in particular the pension point. Draw the pension and gift it? Thank you very much. Love the pod and religious listener! Jo 13:00  Question 3 Hi Pete and Roger, A great many thanks for all that you do towards simplifying personal finance principles. It is with thanks to your guidance that I am living within my means and on a budget with clear financial objectives. My question today is on behalf of a family member, let’s call her Glynda. Glynda is 58 years old and intends to continue working until she can claim her full state pension. She currently has two private pension pots, one is a SIPP on the Vanguard platform and one is her workplace scheme with a smaller provider I’ve never heard of called Creative Trust. A few years ago, she chose to withdraw her 25% tax free cash allowance from her SIPP with a view to investing this in rental property. For one reason or another this didn’t actually happen so she is now saving this aside as her 18 month cash buffer. To withdraw the 25% tax free cash, she had to “crystallise” the entire SIPP pot. The remainder is still invested in 100% equities - the growth engine as you say, but it is now in a flexi access drawdown account, not a pre-retirement pot. Meanwhile, the workplace scheme is growing nicely with contributions of around £3500/yr, which is not insignificant on her modest salary. This pension is not yet “crystallised” and is also aggressively invested through the limited fund selection on that platform. You have spoken at length about pensions but my question has not yet come up, though I appreciate it may be niche. If the SIPP has been crystallised and the Workplace scheme has not, can they still be combined? Does Glynda need to take her tax free cash from her workplace scheme BEFORE transferring/combining this scheme into her SIPP for ease of management? If she opts NOT to take the tax free cash before transferring, does she lose that option? What is the point of “crystallisation”? Why is it even a thing in a world of flexi access drawdown, it seems irrelevant to me. Do platforms charge different levels of fees post-crystallisation? If so, can Glynda transfer her crystallised SIPP to a new provider if savings can be made on fees. Many Thanks, Sam 19:48  Question 4 Hi Pete and Roger, I have been an avid listener to the podcast for a long time now, probably 5 years, what a journey! Thank you for all the content you put out. Pete; I think I read your book first which put me on to the podcast, or perhaps it was the other way around, I can’t remember. I’m pleased to say that when I read your book, I then went through it with a fine toothcomb and ticked off everything I needed to do! Needless to say I’ve been in a good situation for a while now, thanks to you, your book and this podcast. I still use a Meaningful Money Budget Spreadsheet to plan my monthly finances! I did leave a review a good while ago on the app store letting you know how Meaningful Money has helped me! I have attached a picture of my copy of your book, hope you don’t mind all the post it notes! My question is surrounding Emergency Funds and what criteria we should apply as to whether something is an “emergency?” Classic things such as a broken down car, a leak in the house or the boiler breaking down are all perfect scenarios for an emergency fund. But what about other more vague scenarios? This question has come about because of my current situation. I unfortunately have a toxic boss and work environment which is affecting my mental health. It’s clear I need to leave the job, as my continued attempts to change the environment and my mindset have been unsuccessful. So, I am about to hand in my resignation, in the next few weeks and just go ahead and use my emergency fund, as this detriment to my mental health cannot continue. However, there’s a strong feeling inside that this isn’t really what an emergency fund is for. Particularly too, as I don’t have a strong exit plan. I have no other job lined up, I just need to get out of there. So what do you think? Should the fund have strict rules as to what is, and is not an emergency? I suspect your answer will be that the holder of the emergency fund decides what is and is not an emergency. That being said if there isn’t strict rules surrounding it, then it would be quite easy for someone to decide a night out on the ale is an emergency due to a stressful week! Or can the rules be more “fluid” and a night down the pub is acceptable? Sorry about the pun! I’d be interested to know your thoughts. Thanks again and I look forward to hearing your response! Many Thanks, Phil 24:36  Question 5 Hi Pete & Roger Thanks for all your podcast episodes - I've been listening for years and you've saved me a lot of money through not needing to pay an advisor (thanks to your free info) and not making expensive mistakes. I'm not sure if I'm your core demographic (33yo woman in London) but find all your content useful for me, my friends, brother and parents. My question: I co-own a flat and live in it. My friend owns the other half but doesn't live with me. We have a joint residential mortgage and also have to pay a £250pm service charge and ground rent as it's a leasehold with right to manage. It's a 35yr mortgage so we get about £200pm equity and pay around £800pm interest. It's a great flat but I want to move to a larger property in a different area, initially renting as it'll take quite a long time to sell the flat (for various reasons I won't go into!). If we rent the flat out and I go and rent elsewhere, I'll be making a loss on the flat (I'm a 40% taxpayer and the rental income would cover the mortgage + service charge + agency fees but I believe I'd have to pay tax on income not profit hence the loss). There's also insurance, council registration fee, maintenance etc. Obviously I'd then pay rental money to a landlord too for the house I move to. I know property taxes have changed in recent years and I'm very supportive of landlords being taxed on profits. However, my initial research suggests that professional landlords who buy property through companies only pay tax on (company) profits whereas I'd pay tax on revenue. I'd pay 40% vs them paying corp tax (25% ish?). Is my understanding right and is there any regulation or tax relief specifically for "accidental" landlords who are also renting a home themselves rather than having a big empire of properties as a business? Also how would the tax work for co-owners, would I just pay 40% tax on half of the rental income? My friend lives abroad in case that's relevant. I know there are a lot of accidental landlords due to cladding, relationship changes etc so am hoping the question is also useful for other listeners. Thank you! Emma 32:33  Question 6 Thanks for an excellent podcast - one of the best in the personal finance space. Around 6 years ago I inherited a low 6 figure sum which I put into a GIA. Each year I have made Bed & ISA transfers to diffuse any Capital Gains and to move more of my money into a tax shelter. As we have had a strong investment environment over this period I still have a reasonable balance in the GIA. Now the government has reduced the annual Capital Gains allowance to such an extent that I expect to be unable to defuse all of my Capital Gains each year. This will limit the amount I can Bed & ISA and I expect the GIA balance to start increasing compounding the issue. To be honest I don't think this will be an unusual position to be in as you will not require an unfeasible balance in a GIA to pay CGT on "gains" solely due to inflation. My current plan is to allow the above to happen by only utilising my annual CGT allowance and not paying CGT while I am working. My question is how CGT is charged in early retirement. Lets say I stop working at 55 and don't take my pension until 57 (earliest I can). I will have no income for two years so my Personal Allowance will be unused. In this case can I make £15,570 of gains in the year before CGT? Searching online I can only find information on Basic and Higher Rate GGT and not Nil Rate. Thanks, Simon 38:43  Question 7 Hi, Love the podcast. I have some questions about pension contribution limits and tax relief. My taxable employment income for 2024/2025 is around £30k. I already contribute to a workplace pension via salary sacrifice. The total amount paid in by my employer is £12k. I am using my full ISA allowance but still have savings and investments in a GIA, not sheltered from tax and would like to pay a lump sum into a SIPP before the end of the tax year. My questions are: What's the maximum I can pay in? Is it £30k or do I have to subtract my employer workplace contributions, so only 18k? I keep finding conflicting information online! If it's 30k, does this mean I actually pay in 24k? If it's 30k, would I receive government top up on all of it, even though I didn't pay tax on the first £12,570? Does the contribution to a SIPP actually reduce my taxable income? So if I contribute the full £30k (assuming I can) is my personal allowance then unused by employment? I have savings and investments income of around £10k from my GIA. Would this then fall inside my personal allowance and no tax be due? Thanks for any help you can offer. I'm so confused with all the information online! Thanks so much for the podcast - keep up the good work. Alison  

