Podcasts about iht

In this Meaningful Money Q&A episode, Pete Matthew and Roger Weeks answer six listener questions on UK personal finance - from gifting money to children using the 'normal expenditure out of income' rules to whether ISA withdrawals can support one-off big spends. They also cover pension consolidation and FSCS protection, investing while living abroad, how DB pension accrual affects SIPP annual allowance, and how to bridge the gap to State Pension without over-relying on AVCs. Finally, they tackle the practical steps to opening a Stocks and Shares ISA - and how to get started with confidence. Practical, jargon-free guidance for UK savers and investors navigating pensions, ISAs, tax and retirement planning. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA53  02:35  Question 1 Hi Pete and Roger, I have followed meaningful money for around 6 years now and it has been an invaluable source of sensible advice which I have followed. This has left my wife and I in a very good situation for retirement as you will see below. You deserve an MBE at least!. Love the double act with Roger as well. I am 62 and my wife is 60 years young. Our total pensions will be around 35K a year which is all we need for our basic living cost and general going out etc. We have a house worth £750K with no mortgage and no debts. I have a DC pension around £920K and my wife around £650K and our two boys have just moved out of our house and so we are now retiring and relearning life B.C. (Before Children). I have begun looking into gifting them money out of excess income. I like the idea of giving with warm hands - and strangely so do my boys! Putting our scenario into google gemini, using UFPLS with regular drawdowns and keeping within the current 20% tax band we could each have around 50K income after tax over the next 30 years. Really cannot see us spending more than 40K/year travelling and this will certainly reduce in time as we get older and so will give the increasing excess to our kids. To keep HMRC documentation simple (hmm) we plan to use our joint account to give gifts to the boys but I am guessing that we will need to prove to HMRC that we have equal income to do this? So my wife will take 8.5K less from her DC pension than I from mine. I hope this all makes sense. I presume if our incomes were not balanced we would have to pay out from our individual accounts and document both for HMRC purposes? In addition I have 200K and my wife around £150K in ISAs and savings . I know we can each gift 3000/year from the ISA as well as using excess income from our pension. Again, I asked google gemini about this and apparently I can use the ISA for certain capital payments. Eg a) to buy a new car b) redo bathroom/bedroom c) a large holiday  Not sure what would be the position if we said our largest holiday each year is paid from an ISA and any other holidays are from our pension income and we still gift excess to the kids? - seems a very grey area. I am sure in time HMRC will look closer into this area. So I think it will be sensible to still use the ISA in the next few years and not take everything from the pension and possibly change to funds from accumulation to income as well? One last thought as all this is based on the current tax rates. The IHT rate NRB has not changed since 2009 and would be worth around £530K today and I am presuming there will be increasing pressure to raise this given house price growth and especially after 2027 when pensions are included in the estate for IHT? Best Regards, Bill   09:37  Question 2 Dear Pete and Roger, I can't thank you enough for the excellent free content you put out into the world. I recently got diagnosed with a degenerative condition which will affect me and my family down the line. Your podcast has inspired me to take control of my finances including putting the right protections (insurances) in place and using investing to help navigate a more uncertain future - THANK YOU! The information is accessible and you guys make me chuckle as I go about my day! My question... I am keen to make my life easy when it comes to managing my finances but I have hit a wrinkle in my plan. My preference would be to consolidate my pension into as few pension accounts and underlying funds as possible.  To me the levels of protection available through the FSCS seem too low to be compatible with keeping a pension all with one provider. Am I missing something? How do you think about balancing this risk, without ending up with lots of pension accounts with different providers? Additionally, I have been selecting the same low cost All-World tracker ETF across my family's ISAs and SIPPs, is this inherently risky too and should I aim to use different fund providers (perhaps that aim to achieve the same investment objective). Anyway, I may be being overcautious here or be misunderstanding the level risk but any reassurance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you again Andy   18:24  Question 3 Hi Roger and Pete, I'm 32 and I've been listening the podcast for a few years and the advice (particularly about investing) has helped me immensely. I have a question about investment portfolios when moving abroad. I moved away from the UK 2.5 years ago, at which point I stopped investing into Vanguard and moved to Interactive Brokers. I still have a decent amount invested in Vanguard, but I'm not sure whether it makes sense to consolidate everything into one platform or keep it split over two. I don't have any immediate plans to return to the UK, although I imagine I will eventually. Do you think it makes any difference in how the investments are split, or am I worrying about nothing? Thanks for sharing any of your *thoughts* and perhaps clearing this up for me. Keep up the amazing podcast, Michael (originally from Cornwall!)   21:23 Question 4 Hi Pete and Roger I recently discovered your podcast and am working my way though the back catalogue! I am finding it extremely informative and it is helping me demystify a subject I have found confusing for a long time, so thank you. My question is how do I calculate the amount I can contribute annually to my SIPP whilst also contributing to a DB pension and AVCs (£200/month)? My annual gross salary is £25744. I opened the SIPP to give me flexibility to retire earlier than 67 when I intend to access my DB pensions (as well as my current local government DB pension I have a deferred University DB pension from previous employment), ideally between 60-62, and access the SIPP along with my S&S ISA to bridge the gap. Thanks, Melanie   27:28 Question 5 Hello Pete & Roger, I'm a long time listener and as a result in far better financial shape than I was for many years, thank you. In work I am often akin to the Shawshank Redemption character Andy Dufresne as I find myself offering financial or pension scheme advice to colleagues. This advice ends with recommending your good selves and the knowledge repository that is the Meaningful Money archive and books! I am 56 and just over 4 years from my planned early retirement at 61,  when I will have 36 years contributing into a company DB pension. I plan on taking this in a stepped format (with PCLS) to offer a higher initial payment until my state pension starts 6 years later at 67. To maintain basic rate income tax, I am paying my maximum matched pension contributions plus AVC's through salary sacrifice (until 2029) to keep just under the 40% tax limits. My wife will be solely reliant on her (full) State Pension having not contributed to a personal pension, she will receive this when I am 64, meaning our combined funding danger zone will be around 3 years during which we may need funds to top up our income either from the PCLS pot or ISA savings to this final combined total, "our figure". So my question: You repeatedly talk about retiring with options such as having pensions, ISA's and savings etc. but I am concerned my pension and AVC fund will be totally concentrated with little else. After maximising the pension and AVC contributions it looks likely I will not contribute enough to fund a savings pot that could comfortably cover the 3 year danger zone. Will this pension / AVC concentration matter? Should I continue paying the AVC's to avoid higher rate tax on my income and recovering tax rebate into the AVC pot? To me this makes sense, but would funding a savings pot give us flexibility to fund our pension gap somehow that I am missing, and do I need to target an ISA or other savings pot in my remaining working years. This prospect would feel like not living for today, but retirement is in touching distance so might it be worthwhile? Many thanks & best regards, Tim   34:52  Question 6 To the Bruce Springsteen and Little Steven of the financial world! Hi guys my name is Cam, I'd just like to say you guys are absolutely fantastic at what you do, the knowledge you provide is genuinely incredible and immensely helpful. I think I speak for all your listeners when I say without your podcast there would be a lot of people struggling with personal finance! Keep up the good work Pete and Rog! I am 27 years old, 17 months ago I quit my 9-5 and started my own dog walking business, I have since trained to become a dog trainer too. My business has gone from strength to strength and I'm very proud. However the change from going from a wage structure to a varied income per month has been a tough adjustment especially when saving and wanting to invest and so on. I contribute to my pension each month, I pay into a LISA each month (for a first time home) the only thing I don't do is pay into a stocks and shares ISA. Firstly how do I open one? I have listened to your podcast for well over 2 years now and have listened to the majority of the back catalogue, I feel like I know what to do but it's a genuine fear that's stopping me from opening one. I don't know how to explain it - it's almost like my head is telling me 'don't open one you'll mess it up.' Is it literally as simple as sign up to a provider, open an account, add money in each month? I feel stupid saying I'm fearful of opening one but I genuinely am! The last part of my question is simply is there anything else I should be doing that I'm currently not?  Insurance wise I have income protection and the necessary insurances for my business. Thanks once again you absolute legends! Cam Boring Money ISA Comparison: https://www.boringmoney.co.uk/compare/stocks-and-shares-isas/ 

Send us Fan MailFrom April 2027, unspent pension pots will be subject to inheritance tax for the first time and for HNWI London property owners, the combined effect of IHT and income tax could leave families with as little as a third of what was saved. Farnaz Fazaipour is joined by Alan Kennedy, Managing Director of Trident Tax, to work through the numbers and the options: mirror wills, the 25% tax-free lump sum, property gifting strategies, the seven-year survival clock, deed of variation, and what overseas owners often get wrong about UK assets. If you have a pension and prime London property, this conversation is for you.The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Send us Fan MailFor almost 30 years, the same structural problem has repeated: the government regulates property owners directly because the agents advising them carry no professional accountability. No licence. No exams. No liability. In this Friday Opinion, Farnaz Fazaipour makes the case that the compliance burden has been landing in the wrong place — and asks whether mandating agent regulation would genuinely ease that burden, or simply add another layer to a market that already has too much of it.The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Send us Fan MailFive things worth knowing this week.1. Prices dip, transactions drop.Halifax confirmed a 0.1% fall in UK house prices in May. London and the South East led the decline. Residential transactions fell 3% in April to just over 101,000. Higher inflation expectations are keeping borrowing costs elevated despite recent cuts. For prime London owners, the headline number is less important than the direction — when transactions fall, liquidity tightens, and liquidity is what protects value when you need to move.2. Legal complexity at the top end is accelerating.Compliance demands, AML requirements, and due diligence obligations are adding time, cost, and friction to high-value completions. This is not new — but it is getting faster. Assembling the right legal team before you need it is now part of the transaction itself.3. The Remediation Bill — another layer.Coming on top of leasehold reform, the Renters' Rights Act, and successive tax changes, the Remediation Bill adds to a regulatory stack that is now material in its cumulative weight. If you have multiple properties or development interests, map your exposure now.4. Planning reform: fewer decisions to committee.The government's National Scheme of Delegation will mean more decisions delegated to officers, fewer going to committee. Faster in theory — but less opportunity to challenge through the political process. The officer relationship matters more than it used to.5. India's UHNWI population up 27% by 2031.India's ultra-high-net-worth cohort is projected to cross 25,000 individuals by 2031. Mayfair, Knightsbridge, and Marylebone have all seen sustained Indian UHNWI interest over the past decade. As that population grows, so does the pool of prospective prime London buyers. A demand story worth watching.The full bulletin is in the first comment.Reply if you would like it direct to your inbox each Tuesday.The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Send us Fan MailFor 18 months, the dominant narrative out of prime London has been departure — non-doms leaving, capital relocating to the Gulf and beyond. Gary Hersham, with 40 years at the top of this market, is hearing something different: Gulf-based clients calling to come back, driven not by a change in tax policy but by a reassessment of personal safety. Farnaz Fazaipour discusses what this means for prime central London pricing, the trophy end, and owners still sitting at the 2007 and 2014 price peaks.The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Inheritance tax is catching more families than ever, and recent rule changes will only extend the net even further. In this episode, hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek discuss the most effective ways to reduce an IHT bill with inheritance tax specialist Rob May, including a detailed look at the types of insurance available, and how much they're likely to cost you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us Fan MailFarnaz Fazaipour, founder of London Property, has spent 30 years in prime central London advising high-net-worth clients independently. This is her Tuesday Bulletin for 3 June 2026.Six stories this week: a 30% retreat by overseas buyers; an April 2027 IHT deadline that affects pension wealth directly; planning reforms against a backdrop of 7% target delivery; the lights-out Mayfair phenomenon and what it does to the market; Gen X overconcentration in property; and a question about whether UK regulatory accumulation is structurally deterring international capital.Calm, direct, prime London lens. londonproperty.co.ukLondon Property is Farnaz's platform for the 1,500-strong community of HNWI and UHNWI buyers, owners, and investors she has built over three decades.→ londonproperty.co.uk → ask@londonproperty.co.ukThe London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Send us Fan MailGary Hersham, founder of Beauchamp Estates and one of London's longest-standing prime market figures, returns to the London Property Podcast for a conversation with Farnaz Fazaipour on the state of prime central London in 2026.Gary discusses a developing return flow from the Gulf — non-doms and others who relocated to Dubai and Abu Dhabi now reconsidering after regional instability — and shares examples of recent enquiries his firm has received. The conversation also covers the divergence between the top end of the market (where trophy sales like Nick Candy's £265m house continue to set records) and the segment that bought between 2005–07 and 2014–15, where sellers face the most pressure.Other topics include the psychology of ultra-high-net-worth buyers, the collapse in residential development margins under current transactional costs, performance across Beauchamp Estates' French and Spanish offices, and Gary's advice for both sellers and buyers in the current cycle.Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, founder of London Property.Manage, protect and grow your property wealth: https://londonproperty.co.ukThe London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Send us Fan MailUK property tax is now 3.7% of GDP — the highest of any major economy. The Treasury is asking whether overseas owners of £2m+ homes should pay an additional levy on top of the new mansion tax — the FT calls it an "oligarch premium". And yet central London rents are up 6.7% and super-prime lettings just had a record year. The sales market is repricing. The lettings market is tightening. Six stories on the prime London market in this week's Tuesday Bulletin.The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

75% of financial advisers lose their AUM when a client passes away. Not because of bad performance. Not because of high fees. Simply because nobody built a relationship with the next generation.Ben Mason form Kinvault did something about that. In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam sits down with Ben Mason, the founder of Kinvault, to discuss the technology he built to address one of the most overlooked risks in financial planning: intergenerational wealth transfer. Ben explains why AUM walks out the door on death, why families are being failed at their most vulnerable moments, and how a simple, white-labelled platform is changing both of those things at once.They get into the real numbers, why 25% of beneficiaries don't even know they can stay with the existing adviser, why only 4% of Gen X clients retain the family's financial adviser after inheriting, and why 90% of widows who do switch move to a female adviser. They also discuss what KinVault does for clients while they're still alive, why Ben believes this kind of solution will be a baseline industry expectation within five years, and the story of the adviser who lost £2.6 million over Christmas and called Ben in January to say he should have done it sooner.At £10 per household per year, the maths speak for themselves.Whether you manage a book of 200 clients or 2,000, if you haven't thought seriously about what happens to your AUM when your clients die, this is the episode to start with.In this episode, we discuss…Why 75% of AUM leaves on client death, and the three reasons behind itHow Kinvault builds a relationship with the next generation before it's ever neededWhat the platform does for clients during their lifetime, not just at the point of deathThe generational retention gap that should concern every adviser Why women are being left out of the financial planning process, and what that costs at the point of transferCost, implementation, and why this won't become shelfwareThe story of the adviser who lost £2.6 million over Christmas and signed up in JanuaryFinancial Planner Life is sponsored by Redmill AdvanceWhether you're starting out, already qualified, or building a training academy, Redmill Advance delivers expert-led learning, exam support and CPD from Level 4 to Chartered.✅ Trusted by top UK firms

Send us Fan Mail Six stories shaping prime London this week. The Sunday Times Rich List exodus and the quieter arrivals taking their place. Knight Frank's warning that bonds, not base rate, are the swing factor. A £53m purchase in St John's Wood. Leasehold reform still more ambition than impact. Landlords raising rents to absorb November's tax rise. And why AI will split mortgage broking in two, not end it. Calm, independent analysis from 30 years in prime London property. The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Send us Fan Mail Six stories shaping prime London this week. The Trump effect drives more Americans to London. New land transparency rules tighten the net on offshore ownership. MEES 2030 puts a £30,000 fine on the horizon for landlords. Polling reveals 49% think the Government is failing on housing. The Housing Minister renews the pledge on leasehold reform. And UK house prices fall for a second consecutive month. Calm, independent analysis from 30 years in prime London property. The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

In this episode of the Meaningful Money Podcast Q&A, Pete Matthew and Roger Weeks answer six real listener questions on UK personal finance - from inheriting a SIPP (and the under-75 vs over-75 rules), to how inheritance tax could hit a property-heavy estate. They also discuss what to do with a large Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) holding, whether a longer 35-year mortgage can be a safer option, and the realities of financial planning for UK expats. Finally, they tackle a growing concern for many UK investors - how to protect wealth from increasingly sophisticated scams and impersonation fraud. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA49  02:04  Question 1 Hello Pete & Rog. Thanks for the wonderful podcast I will keep it as brief as possible as it means hopefully you can squeeze more content for your listeners. I am a 35 yr old renting in London with a salary of approximately 35k and would consider buying my own place if I could build up enough of a deposit. My mum died a long time ago but my dad has just been informed that he has a medical condition which will probably end his life in the next 5 years or so. He is currently 73. I don't have any siblings and my dad has shared with me the details of his assets which primarily comprise of a SIPP of around 200k (he has taken and spent his 25% tax free amount). My question may sound a bit morbid but it reflects the reality of life unfortunately. It's about the rules of inheriting this SIPP. I'm not sure I fully understand the 'rules' about if my dad passes away before 75 or after he is 75. My understanding is that if less than 75 I can just 'cash in' the 200k tax-free and for example use it as a deposit for a house. That seems straightforward. But hopefully he will get well past his 75th, so if that's the case I understand the 200k would be taxed as income, so I would be crazy to take it all out in that way. So what would be my options in that case? - Is there any way to take it out of the pension wrapper without having to pay tax to give a bit more flexibility? - could I just inherit it as a pension and if so, would I still be able to take 25% tax free? - can I draw down from before I reach pension age e.g. to pay the mortgage or rent (mindful not to go up into the next tax bracket)? Have I got the rules right and are there any other options I could consider? Regards, Steve   07:08  Question 2 Hi Pete & Roger Love the content and just discovered your YouTube podcast! I'm concerned about my wife parents (Mid 70s) inheritance tax liability and was wondering if you had any advice on how to structure the portfolio to reduce it or if it was worth considering a gifting strategy. Primarily I'm concerned as the recent inclusion of pensions into IHT from 2027 and I'm pretty sure their estate is over 2m and therefore a reduced residence nil rate. Rough figures are below: Current house - 1.1m (according to Rightmove - jointly owned) Own another house 800k (according to Rightmove - jointly owned) Own a holiday letting business (retirement business) which has three properties circa 1.1m (according to Rightmove - jointly owned) With this in mind I put their IHT liability at 2m+ without factoring their pensions Questions What do you consider the ball park IHT bill to be? How do you suggest my wife (mid 30s) approach this issue? Or should she just deal with the cards as they lie in the future? Tony   14:05  Question 3 Hi Pete & Roger, I wanted to start with a thank you for your podcast - specially for acting as the friendly, inclusive and relatable voices of finance. The podcast is a welcome change to the scarier world of finance which many of us sometimes run and hide from! My question for you is regarding my ESPP. I was employed by a US-based company around 10 years ago. During my time there I was able to sacrifice a percentage of my salary which was put towards the purchase of company shares at a discounted rate. It's a very effective scheme, and although my salary there was modest, I've been able to leave the shares alone which are now worth around £230k. The predicament I now have is what to do with these shares. I've been happy to let the shares sit and grow, which they have been doing extremely well, though the value of them now has me wondering what my future strategy should be. For reference, the 10 year growth on these shares is around 850%. As far as I'm aware, I'll need to pay tax on these shares when it comes to selling them as there's no way to transfer them into my stocks & shares ISA or similar. So it's either leave them where they are, or sell some/all of them now and transfer the cash (after tax) into my stocks & shares ISA, SIPP or elsewhere. I'm 40 and looking to purchase a house next year with my partner - though we don't need these funds for that purchase. I have a stocks & shares ISA, a cash ISA and a SIPP, as well as a modest amount in a LISA and cash savings. Whilst I don't feel like I have all of my eggs in one basket, I do feel increasingly nervous about the value of the shares which are entirely dependant on the success of one company. That said, the returns to date have been incredible and I wouldn't want to miss out on future growth. I'd love to know if you have any guidance on this, and if there's any factors that I haven't considered yet. Thanks again, Ian   20:36 Question 4 Hi Guys, Love your podcasts. You've helped me a lot with understanding my finances and I'd love to ask a question. My wife and I are 36 and have been back in the UK for 3 years. We are hoping to buy our first property in 2026. Due to our age, is it okay and safer to do a 35 year mortgage and pay more off monthly to pay the mortgage off quicker? We aren't high earners but hoping to put any extra onto the mortgage principle. Hope to hear from you. Kind Regards, Dhiren   23:49 Question 5 Dear Pete and Roger Thanks a lot for all the education and sensible insights you are providing to all I am an avid listener of your podcasts and  watch your videos regularly.  Now I can see Roger as well.  Both very handsome and knowledgeable. Your discussions are lively and interesting. I am also a member of the academy from the beginning. Also on Facebook community. Currently working my way through retirement guide. I am working abroad for nearly 8 years. I was told by a financial planner that he can't advise non UK tax payers as per regulations. Since then you have been my main source of information and guidance. I am an Ex NHS consultant and now receiving pension. I have a very small SIPP and substantial Investment ISA which I can not contribute to. So my main investment is through GIA. All via Vanguard. Apart from this I have stocks and shares account with a couple of providers which helps me to keep thinking about investment opportunities. I am not a big risk taker and currently doing well with my stocks. I read and listen to a variety of educational materials to help with this I have 2 questions. Is it possible to get financial planner help for UK citizens while working abroad? What should I do with my investments before coming back to UK to live, for tax planning and reduce risk of huge tax for selling investments after coming back? Currently I am in Middle East with zero percent income tax. My pension is also at zero percent under DTAA arrangements. Sorry for long question. Thanks a lot again for your suuuuuuuuuper work. Continue great job Kind regards, Sudhakar Link: Perceptive Planning https://www.perceptiveplanning.co.uk/world-citizens  28:37  Question 6 Hi Roger and Pete, Love the podcast. Thank you for everything. This is about to be a long question, for which I'm not at all sorry. I've seen articles and videos about the increased sophistication of hacks and scams. Things like stealthily getting access to accounts and for years collecting information that can then be used to impersonate you to socially engineer access to bank accounts. AI plays a part in letting people change how they sound to make impersonating on calls easier than ever. Going forward, I'm worried that one of the biggest threats to my wealth is not a market crash, but someone getting access to my investments through fraudulently calling support lines and impersonating me, or alternatively getting access to my money through 'traditional' password leaks and viruses. To this end, I've been overpaying my mortgage as a way of having money locked away in an asset that cannot be liquidated without a solicitor (and hopefully more stringent checks of identity), but I'm going to be mortgage-free in less than 5 years at this rate.  My question is: Am I overblowing the risk here, and what are my options if I want to reduce the my risk from this perspective? I have considered: - Having multiple S&S ISAs with different providers should mean that only a fragment of my portfolio can be lost through any one hack. - Buying 'real' estate as an investment seems appealing from a security standpoint, regardless of expected returns, and although recent changes have made BtL less attractive, the old Rothschild saying of "Buy when there's blood in the streets" could mean that now might be a good time to buy. Is there an advantage in having overseas property as a wealth storage mechanism? - Putting money in my DC pension pot will lock the money away until retirement, but suddenly becomes fair game to foul play once I do. - Buying an annuity is not as fiscally efficient as drawdown, but is an attractive way of mitigating risk of losing it all to a scam caller. Especially if I'm old and doddery and more likely to fall for a scam. - Buying physical gold (and a safe or a Swiss safety deposit box) doesn't appeal to me, but I have considered it. Please assume that I'm being sensible with passwords and 2FA. My question isn't about basic IT security practices, but which of these decisions you think might be a good/bad decision and whether there's anything I haven't considered. Thank you, Alex Link: Cal Newport - https://calnewport.com/    

In this episode of The UltimateFD Podcast, I sit down with Tej, a specialist tax adviser, to examine how business owners can use trusts to protect family wealth from inheritance tax across generations. Recent Labour government changes have brought pensions into the inheritance tax charge and pushed capital gains tax rates higher. Tej notes that over half the UK population now faces some level of IHT liability from rising property values alone, which makes early planning especially relevant for business owners who have built up substantial assets. We go through what a trust actually is: a separate legal entity with no owner, meaning assets held inside it never sit in anyone's personal estate and never attract inheritance tax on death. Tej explains the three parties involved: the settler who creates and funds it, the trustee who manages it (and can be the same person as the settler), and the beneficiary, who cannot also be the settler. We also cover the practical mechanics, including how a family investment company with different share classes can freeze the current valuation of a property portfolio and direct all future growth into trust-held shares that remain permanently outside any personal estate. Tej walks through the 10-year charge on trust assets above £325,000, the 45% income tax rate on trust income, and why starting this process early (by gifting shares into a trust every seven years) produces far better results than leaving it to a will. This episode is for any business owner with a property company, a trading business, or meaningful personal assets who has not yet thought seriously about where that wealth lands on death. Tax planning should not drive your decisions, but leaving the structure too late will cost far more than getting it right now.

Send us Fan Mail Six stories shaping prime London this week. The Times pushes back on rent controls and Pennycook rejects them. BTL lending rose 21% year-on-year in Q4 2025 — the landlord fightback is quieter than the exodus, but under way. Leasehold reform sets up a two-tier London market, the Finance Act 2026 pulls offshore structures into the IHT net, and City Hall opens its service charge probe. The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Send us Fan Mail From 1 May 2026, the Renters Rights Act ends Section 21, abolishes fixed-term tenancies, caps upfront rent at one month, and makes it illegal to refuse tenants on benefits or with children. In this episode Farnaz walks through every change coming into force — in plain English, with the practical implications for prime London landlords. Fines for getting it wrong run from £7,000 to £40,000. The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Time for another Q&A episode where Roger & Pete answer questions on retirement planning, passing assets to children. SIPP vs ISA and much more! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA47  01:42  Question 1 Hi Pete, Roger, and Nick, Thank you for the podcast - I've been listening for a while but fell behind and just binged about 15 Q&A episodes over the last fortnight! There's nothing like listening to the podcast to get me fired up about my finances! I have a question about the upcoming change to minimum retirement age, and a question about how to use my SIPP versus S&S ISA post-55/57. I was born in February 1972 and so by my reckoning should be ok to access my SIPP at 55. However, I heard somewhere that access could be removed at the date the law changes, because I wouldn't be 57 by that date. Can you shed any light please? It doesn't make sense to me to grant access then take it away. The reason I'm asking is because I'm thinking that in the next year I should favour putting money into my SIPP for the tax relief instead of into my S&S ISA, since I can access it within a short time anyway if I really needed to. Once I'm 55, does it still make sense to put money in the ISA at all, given the SIPP will continue to have tax relief so long as I'm working? All the best and looking forward to the videos coming out! Chris 07:04  Question 2 Hi Pete & Rodger, My wife & I are both aged 55 & I plan to retire aged 60 possibly a little earlier my wife isn't sure exactly when she will stop at the moment. I currently have a work place Scottish Widows default pension lifestyle turned off £225,000 I pay in 31%, company pays in 4%, salary sacrifice I then occasionally move funds to my 100% equities SIPP low cost global index fund £442000. My wife has a small DB pension and 45,000 in a SIPP again all in equities. My plan is to retire at 60ish on the SW pension to bridge the gap to state pension age 67. Leaving the SIPPS invested in equities both in low cost global index funds. Possibly adding some bonds a few years out from state pension age. Currently 20k emergency fund cash isa and my liquid assets whisky collection. Do you feel I could improve my plan or is it reasonably sound? Kind regards, Lee.   12:48  Question 3 Hi Pete & Roger, I have a deferred DB pension which in 2018 (when it closed) I was told my annual pension at age 62 would be £18270. The pension is capped at CPI or 2.5% annually, whichever is lower. As such it is getting deflated by high inflation. As of today it's £21840. (With CPI it would be £23830 or even £26050 with RPI). I have a decent DC scheme to top it up but what can I do mitigate this decline with transfer out values currently quite low? Thanks for your advice. Richard   18:08 Question 4 Hello Pete and Roger, Firstly, thank you for your brilliant podcast - it really is absolutely fantastic. Since discovering it early in 2024, I've listened to almost every show! I love the way you both make complicated concepts easy to understand and often have me chuckling along at the same time! I have a question to you both about inheritance tax and a potential way to reduce, or even eliminate, its effects. I don't believe you have covered this particular strategy, so I'm very interested to hear your thoughts. Here's what I am thinking. My wife and I are both 43 and have two lovely children aged 7 and 9. We both work full-time in well-paid jobs and save a good amount into our pensions and ISAs, whilst also ensuring we 'live for today' by going on regular holidays and spending as much time as possible with the children (whilst they still like spending time with us!). Our rough combined financial position is as follows: - £1m in company DC pensions, contributing at a rate of about £85k gross per year - £350k in stocks & shares ISAs, contributing at a rate of £40k per year - For each child – £40k in Junior SIPP contributing at a rate of £3600 gross per year, and £10k in Junior ISA with no significant annual contributions - A house that is worth about £700k with £400k still to pay on the mortgage (remaining term 15 years) I am aware that it's very early to think about inheritance tax, and I know that rules in the future will very likely change. However, it's very conceivable to me that our children will incur a very significant IHT bill when we both shuffle off (to use Pete's phrase!). My "solution" to this is as follows. When our children reach the age of 18, rather than paying £40k per year in our ISAs, we will pay it directly into their ISAs. We will fund this either through earnings (I still love my job and envisage working well into my 60s), and/or from one or both of our pensions. When we are retired, we plan to take regular payments from our pensions up to point where we would start paying higher rate tax; this will hopefully allow us to live comfortably whilst also contributing to our children's ISAs. Any shortfall will be covered by our own ISAs. We will give this money to our children on the basis that it is still our money if we ever need it (e.g., care homes, massive holiday, Lamborghinis, etc). In other words, we will tell them that we will continue paying them £20k a year each provided that they do not touch it and have it available for us if we ever need it. With a bit of luck, we will never need it, and both our children will ultimately receive a substantial sum of 'inheritance' without paying any IHT. I appreciate there are some risks associated with this strategy. The two that I can think of are as follows. Firstly, there's a risk that we fall out with our children and lose control of the money. Secondly, if one our children marries, then divorces, then half of the money we've given them may disappear to someone else. This is definitely a concern. However, provided we are both comfortable with these risks, do you think this is a sensible method of transferring wealth to our children, and can you think of anything other considerations we need to think about? I'm probably missing something really important so it'd be great to hear your thoughts! Thanks again for your amazing podcast – I really do love tuning in every week! Thanks, Martin 28:19 Question 5 Hello gents, My question is this : if someone is looking to retire pre-state pension, and bridging that gap, what are the primary options available?  I've been looking at for example - fixed term annuity if rates are good; bond ladder (feel a bit overwhelmed on this); money market fund; bung it in a cash savings account. I'm assuming I want minimum volatility - is that the right approach to take? Richard. 32:18  Question 6 Hi Pete, Roger and Nick I have become an avid listener in the last three months, having just taken Voluntary Redundancy at age 63. I have benefitted hugely from your expertise and listenable style. Many thanks. I'm imagining that if you include this question in your podcast you might mention a tax tail wagging the dog. However, I don't want my dog to miss out on performing tax tricks. My question concerns whether I can take taxable income from my SIPP whilst leaving my tax-free lump sum untouched. I would then like to take the tax free lump sum at a future date to fund a home relocation. Is this possible?  The background is as follows: My DB (£40k) pension will kick-in at 65 (18 months to go) when I will also take a lump sum which I will place into my and my wife's ISAs. I have to do this at 65 due to scheme rules. So in the meantime we're living on my £100k redundancy pay which is sizeable enough to also fill our ISA allowances for 25/26 financial year. I will avoid higher rate income tax on this VR payment via a SIPP contribution. This means that our current and future 2 financial years ISA contributions will be full and I will also have a SIPP bumped up to £250k. However, it will also mean most of my VR pay will then be in SIPP and ISAs leaving us short on spendable income next year! But next financial year, being un-salaried, I will have the opportunity to take £50270 from my SIPP whilst limiting my income tax to 20%. This will then fill next years income gap. (Once I start receiving my DB pension I will find it harder to get the remaining SIPP funds out without paying 40% income tax as the state pension plus DB will then take me over £50270). I don't want the tax-free lump sum next year as I don't have a need for it until age 65 when we plan to relocate and I can't put it in ISAs because I've already filled them. So can I start taking taxable income but leave the tax-free lump sum in the SIPP where it currently performs the function of an ISA (ie tax-free growth). Alternatively, am I just being a bit silly and making life overly complicated? Your wise observations will be eagerly received. I have done my own cash-flow modelling in detail and this is just a simplified summary of the main facts. Once I am in the new routine post-65 then it'll become a lot easier, but these few steps in the dance over the next couple of years require a great deal of thought. Kind regards, Tom