Transcribed - Published: 12 March 2025

In this episode we answer questions about RSU’s, the Cashflow Ladder, Pension vs LISA and a whole lot more! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA6  01:42  Question 1 Hello Pete and Roger. Recently discovered this and am listening to every single episode. Brilliant. I've read a fair amount about the % balance of Equities, Bonds/Gilts and Cash I should have in my retirement pot, based on my age (61). Somewhere in the 40%s for Equities, perhaps. What I am not finding advice on is whether I should include my DB pension in this equation and, if so, how? Do I consider it to be cash? And if so do I use the transfer value or use the predicted annual pension pay-out in some kind of calculation?  Thanks for any clues! Best wishes, Phil 11:14  Question 2 I enjoy listening to your podcasts whilst running and I read your book, recommended to me by a financial advisor friend. I’m 37, and early next year I am likely to get around £220k from some shares I hold in the company I work at. If capital gains tax rises, I guess I’ll see, at best, £150k. Any advice on the best place to keep it / invest it for up to 5 years? We plan to then use it to relocate abroad and perhaps set up a lifestyle business such as a B&B. I read about setting up a 'dividend-paying company' which could be useful as it’s often accepted as ‘passive income’ when moving to another country (potentially Portugal or Cyprus). This holding company could pay out whilst growing the savings through managed investing. Is this a potential option for my money? Many thanks, Faye. 19:14  Question 3 Your recent podcast on Helpful Basics: Self-employment and Side Hustles got me thinking about retirement saving vehicles. Specifically, what is the best investment vehicle for a self-employed basic rate taxpayer; a pension or a stocks & shares LISA for retirement purposes? Personally, I am 44 years old and started a LISA from its inception. I am a homeowner. Is it best to maximise LISA contributions until I am 50 years old, then focus on pension contributions? I have a pension pot of £250k which I am minimally contributing to, preferring to prioritise LISA (and ISA) contributions. I like the idea of the 25% bonus on contributions and tax-free withdrawals, which should complement future pension withdrawals from the pension pot in a tax efficient manner. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Best wishes, Adam 23:06  Question 4 Where someone has had a number of jobs over their career then consolidating multiple DC pension pots can seem attractive (to reduce admin and costs etc). However, what sort of benefits/ guarantees can be lost by transferring pensions, in particular are there specific things to be aware of with regard to older stakeholder / with profits pensions? It would be handy to know what to look for and what sensible questions to ask when talking to existing pension providers. Thank you G Locke 32:05  Question 5 Hi Pete and Roger, Loving your podcasts, great content as always. A question to do with retirement cashflow forecast planning. I have been reading an article by an American financial planner named Ty Bernicke. In his article, he asserts that retirees voluntarily spend less as they get older, referencing statistics from US government departments. Is there any equivalent recent research in the UK? Should I use his approach and figures when attempting my own forecast? With very best wishes and thanks again, James Cotterill 37:40  Question 6 Hi both,  Stumbled across your podcast recently and have been binging on the episodes ever since. Very insightful information for an early 30 something year old trying to make better financial decisions, so thank you! My questions is: You often talk about paying off credit card debt before investing, but what if the credit card debt is not excessive and can be managed? What are your thoughts on paying off small amounts off your credit card monthly but also investing monthly, especially if returns on investing is potentially greater than the interest on the debt? Thank you Nathaniel