Send us Fan Mail The rules change on Friday. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 takes effect on 1 May 2026, and the era of landlord discretion is over. This week: what 1 May really means for prime portfolios, why rents are climbing as landlords reposition, why the New York Times is using London as a cautionary tale, why wealthy Britons are quietly exiting, and why lenders are watching leasehold reform with concern. The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

The cost of filling up your car has risen every day over the past three weeks as the conflict continues in the Middle East. Diesel is now averaging £1.78 per litre - a price last seen on Christmas Day 2022, 10 months after Russia invaded Ukraine. Petrol is up 17p and has just tipped over £1.50 per litre. Those figures are UK averages from the RAC. What can you do to bring down the cost?The boss of government-backed bank NS&I has been replaced after a lost funds scandal, affecting thousands and delaying bereaved families' access to relatives' money.Bosses from Capita apologise again as MPs question them about the long delays facing retired civil servants awaiting pension payments. And if you're a regular Money Box listener we'd hope you to know your ISA from your IHT, but do you know the difference between your gross and net salary? Or how to work out how much interest you'd pay on a loan? A group of financial firms and charities is calling for the introduction of an exam which measures how much young people know about basic financial products and services. How might it work?Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth, Bisi Adebayo and Luke Jarmyn Researcher: Jo Krasner Editor: Jess Quayle(First broadcast at 12pm on Radio 4 on 28th March 2026)

In this Meaningful Money Q&A episode (QA46), Pete Matthew and Roger Weeks answer six listener questions on the financial decisions many UK households are wrestling with right now. We cover bridging the gap to the State Pension with fixed-term annuities, strategies for staying under £100,000 adjusted net income (and avoiding the 60% tax trap), and how LGPS "CARE" pensions work including whether salary sacrifice can reduce student loan repayments. There's also practical guidance for self-employed listeners facing a tough year and needing to cut costs, plus how to think about funding private school fees without derailing long-term plans. Finally, we discuss how to decide whether to take the maximum tax-free lump sum from a defined benefit pension, including the trade-offs and how to model the impact. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA46  02:18  Question 1 Hi Pete & Roger, I am a long-time fan of your podcasts, and I often sneak off during the day for some peaceful R&R and listen to your latest release or even go back on old shows. My wife and I are in the fortunate position that we have both retired but still have a number of years before the state pension will commence (6 years / 2 years). Our long-term plan was to build up our private pensions so that we would have a comfortable retirement but also be able to leave our two children a reasonable inheritance which has meant we have been reluctant to dip into our DC pensions too early. With the proposed changes to IHT bringing in the unused pension pots on 2nd death into the estate and on current projection we have in excess of £1m in DC pensions which unfortunately are heavily weighted in my favour to 80/20 and we both have a DB scheme each (circa 5K) which have been activated. My questions relate to fixed term annuity. To bridge the gap between retirement and receiving the state pension for my wife circa 6 years, I was considering looking at one of these to cover sufficient income to take her up to the personal tax allowance limit bearing in mind the annual DB income. My dilemma is where or how best to fund this. Can we or do we use our personal savings? Do we use my wife's DC pension in part? Can I use my own DC pension, but any withdrawal would be subject to 20% tax rate so not a preference even if allowed? As part of my look into these fixed term annuities, there also seems to be an option to have guaranteed cash return at the end of term.  Is there any sense in considering this as it would require a bigger investment or withdrawal?  Would this cash also be tax free or would it be income and added to your existing income stream? It would seem to me that if I wanted to reduce the pension pot differential but ensuring the tax payable was only 20%, then I could either max my withdrawal requirement annually or consider the annuity route but this could be complicated with my state pension commencing 2027? Should I be hung up on the pension pot differential values between us and does the IHT rule of the couple's tax-free limit being £650,000 nil rate ignore where the money originates.  This pension pot differential must be quite common, do you have any other comment or suggestions that would be helpful. I, like many of your listeners enjoy your banter and how you impart knowledge to the wider audience for their better good – a big thank you for this. Best Regards Brett. Meaningful Academy Retirement Planning 11:04  Question 2 Hi Pete & Roger, I'm a big fan of the podcast — thanks for all the clear and practical advice you share each week. My base salary is about £76k, but with shift allowance and a car allowance my total package is closer to £90k. On top of that, I can earn overtime (which is unpredictable) and I also get a discretionary bonus of up to 20% of base salary. The challenge is that we don't find out the actual bonus figure until the end of March, but if we want to waive it into pension we have to decide in advance — so it's guesswork. Without any planning, the bonus can push my adjusted net income over £100k, which means I start to lose my personal allowance and fall into the so‑called "60% tax trap" between £100k and £125k. At the moment, I already have several salary sacrifices in place: – Pension, Holiday purchase, Share Incentive Plan (SIP). I'm now considering adding an electric vehicle through salary sacrifice, which would reduce my taxable pay by about £10.5k a year. That would keep my adjusted net income below £100k, but it obviously reduces my monthly take‑home. I'm 29, so I don't mind putting a bit extra into my pension for the long term, but I don't want to over‑commit too early and lose too much cash flow now. In the next year or so, my wife and I are also planning to have children — which adds another layer, because if my income goes over £100k we'd also lose access to childcare perks. I know there are worse problems to have, but I'd really like to maximise my take‑home pay without losing benefits and while staying as tax‑efficient as possible. So my question is: how should someone in my position — with variable overtime, an uncertain bonus, existing salary sacrifices, and family planning on the horizon — think about the £100k threshold, the 60% tax trap, and the personal allowance taper? And more broadly, how should PAYE employees balance lower monthly net pay against the tax efficiency, taper protection, and childcare benefit eligibility that salary sacrifice schemes can provide? Many thanks. Lewis. 19:48  Question 3 Hi Pete and Rog I'm 28 and my fiancé is 26 so we're at the early stages of building our empire. The knowledge and insight I've picked up from listening to you over the past 12 months has been a massive help, so thank you! My financial situation is fairly run of the mill: a  Salary Sacrifice DB pension with a 6% employer match, early days Stocks & Shares ISA, emergency fund etc. However my Fiancé works for our local council and has a DC pension titled "CARE". From what I can understand, this means every year she works, she builds up an amount, that yearly amount tracks inflation up to retirement, then at retirement all those revalued yearly amounts are added together to give her a guaranteed annual income for life. To my question! Firstly, is my understanding correct, or is there anything I'm missing? And secondly, is there a way of playing with her percentage pension contribution to lower the amount of student loan she has to pay back? Bonus question: I've just finished Q&A Ep31 and caught wind Pete had a beer - what's your tipple of choice? Always thankful for each episode and video you provide! Thanks, Tom   24:23 Question 4 Hi Pete and Rog Long time Facebook group, podcast and you tube fan, asking a question that I haven't heard answered yet. I am self employed, and have been for 12 years now. 2025 has been an unexpectedly difficult one in my industry with corporate customers cancelling projects and budget cuts, and individual clients feeling uncertainty. How can I make hard decisions about cutting back on my business and personal expenses, whilst also staying as positive as possible about the future? My turnover is down about 30%, with a knock on effect on my income. I've stopped investing in my pension as the business isn't making enough profit to do so, and am now looking at cutting back on business expenses like the subcontractors I book to work with me and marketing (which I've held off doing hoping income will recover). Meanwhile I took on many personal expenses that feel very hard to cancel like private health cover for my family, income protection insurance, gym membership, kids sports clubs and their  orthodontist treatments - all totalling £6-800 pounds per month. I'm not sure where to start! Thanks for considering my question. Best Wishes, Lara   31:40 Question 5 Dear Pete and Roger, Loving your podcast. I can honestly say listening to it has transformed my relationship with money and investing. My husband used to do all the money management alone and seems thrilled I've finally shown an interest... Short version: - She 39, he 44 - Her - late starter due to Uni and maternity - now profits of £60pa self emp - He has £50k pa accrued in DB scheme plus AVCs - maxing contributions - He sacrifices to stay below £100k - ISAs - they don't say how much As the children are approaching secondary age and with some SEND issues in the mix we are looking at all the options including fee-paying independent schools. Luckily with the age gaps we have we will only be paying for two kids at any one time and grandparents are stepping in for eldest. This is costly, but I think doable for us as we're quite frugal people anyway. I'm now working out how best to fund this. If we reduce our pension contributions we will lose huge amounts to tax and student loan deductions (in my case) - 62%/47% (him) and 51% (me) will be deducted and we'll lose the childcare funding for our toddler which will be a massive blow. Would it be mad/bad to release some equity from the house, enjoy this money now and pay this off with a pension lump sum when we can access it? I feel that it would be absolutely mad to retire with far more than we need, whilst our children missed out but also mad to miss out on the tax relief. I'm really interested in your thoughts and if there are other ideas? We have just a few years to prepare and ideally I'd like some flex or contingency in any plan. Could an offset mortgage be useful here? I could go full time but I don't want to miss out on raising the kids so this would be the last resort. It just feels like a cash flow issue that needs some planning for. HELP! Thank you for reading, fingers crossed I've got all the vernacular right and haven't caused any confusion. Take care and best wishes, Annie   36:58  Question 6 Hi Nick…Roger…and the other guy!  I'm an avid new listener having read and loved Pete's retirement book and binged on your podcasts. I'm loving what you do and how you do it, and have recommended you widely.  My question relates to how I judge the amount of tax free lump sum to take from a DB scheme. It feels wrong to convert inflation-protected DB pension into a lump sum, but I'm thinking of taking the maximum and wonder if I'm being foolish. I could take my £40k DB in 18 months or could reduce this to £26k for £190k lump sum with a commutation factor of 14. The spouses pension is maintained at 50% of the unreduced pension (ie £20k) even if I take a lump sum. Nice! My wife will also have a £6k DB at same retirement date. We will both receive max state pensions 2 years later. We also have SIPPS and some ISAs and I am confident that these non-DB funds will see us through to state pension age with good margin. My budget shows we will need up to £60k PA spend for very comfortable retirement. £40k PA to cover basics. If I didn't take a lump sum then we have £40k (DB) + £6k (wife DB) + £24k (SP) = £70k income. This works. But as I say, I actually think I should take a max £190k lump sum… This would mean £26k (DB) + £6k (wife DB) + £24k (SP) = £56k total index linked, which works out at £49k after tax.  The additional £11k PA will be easy to provide from the  invested lump sum. But the real reason to take the max lump sum is to manage the risk of me being first death. If/when that happens then my wife has £20k (spouse DB)+ £6k (her DB) + £12k (SP) = £38k index-linked income, or £33k after tax. I think she'll need to find £15-£20k PA from the invested lump sum to stay comfortable. This feels more borderline, especially as she has little natural affinity for investing and may be better buying an annuity.  It seems to me that I would be wise to take the full lump sum to best provide for my wife should I die first (statistically the most likely). This matters a lot to me. Is this reasonable thinking? Or is there a way of judging an in-between lump sum? With kind regards, Tim  

Send us Fan Mail Five stories every prime London property owner needs this week. Section 21 abolition is 11 days away and most landlords still aren't ready  with a physical delivery deadline for the government information sheet on 31 May and fines up to £7,000. IHT business property and agricultural property relief caps are now live from 6 April, with defined contribution pensions entering the net from April 2027. LonRes March data shows 41% fewer sales year on year, while top-end rentals have turned positive. Mortgage rates have risen to 5.42% ahead of the Bank of England's 30 April decision. And the leasehold consultation closes Thursday  with a freeholder coalition now mounting the first organised legal and public counter-campaign since January. The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Send us Fan MailPrime central London is correcting hard in early 2026. Transactions have halted, values are down 15–20%, and capital is quietly moving to Malta, Dubai and Riyadh. Ben Sloane joins Farnaz Fazaipour on Word from the Street to explain what's actually happening on the ground  and what might come next.In this episode:Q1 2026 in prime central London: tax reform, pre-budget positioning, and a wait-and-see marketForeign investors leaving, domestic demand rising — but with less stock to buyThe Renters' Rights Act: 174 pieces of legislation landlords must navigateWhy the May London by-elections matter for market sentimentWhere values might settle, and why Marylebone is holding up betterThe rent reality: why rents will rise and asking prices will inflateAlternative investment destinations — Malta, Dubai, RiyadhThe London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Send us Fan MailSilvina Paz a prime central London property consultant with over 13 years' experience  joins Farnaz Fazaipour for the Q1 2026 market update.Silvina gives her unfiltered read: prices down ~20% from peak, off-market stock at its highest in years, and a new cohort of strategic buyers British, American, Indian and European  moving quietly without urgency. They also tackle the London vs Dubai question head-on.The verdict? Cautious optimism. This is a market for people who buy well, think long-term, and know that the best deals rarely announce themselves.Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major platforms. Subscribe so you never miss a London Property market update.The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