Transcribed - Published: 5 March 2025

Today we’re talking about budgeting and encouraging that you CAN set and stick to a budget. It’s not easy, but it isn’t complicated either, so we’re here to make it as easy as possible. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/YC4  Everything You Need To Know 01:22  Budgeting is a baseline skill – spend less, earn more. 07:55  Budgeting should be forward-looking – be proactive not reactive. 09:30  Keep it flexible – Emergency fund for surprises. Everything You Need To Do 12:27  Track – Establish your income, Identify what you spend your money on currently. 19:31  Plan – Pay yourself first, Know your triggers for (over)spending. 24:50  Do – Two account system, Bills and spending. 32:34  Review – Review weekly and at the end of the month. It’ll take time to bed in, so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get it right first time. 40:44  Podcast Review. 42:17  News about the podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 26 February 2025

This week, I chat to long-term friend of the show, Rob Dix, co-host of the Property Podcast, author of The Price of Money and now a new book Seven Myths About Money, which I highly recommend. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/session564    02:10 - Remind us about who you are and what you do. 03:47 - What was the trigger for writing this book hard on the heels of The Price of Money? 08:53 - Can you summarise the Ashvin Chhabra money motivations and why we need a new paradigm for risk management? 16:44 - I imagine some people will be surprised to read your challenge about home ownership. Can you tell us your views on home-ownership as a kind of default goal for so many people? 21:30 - I found myself nodding along as I was reading all of the book, and especially the sections around compounding and diversification - both of which are part of the accepted doctrine of investing. Is it fair to say that you think we're in for a lower and slower investing world going forward? 26:15 - If you had to give a single piece of advice to anyone looking to take their finances seriously, perhaps for the first time? 29:45 - Where's the best place to get the book and find out more about what you're up to?  https://robdix.com/myths/ 