In this episode of the MeaningfulMoney Q&A, Pete and Roger answer six listener questions covering a wide range of personal finance topics. We tackle a tricky inheritance tax situation involving a property bought in children's names, look at pension and ISA options for a daughter likely to spend her career working outside the UK, and offer some perspective on balancing financial sensibility with life's genuine passions. We also cover whether a minimal LISA contribution strategy actually works, how to manage the transition from 100% equities to a retirement asset allocation in the years before you stop work, and what income protection options exist for a young professional wanting to guard against long-term illness or injury. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA45  02:20  Question 1 Hello Peter and Roger (without a D) I am so pleased I discovered your podcast a few months ago, since then your words of wisdom accompany me on my daily dog walks and I have become the annoying older colleague in the office telling the younger colleagues about the power of compounding and contributing to the pension scheme. I have a rather unusual query I would really appreciate your view on and maybe the potential pitfalls we are experiencing would be of interest to other listeners as I have read lots of questions on-line about potential benefits of putting property in children's names. My parents retired to Spain 25 years ago, they cash-purchased a UK flat for when they come back 10 years ago. In a bid to avoid inheritance tax they bought this in mine and 3 siblings names (all in our late 40/early 50s). They did not seek professional  advice, just assuming it was the right thing to do, which could be the morale of the story. Sadly my Dad recently died and as executor of his will I have been looking into the UK assets. I realise now that this cunning plan does not work, as they regularly stay in the flat without paying rent. Therefore, it is classed as gift with reserved benefits and still included in the estate. However this is not an issue as they are well below the IHT threshold. The question I have relates to the future financial position that I think they have inadvertently created. My mum wants to sell up in Spain buy a house in the UK and then either rent the flat for some more income or potential sell it. But how does this work if the property is in our names? Can she legitimately take rent (with our permission) without it having income tax implications on us (I am higher rate so do not want this!). If she wants to sell it I assume it will be sales to us siblings so we will pay capital gains (but what rate? we are a mix of tax brackets and one of my sisters doesn't own another house.) She says she might be best just transferring into her name, but I don't think it will be that easy and we will still be liable for capital gains as it will effectively be a sale to her. Is there something we have missed here and is it something we should be concerned about? Or is it OK to leave as is and let her keep to draw down income. Could it be the right thing to do and having the property in our names be simpler to resolve when she dies? I am hoping your soothing Yorkshire/Cornish tones can reassure me all will be OK. Vicky a faithful listener.   11:24  Question 2 Hi Pete and Rog I only discovered the podcast fairly recently, but have been following your web-based lessons on Meaningful Money for a while (and have read the books). I am really loving the podcast - so many back episodes to listen to! Super-informative, and your dulcet tones are also very soothing! My question is to do with advice for an adult child who is likely to spend her career working outside the UK. My husband and I are both late 50s and technically have reached FIRE (years of finance-nerdery despite relatively low incomes) but I am still doing consultancy because I quite enjoy it. Our older three children are all getting established in their careers, and I've brainwashed/ educated them in the ways of financial sensibleness, so they're all set up with emergency funds/S&S ISAs/employer pensions/SIPPS. Our youngest daughter is studying at university in Poland (the kids and I all have dual Polish/UK citizenship, as my mum was Polish). This means my daughter can work anywhere in the EU, and although she will always have strong ties to the UK, it's looking as if she is more likely to work outside the UK once she graduates in summer 2026. This opens up a whole new world of options in terms of setting her on a path to financial security, and there's quite a lot of conflicting information  - I would really appreciate some input on what are likely to be the best options for someone in this situation. At the moment she's 'ordinarily resident' in the UK, on the electoral roll etc., but doesn't have any UK income. Can she make pension contributions in the UK even if she's working elsewhere? I assume she still has an ISA allowance if she's a UK citizen working abroad, but a LISA would make less sense if she's not likely to buy a UK property? I am self-employed via a limited company and she has occasionally done bits of tech support for me, so she could register as self-employed in the UK and bill me for that - would that count as UK employment? My accountant is super-scrupulous, so I'm not interested in anything that might be sailing even vaguely close to the wind in HMRC terms. I would appreciate any thoughts on this perhaps slightly non-standard situation, although I assume there must be quite a few other people out there with dual UK/EU citizenship who might be facing similar questions? Many thanks, Felicia 19:06  Question 3 Dear Pete and Roger. I listen to your podcast all the time and it keeps me right. It has really helped me navigate my financial literacy or lack thereof. I am now in a situation where I have much better understanding of what I need to be doing with my money, and have made sense of all financial decisions such as paying into my workplace pension, owning my own home, and I have a recently paid job and some side projects which earn me a little. My question is, I think, a search for a validation of my life choices! Basically, despite having a good job and owning my own home outright, I am still struggling to budget every month. This is because I have made a terrible financial decision of owning two horses. These horses are my pride and joy, but the financial strain of it does make me feel guilty in terms of the distribution of spending between me and my husband. I spent about 600 a month on the horses, give or take a bit each month. Do you have any words of wisdom about how to balance being sensible with money Vs 'investing' in my life passions? I don't think I'll ever give up the horses, so it's more about whether I continue to stress about it or not. Many thanks for your wisdom as always Josie   25:20 Question 4 Thank you for all the great content! I have a LISA question for the podcast in relation to my 25 year old son? He currently lives with me in SW London and is saving to buy his own place. I love having him stay and I am in no rush for him to move out. He/we decided not to go with a LISA because he is likely to buy a property in or around London and we are concerned about the £450K cap which I believe has remained fixed since 2017. He is very motivated, ambitious and hard working and has already had several promotions with an opportunity to work in the US next year. He has already saved £50K for a deposit and I intend helping him too. He is not in a rush to buy as it feels like the property market is no longer running away from him.  He told me he thinks it makes more sense to enter the property market on the second rung of the ladder rather than the first as it costs so much to move with stamp duty, fees etc. So perhaps a 2 bed in a nice(ish) area rather than a starter home (and renting the second bedroom to a friend). I think I agree with him, especially if he ends up working in the US for an unknown period of time.  A 2 bed in a nice(ish) area where he actually wants to live would cost more than the £450K cap which is why we are reluctant to use the LISA for saving for his first home (I understand it can also be a pension investment but he is already contributing to his workplace pension). However, I have in my head a bug that says he can put minimal contributions into a LISA each year (say £5) which he could top up retrospectively if he changes his mind and does find somewhere to buy for under £450K. Am I correct? Your thoughts would be much appreciated. Michelle 29:04 Question 5 Hi Pete and Roger Thanks so much for all the work you do, I've only found the podcast recently but already enjoying learning more and thinking about things differently. My question relates to saving for retirement and specifically the period leading up to retiring.  Nearly all of our (mine and my husband's) pensions are in SIPPs where we have been happy to be 100% equity, in global index funds. We are now maybe 7-10 years from the point where we could retire, and I've been able to research withdrawal strategies to the point where I'm confident managing that when we get there.  We have determined our target asset allocation split between equities / bond funds / individual gilts and money market funds for the start point of retirement. I haven't been able to find much information about the period of transition from 100% equity to the asset allocation we want in place for the start of retirement.  Obviously it's a balance between reducing exposure to volatility as we approach retirement and accepting a drag on the portfolio caused by the increasing allocation to cash and bonds and my instinctive (but not evidence-based!) approach would be to gradually move from one to the other over a number of years. So my question is this - is there a better approach than just a straightline shift from one to the other?  How far out from retirement is it appropriate to start making the transition?  The best advice I can find online is just to pick whatever makes you feel comfortable and do that but surely there must be some more robust guidance out there?  I appreciate it might not be a one size fits all answer but would appreciate your thoughts on how to approach this. The one piece of advice I do seem to have found is that however we decide to do it, to stick to a predetermined schedule to avoid temptation to try to time the market - does that sound sensible or have I missed the mark on that? Thanks so much for any help you can give. Fran   35:26  Question 6 Hey Pete & Roger, Thank you for the great podcast! I have a question about income protection insurance. I'm quite young (25 - probably among your youngest listeners!), no dependents, renting with my partner, and am fortunate enough to have a well paid job and a promising future career. I recognise that my biggest asset is my future earning potential and would like to protect that in case of the worst. I have a 6 month emergency fund, healthy amounts (for my age) invested across ISAs and pensions, and my work offers 50% loss of income protection for accident or illness for 3 years, which is all great. My question is - to what extent should I think about trying to protect against the tail risk of not being able to work for >3 years, possibly till pension age? This is of course quite unlikely, but would be very detrimental if it were to occur - the exact sort of place where insurance would make sense. However I can't seem to find any insurance policies with such a long deferral period and I can't "double up" by having a shorter referral period. So, do such products exist, and if not are there any alternatives other than just accepting that risk and re-evaluating if and when my circumstances change? Is this even a reasonable risk to be thinking about, or is it overkill? Is there anything I should think about that I may be missing? Many thanks, Sarah *Affiliate - https://meaningfulmoney.tv/lifesearch 

Send us Fan MailThis week's London Property News Bulletin — 14 April 2026.We  break down six stories prime London property owners need to understand this week:1. Iran conflict rattling UK seller confidence failed sales hit 24.4% in March, a four-year high. What this means for PCL owners.2. Gulf demand pushing prime London rents higher  Knight Frank data confirms what agents are hearing on the ground. Kensington, Chelsea and Marylebone landlords take note.3. April 2027 tax deadline pensions, IHT, property income adjustments converging. The planning window is now, not next year.4. Mortgage volatility reshaping buyer profiles — chains are more fragile, cash buyers are gaining an edge. How to position if you are selling.5. Renters Rights Act  why professional landlords with quality prime stock may emerge stronger as smaller operators exit.6. The 2028 property tax charge  £2,500 to £7,500 annual charge on higher value properties. 165,000 homes in scope. It belongs in your planning now.Every week London Property cuts through the noise on the issues that matter most to serious prime London property owners.— — —Host: Farnaz Fazaipour, London Propertylondonproperty.co.uk/en/link-in-bio/Podcast descriptionThe London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Send us Fan MailFarnaz Fazaipour is joined by Kris Ericsson, prime central London specialist, for one of the most data-rich market assessments of 2026.Kris shares the numbers few people in the market will say on record: prime central London is now 20–25% below 2014 peak levels. Belgravia and Knightsbridge are down 30%. The correction has been running for 12 years driven by interest rates, Brexit, SDLT, and a dramatic shift in the buyer pool. 68% of prime central London sales last year came from non-domestic buyers relocating away from London, mostly to the Middle East.They also cover: the incoming mansion tax in 2028 and its impact on liquidity; why East London is absorbing younger domestic demand; the London vs Dubai debate among HNWI clients; and where Kris sees genuine opportunity in the current market  including pied-à-terre and Battersea Power Station.— — —Guest: Kris Ericsson, prime central London specialistHost: Farnaz Fazaipour, London Property (londonproperty.co.uk)The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Send us Fan MailFarnaz Fazaipour is joined by Jeremy Davidson for a frank assessment of where prime London property prices actually stand in 2026.Jeremy's view is direct: the market has not fully corrected. In high-value areas like Chelsea and Kensington, properties could still fall by 15–20%. Deals are happening but only where vendors accept substantial discounts from asking price. Buyers are not moving for marginal improvements. They are only transacting where they see genuine value.A candid, unvarnished look at the prime London market for anyone buying, selling or holding in 2026.— — —Guest: Jeremy DavidsonHost: Farnaz Fazaipour, London Property (londonproperty.co.uk)The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Send us Fan MailFarnaz Fazaipour is joined by Marco Pasi, specialist in off-market transactions and international prime London clients, for a first-quarter 2026 market update.Marco shares what he is seeing on the ground: clients who left London for Switzerland, Monaco and Dubai are quietly reconsidering. The non-dom regime and inheritance tax changes accelerated departures  but global instability, concerns about rule of law in newer destinations, and London's irreplaceable energy are pulling people back.They cover: why Dubai is losing its appeal for long-term family planning; the return of American and Southern European buyers; why Mayfair is a sought-after postcode again; and Marco's cautiously optimistic outlook for a strong market recovery through the rest of 2026.Guest: Marco Pasi, prime London off-market specialistHost: Farnaz Fazaipour, London Property (londonproperty.co.uk)The London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Send us Fan MailIs the prime London market running out of steam  or just finding its new level?Farnaz Fazaipour sits down with Tom Tangney of Rose and Partners for a frank assessment of where the market stands as we move through the first quarter of 2026. Fewer transactions above £10 million in Kensington, Holland Park, and Notting Hill. More activity at the £5 million mark. Buyers who need to move not buyers chasing gains.In this episode:— Why high SDLT is turning 'want-to-buy' into 'need-to-buy'— The rise of longer-term mortgages and what it means for affordability— Why turnkey properties are commanding a premium right now— Where to look east: Hoxton, the Elizabeth line corridor, and emerging buyer demographics— Foreign interest from mainland Europeans and South Asians — still strong, shifting in character— How the Bank of Mum and Dad is reshaping purchase structuresIf you own or are considering prime London property, this is the market intelligence you need.Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour | londonproperty.co.ukThe London Property Podcast Hosted by Farnaz Fazaipour, londonproperty.co.ukIndependent intelligence for serious London property owners and investors.Every episode cuts through the noise with 30 years of prime London market experience  no estate agent spin, no vested interests. Just practical insight on where the market is moving, what the legislation means for your wealth, and where the real opportunities are.Trusted by 1,500 HNWI members across the UK and internationally.Topics include prime and super-prime London, leasehold reform, IHT planning, rental market shifts, regeneration areas, and the tax and legal changes every serious owner needs to understand. #LondonProperty #PropertyInvestment #LondonRealEstate 

Are you sitting on property wealth but unsure how to use it or pass it on efficiently?   In this episode, we're joined by Greg May to break down lifetime mortgages in simple terms and what they are, how they work, and who they're really for. We explore how property owners can access equity without selling, the impact on inheritance, and why lifetime mortgages are increasingly being used as part of estate planning strategies. We also dive into inheritance tax (IHT), why more families could be affected in the coming years, and how property wealth plays a major role in that.   In this episode, we cover: What a lifetime mortgage actually is  How equity release works in practice  The pros and cons for property owners  How interest rolls up over time  The impact on inheritance and beneficiaries  Using lifetime mortgages for inheritance tax planning  Why more estates could face IHT in the future  What property owners should be thinking about now  Whether you're planning ahead, supporting family, or simply want to understand your options, this episode will give you a clear and practical overview.   If you'd like to learn more about lifetime mortgages or speak to Greg, you can find his details here. Greg May CeRER CeMAP  Director & Equity Release Specialist at Sage Equity Release T: 01344 306 654 E: greg@sageequityrelease.co.uk   W: https://sageequityrelease.co.uk/   

From April 2027, many unused pension funds are set to be brought into the IHT net, changing how pensions work for legacy planning. Pete and Roger explain what's changing, what still remains exempt, where "double tax" can arise, and the practical steps to consider now — without rushing into knee-jerk decisions. 01:55 KNOW - Pensions no longer outside of estate 09:49 KNOW - Some important exemptions still remain 10:32 KNOW - In some cases there could be TWO taxes 14:15 KNOW - The administration will also change 16:58 KNOW Summary 17:15 DO - Rethink the old "leave the pension last" strategy 22:40 DO - Review who your beneficiaries actually are 24:56 DO - Consider using surplus pension income while you're alive 26:35 DO - Don't rush into drastic decisions 30:39 Podcast Review   Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/session616 

In this Meaningful Money Q&A episode, Pete Matthew and Roger Weeks answer six listener questions on UK personal finance, pensions and investing. We cover inheritance tax (IHT) and who actually pays it, a defined benefit pension "state pension deduction" before State Pension age, and whether salary sacrifice affects higher-rate tax relief. We also discuss whether global tracker funds are too concentrated in the US, how offshore investment bonds compare to a general investment account (GIA), and how IHT taper relief works for gifts and the nil-rate band. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA44  03:40  Question 1 Hi Pete and Roger, I have been really enjoying your podcast and have learned so much about finance, tax and investments that I did not know before. I enjoyed your episode on inheritance tax. I have a question regarding inheritance tax and what happens if beneficiaries are unable to afford to pay it. My parents are wealthy with three properties (mortgages all paid off) and a large private pension, my parents also had a limited company which they used to maximise their earnings by minimising tax. However, me and my brother are average in the financial sense, where we have "normal salaried jobs", as my father would say. We earn far less than him and hence have much less assets. I own a house but have most of the mortgage left to pay because I only bought it last year. I am also single and live alone on my single income. My brother rents a flat and spends most of what he earns and has no concept of saving/future plans or investments, he does not even have a pension. I am under the assumption that the IHT has to paid first before the inherence is released, rather than IHT simply being deducted from the actual inherence itself before distribution? When I look at the total of my parents assets, me and my brother have no where near enough money to be able to pay it, due to the large gap in wealth between us and my parents. I tried to discuss this with them a few times but was fobbed off. They don't have any plan in place, all they have is life insurance to cover each other should one party die, and a simple one page will including just each other and us, no extended family. My brother and mum have no clue about money, and my dad who is in charge of the finances has multiple health problems of late. I am anxious of the day when I will be asked to pay tons of IHT which I might not be able to able to afford, especially because I am single and have my own bills and mortgage, I can't afford another loan. Is there a way to get around this or reduce the burden? If I cannot afford to pay the tax, can I simple "run away" from the situation and decline being a beneficiary, hence shoving the responsibility of IHT onto other family members? I don't really understand the process of probate, and whether my parents life insurance would pay it, but it seems to be that it pays out to the spouse should the other die, so I assume this would be added to the total assets and hence increase the tax burden should the other die? My parents don't seem to be bothered and are reluctant to discuss this so I am unsure what to do. How do "average/mediocre" kids like me and my brother usually deal with the tax from being born into a wealthy family? Sorry if this is a silly question, but I would appreciate any words of financial wisdom. Many thanks, Lava 13:08  Question 2 Hi Pete and Roger, I hope this message finds you well. As an avid listener of your podcast for the past couple of years, I want to express my gratitude for the way you break down financial and pension topics that can often seem overwhelming. Your insights have been invaluable to me. I wanted to share a personal experience and seek your views on it. After dedicating 42 years working at M&S, I am now approaching 60 and preparing to take my pension later this year. While I am proud of my long service, I've encountered an unexpected surprise in my pension arrangement. I have a Defined Benefit (DB) pension valued at around £9,000. Per year. However, upon receiving my pension quotation, I discovered that the scheme is structured to pay me this amount only until I reach 65 years of age, after which it reduces by approximately £2,200, a 24% reduction. This reduction is based on the assumption that the State Pension will compensate for the difference. However, with the State Pension age being pushed back, I will experience a reduction in my income before the State Pension begins when I turn 67. This situation feels particularly unfair, especially given that at M&S, there are a significant number of women who are lower-paid workers. The unfairness is further accentuated by the fact that the reduction is a fixed sum, irrespective of one's earnings. This fixed sum reduction impacts lower-paid and part-time workers disproportionately. I would greatly appreciate any insights or advice you might have on how to navigate this issue. Thank you once again for the fantastic work you do. Your podcast has been a tremendous help in making sense of pensions and finances. Best regards, Joan   20:06  Question 3 Hi Pete and Roger, Discovered the podcast and book a few months ago while trying to get more organised with life admin and planning for the future. Enjoying working through the back catalogue of the past seasons on the podcast and that's been very helpful - thank you. I do have a question about salary sacrifice/exchange in a workplace pension around tax brackets. As I got a promotion at work a few years ago I ended up moving into the higher 40% tax bracket so I adjusted my pension contributions - my workplace offers salary exchange for pension contributions - to bring my adjusted salary to below £50k and stay within the 20% income tax bracket and also saving on National Insurance contributions and tax relief. However, last year, another promotion led to another increase in salary and several things going on such as buying a house meant that I hadn't adjusted the pension contributions enough and my adjusted salary was above £50k and a portion of that was taxed at the 40% rate. Question I have is can I claim back the tax at the 40% rate from HMRC or does the salary exchange mean that I have already had the maximum tax relief applied? Thanks and keep up the good work, Simon 23:42 Question 4 Hi Pete and Rog, Only just discovered the pod and loving it! You advocate global trackers and I can see why, as they are cheap and simple and have the appearance of diversifying risk. But do you not worry about putting 60-70% of your money in one market (the US), which is what a global tracker does? I understand that you're letting the market determine how your capital is allocated, but what is 'the market' when so many other people are also just investing in global trackers? It seems to me there is not enough price discovery and trackers may be chasing a bubble. Would love to get your views. Cheers guys. Will https://www.timeline.co/resources/indexing-the-paradox-of-concentration-of-return  Adviser 3.0 Podcast episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Y4jVxDLL4  30:09 Question 5 Dear Roger and Pete Huge fan of the show! I had a question about offshore investment bonds. I'm an additional rate taxpayer and after contributing to pension and ISA, am then looking at what could come next. I've seen offshore investment bonds as an option, however I'm struggling to see how they would deliver a better outcome (assuming the same underlying investments) than simply using a GIA, and selling down the investments once I stop work. Thanks again, Matt Investment Bonds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q5HBoXmekI  35:28  Question 6 Hi Pete, Roger and Team, Firstly, thanks to you all for the amazing podcast, I have been listening for years and it has given me the confidence to manage my finances. I spread the word to all who will listen! My question is regarding tapering with relation to gifts and IHT. The scenario is this, a person is gifted a fairly substantial sum (say £100k) but less than the £325k personal allowance. The person who gifted the sum then dies at 6 years post gift. The persons estate is say £750k. In this case does tapering occur? Even though the gift is less than the £325k the whole estate is well over the personal allowance. Would IHT be paid on the sum over £325 with tapering on the gift? For example £325k IHT free due personal allowance, £100k at 6% taper relief with the remainder at normal IHT rates? Hopefully that's a short enough question! Many thanks, Alastair