Transcribed - Published: 19 February 2025

We’re back with another Q&A show, with a bit of a DB Pension tilt this time, though we even get into a question on equity release. We cover lots of ground, as always - hope it’s useful! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA5  00:55  As you made a request for questions I thought I'd pose this (apologies in advance for the length, feel free to trim as required): I am single, mid-forties, with no dependents (I do have some family I plan to pass wealth on to, but when they need it rather than leaving it in my estate). I'm aiming for the mystical die with zero. As a home owner, and given I'm not worried about passing it on, would it be a good idea to start drawing on the capital locked up in my home via drawdown equity release (using say home reversion) before the investments in my pension and ISAs given this is the most illiquid and concentrated of my assets? Downsizing isn't really an option to release capital (it's a two-bed semi so property doesn't get much smaller). That said equity release looks to offer rates well below the market value (apparently they want to make a profit), certainly if you're on the younger end of the eligibility spectrum. It's far from the case of selling 50% of the house and getting that amount, even spread over a number of years. I could sell the house myself and rent instead, using the released money to pay the rent (and if the money is invested, provided my rent doesn't rise egregiously, it might even stay ahead of that cost). Though there are potential issues with that approach, certainly over the long term. Are there any other ways to unlock the capital tied up in my property? Regards, Lee   10:20  Hello Pete and Roger. I work in public sector and have a decent DB pension, larger part being final salary and lesser part CARE. I will be able to commute up to 25% with a commutation factor of about 24:1. Which will give me about £180,000 depending on when I leave. Upon retirement I will seek to move most into a 100% equities investment wrapper, I’m fairly happy with proportionate risk, as my DB pension will provide a life long index linked safety net, and I will also build a bit of cash ladder of declining risk. I have recently watched your ISA v Pension comparison with keen interest. It was fascinating to see that even though a pension is taxed, the tax relief going in, offset the tax going out, and the option of having both works particularly well in terms of tax efficiency and retirement planning. I had been putting a modest amount into a S&S ISA each month for the last few years, but recently opened a SIPP and am now sending the spare cash that way for the extra tax relief. It’s very satisfying seeing the “free money” coming in each month.. I can potentially retire in 2 years at 55 with an actuarial reduction or continue working until 60, or retire sometime in between. I also have a preserved DB pension that I can take at 60 from a previous employer. In the mean time I want to keep saving and investing, and will try to ramp it up for next few years. My question is – It was pretty clear from your numbers that those with a DC pot are best with both ISA & SIPP in terms of tax efficiency and flexibility, but given that my DB pension will use up all my personal tax allowance, does that swing the momentum on where to invest back in favour of an ISA over a SIPP, as other than the 25% tax free element, I would pay basic rate tax on all my SIPP drawdown.  I’m sure other people with either a modest DB pension or secondary passive income could find themselves in similar quandary.  ( I’m aware all could change after the next budget. )   I live up north, houses are cheap as chips, therefore IHT unlikely to be a major concern in terms of decedents. Chris   16:47  Loving the sultry combination of the north and south tones! I’ve been listening to the podcast for several years now, and you’ve given me loads of practical tips that I’ve been able to take forward. However, I’ve recently received an ADHD diagnosis, and while I earn a good salary, my impulsivity often leads to overspending, and I’m finding it difficult to maintain control over my finances. I have a monthly planner that I check regularly with the bills, so they are ok, but on spending it is always difficult, and I often dip into credit card usage. I would really appreciate any advice or practical tips you could offer for someone like me, who struggles with impulsive spending with a disability. Things like “just don’t spend money” just don’t work! Are there any specific strategies, tools, or approaches that can help someone with neurodiversity, particularly ADHD, to manage their money more effectively? Thanks again for the amazing content you put out. Looking forward to any guidance you can provide. Best regards, Ian   22:53  My question / suggestion relates to listeners with Defined Benefit (DB) pensions. Although they’re becoming rarer, there is still a sizeable minority of people who have DB pensions. I suspect the majority of them are (or have previously been) employees in the public sector – but they’ll run to quite a high number. For instance, there are 1.5 million current employees in the NHS, half-a-million Civil Servants, half-a-million teachers, Police, Fire Fighters etc etc. Double that to allow for all the former employees, plus those with DB pensions in the private sector, and you’re talking decent numbers. I’ve learned a lot over recent years from your Podcast, but there have been a number of occasions where you’ve alluded to the fact that financial planning advice might differ for folk with DB pensions. One example might be the topic of opening a separate SIPP (in addition to the DB pension) to supplement retirement income (or to fund early retirement) or to move money outside the person’s estate. Another example might be the balance of ISA versus Pension: with some DB schemes, the benefit of “topping-up” is reduced compared with those in DC pensions. In many cases the employer isn’t adding “free money” to your pot, so for many there may be more reason to lean towards ISA contributions. Another difference might be the topic of investment risk – if someone with a DB pension has a guaranteed inflation-proof income in retirement, might they be wise to consider higher risk investments? And certainly without the dreaded “profiling”. Another example (as alluded to earlier) might be in Estate Planning: with a DB pensions, there’s no “pot” of invested money lying outside one’s estate, so there’s no IHT advantage. I realise this might amount to more than just a 5-minute topic for your Q&A edition, but I think you’d have enough listers to make a whole episode for DB pension recipients. What to you reckon? Thanks for all the great advice. Best wishes, Dr Pete   29:43  Thank you for all of your support over the years through the podcast and YouTube. I work for the NHS which is very tough at the moment but it does give me the benefit of a defined benefit pension when I get there. I am 35 years old but am wanting to make sure I am saving enough for retirement but also to make sure that I have enough for my children to support them through university and starting life! My wife is a fantastic stay at home Mum. We are aiming to have the “comfy” level of retirement at £58000 that you have previously mentioned which should give us some capacity to support the children! I earn £58000 plus about £7000 as a side hustle. I save into my NHS pension, save about 50% of the side hustle income into a SIPP, and save around £400 into a S&S ISA and £200 into cash savings each month. There are lots of examples about how much you should save but I haven't found anything when you are part of the NHS/other DB pension. Am I saving enough, or too much? I don't want to miss out on life now by over saving! Thanks, Alex   36:13  Enjoying listening to another excellent podcast where I heard the shout out for questions. One I had is “what’s the best tax efficient way to save for kids futures? I started going down the path of saving into JISA’s, but then didn’t like the idea of being unable to access the money on their behalf, or them to do so before 18. I contribute to premium bonds, but theoretically that will be capped at £50k (here’s hoping!). Any other obvious good suggestions?” Thanks & keep it up, continue to love the show. Cheers, Chris

Transcribed - Published: 12 February 2025

Today we’re going to be taking about being financially prepared for life events. This is important because it’s so easy to make progress with your finances, only to have the rug pulled out from under your feet by something unexpected. Or even something that IS expected… Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/YC3 Everything You Need To Know 03:00 Life events – like what? 03:55 Marriage 04:43 Having a Child 05:09 Buying a Home 05:24 Career Advancement 06:02 Starting a Business 07:47 Receiving an Inheritance 08:44 Job Loss or Career Change 09:10 Divorce or Separation 10:04 Serious Illness or Disability 10:41 Death of a Family Member 11:36 Caring for Aging Parents 12:25 Children’s Education Costs 12:53 Relocation 13:45 Retirement 14:14 Unexpected Large Expenses 15:15 Being prepared means mastering the 3F’s – Foundation, Forward-looking, Flexibility.   Everything You Need To Do 17:03 Foundation – Emergency fund, workplace benefits and personal insurance. LifeSearch - affiliate agreement. 28:38 Forward-looking – consider what may happen and what is likely to happen. 43:02 Flexible – keep things flexible so that we can be able to make changes as needed. 51:47 If big events happen – take your time, seek help.   53:35 Podcast Review

Transcribed - Published: 5 February 2025

In today’s episode, we show you how YOU CAN learn to invest. Honestly, it’s easier than you think! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/YC2  Everything You Need To Know 01:21  What is investing? Swapping your money for assets that grow in value, produce an income, or ideally both. 05:46  Why do people think it’s hard? 08:14  What you really need to know? Asset classes that matter - equities, bonds and property. Everything You Need To Do 29:48  Build a foundation first. 32:58  Start with money you’re probably already investing. 42:27  Open an ISA/LISA/Pension 48:40  Choose a fund - You want a global multi-asset fund. 52:25  Watch and learn - Commit to doing NOTHING for at least a year. 56:02  Don’t… 58:05  Podcast Review 59:20  The Meaningful Money Retirement Guide is due out on 6th May 2025

Transcribed - Published: 29 January 2025

Today we kick off a brand new season designed to empower you to take control of your finances. We’re excited for this one as we hope to show you that you CAN be good with money! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/YC1  00:01 - Intro 03:27 - Everything You Need To Know 23:29 - Everything You Need To Do 49:08 - A Review From A Listener

Transcribed - Published: 22 January 2025

It’s another Q&A show, and this week we cover managing finances under an LPA, Maternity pay, and what to do with a big windfall, plus lots more besides! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA4  00:58  Big fan of the show. Really appreciate your work. Dad is 92 with rapidly declining health (Dementia and mobility issues). He is still living at home with Mum (80) who is caring for him with family help. At the moment, it is about manageable. I am managing their finances. We have moved the majority of savings into my mum's accounts. I have used up mum's entire ISA allowance for this year. There is still around £38k of savings sitting in a no interest paying Barclays account. Due to their ages, I do not want to tie up the cash for too long, though at this point in time, they do not need to use this money as they are still able to live off my Dad's pension. Can you suggest how I might manage this chunk of cash? Possibly a simple savings account, but I am aware that the interest rates are not exactly brilliant, and I wonder about moving into a GIA instead (I have moderate experience buying/selling shares in my own SIPP and ISA, though I am personally high on the risk curve with investments heavily in MSTR and TSLA). Any advice would be appreciated. Cheers, Rich 05:08  Love the podcast (obviously!), it’s genuinely very helpful and has really helped me get my stuff together!!! Not sure if this is something you’d know about but, do you think you would be able to explain to me in your very listenable way, how to work out maternity pay, as in how it’s actually calculated and how to plan to make up the difference etc plus anything else that might be helpful that I don’t even know that I don’t know!! I can’t really find what I’m looking for anywhere else so just thought I’d ask as I find your explanations of things easy to understand (and could listen to you chat about anything tbh)!! Thank you! Jess 12:16  Thanks so much for your brilliant podcasts. I love the idea of the question and answer ones! I have a fun question I have been meaning to ask for ages. I keep my contingency fund in premium bonds, and I periodically enjoy a thought experiment, around what I would do if I were to win the big prize of £1 million. (I fully realise this will never happen, but it is a helpful thought experiment to get me thinking about where my priorities lie in case I do receive a much smaller lump sum in the future). I have no bad debts, I have a contingency pot and I contribute to a pension and ISA. My hypothesis is that I would give some to charity (maybe 10%?), might retain 5% for fun – a nice holiday or an upgrade to my car, would max out my ISA and pension,  and then would split the rest between a world index tracker and one or two investment properties. I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this and how you would allocate. Thanks! Justyn 17:52  The mantra is that the most important time to take advice is when nearing retirement. That's certainly true for us now, and my other half sought some regulated advice recently in respect to tax free cash and pension recycling rules. The advice was provided (that it was not tax free cash recycling) & so we are continuing with the plan as discussed  / agreed with the regulated IFA that we contracted the discussion with (we checked the company and the individuals credentials out on the FSA website .. All good). The question is (call me paranoid, but quite a lot of money – for us, is involved) what happens if in due course HMRC come to us and effectively look to impose penalties for us acting in accordance with the regulated advice provided / paid for (ie, they dont agree with it / decide it has broken the recycling rules)? I have no (sane) reason to suggest this will happen, but paranoia is a terrible thing!! Keep up the good work (oh, and Roger as well) Regards, Kevin Milsom 23:02  With UK inflation now only 1.7% (from 16 Oct 24), are we in a very unusual phase were inflation is less than half of the rate you can easily get on savings? This leads onto thinking about investing versus savings – we all invest to try and beat inflation, but we can currently do this easily with no risks via savings accounts. It is a conversation my wife and I are having at the moment! She is  ‘saver' and I am an ‘investor'. Of course we have a good mix of both from all the guidance you have provided. Cheers. Dave Hicklin 27:40  Hello gents! Big fan of the podcast and the YouTube channel. Thanks for everything you do! Question for you – which I realise is pretty niche so you may not want to cover it. I am in the fortunate position of reaching max pension taper threshold (due to a great salary, some even greater RSU awards and an increasing company share-price!). I have some pension contribution carry-forward but will have used this all up by FY26. My employer do a 7% pension contribution if employee contributes 4%. But for those reaching taper threshold, you can opt out and the company will instead just give the 7% on top of your salary (which is very generous!). Thinking ahead, my question is: – Would it be better to: a) take the combined 11% contribution and opt for a scheme-pays for the tax above the £10k allowance when time comes. I am thinking this way I still get a years worth of investment of the pre-tax money before the tax is paid – which might be beneficial? or b) opt out and take the post-tax increase in salary and put this somewhere else? My wife's and mine ISAs will be maxed already, so would have to be GIA most likely (or premium bonds!?). I'm thinking A makes most sense. I still get the £10k tax free and benefit from some further untaxed money working for me for a little while at least. The tax has to be paid either way, but I am delaying it till later. What do you both think? Thanks very much! Paul