If you're a UK beginner and you're not sure where to start investing in 2026, Pete and Roger talk you through a calm, step-by-step investing order to follow. They cover when to build a buffer, tackle expensive debt and use employer pension matching, plus how to choose between a Stocks and Shares ISA and a pension. You'll also hear the key beginner mistakes to avoid so you can invest with confidence and stay the course. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA43  02:00  Question 1 Hi Pete and Roger I'm late to investing but thanks to your informative and entertaining podcasts and books - I feel on track to at least a decent retirement. I'm on a £60K salary and currently manage to contribute around £25K annually via salary sacrifice - which keeps me happily and comfortably within the 20% Income Tax bracket. However, with the Salary Sacrifice Cap coming in April 2029, I will end up in the higher-rate tax bracket. I was thinking about using my employer's Car Benefit Salary Sacrifice Scheme to help bring down my taxable income – whilst still maintaining the maximum salary sacrifice and utilising Relief at Source my AVC. I'm fully aware of the saying "don't let the tax tail wag the investment dog" but I was planning on getting a car in 2029 – when my mortgage is completed – so this might be a good alignment. My question's are: Can you confirm whether the Salary Sacrifice Cap applies to pensions only — and does using the car salary sacrifice scheme seem like a sensible idea in this context? Is there anyway that paying into my AVC via Relief at Source and claiming the higher-rate relief via Self-Assessment would result in HMRC issuing me a new tax code for the following tax year. Keep up the good work – and all the best to you and your families for the festive season. Thanks, Cris 06:43  Question 2 Hi, I recently came across your podcast and have not stopped listening to all the older episodes, and look forward to the new ones each week. Keep up the great work! I'm a 53 year old business owner looking to exit my business within the next 3 years via a sale and hope to receive around £1.5 - £1.8m from my share of the proceeds after tax. My wife is 8 yrs younger than me and will probably still be working doing some consultancy work. She has her own pension and savings in ISA's (currently a combined pot of around £250k which will hopefully grow over the next 10+ years) but we wouldn't need to access that till much later as required. My 2 questions are: 1. What would be the best way to invest the lump sum from the sale of my business to provide an income to support my retirement without having to necessarily eat into the capital or touch too much of my savings / pension early on as it will need to provide for my wife and I for quite a few years if we retire / semi retire in our mid 50's. Having looked at our living costs we would need around £60k p.a - albeit to live comfortably. Any holidays / large purchases etc could be funded through savings. 2. How would you prioritise what pot of funds you use first to make it the most tax efficient, enable growth and ensure that the pots do not run out. Given the new IHT rules on pensions is it now wise to use those first including the 25% tax free lump sum or use the ISA's / savings first leaving the pensions to continue growing in their tax wrapper. Thanks, Jeremy Meaningful Academy Retirement Planning: https://meaningfulacademy.com/retirementplanning  14:53  Question 3 Hello Peter and Roger You answered a previous question for me on the podcast so thank you for that, and I hope you don't mind me asking another one! We're in the very fortunate position of being able to pay the full £60,000 annual allowance into my pension scheme this tax year and are considering making additional contributions using unused allowance from previous years.  I understand that the total contribution we could make would still be limited by my annual salary this tax year - my question relates to how that is defined. The contributions are made using a combination of salary sacrifice into my work scheme and lump sum contributions to my SIPP which is separate from the work scheme.  So, would my "salary" that would be the limit for total contributions be the salary before salary sacrifice or after?  And is the "salary" further reduced by the contributions to the SIPP, as I believe my adjusted net income for calculating tax bands is? Perhaps some hypothetical numbers would help.  Let's say my gross salary before salary sacrifice is £125,000 and I salary sacrifice £25,000, and my employers' contribution is £5,000.  Let's say I also pay £24,000 by bank transfer into my SIPP, so I'd receive £6,000 of tax relief into the SIPP.  If I've understood it correctly, my adjusted net income for tax purposes would be £70,000 (which is £100,00 salary after salary sacrifice minus £30,000 gross contribution to SIPP).  In total, £60,000 has been paid into my pensions which is the full annual allowance for this year. If I had £120,000 of unused pension allowance from the previous three tax years, what is the maximum additional amount I could pay into my SIPP this tax year?  Is it £65,000 gross (so £52,000 net), to bring the total paid into my pensions up to £125,000, my pre-sacrifice salary?  Or £40,000 gross (so £32,000 net), to bring the total paid into my pensions up to £100,000, my post-sacrifice salary?  Or some other amount, if the salary that counts for this year is limited to the adjusted net income? Thanks so much for your help - I know it's a bit technical but I can't seem to find the answer anywhere! All the best, Fran   19:33 Question 4 Dear Pete and Roger, I've been listening to the podcast for years now, and it always makes my Wednesday commute more enjoyable. Every time I hear your names together, I think of The Who, so thanks for all you do, helping people of My Generation become Finance Wizards and make smarter decisions so we don't get Fooled Again. I'm 34, and after working in the small charity sector since university, I've accepted a role in a larger organisation which comes with a significant pay increase, taking my income over the Higher Rate threshold. As I step into this new tax band, what reliefs, allowances, or financial planning considerations should I be thinking about? In particular, I'm aware there are some reliefs (particularly for Gift Aid donations and pension contributions) that I will be able to claim through self assessment; do they 'compete' with each other in any way, or can I claim the full relief on both? Thanks for all you do, Tim   23:40  Question 5 Pete & Roger Great podcast - don't ever retire! I've just started receiving my state pension (now you know how old I am) but I was wondering how I can check that the government are paying me the correct amount. I have more than a full set of NI class 1 contributions but I've also had some years contracted out and some years working abroad in a country with a reciprocal arrangement with the UK (which I've claimed for). The government just sent me a statement telling me how much I would get paid without any detail behind it. How can I check that they have made the correct deductions for contracting out and the correct additions for my time abroad? Call me cynical but I don't always trust the government to get these calculations right. Many thanks, Glen   26:58  Question 6 Hi,  great show by the way, very informative, it has certainly helped me and I'm sure is great help to many others. My wife Michelle is planning to retire at the end of March, age 58.5.  She is self employed, a relatively low earner and finds the work tiring now. I myself am 56 soon and likely to work another 2 year (max), I am luckily enough to receive a decent salary and have above average pension provision. Michelle has the following pension savings -  £143k in bank savings (not isa), £130k S&S ISA, £118k SIPP - all combined £391k. I realise markets are high at the moment. Plan to use 4% rule and reduce when State Pension kicks in (have full NI Contributions). So assuming want £15k pa (and rise annually with inflation), my query (that many others may have) is it best to use the cash or the ISA or the SIPP first or mix it up?  Michelle is very unlikely to have to pay income tax, until State Pension triggers at 67. Any advice much appreciated, Jason  

In this Meaningful Money Q&A, Pete Matthew and Roger Weeks answer listener questions on UK personal finance, focusing on pensions, tax, and planning ahead. Topics include SIPP vs Lifetime ISA, retirement drawdown and which accounts to spend from first, Junior SIPPs, gifting company shares (IHT and CGT), and UFPLS vs drawdown.   Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA41    01:47  Question 1 Hello Pete, Roger and team. I'd first like to say thank you for all the wonderful information you provide, it has been a great aid for increasing my financial intelligence and helping me secure my family's financial future. My question is regarding the benefits of a SIPP vs a LISA in terms of retirement. My understanding is they both benefit loosely from the same boost. 25% Boost for LISA and in effect 25% boost to a SIPP due to the 20% tax relief as a basic rate tax payer? They are both locked away for a long period and are both released early if I was to suffer from any serious ill health or death? Due to this is there any benefit I am overlooking in terms of a SIPP over a LISA invested in a world wide fund? Other than age of access? I am currently 36 and due to the increasing demands of public finances it would be logical to assume a possibility of the state pension age being raised above 70 (above 60 if taken early) or becoming restricted to who can collect (means tested) before I am to reach pension age. Whereas I would be able to claim a LISA at 60 regardless with the added benefit of it not being subject to tax? I have a generous company pension of 6% personal and 13.7% company contributions with an additional 1% matched salary sacrifice. I also put in an additional unmatched personal 3% contribution.  As well as a small military pension. so I would not be without a pension at retirement. Due to this is it worth hedging my bets by maxing my LISA contributions rather than a SIPP to cover potential future scenarios? Apologies for the long winded question and I hope it makes sense. Thank you, Adam   08:42  Question 2 Hello Pete and Roger! Thank you for your wonderful podcast, I started listening several years ago and have found your advice incredibly useful. I am here to ask a question about planning a future for a disabled child. My husband and I are in are late 30s and we have a 5 year old daughter who is autistic and has profound learning difficulties. The challenge we have is how to plan for her future care and our future careers with so much unknown.  We both work full time and are currently both basic rate taxpayers (although we are both getting close to that boundary). We receive child benefit and some DLA for our daughter. When our daughter was born we started saving small amounts regularly into a JISA for her, but as her disabilities became clear we switched and started saving money for her within our own S&S ISAs. We still put money into her JISA when she gets gifts from grandparents etc as it seems disingenuous to keep that money under our names. We have an emergency fund, workplace pensions and are saving regularly into S&S ISAs, as well as mortgage that will last until we are about 60.  Is there anything we should be thinking about or trying to plan for our daughter's future. At this stage, it is difficult to determine how much she will understand about money and investing or whether she would have the capability to work or live independently. It may be that she will be under our care for the rest of our lives. It is also possible that one of us may need to reduce working hours or stop working when she turns 18 and needs care after she leaves school. Is there anything you think we should consider or advice on how to navigate the unknown? We are in the process of putting together a will and in the event of something happening to both of us, the care of our daughter would be covered by my husband's sister, but unsure how to navigate the financials. I appreciate that there are several questions within this question but any advice or areas that we can research on ourselves would be appreciated. Thank you so much, Laura Centurion (specialist IFA for people with children with special needs) https://centurioncfp.co.uk/special-needs/  Scope https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support    16:34  Question 3 Hello First of all, thank you both for your wonderful podcast. I have learned so much. I have a question about the order in which to spend in retirement and how to hold our various investments. We have worked out a cashflow ladder using cash, short-term money markets funds, a defensive mixed asset fund, a 60:40 mixed asset fund and a 100% equity fund. But we also need to think about our various wrappers- about half of our investments are in DC pensions (mine and my husband's), a quarter in ISAs and a quarter unwrapped (which we can gradually move into ISAs). Is there a rule of thumb for how much of each investment should be in each wrapper? I'm also not sure about what we should be spending first- assuming no disasters we are hoping to give some money to our children before too long for IHT purposes. But if we take a large sum out of our pensions to do this, we'll pay 45% income tax on it which makes the IHT saving a bit pointless. So should we be making any gifts from our ISAs and using the pensions first ourselves (taking care to stay within the basic rate)? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you Elizabeth Meaningful Academy Retirement Planning - https://meaningfulacademy.com/retirementplanning    For a discount, use coupon code: PODCAST 24:03 Question 4 Hi Roger (and Pete!), Firstly, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the education you provide to me and so many others. You've really helped me sharpen my financial tools. After spending the last 12 years self-employed, I didn't take my personal finances too seriously. Now that I have a steady, "grown-up" job, I've been able to get organised. I have a workplace pension, a private pension, a Stocks & Shares ISA, and a Lifetime ISA, all thanks to what I've learned from you both. My question is about Junior SIPPs. I often come across opinions suggesting that these should be the last thing you do, only after every other financial base is covered. I didn't receive a financial education growing up, and there's no pot of gold or property waiting for me down the inheritance road. That's why I'm motivated to change the course of my children's future — even if the benefit is far down the line. For a relatively modest target amount £15,000 each at age 18 (they are currently 1 and 4), I believe my children could have a very strong footing in later life due to the extensive length of compounding available, even without continuing contributions beyond that point, or perhaps with me matching their own contributions as an incentive in adulthood. I believe this will take some of the pressure off them which I currently find myself in having to aggressively play catch up on my retirement plan. They also have Junior ISAs, which I contribute to each month, to give them more flexible money when they turn 18. Their future stability would mean the world to me, even if I won't be here at that point to see them enjoy it! I'd love to hear your opinion on Junior SIPPs, as I don't think this topic is discussed enough — and it sometimes feels dismissed altogether. Thank you, Steven   29:15  Question 5 Dear Pete and Roger, You do marvellous work in educating us all. Thank you. I am a company director with 9 alphabet shares. 5 for me, 2 for my wife and one each for my adult independent children. I have substantial IHT liability so want to gift my shares to my children. The company has seven figures invested in the stock market. Can I gift the shares? How do I go about? Will that help reduce my IHT liability if I survive 7 years after gifting? Will there be a CGT liability on the gift? The company still trades but is unlikely to qualify for BADR (Business Asset Disposal Relief) as majority of assets are in investments. Thanking you, Narendra   36:35  Question 6 Hi Pete and Rog, Firstly, thanks for all that you do, your podcasts, videos and the Academy have really changed mine and my family's life for the better. A pensions drawdown question: If you plan to use all of your tax free allowance on retirement. Am I right that there are no benefits to using UFPLS over drawdown? I think there used to be a benefit with the lifetime allowance but I can't see any other benefits now. Thanks for all that you do, James

Key Topics Covered: 1. Why Pooling Is a Missing Mindset in Financial Planning Most financial advice is built around the nuclear family unit, not the wider family tree. Families often manage money in isolated silos, which benefits institutions more than the family. Pooling is framed as efficiency and joined up planning, not “taking someone's money”. 2. Pooling Cash: Better Rates, Lower Risk, and Less Bank Dependence Technology platforms can provide access to better savings rates and multiple banking options. Spreading cash across institutions reduces the risk of a single point of banking failure. Many people stay with the same bank for decades and miss better returns and protections. 3. Pooling Investments: Aggregating Platforms to Cut Fees Stock market investing is now largely platform based, and platform fees are often percentage based. By aggregating family pots, it may be possible to reduce platform fees across the whole family. The compound impact of fee savings over time can be enormous, especially as portfolios grow. 4. What a SSAS Is and Why It's Different SSAS is described as a pension that operates more like a business: entrepreneurial and flexible. It can invest in many asset types beyond the stock market, including commercial property and more. It is multi person and multi generational, allowing family members to pool pension pots. 5. SSAS Pooling Benefits: Activity Based Fees and Tax Deductible Costs SSAS fees are based more on activity than value, unlike many platforms that charge by percentage. SSAS running costs can be tax deductible expenses for the business paying them. This can mean a larger SSAS can cost less to run than a smaller conventional pension. 6. Who Can Join a SSAS and How Big It Can Be A SSAS can include up to 11 members in total (you plus 10 others). Members must be genuinely connected, commonly spouses, adult children, or wider family. More families are now exploring bringing children into pension structures earlier. 7. Inheritance Tax Planning Inside SSAS: Earmarking Earmarking allows families to assign higher growth assets to children and lower growth assets to parents. This can accelerate children's pension growth while slowing the parents' pension growth. A smaller parent pot can reduce the inheritance tax exposure when pensions are included from 2027. 8. Inheritance Tax Planning Inside SSAS: Loanback SSAS loanback allows business owners to borrow from their own pension into their company. Loans can be up to 50 percent of the SSAS value and must be secured under the rules. The interest rate can be far lower than commercial borrowing, potentially saving tens of thousands in fees. If the company is structured with next generation shareholders, profits can accumulate outside the parents' IHT problem. 9. Pooling Wisdom and Documents: Preparing the Next Generation Families should involve adult children sooner so they understand what exists and why it matters. A digital vault can pool documents, passwords, and key financial information securely in one place. Physical originals (like wills) should also be stored in a fireproof, waterproof container. Pooling memories and family stories can be part of the vault too, strengthening legacy beyond money. Actionable Takeaways Review where your family is paying percentage based platform fees and explore whether aggregation could reduce them. Audit cash holdings and consider spreading across institutions to improve rates and reduce risk. If you are a business owner with pensions, explore whether a SSAS could reduce costs and increase flexibility. Learn the SSAS tools that matter for 2027 planning: earmarking and loanback. Bring adult children into the conversation early so wealth transfer includes competence, not confusion. Create an ICE file and a digital vault so your family knows where everything is in an emergency. Resources & Next Steps WealthBuilders Membership: wealthbuilders.co.uk/membership Family Wealth Fortress: wealthbuilders.co.uk/fortress Download our FREE Pensions and Inheritance Tax Guide WealthBuilders Membership: Free access to guides, webinars, and community Connect with Us: Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major platforms. Next Steps On Your WealthBuilding Journey:   Join the WealthBuilders Facebook Community Schedule a 1:1 call with one of our team Become a member of WealthBuilders If you have been enjoying listening to WealthTalk - Please Leave Us A Review!