Transcribed - Published: 15 January 2025

Good to be back with another Q&A show to kick off the new year. This week we cover, ETFs, Pension contributions for high earners, tax relief for non-earners and lots more besides. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA3 02:21 First of all I have to thank you for the many years of enlightening listening that I have enjoyed. I thought it was excellent when Pete created the content, however it only improved with the addition of Rog. Yours is by far the best personal finance podcast that I listen to, and long may it continue. My question revolves around index funds & ETF’s. Many of the American podcasts cite the advantages of ETF’s over traditional index funds (unit trusts) however from what I understand this is due to tax considerations which apply in the US & not here. Please could you confirm if this is the case. I use a Vanguard index fund (unit trust) and wish to continue doing so, however am I missing out on not using ETF’s? Thanks again for all that you do for us, your listeners. Best wishes, Steve Horton 07:32 Love the podcast! I’m trying to understand what I can pay into my workplace pension. I’m close to £180k on my P60 & have no other income. My firm pay 6% into my pension, I then pay 6% which they also match. In addition I contribute another 2% so 20% in total, approx. £27k for a Pension Input Period. Feels like I have a relatively simple setup but I’m worried about breaching any limits around the £60k. Do I really need advice as I feel like I should be able to work this out myself! Thanks Steve D 11:26 I am 38 and 4 years ago came into a large sum of money (£600k). My wife and I were in decent shape with a manageable mortgage, life/CI insurance, decent pension balances. I opted to not employ a financial advisor, mainly because I was wary of fees. I am now questioning my decision. I have slowly been putting the money into my SIPP and ISA, keeping the rest in a GIA (invested in global index - Vanguard), paying  the tax on dividends and, with time, capital gains. Also been using my wife's allowances. My question is this, was I silly to not employ a FA? Would there have been an obvious non-risky way of protecting the GIA balance from the tax-man, which would have paid for the FA many times over? We’re still saving into the GIA with regular monthly direct debits, although modest amounts. Love your podcast/YouTube output, which I feel have made me a better citizen - more relaxed because I am sure that my finances are unlikely to have any nasty surprises! Keep up the good work. Stuart 16:32 I've been listening to your great podcast for years and have a simply question for you both. If I am retired with no earnings and taking money from my drawdown pot, can I still contribute £2880 into a pension and get the £720 tax relief off the government? Can I do this even if I might not even be paying tax? Nigel 19:33 I’m 57, self employed (so no employer contribution for me!) and have a SIPP and Stocks and shares ISA. Basic rate taxpayer. I plan to start drawing from these in a few years time. I’m wondering ( as there aren’t going to be many years for the compounding ) whether it’s still worth adding to my SIPP? I’ll get the tax uplift if I put money into my SIPP but then 3/4 will then become taxable but I don’t think there will be enough time to make a gain large enough to offset the tax I will then pay. Should I just bung everything into my ISA? Have I missed something? Thanks very much if you’re able to answer my question! Best LC 25:23 I made a mistake when starting my investment journey by choosing platform recommended funds which are currently not performing well. I have had them for 3 years, is it best to cut my losses and invest in to my choice of global multi asset fund which I've had for 2 years that has been performing well? Thanks, Marc 30:08 Matthew asks: 1. My wife and I are selling both our homes (bought before together) and moving into a rental for 1-2years in a new area before we buy. We will have £500k in cash for 1-2years. Are we best investing in government bonds? Premium bonds? High interest savings accounts? We’re both top rate tax payers and have no other assets. 2. My NHS salary will soon go over £100k and we are starting a family. You speak a lot about overpaying pension for tax reasons and it also helps keep the £20k childcare allowance. I don’t think I can overpay an NHS pension, or can I? Others seem to be getting cars on lease to avoid it. Any ideas?

Transcribed - Published: 8 January 2025

Today we’re going to look at combining or consolidating pensions - a big subject which we’ll try to do some justice…   Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/HB10   What You Need To Know 02:15 Why transfer? 04:47 How the process works. 07:47 Things to watch out for. 14:39 About Defined Benefit transfers.   Everything You Need To Do 26:44 Get up to date with your existing plans. Pension Transfer Checklist (PDF) 28:27 Decide if there’s any reason to leave the pension where it is. 29:44 Request the transfer. 31:07 Chase to completion. 35:07 Podcast Review.

Transcribed - Published: 27 November 2024

In this episode, we want to look at the financial advice process, and give you the helpful basics that you need to think about if you are considering getting professional financial advice. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/HB9   What You Need To Know 02:24 Advice vs planning - Advice is product-led, Planning is outcome-led. 08:11 The Financial Planning process. 08:50 Establish and define the relationship. 11:50 Collect client information to have context for advice. 15:04 Analyse and assess the current position. 16:45 Develop the plan and make recommendations. 22:32 Implementation. 23:33 Ongoing review. 28:05 Costs and value. 35:00 Qualifications and designations.   What You Need To Know 39:03 Begin with the end in mind. 41:30 Contact several advisers. 45:47 Get costs and scope in writing. 48:25 Be prepared to be vulnerable. 53:50 Podcast Review