Read any paper to the right of The Guardian and you'll see furious condemnation of “tax raids” on “grieving families”, and a Labour plot to destroy the Middle Class and farmers via the “hated” inheritance tax “trap”. Yet IHT makes up only 0.7% of Government revenue and fewer than 5% of people leave enough to be subject to it. Why is Britain neurotic about a tax that so few pay? And with huge inheritances and the Bank of Mum and Dad creating a two-tier society of those with family wealth and those without, should we want to increase IHT not cut it? Senior fund manager Dan Kemp looked after $350bn in assets at the finance giant Morningstar, and now runs a new company, Portfolio Thinking. He tells Andrew Harrison why even he thinks simply cutting inheritance tax is a bad idea. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Read any paper to the right of The Guardian and you'll see furious condemnation of “tax raids” on “grieving families”, and a Labour plot to destroy the Middle Class and farmers via the “hated” inheritance tax “trap”. Yet IHT makes up only 0.7% of Government revenue and fewer than 5% of people leave enough to be subject to it. Why is Britain neurotic about a tax that so few pay? And with huge inheritances and the Bank of Mum and Dad creating a two-tier society of those with family wealth and those without, should we want to increase IHT not cut it?  Senior fund manager Dan Kemp looked after $350bn in assets at the finance giant Morningstar, and now runs a new company, Portfolio Thinking. He tells Andrew Harrison why even he thinks simply cutting inheritance tax is a bad idea.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In an era of political turmoil, rapid technological change, and shifting tax rules, internationally minded investors, especially expats, face a landscape that feels more uncertain than ever. Yet within that uncertainty are clear, practical steps you can take to protect your wealth, manage risk, and live well. When you're a British expat or US-connected family navigating dual tax UK and US rules, even small misunderstandings can lead to outsized financial consequences. The difference between confident decision-making and costly mistakes often comes down to working with the right international advisor and having a clear long-term plan.   In this episode of Expat Wealth, Richard Taylor – dual UK/US citizen and Chartered Financial Planner – is joined by James Boyle – Lead Financial Planner at Plan First Wealth to unpack the real-world financial conversations happening behind the scenes with globally mobile families. As technology evolves and more people turn to artificial intelligence for quick answers, it's becoming easier to find information, but harder to interpret it correctly. Tax language is nuanced. American tax reporting rules can carry severe penalties if misunderstood. For anyone moving to the US, moving to America, or building wealth while living internationally, context matters just as much as the rule itself.   You'll hear insights on:   The Supreme Court's recent ruling on Trump-era tariffs, the political fallout, and what all the uncertainty means for markets.   Growing anxiety around AI – shifting from pure optimism to a more mixed, sometimes fearful outlook – and how to stay invested and optimistic despite the noise.   Why the US is still likely to be the key engine for monetizing AI and human ingenuity, and why global diversification is still non‑negotiable.   A deep dive into the upcoming UK inheritance tax (IHT) changes on pensions (including SIPPs) from April 2027, and the potential strategy of using non‑UK situs assets (e.g., US ETFs) within Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP).   --   Expat Wealth is supported by Plan First Wealth. Plan First Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor serving fellow expatriates and immigrants living across the US on matters such as retirement planning, investment management, tax planning and non-US asset management.   https://planfirstwealth.com/   --   Expat Wealth is affiliated with Plan First Wealth LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor. The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Plan First Wealth.    Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Plan First Wealth does not provide any tax and/or legal advice and strongly recommends that listeners seek their own advice in these areas.   ABOUT RICHARD: Richard Taylor is a British expat, dual citizen (UK & US). Originally from Bolton, he now lives in Greenwich, CT, where Plan First Wealth has its head office. As the firm's leader, Richard launched Taylor & Taylor, now Plan First Wealth, and continues to fuel the firm's growth. Richard is a Chartered Financial Planner (UK – CII) in addition to holding the IMC (CFA UK) and Series 65 (US – FINRA). Connect with Richard on LinkedIn

In this episode we answer listener questions covering emergency funds for higher and additional rate taxpayers, and inheritance tax considerations around beneficiary SIPPs. We also discuss whether couples should rebalance pension contributions, the key steps to take before retiring abroad, and what to know about DB pension transfers. Finally, we look at cross-border pension taxation using the UK–Denmark double taxation treaty as an example. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA40    01:20  Question 1 Hi Pete & Roger, Thanks for all your helpful and easy to understand information. I have only been on my financial wellbeing journey for a year.  I work in the NHS and am in a higher tax bracket. I am fully enrolled in the NHS pension, more out of previous disinterest than any actual action on my part. I am single and currently saving up for a down payment on a house in about 4/5yrs. I maxed out my ISA last year and expect to do the same this year; this includes money for the down payment. I also took out a SIPP which I only recalled last year; I took it out 20+ years ago. However I am still waiting for a statement from the pension office before my accountant can work out how much more I can add to the SIPP.  In the interim I have my emergency fund in a premium bond (20k) but am worried it's being eroded by inflation. I expect to be an additional tax payer in the next few years. Where should I keep my excess cash? More in premium bonds with no tax but erosion by inflation; or open GIA or more in high interest savings account and pay the tax? Or is there another option you would recommend? Btw I have £600 in crypto (Coinbase and Etherium) but don't plan to put more than £400 more in then plan to forget about it. It's a tiny fraction of what I put in my ISA. Thanks, Joy   04:46  Question 2 Dear Pete and Roger. Love the podcast. I think it is essential listening for those wanting to elevate their knowledge of the incredibly important subject of financial planning and it also highlights the value add that financial professionals can provide. My mother is 79 and has a comfortable guaranteed inflation linked income via state and civil service pension, which is supplemented by savings (maxed premium bonds & healthy cash savings) and investments held in ISAs and a beneficiary SIPP from my late father who passed before 75yrs old (therefore the assets are income and CGT free). My mother is keen to minimise the IHT on the estate both her and my father worked so hard to create. Despite her comfortable situation, I still have to encourage her to spend and use your very helpful '40% off sticker' analogy on a regular basis. It is my understanding that SIPPs will be subject to IHT and income tax from 2027. As my sister and I are both additional rate taxpayers, we will potentially be subject to 67% tax on any assets remaining in the SIPP if the estate is above £1m IHT threshold. While the '67% off sticker' analogy is even more helpful to encourage her spending, it has triggered some planning. We are drawing down the beneficiary SIPP to fund ISA each year for my mum – keeping the income and CGT tax benefits for my mum while removing it from the double income and IHT tax on death. As part of the IHT planning we are now considering regular gifts from surplus income. When combined with her guaranteed income, the assets in the beneficiary SIPP are more than sufficient so sustain her lifestyle until her age would be well into three figures. Based on my reading, it appears any drawdown from SIPPs are considered 'income' for gifting purposes, regardless of if they come from capital or income. Therefore she could start to draw more 'income' from the SIPP and gift this surplus which could be considered IHT free. Are there any limits to how much or how quickly she could reasonably drawdown from a SIPP so that it would no longer be considered 'income' by HMRC for IHT purposes? i.e could she empty the SIPP over a 5 yr period, gift that as excess income, then reduce the gifts to reflect a different income and or expenditure? While all the drawdown from SIPPs is considered 'income' for IHT purposes, the treatment of withdrawals from ISAs or other investments are distinguished between whether they are actually capital or income. Therefore, we have the added complication of needing to balance the 'income' drawdown from the beneficiary SIPP to make sure she doesn't eat into 'capital' of the ISAs and savings which would then mean the gifts from regular surplus income would then be considered part of the estate again. Our circumstances mean my mum feels slightly trapped between keeping the SIPP (so it is considered income for gifts from regular income but gets IHT taxed at 67%), continuing to use the beneficiary SIPP to fund ISAs (reduce IHT liability but lose flexibility to gift it as income), maybe change the investment engine of the ISAs from a lower yielding balanced solution to something with a higher natural yield, or do something else altogether (lump sum gifts and hope to survive 3yrs for taper or 7yrs). Any thoughts or suggestion would be appreciated. While there are some relatively niche circumstances, I think it covers two more broadly applicable IHT planning considerations SIPPs v ISAs under the new rules and regular gifts from surplus income. Thanks in advance Stephen   17:06  Question 3 Hi Pete and Roger Thank you both for your continued help in navigating the financial maze and I am enjoying the listener questions. My wife works part time and is a basic rate tax payer. She pays into her workplace pension and contributes an additional 15%. Her pension provider receives 20% tax relief on these contributions. I am a higher rate tax payer and I make contributions to a SIPP. My pension provider receives 20% tax relief and I claim an additional 20% directly from HMRC. As a couple, we could stop making the additional contributions to my wife's pension and instead make them into my SIPP. This would give us an additional 40%, rather than 20%. Mathematically this makes sense. We haven't done this so far, as I like the idea that we are equally contributing to both of our pensions, for the future. It also helps keep things simple. I am mindful that one day, we may kick ourselves for not making this simple switch which may leave us with a significantly bigger pot, when we need it. What options would you consider in this decision of splitting pension contributions. Many thanks, Rob 20:17 Question 4 Dear Pete & Rog, I just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you for your podcast and the incredibly valuable information you share. Your conversations are not only insightful but also reassuring as I start to think more seriously about my own retirement planning! One of the things I'm considering is retiring abroad (somewhere sunny!) Spain most likely, and I wondered if you might explain the process you go through with such clients. Specifically, do you have a checklist, or a list of key questions, that you typically ask clients to work through before moving overseas? For example, I've learned that ISAs are not recognised in many EU countries (so it may be better to sell before leaving), and I imagine there are similar considerations around SIPPs/UK DC pensions and other investments. Do you also tend to liaise with financial planners or accountants based in the EU when helping clients prepare for such a move? I would be very grateful for any wisdom you could share. Thanks again for all the work you put into the podcast, it really does make a difference. Warm regards, Chloe 24:55  Question 5 Hi Pete, Love the podcast.  Very informative and user friendly. I have a question, once popular but maybe not so much now and one that will make advisers sweat again! I'm a sophisticated investor (so to speak!), I manage my own SIPP etc and I'm an accountant so I guess I have a head start over most people.  I have a net worth excluding my house of circa £2.5m spread across a SIPP, ISA, FIC and GIA. I also have an old DB pension.  I'm 59.  It pays out circa £6,500 from the age of 65.  My dad died aged 63.  Given my circumstances I want to transfer the DB scheme into my SIPP.  I have two children so would like them to get it rather than die with me so to speak.  The last transfer value I got was pre covid at circa £100k which I know isn't a brilliant multiple but I'm happy with that.  I'm fit and healthy but I'm not relying on the guaranteed pension given my other pension provisions. So, firstly is it likely the transfer value would have gone up or down given the increase in interest rates and secondly do you think I could get a positive recommendation from an adviser? Thanks, Oscar 31:35  Question 6 Dear Pete and Roger, Love the podcast. I'm a bit more of an adventurous investor than you usually caution, but you provide a certain "passive-tracker-Yin" to my "property-investment-Yang". Given your backlog I'm going to ask you a pension question that I probably don't have to think about for 20 years, so you have time to get to it. I worked in Denmark for several years and paid into a pension scheme while I was there. I believe it is structured similarly to a UK DB pension scheme. There is an initial lump sum plus an income for life.  This pension fund is not covered by QROPS, so there is no transferring my way out of this complexity. The Danish pension fund thinks I'll be paying Danish income tax (presently 37-38%), Chat GPT is adamant that I'll be paying UK Tax. Who's right? If taxed in the UK I can imagine getting the tax free cash allowance right might be complicated. Is there anything else I should be considering? Best Wishes, James

Buy My Book The Retirement You Didn't See Coming Let's Chat About Your Retirement Plans Book a time for us to talk Episode Description You've worked hard to build your nest egg. Now your adult children are struggling in a brutal housing market, drowning in debt, and navigating unstable careers. You want to help—but how much is too much? Will you enable dependence? Rob them of resilience? And what about your own retirement security? This episode tackles the question every parent wrestles with, but nobody wants to say out loud: should you sacrifice your retirement to help your kids? We explore the competing pressures, the frameworks for thinking it through, and the practical questions that will help you find your answer—without the guilt. Why This Is So Hard This question sits at the intersection of love, money, values, and generational change. You're feeling competing pressures: You want to help - They're entering a harder world: housing costs, debt, unstable jobs You don't want to enable dependence - You want them resilient, not reliant You've earned this money - You delayed gratification for decades. You want to enjoy it The inheritance question looms - IHT planning, fairness, timing—give now or later? Everyone has an opinion. Your friends do it differently. Society sends mixed messages. You're stuck in limbo. Four Frameworks for Thinking This Through Framework 1: Support vs. Rescue Support: House deposit in an impossible market. Health insurance during job transition. Education that opens doors. Rescue: Repeatedly bailing out credit card debt. Funding an unaffordable lifestyle. Solving problems they need to learn to solve. Ask: "Is this help moving them toward independence or keeping them stuck?" Framework 2: Timing—Now vs. Later Give now: They benefit when they need it most (30s-40s). You see the impact. Potential IHT savings. You can guide usage. Wait: Maintain security. Unknown future needs (healthcare, care costs). Flexibility if circumstances change. The truth: Most people never regret helping when they had the means. Many regret waiting too long. Framework 3: Equity vs. Need Equal feels fair. Need-based feels compassionate. One child struggles financially. Another thrives. One chose meaningful but lower-paying work. One has health issues. Both approaches can work. Transparency tends to avoid resentment. Framework 4: The Oxygen Mask Principle Your first obligation: secure your own retirement. If you give away too much and run out, you become their burden anyway. Most adult children don't want that. The question isn't "Can we afford to help?" It's "Can we afford to help without jeopardizing our own security?" Six Practical Questions to Ask Yourself 1. What values do we want to pass on? Independence? Family solidarity? Generosity? Different values = different decisions. 2. What did our parents do, and how do we feel about it? Your experience shapes your instincts—for better or worse. Sometimes we repeat patterns. Sometimes we overcorrect. 3. What do our children actually need vs. want? Have honest conversations. "What are the biggest barriers you're facing?" You might be surprised. 4. What are we comfortable with, emotionally? Forget "should." What can you live with? If helping makes you anxious, that anxiety poisons the gift. 5. What's our plan if they ask for more? Jobs are lost. Relationships end. Health issues arise. Do you have boundaries? Can you say no? 6. How do we communicate this? Clear communication avoids misunderstanding. Tell them your plans. Be honest. Your kids aren't mind readers. The Bottom Line There's no perfect answer. No formula. No rulebook. Some families give generously and strengthen bonds. Some create entitlement. Some don't give at all, and kids thrive. Some kids feel abandoned. It depends on the people, context, values, and communication. The worst thing you can do? Avoid the conversation. With your partner. Your planner. Your children. When money and family mix, silence breeds assumption. Assumption breeds resentment. Give yourself permission to set boundaries. You're not a bad parent if you say no. You're not selfish if you prioritise your security. You're not weak if you help. You're just human, navigating a complicated situation with love. Loving your children and taking care of yourself are not mutually exclusive. Humans vs Retirement - The messy, emotional, human side of retirement.

Pete and Roger answer six listener questions covering Coast FIRE strategies with GIAs, US 401(k) tax implications in the UK, record keeping for IHT-exempt gifts, Australian pension taxation for UK residents, pension contributions to avoid the £100k tax trap, and managing a £2M portfolio as Power of Attorney. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA39    01:17  Question 1 Hi Pete and Roger, I'm 29 and working towards Coast FIRE within the next 2–3 years so I can begin a digital nomad lifestyle — working remotely while knowing my long-term retirement is taken care of. Right now, I've got: - £45k in a Stocks & Shares ISA - £25k in a workplace pension (via salary sacrifice) - A Lifetime ISA for a future house deposit (or later retirement) - A fully funded emergency fund I've already maxed out my ISA for this tax year and plan to continue doing that every year. But I have more money to invest now, and I know that to reach Coast FIRE on my timeline, I need to start using a General Investment Account (GIA). Here's where I'm stuck: I want to keep things simple and tax-efficient, but I feel a bit nervous about GIAs. I keep hearing about the "bed and ISA" strategy but don't really understand how it works in practice or how to implement it over time. Could you explain: - How best to use a GIA alongside an ISA when working towards FIRE? - How to manage capital gains and dividend tax efficiently? - And how the bed and ISA approach actually works — especially for someone trying to keep things simple? Thank you both so much — your podcast has been an incredible resource and a big part of why I've been able to take control of my finances. Warmly, Pauline 12:22  Question 2 Hello Pete & Roger I am very late convert to the podcast but have been ploughing through the Q&A for a few days now. I think I only have another 592 episodes to get through so should be up to date by the end of the week !! I am not sure whether this has been covered or not. I have a 401K plan that has been hibernating in the USA for 20 years. I have only recently started looking at it and now need to understand the tax implications. I have tried to read HMRC guidelines on tax treaties etc but get even more confused than before. My current belief is that the provider will pay this money out by means of US issued cheque (not a problem) but withhold 30% tax (a problem). How will HMRC treat this? The usual sources http://unbiased.co.uk for one run for the hills on finding information about this, is this an area you can provide guidance, but obviously not advice as I know you cannot through the podcast. Regards, Stephen 16:10  Question 3 Hi Pete & Roger, Like so many people I am really impressed, not just with your knowledge and great communication skills, but that you put out such life changing content. You're providing us with the means to help ourselves in this financial world as well as letting us know when to seek professional help. On to my question: we're (wife and I) retired (late-60s) and are lucky enough to have more than enough to comfortably live on, thanks to DB & state pensions, house price inflation etc. Not really through any financial planning but just having been born at the right time! So we do now have an IHT liability. We have a joint second death Whole Of Life policy (in trust) in place for potential IHT and have given help with house deposits for our children. We also are gifting to the kids out of our excess income and would like your thoughts on the type of record keeping needed for this. We have letters stating the intention to give the gifts, recording who to etc. We keep completed IHT403 forms which we update annually. We also have a monthly/annual spreadsheet of income/expenses which demonstrates our surplus and keep track of expenses with the MeMo transaction tracker (thanks for that). These are all in our 'WID' file (again thanks to you for that). What we're not sure about is any documentation that might be needed to evidence the figures. Income is straightforward with P60s, statements of interest/dividends. However, what is required for expenses? Can't really keep all supermarket receipts etc and even bank/credit card statements would be quite bulky over several years. Not sure if we're overthinking but don't want to leave a difficult task for our kids when we're gone. Thank you both again for all the good you are doing Simon 20:33 Question 4 Brian (in Australia) Thank you for all your podcasts and videos but I think I may have to sign up to the academy to fully get my head around all the UK rules. We are looking to move to the UK from Australia - we have no UK govt pension entitlements but are retired with personal Australian private superannuation account pensions. The pension income payments and withdrawals are all tax free in Australia but will the UK government apply a tax on these pension payments once we are UK residents?   Thanks again for all your useful information. Regards, Brian 22:55  Question 5 Hi Roger (and Pete), I had a question which is boiling my brain far more than it should and I was hoping you could include it in one of your Q&A episodes. I'm in the fortunate position of being caught by the £100k 'tax trap' due to being paid a bonus for the first time in a number of years. This particular first-world problem is being made all the worse because my daughter will start nursery next year so in addition to the 60% tax charge on my bonus, we would also lose the 30 free hours of childcare we currently have access to. I currently salary sacrifice roughly £5,000 of salary into my pension (which my employer matches) and this holds my income at £99,000. However there is no option for me to do any kind of 'bonus sacrifice'. My only choice is to receive the bonus payment net of tax & NI through PAYE and then make a payment into my personal pension (a Vanguard, low cost multi-asset fund, just like you taught us!). I think I'm right in saying my pension provider will claim back the basic rate tax automatically for me, and I can then claim back the other 20% via my tax return with HMRC paying this extra 20% back to me directly. So far so easy, but what I can't work out is just how much I have to pay in to my pension in order to take all of the bonus payment out of my taxable income. Presumably its not the net amount extra that gets paid into my bank account on the month my bonus is paid because this will also be net of NI, meaning I wouldn't have paid enough in to avoid the £100k trap. Assuming my bonus payment was £10,000 (I don't know the exact figure yet but its likely to be around this amount), could you talk through how to calculate the net payment I need to make into a personal pension to achieve the desired result? As a follow up to this, if HMRC send me a cheque (very 1990's) for say £2000 of refunded higher rate tax, do I need to pay this into my pension in the next tax year to avoid having it counted towards my taxable income in that financial year? Please keep up the great work that you both do, you've really helped me get my financial life in order after an extremely difficult period in my life. Thank you both! Jimmy 27:29  Question 6 Hi Pete and Rog, Firstly, a huge thank you for all the insight and support you continue to offer. The impact of the Meaningful Money Podcast is immense—I've personally benefited so much from your free content over the years. I'll keep this as brief as I can: My great aunt (now 84) has built a substantial portfolio over decades—about £2 million across ~60 individual company shares, with approx. £1.3 million in a GIA and the rest in S&S ISAs. She also holds £400k in fixed-term bonds, savings accounts, and premium bonds. Sadly, she was diagnosed last year with dementia and Alzheimer's and now resides in a care home. I am her Power of Attorney and want to act in her best interests—simplifying her affairs and ensuring tax efficiency, especially regarding her legacy. She has no spouse or children but wishes to leave money to nieces, nephews, and charities. Here's my working plan: - Offset gains in the GIA by selling loss-making investments (totalling £30k–£40k) alongside some of the profit making investments to reduce market exposure without incurring CGT costs.     - Liquidate all shares in her S&S ISAs and transfer funds into cash ISAs with decent interest rates - Leave most of the GIA portfolio untouched to benefit from the CGT uplift on death Am I broadly on the right track for tax efficiency and sensible financial planning? Should I seek formal advice to ensure I'm doing the best by her? Thanks again for all you do—it really matters. Best regards, Josh  

In this bonus of Meet the Farmers: The Big Debate, host Ally Hunter Blair puts listeners' questions to legal experts Chris Coupland and Annabelle Rout from Birketts LLP to discuss critical topics surrounding inheritance tax, succession planning, and land sales. The conversation emphasizes the importance of wills, lasting powers of attorney, and trusts, while also addressing the complexities of fair inheritance among family members. They provide insights into the impact of development on agricultural land value and the challenges of land valuation in the context of inheritance tax. Throughout the discussion, the significance of communication within families is highlighted as a key factor in successful succession planning. 

Key Topics Covered: 1. Why the Family Wealth Fortress, Why Now Inheritance tax on pensions from April 2027 is forcing families to rethink legacy planning. “High net worth” is now effectively £1m plus once pensions are included, meaning far more families are exposed. Many people have a patchwork of advice and products that is hard to coordinate, hard to optimise, and hard for executors to manage. 2. From Patchwork Quilt to Fortress Thinking The goal is to make wealth transfer elegant, organised, and resilient for the next generation. Kevin frames this as moving from wealth abundance into legacy, with a clear process rather than “hinting” at legacy planning. WealthBuilders positions itself as the central coordinator, like a “wealth GP”, bringing specialists in when needed. 3. The Seven Integrations (The Fortress Framework) Tax: proactive “event led” planning, especially inheritance tax, not just annual returns. Legal: wills, powers of attorney, protection, and avoiding disputes such as contentious probate. Financial: building wealth is not enough, families need planning for protection and perpetuation too. Structures: holding companies, family investment companies, trusts, share classes, and intergenerational planning. SSAS and pensions: using family pension structures, earmarking, and cascading to reduce future inheritance tax impact. Recurring income: inheritance tax is on capital not income, so understanding income enables smarter gifting. Legacy: involving the next generation early through trusteeship, shareholding, and participation in the family plan. 4. Record Keeping, Gifting, and the Digital Vault Families need clear documentation to avoid confusion, delays, and challenges after death. Kevin highlights using intention and execution records (for example IHT documentation) to reduce HMRC risk. A digital vault brings tax, legal, financial, structures, and gifting records into one accessible place for executors. 5. Who It's For and How to Take the First Step This is application based, limited capacity, and aimed at families typically 55 plus with estates around £1m plus. It is designed to be implemented over 3 to 5 years, still broken down into manageable steps. A practical first move is using the free inheritance tax calculator to understand your current exposure.   Actionable Takeaways: Don't assume your current advice is joined up, check how tax, legal, financial and structures connect. Start planning for inheritance tax now, especially with pensions being included from April 2027. Move from reactive planning to proactive “event led” planning for key life events. Get your documentation organised and accessible, so executors are not left guessing. Involve the next generation earlier, so wealth transfer includes wisdom, not just money. Take the first step by using the IHT calculator and booking a conversation if the fortress approach fits your situation.   Resources & Next Steps: WealthBuilders 'The Family Wealth Fortress' Download our FREE Pensions and Inheritance Tax Guide WealthBuilders Membership: Free access to guides, webinars, and community   Connect with Us: Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major platforms.   Next Steps On Your WealthBuilding Journey:   Join the WealthBuilders Facebook Community Schedule a 1:1 call with one of our team Become a member of WealthBuilders If you have been enjoying listening to WealthTalk - Please Leave Us A Review!

It's another Meaningful Money Q&A, taking in the £100k tax trap, splitting pensions on divorce, safely switching investment platforms and much more! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA38    01:59  Question 1 Hi Roger and Pete, Long time listener, first time questioner. My wife and I have both earned in excess of £100k for a few years now, meaning I am acquiring a peculiar set of skills on the various ways to use pension contributions, rollover allowances, gift aids, etc to keep us both below the (entirely bananas) £100k cliff-edge each year. My question is on the £60k pension annual allowance. Does it only apply to the amount of pension savings in a given year which can be made without paying a tax charge, or does it also count as the maximum amount of pension deduction which can be taken to calculate net adjusted income as part of completing our tax returns? The (slightly over-simplified) situation in my mind is that if I earned £160,500 in a given year, I would prefer to pay £61k into a pension, thereby reducing my net adjusted income to £99,500 to stay below the cliff-edge, even if I had to pay 40% tax on the extra £1000 above the pension annual allowance. As a fun aside, I asked this to my preferred AI - and I leave a link to see if you agree with it's answer or not  - https://g.co/gemini/share/8c23e91cb658 Stephen 07:58  Question 2 Hello Pete & Roger Listen and enjoy all your podcasts regularly but every now and again you get one that addresses specific points to the individual listener. For me it was Podcast QA18. A really great podcast. 1. The 2015 changes to pensions made  significant differences to pensions and most financial experts have rightly advised using your pension as one of the best places to put savings. It does seem unfair that you plan your savings and pensions well in advance for retirement based on government rules. and then you you find you are likely to have a sizeable IHT bill. At 78 it is difficult to turn the ship around quickly. Many more people will be affected by this over the next decade. The main reason however for my question relates to ways to reducing the effects of this IHT change. The general allowances and the 7 year rule are all clear. However the main exemption that could help is the little used Gifts form Excess Income. I have read up as much as I can and the whole system seems rather vague and many things open to interpretation, even by financial experts. There is no clear and precise set of rules whereby you can be certain something is capital or income. Your executor will have to understand all this and have all the back up documentation to convince HMRC that the gifts are justified.  I do have excess income and spent significant time over the past weeks analysing all our expenditure and income sources ending up totally confused and with a severe migraine. Any advice on how best to handle this can of worms would be appreciated. 2) So many of us these days have children living in different countries with their families. All with different citizenship and residency situations in different countries. There seems to be very little information about  IHT and general tax issues in relation to gifts and inheritance of money and pensions for children and grandchildren in this situation.  Best regards, Peter   16:52  Question 3 Hello Roger and Pete, Thanks for a great series of podcasts. Some of them confirm what I already know and some give me insights, ideas and an understanding I didn't have. You provide a great service. My wife and I are 54 and 55. We are getting divorced. The divorce is amicable and we want to share everything evenly. I take home £5k/month and she takes home £2.3k. We will split this evenly as long as we both work. Our pension funds are not of equal value. I have DCs and SIPPs worth £800k and ISAs worth £100k. I also have a small DB pension that will pay out about £3k/year in today's money at age 67. My wife has a DC pension worth £210k and ISAs worth £220k. She has a DC pension that will pay about £2.5k/year in today's money at age 67. As you can see, the majority is in my name. This makes sense as I have worked whereas she has taken time off to raise our children. We have equal claim to the money in my mind. I think the ISAs are straight forward. We can balance the value by selling some of hers and investing more in my name. The DC pensions are more difficult. By right I should give her £295k to make them of equal value but how do we do this? We want to avoid expensive solicitors and accountants but are not sure if we can DIY this. Please share any advice you can give. Regards, Jay   25:43  Question 4 Hi Pete and Roger, Thanks so much for what you do with the podcast. It's completely changed my approach to my finances, especially over the last year which has felt even more important after the birth of my son. I have a question about investment platforms. I currently have about £70,000 invested in passive world index trackers via a platform. I estimate my total annual fees including fund and platform fees to be about 0.66% pa. I don't think this is terrible but I think it could be less. I'm considering transferring my investments (which is a mixture of stocks and shares ISA, LISA and (very small) SIPP) to a cheaper platform. Do you have an advice on the transfer process, especially in whether to transfer all the funds in one go or is there a strategy you'd recommend to avoid falling foul of market fluctuations? Thanks, Jack 30:47  Question 5 Hi Pete and Roger, You guys are the best. You've given me my only financial education. Never underestimate what a difference you are making to ordinary people's lives. THANK YOU. I am 42 years old saving into my workplace DC pension. I have a bit of a gap because I started late and then freelanced for a few years, so playing catch up, but thanks to you both, seeing the positives in this, rather than beating myself up. I am basing the 'gap' on not quite having 3x salary saved by age 42 - is that a decent rule of thumb? As you both say, arming people with knowledge can be a good thing and a bad thing, because armed with this new knowledge we can go off and overcomplicate things. I decided to pull my pension from the default fund and pick 6 funds. What's the best route for working out if I am paying too much in fees, if I have got too much crossover across funds, and if the more pricey ones are worth it?  Do I need to get financial advice or could I do this myself (being a complete layman obvs)?  Do you have any tips on the process of comparing, finding inefficiencies and consolidating? What's a reasonable number of funds would you say? 3? 1?  BTW I've done the same thing with my ISAs since they let us have more than one. How do you just pick one and stick with it, and not get distracted by the new shiny providers? It seems like newer, better products and platforms come out all the time. Or am I worrying unnecessarily and might it be ok to have fingers in many pies? Thanks again for all you do. Hayley 37:47  Question 6 Thanks for all the content, I listen to every episode and often share the pod with others to share the good word! My partner will soon be able to get her NHS pension. While we were looking at the numbers, I began to wonder whether there is any benefit in taking the maximum lump sum and investing it outside of the pension. My thinking was that she would probably be able to generate the same amount of income from investing it in the stock market, but that when she dies she will be able to pass the capital on, whereas her pension will just stop paying out. I think the maximum she can take is about £70k. Presumably she could put this in a GIA and feed it into an ISA over a few years, accepting that any gains in the GIA would be subject to tax. I just wondered if there were any other tax implications that I hadn't considered? If not, then presumably it's just a case of comparing the drop in the annual pension payment against the expected returns (after tax) from investing outside the pension? Would love to know your thoughts on this. Thanks again, and keep up the good work. Tim