Transcribed - Published: 20 November 2024

It's time for another listener Q&A! This time we cover paying off student loans, old pensions, alternative to pensions and ISAs and much more. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA2    00:40   Sophie - My question is that I am about to start earning a lot more than I thought I was as a graduate. I have always been told to ignore my student loans by my parents as it's essentially a tax, but looking at some calculators I would pay it all off in 25 years before it gets cleared and pay more than double the £45,600 in interest. I'm thinking of trying to overpay it off more quickly than that as it seems very big to have especially with 7.3% interest rate. I'm not sure if I should prioritize this, as I could start now, but as I'm starting work I'm still very uncertain of what to save and how I should treat this debt. Or should I not worry about it this early on? 06:55   Ellie - My partner recently traced a pension from an old employer. When he contacted the company they told him the pension was all paid out to him when he left the company, 9 years ago. He was 28 at the time. Is that possible? I believed it wasn't possible to access pensions until 10 years before state pension age. The exceptions I'm aware of (certain types of job/illness) aren't relevant here. I can't believe this pension would have had particularly special properties. It was while he was working for Experian. He doesn't remember receiving a lump sum, and is checking with his bank (it's too far back to see online). Did the person he spoke to just make a mistake? He is reluctant to go back to them without anything concrete, and it is hard to trust what they say. Any advice on what to do next? 12:15   Joanne - I am a higher rate tax payer and contribute to a SIPP on top of my employer pension (very generous DB scheme) to keep my earnings underneath £100k so that I can benefit from free childcare hours and about the 60% tax trap bracket between £100-£125k. However, I am now breaching the annual £60k pension allowance and so end up paying significant tax on the additional pension contributions in my self assessment. I am so aware that this is a privileged position to be in and want to contribute my fair share of tax but I wondered what other channels I should be exploring to be as tax efficient as possible please (I have never dabbled in VCTs!) 18:44   James - How do I weigh up the relative value of AVC on my DB pension rather than investing in a LISA or S&S ISA where I retain my capital? 22:25   Giles - I have fallen into the 60% tax trap on a number of occasions, to mitigate this I have tried to top up my pension to get my earnings below 100k to reduce my tax bill. Being the main earner and with 2 very expensive teenagers I don’t have enough spare cash to do this easily so have taken the money out of a S+S ISA in the past. I know this shifts the balance of my assets massively into pensions but it seems worth it to reduce tax. My question being is this a reasonable plan? Is it a good idea to do this or am I better keeping retirement options more flexible with a larger ISA pot?

Transcribed - Published: 13 November 2024

Today we’re going to focus on a subject that we often allude to, but which we want to take a bit further and deeper. We’re always talking about the need to be intentional, but what does that actually mean, in practice? Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/HB8 Everything you need to Know 02:03 The definition of being intentional . 02:59 About goals . 06:48 Consistency . Everything you need to Do 07:50 The Two Spheres . 08:58 Be intentional with our personal finances . 18:38 Be intentional with our investments . 37:37 Rinse and repeat. 38:49 Podcast review. Meaningful Academy Financial Foundations  https://meaningfulacademy.com/financialfoundations 

Transcribed - Published: 6 November 2024

In today’s episode of our Helpful Basics season, we’re going to be talking about Pensions and ISA, explaining how they work, comparing them and helping you to know which ones to use and when. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/HB7 Everything you need to Know 02:07 Paying money IN. 13:50 Taking money OUT. 22:40 What happens when you die. Everything you need to Do 33:07 Join your employer's pension, or stay in it, or open one if self employed. 36:50 Use ISAs for medium term savings. 38:17 Use LISAs for first-time house purchase or to supplement retirement savings. 40:17 Blend 41:15 Be intentional, review regularly. 43:56 Podcast review.

Transcribed - Published: 30 October 2024

Today we’re going to be covering Helpful Basics in the area of self employment and side hustles. We’ll be talking about what you need to know and what you need to do if you’re planning on going it alone in business or supplementing your income in some way… Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/HB6 What You Need To Know 01:55 What is self-employment? 04:08 What is a side-hustle? 09:18 How tax works as a self-employed person.   Everything You Need To Do 20:37 Start as you mean to go on. 26:44 Register for self employment. 29:22 Start a pension. 31:07 Think about insurance. 34:03 Plan for the future. 39:25 E-myth Revisited book.   40:40 Review of the podcast

Transcribed - Published: 23 October 2024

We have a slightly different episode because today I am speaking with the good people from a company called CheckMyFile all about credit files and credit scores - why they are important and how we can optimise them to our benefit. CheckMyFile: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/checkmyfile Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/HB5 01:33 - Pete chats with Beth. 04:15 - What is a credit record / credit report / credit score 06:50 - Purpose of a credit record. 08:52 - What makes a good / bad credit file 12:00 - Credit card to increase your score before buying a house - is that true? 13:26 - Important to be on Electoral Role. 14:28 - Bad debts, using debt responsibly. 18:15 - What can be done to improve your credit score? 21:24 - Credit is attached to person, not address. Financially linked people. 23:40 - Check your credit file. 26:35 - Is there a business equivalent? 27:43 - What is CheckMyFile and why should people use it. 32:00 - Pete and Roger chat and a podcast review.

Transcribed - Published: 16 October 2024

In this episode we want to cover the helpful basics of a subject that underpins EVERYTHING to do with personal financial success - behaviour. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/HB4 Everything You Need To Know 02:06 We are really bad at making good decisions. 07:18 Many things are objective. 13:40 Our higher functions allow us to pre-think decisions. 15:56 Our goal is to be intentional. Everything Your Need To Do 19:05 Know yourself. 27:35 Set clear goals to keep you on the path. 32:33 Use all the tools at your disposal. 42:55 Pursue higher thinking. 52:40 This week’s reviews

Transcribed - Published: 9 October 2024

It’s our first dedicated Q&A show! Roger and Pete answer six great questions from YOU - the listening audience. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA1 

Transcribed - Published: 2 October 2024

In this episode we’re going to do our best to give a decent run down of the State Pension - something that will form the backbone of most people’s retirement income. We need to understand how it works, how to check what we’re due and how to maximise it. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/HB3

Transcribed - Published: 25 September 2024

Today in our Helpful Basics season, we’re going to talk about choosing your first investment. Lots to cover, but should be fun! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/HB2

Transcribed - Published: 18 September 2024

This new season is called Helpful Basics. Each week, Roger and Pete will pick a subject each week which might seem like a fundamental or basic subject, but we’ll try to go pretty deep so that everyone learns something. For the first episode of the Helpful Basics season, we’re going to cover what you need to know when you first start working. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/HB1

Transcribed - Published: 11 September 2024

Today I’m chatting with my friend Alastair Ford about a project we’ve been working on together, but also about our rationale for it and why we think it’s a timely addition to the Meaningful family of services. Meaningful Coaching: https://meaningfulcoaching.co.uk Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/session545

Transcribed - Published: 21 August 2024

Today I’m joined by my friend Dave Algeo a mid-life health coach to talk about the link between health and wealth and lots more besides. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/session544 Dave’s Daily Sprout email: https://midlifereshape.com/MM24

Transcribed - Published: 14 August 2024

Today we want to talk about the last Big Mistake, one which we come across all the time with our older clients, and that is worrying about care fees. This is an important one that we want to cover to give you some reassurance. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BM10

Transcribed - Published: 7 August 2024

Today, in the penultimate episode of this series, we’re talking about the Big Mistake of Not Spending Enough, which might surprise some people! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BM9

Transcribed - Published: 31 July 2024

We’re on the home straight of a season covering the big mistakes we can all make with our finances, and today we’re talking about neglecting our financial reviews. It’s easy to put things off, but keeping a regular eye on our financial situation is so, SO important. We’re going to talk about why that’s the case and how to make it as easy as possible to make sure they happen every time. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BM8

Transcribed - Published: 24 July 2024

Today we’re going to be talking about the big mistake of waiting until… Until what? Well, we mean putting off making decisions until some arbitrary point the future, or until some self-determined set of circumstances come to pass - all will become clear, we hope! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BM7

Transcribed - Published: 17 July 2024

Today we revisit the vitally important subject of what the experts call behavioural finance or behavioural economics, which is really the study of how we interact, as emotional human beings, with the cold, hard world of finances. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BM6

Transcribed - Published: 10 July 2024

We’re carrying on our season of Big Mistakes and today we’re covering the mistake of not planning for later life, which is truly a big mistake. There’s lots to think about in later life and too many people leave it too late, causing problems for themselves and their loved ones. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BM5

Transcribed - Published: 3 July 2024

Today we’re going to look at the big mistake of Being Too Cautious, or to put it another way, taking too little risk. Obviously we’re talking primarily about investing here, and we want to talk about why risk is your friend and the impact of taking too little risk on your future outcomes. Should be an interesting discussion! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BM4

Transcribed - Published: 26 June 2024

We bang on about watching our investing costs all the time. And for good reason - not paying heed to the impact of costs can mean throwing away money unnecessarily. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BM3

Transcribed - Published: 19 June 2024

Today we’re going to talk our second big mistake: starting late. Of course this may not be a mistake, it may be the result of circumstance, and as we all know, life doesn’t always conform to the perfection we’d perhaps wish for ourselves. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BM2

Transcribed - Published: 5 June 2024

In this new season covering some big mistakes that any of us can make with our finances, we start with the mistake of listening to the wrong people. But how can we determine who the wrong people might be? Show Notes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BM1

Transcribed - Published: 29 May 2024

Today I am joined by repeat guest and financial planning legend, Chris Budd. He has a new book called the Four Cornerstones of Financial Wellbeing and it’s a very helpful read for anyone struggling to keep money in its place, or with the effects that money can have on our mental health. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/session533

Transcribed - Published: 10 April 2024

Today we’re rounding off Season 27 by covering the last of our big ideas - and it’s one of the raisons d’etre of Meaningful Money, that most people don’t need advice. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BI10

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2024

Today we’re covering the ideal order of financial priorities, something Pete and Rog learned early on in their financial planning training. The order was summarised by the acronym PIPSIO Protection Income Protection Pensions Savings Investments Other PIPSIO is nothing more than a useful mnemonic, but it really does serve a purpose. I still remind the advisers at Jacksons of it now and again. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BI9

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2024

Today we’re covering a classic piece of financial advice - definitely a Big Idea of investing: Time IN the market, not timing the market! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BI8

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2024

Planning is - or should be - the framework for all financial decisions, but it is misunderstood by many. Hopefully this episode will explain a little about what planning is, how it works and how to go about it. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BI7

Transcribed - Published: 13 March 2024

Today we’re going to be talking about the importance of prioritising today in your finances. That might sound counterintuitive to some, but we’ll put some nuance on it and try and give you some practical things you can do when faced with the dilemma of whether to use your money today or put it away for the future. Show notes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BI6

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2024

Today we’re talking about Behaviour and why really, it’s ALL about that when it comes to being financially successful. Show notes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/BI5

Transcribed - Published: 28 February 2024