Upcoming changes to financial legislation mean many British expats should seriously rethink how and when they access their UK pensions. From April 2027, unused UK pensions are expected to be included in the UK inheritance tax (IHT) net as UK‑situs assets. For long-term expats with sizeable pensions, this could mean a potential 40% tax hit on what's passed to heirs.   In this episode of Expat Wealth, Richard Taylor – dual UK/US citizen and Chartered Financial Planner – is joined by Chris Hall – International Income Tax & Social Security Specialist at PKF O'Connor Davies – to discuss the upcoming UK IHT changes. They explore the importance of UK pension reporting upon arriving in the US, whether opening a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) makes sense, and how to design a coordinated retirement income and inheritance strategy.   Richard and Chris take a detailed look at: IRS pension reporting requirements and how they apply for expats in the US. Pension Commencement Lump Sums (PCLS) and whether they are truly tax-free for UK expats in America. UK inheritance tax changes and what they mean for unused UK pensions held by persons living abroad. Strategic financial planning before, during, and after moving abroad, including retirement and estate considerations.   --   Expat Wealth is supported by Plan First Wealth. Plan First Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor serving fellow expatriates and immigrants living across the US on matters such as retirement planning, investment management, tax planning and non-US asset management.   https://planfirstwealth.com/   --   Expat Wealth is affiliated with Plan First Wealth LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor. The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Plan First Wealth.  Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Plan First Wealth does not provide any tax and/or legal advice and strongly recommends that listeners seek their own advice in these areas.

ffinlo Costain (8point9.com) and Joe Stanley (GWCT Allerton Project) meet for Farm Gate's monthly news discussion programme.This time:Christmas round-upSuccession planning, IHT and SFICOP30 and food systemsBacksliding on environmental policySoil carbonFinding lights in a dark age

Roger and Pete discuss the November 2025 Budget, 24 hours after it was announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. We cover the salient points from a financial planning standpoint and try to avoid politics if we can! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/session598b  02:37 Income Tax 09:27 Capital Gains Tax 12:35 IHT 17:32 State Pension 19:48 Salary Sacrifice 25:32 What was NOT announced 30:02 VCTs 30:53 High-Value Council Tax Surcharge 34:00 EV and Plug-in Hybrid mileage scheme - eVED 37:55 Student Loans 38:44 Opinions 41:37 A Podcast Review

Key Topics Covered:1. What Changes in April 2027Unused pensions will count towards inheritance tax.Anything above the tax-free limit may be taxed at 40%.More families will be affected due to frozen allowances.2. Executors, Lost Pensions and Hidden TrapsNew burdens and risks for executors who must locate and report all pensions.The scale of “lost pensions” and how to track them down.When to consider consolidating multiple pots and when to seek advice.3. Income vs Capital and Smart GiftingIHT as a tax on capital, not income.Annual allowances, the 7‑year rule and “gifts with reservation”.How gifts out of surplus income can be unlimited and IHT‑free if well documented.4. Pensions, Annuities and Who's AffectedWhich pensions are not treated as capital (state, final salary, annuities).Which are caught by the new rules (personal pensions, SIPPs, SSAS, DC workplace schemes).Pros and cons of using annuities to swap capital for income.5. SSAS Pensions and Multi‑Generational PlanningWhat a SSAS is and who can qualify (limited company owners).Using SSAS to consolidate pots, invest entrepreneurially and involve adult children.Strategies like contributions for children, earmarking and loanback to shift value down the bloodline.6. Life Cover, Wills and the Family Wealth FortressWhy life insurance should be written in trust to avoid swelling your estate.Using whole‑of‑life, second‑death cover to fund an inevitable IHT bill.The basics everyone should have in place: will, LPAs, and an annual “estate stock take”.Actionable Takeaways:Assume the 2027 rules will affect you if you have pensions and other assets – start planning now.Calculate your current estate and repeat annually to see how close you are to IHT thresholds.Trace and tidy up old pensions; don't leave a mess for your executors.Learn the difference between gifting capital and gifting surplus income – and document income gifts carefully.Review life cover and trusts; consider SSAS if you're a business owner wanting to build and pass on wealth efficiently.Resources & Next Steps:Join the Waitlist and Get Your Free Inheritance Tax & Pensions Guide - Be the first to receive this essential guide as soon as it's readyWealthBuilders Membership: Free access to guides, webinars, and communityConnect with Us:Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major platforms.Next Steps On Your WealthBuilding Journey:  Join the WealthBuilders Facebook CommunitySchedule a 1:1 call with one of our teamBecome a member of WealthBuildersIf you have been enjoying listening to WealthTalk - Please Leave Us A Review!

Today's conversation is with Andrew Wade, the founder of The Core Values Channel - a platform dedicated to exploring practical, centrist, and economically literate solutions to Britain's biggest challenges.Andrew's background is in UK manufacturing and international trade, selling British products across Europe and Africa. But after seeing first-hand how political and economic decisions were damaging productivity and punishing working citizens, he decided to step forward with his own plan for national renewal.In this conversation, we dive into his detailed proposals for fixing the UK's cost of living crisis, reducing the national debt, and rebuilding a culture of contribution and productivity. Andrew doesn't just critique the current system, he lays out what a sustainable, fair, and growth-focused Britain could look like.Expect to learn:Why Andrew believes Britain needs a new centrist economic movement with real solutionsHow to solve the cost of living crisis without punishing productive workersWhy cutting benefits is essential and how a community service model could workThe problem with importing non-contributing labour and benefit dependencyHow benefit fraud, “sickfluencers,” and policy loopholes distort welfare budgetsWhy job creation must focus on manufacturing and service sector exportsHow Net Zero policies have been hijacked and the hidden costs of wind and solarWhy Scotland's wind contracts and solar subsidies are damaging food securityThe flaws in Gary Stevenson's wealth tax proposal and Andrew's alternativeWhy the UK already has multiple forms of wealth tax (CGT, IHT, Stamp Duty, Council Tax)How to motivate millionaires and billionaires to fund affordable housing projectsThe failure of “envy taxes” and why income tax reform is key to growthHow immigration and youth policy must shift to reward productivity and contributionWhat individuals can do today to protect themselves from the cost of living crisisToday's episode is optimised by Puresport. You can save 10% using code CAMBRO10 - https://puresport.co/CAMBRO10Get my Sales Support - https://colcambro.kit.com/d0dceeb5ffFuel your focus with COLIN10 and Neutonic - https://www.neutonic.com?sca_ref=9669547.luRRrQVs1D2aX&utm_source=uppromote&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=263773Connect with Andrew WadeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-Core-Values-MovementLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-wade-16210817/Connect with ColInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/col.cambro/Email List: https://colcambro.kit.com/30bde23b0cPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/ColCampbell

In today's Q&A episode, we're answering a bunch of questions from those on the threshold of retirement, getting into the nitty-gritty of age-difference planning, DB scheme reductions and all sorts! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA29    01:04  Question 1 Hi Pete I am really enjoying listening to the podcast, thank you. They make what can sometimes be a complicated subject much easier to understand. I have a question which I have asked my SIPP provider but even they don't appear to know the answer so here goes: If someone has a SIPP valued at say £1.2m and a DB pension valued at say £300k, in order to maximise the favourable annuity provided by the DB pension, is it possible to draw the full LSA (25% tax free cash) from the SIPP? Or is there a requirement to draw the LSA on a pro rata basis from both the SIPP and the DB pension? Thank you, AJ 07:07  Question 2 Hi Pete and Roger, Thanks to The Meaningful Money Handbook, The Meaningful Money Retirement Guide and listening to all of your podcasts, I'm now in the fortunate position to retire in three years at the age of 55. However, I have a couple of questions about building a Cash Flow Ladder: Q1 - Should I be moving my investments into the various rungs of the ladder now, or just wait until I retire? Q2 - Most of my investments are in a pension, but I also have an ISA for a bit of flexibility. Would it make sense to use the same ladder structure in both the pension and the ISA? Thanks for all your good work. Tim 11:17  Question 3 Hi guys Loving the podcast - helped me through the COVID years and it's been a staple ever since so thank you for that. My question is around investing in older age. At what point, if any, is it worth cashing out GIA investments if other sources of income such as state pension and DB pensions are more than enough to live off and I have sufficient other capital (cash isas) for those big things still ahead? I'm not planning to leave any sort of inheritance (unless I pop my clogs early !) so is there some rule of (age) thumb of when to cash out and spend investments? I sort of don't see the point of continuing to invest after a certain age and to spend the money. But I guess it's not easy switching from investing to spending. Thanks, Chris 16:33  Question 4 Hi Pete & Roger, Great show gents, always interesting and informative.  I've been an avid listener for a couple of years now and have been encouraged to write in on the off-chance that my question may have relevance to others with a similar dilemma. I fear you may feel it's too niche but here goes: I'm 59yrs old and for all intents and purposes retired, in as much as I quit my career in business 18months ago to take on the full-time parental care role of my 6yr old twins which enables my wife (15yrs my junior) to continue in the career she loves. We are fortunate that my wife is an additional higher rate tax payer (as was I before I quit), we live mortgage free in a ~£1.5m family house - all of which means I have no plans to draw a pension until my wife is also ready to retire, which despite her occasional gripe, is not likely to be until our children leave school (by which time we will be ~ 72 and 57 respectively). I have a small index-linked Public Sector DB pension that kicks in in a few months time when I hit 60 (£7k per year) and expect to get a full State Pension which should provide me with around £20k p.a. at todays values as a base income when I reach state pension age in 7 years time. I also have a Pension pot currently valued at around £1.2m, made up from £1m SIPP and £200k S&S ISA) and my wife's Pension pot is currently valued at around £520k (£400k SIPP & £120K S&S ISA).  I no longer contribute to my SIPP but my wife invests around £30k Gross in to her SIPP annually and we plan on continuing to fill both ISA allowances each year until she retires.  We are both 100% invested in equities using low-cost Global trackers to maximise their growth potential. Here's my question, I was burnt a few years back (before I started listening to podcast like yours to educate myself on how to manage my finances) when I was persuaded to join SJP and combine all my old workplace pensions into a single pot managed with them.  I even persuaded my wife to join and I opened Junior SIPPs for my twins when they were born (not their advice, my own) which we continue to pay the full amount into monthly to hopefully secure their future retirement. Long and the short of it, the more I learned about investing, the more I regretted my decision to tie myself into SJP and the more I begrudged paying their relatively high fees (for what turned out to be a lower return than much lower cost tracker options could / would have produced over that same time period). I eventually sucked up the exit fees and bailed out a few years back, taking my wife and children's accounts with me and whilst I haven't looked back, it has made me reluctant to spend money on financial advisors, given the perceived poor advice I felt I received last time. To that end, I'm currently planning on managing mine and my wife's finances through retirement without recourse to an advisor but have started to have niggling doubts as to the whether I'm being too arrogant in my own abilities. In simple terms, our aim to build a combined Pension Pot (incorporating a healthy ISA element to aid in tax-efficient drawdown, allow my wife to retire early(er) if she so desires and to cover one-off expenses that may from time to time will come up) that's large enough for us to live off comfortably based on a flexible 3-3.5% drawdown rate annually (index-linked).  The plan is also to remain 100% invested in equity throughout retirement with the exception of and maintaining, a 3-5yr cash-like buffer (invested in MM Funds / short term government bonds) from which to take our living expenses. My wife and I are not extravagant spenders and can easily cut our cloth according to circumstances, so my feeling is, with a small but decent guaranteed income that we will have as a foundation, when combined with what I hope/expect to be a sizeable joint Pension Pot and a relatively low and sustainable withdrawal rate that should see us right even through the harshest of winters (metaphorically speaking) this should provide all the income we'll need for a comfortable retirement with a good chance of leaving a fair amount left in the pot for our children at the end, without over complicating our portfolio or expensive management costs. The obvious concern I have is around IHT but even there, I feel like that's a concern to address further down the road once we know we are financially secure and when we know more about the needs of our children as they grow-up and can plan what to do with any excess cash we might have using the rules in place at that time. Sounds simple, but is it too simple?  Can you spot any obvious flaws in this plan or reasons why you think seeking professional advice would make sense that may not have considered? Thank you and keep up the good work! Regards, Aaron 27:42  Question 5 Hi both Love the podcast. I listen regularly and enjoy hearing the banter between the two of you,  as well as providing answers to thought provoking questions. As an additional rate taxpayer in Scotland, my marginal income tax rate is an eye watering 48%. So I get significant benefit from tax relief when topping up my pension. It can cost as little as £33,000 to enjoy a full input of £60,000 once I get money back on my tax return. I have been diligently stuffing my pension as much as I could afford for years now as it was always the prevailing financial advice. I'm now only a couple of years away from retiring at age 55. I am fortunate enough to be now over the old LTA (which is now of no consequence). However the tax free limit is still set at 25% of that old allowance (£268,273?). Given I am now NOT going to benefit from any further tax free money on the way out, I wonder whether continuing to contribute to my pension is a good idea anymore. My choices are either : 1) Pay into the pension and enjoy tax relief of 48% now, allow the fund to accumulate tax free over the coming years, then pay income tax on the way out at 40%. (I expect to be high rate , not additional or basic rate tax payer in retirement) 2) Take the tax hit now on income, don't contribute to pension, put the nett amount into a GIA, and pay 24% CGT on the gain on the way out. I did some numbers and while the pension wins out, it's not by much over a 10 year term assuming 5% growth. But tax rates could change, pension rules could change, and inheritance tax changes are pending. Can you compare the pros and cons of each approach to help me make a decision, or is there a third option to consider? (I hear Roger sometimes suggest a strategy of taking the tax hit now rather than later e.g better the devil you know) I hope this makes sense. Thanks, Martin   33:47  Question 6 I became an avid listener of the podcast during the first lockdown and have learned so much in the past 5 years. I really enjoy it and appreciate all the effort you put into it. My question is with regard to age gap relationships and planning for retirement. I'm 59 and am currently contributing to the NHS Pension Scheme. Part of my pension can be taken at  age 60, without deduction, and I hope to have an income of £16,000 plus a £50,000 lump sum. The rest of my pension I'll be able to take at age 67 and by the age of 63 I hope to have a further pension of £18,000 without a lump sum. In addition to this, from my career before the NHS, I have a SIPP and the current value is £400,000. 63 is the age by which I hope to have stopped working at my current level but it might be sooner. My wife is ten years younger than me and has not been working for most of her adult life. Currently she is paying into a local authority DB scheme but by the time she is 58 her pension entitlement might only be £5,000 per year, but this would need to be discounted by 40%-50% in order to take that income. By the time we are eligible I expect both of us to qualify for the full state pension. We have no other cash savings to speak of and our mortgage is due to be paid off next year, when I will be 60. My question is what advice do you have for couples who face this age gap issue. The plan is that we want to spend our retirement together while I am fit and active (well fit-ish). Once we both have the state pension, with my NHS Pension, we should have an income of £58,000 at todays values, which will be enough for our needs when I am in my late seventies, but might make me a higher rate taxpayer in requirement. Before then, we'd like to spend a bit more and we are planning to use my SIPP and my wife's DB scheme (when she is 58) to fund our pension, until it is replaced by the second NHS Pension and the state pensions. I never realised this would be so complicated to get my head around. When the mortgage is paid off, we'll have some money and should we concentrate in paying it into an ISA so that we can get an additional income without me having to pay higher rate tax, or should we set up a SIPP for my wife so that she can build up a pot of money that she can drawdown on from when she is 58. This would be with the aim of her utilising as much of her annual tax free allowance as possible. I've assumed there is no way that I can transfer part of my SIPP to her before I die. I very much hope that you can help. Best wishes, Steve