Informed Decisions Financial Planning & Money Podcast

This week we will take a look at the empty promise that we hear so many people make to themselves and to their loved-ones! This empty promise is akin to playing Russian Roulette with your loved-ones' financial well-being.....if you are a selfish gambler then perhaps its OK, for the rest of us it simply isn't, no matter what hat we're wearing! What in the blue-blazes are we talking about? We are talking about the gamble we hear so often, whereby a couple are taking out a new mortgage, and when faced with whether to put in place just the Mortgage Protection, or to comprehensively cover themselves by taking Mortgage Protection as well as an element of Personal Life Cover. Many many people make the empty promise when they say "We'll do the Mortgage Protection now, and sure we'll do some sort of personal Life Cover once things settle down".....that is a "I'm happy to gamble with my families financial well-being" if ever we heard one!! In this episode we are going to initially look at the basics of the two types of

Welcome to our 61st edition of the informed Decisions Financial Planning Blog & Podcast. Did we mention we were recently voted Ireland's best?? Yes, we are Ireland's #1 Finance Blog & Podcast...! To celebrate our 61st Podcast we are joined by the one and only Emma Kennedy, journalist & up to recently Editor of Money section in Sunday Business Post. We get to explore Emma's thoughts and experience in regards lots of topics, Kids & Money, Mortgages, Pension Reforms and the make up of Financial Planning services in Ireland as of today. We do hope you enjoy this episode, we certainly did enjoy creating it! If you have any questions please do drop us an email, and if you really do enjoy the show we'd be hugely grateful of an iTunes Review!! Thanks so much for checking this out. Paddy Delaney QFA | RPA | APA | Qualified Coach  

Two lads were standing at the bar of a Friday night in October....their kids put to bed, they gather for their monthly 'Fischers Friday' in their local pub! Lad #1: "Hey, they're telling me I should do this AVC pension in work" Lad #2: "Whats an AVC?? Sure do you not have a pension already in work?" Lad #1: "Eh, yeah I do yeah but yer one said I should set up this other one to give me more of a lump sum in 20 years!" Lad #2: "Sure jaysus you could be dead in 2, whats the point in doing an ABC or AVC or whatever it's called?!" Lad #1: "Yeah but she said that if I don't do it i'll miss out on a load of tax reliefs or somethin" Lad #2: "Tax relief me eye, sure if you put it all into the ABC thing you'd not be able to afford these pints your about to buy!" Lad #1: "Ha! But yer right, sure yer one was only trying to sell me stuff I suppose" Lad #2: "Damn right she was, them ones are all the same, pushy pushy, only interested in themselves, ya may tell her to shove her ABCs!" This wasn't our attempt at a Roddy Doyl

OK, we were being a bit mischievous in calling it 'owning'.....but if you have one you'll know that the responsibility lies squarely on your shoulders.....so you may as well 'own' the little darling!! We are not just gonna list off the usual baby stuff, as we like to do here we are going to invite you to think about it a little differently! There are stats which say it costs €250k to raise a child. We're gonna bust through that and break it down a bit more practically! Many of our readers have kids, and indeed a lot do not, yet! In this episode we are hoping to give some bit of insight to readers on what can be expected financially when you are expecting & beyond..... This episode is a major departure from the last few weeks where we focused on investment rebalancing, investment portfolios and the impact of time on your investment success. So if it doesn't hit the mark for you then please let us know!! Feedback is gold! Firstly, and as always, we are chuffed that you have checked out our website & pod

This week we take on a subject which, while not that earth-movingly exciting, has gained in popularity over recent years in the investment industry, and that subject is rebalancing. Rebalancing, in the simplest and most honest terms can be described as taking money out of your 'winners' and putting it into your 'losers'! Please bear with us and we'll explain! With lots of lovely head-lines lately talking about Equities at all-time highs and general euphoria about investing.......it might (or might not pay) to be aware of rebalancing, and how it impacts on your investments. When it comes to Investing & Pension Funds in Ireland in 2017 or indeed most aspects of creating investment portfolios, since 2008 there has been a sharp focus on ensuring that investments are well diversified. Due to the scorchingly severe falls in values of equities and property at that time people have been once bitten and are now twice shy. There is now a big push to diversify between different asset classes to reduce that volatilit

While it might sound a little like a project to build the next NASA space-rocket this is a fairly simple investment approach that Irish investors have access to, so strap yourself in! Before we begin may I outline that the word 'satellite' is one of those words that I really struggle how to spell.....for some reason I keep typing it as 'satelitte'.......so this particular blog might take me a while to get done!! Anyway, here we will take on the task of sharing ideas with you keen investors on the concept of 'core-satellite' investment portfolios, how to approach it, what to watch out for and ultimately outline the pros and cons of this particular approach. Lovely-jubbly. Core Satellite investment in Ireland will never be the same again!! What is a Core-Satellite Portfolio? Core-Satellite is not something you might hear often here in Ireland, however elsewhere in the world, such as US & UK, it is a very well established and indeed popular approach to take to investing your funds. Ultimately this approach a

It is the first thing people ask when they hear you work in the space of helping people manage money.....'What should I invest in?'. The only appropriate answer to that question, I believe is along the lines of 'it depends on what your objective is'. This answer usually isn't what they expect, they expect a pitch for a certain share or investment in a German Shopping Centre Fund! The next question that follows will usually be....'How long should I invest for'? That is the question we are here to discuss. And for once I have had the time to write a short piece, so enjoy!! Firstly, and as always, we are chuffed that you have checked out our website & podcast. We are on a mission to help Ireland's normal folk to make the most of their financial lives and make Financial Planning accessible to all. We ask for your help to spread the word, share the article with the little icons at the bottom, check out the podcast, and in general just be a huge fan of our little site! Be delighted if you checked out our why. A

There are many many people today in Ireland pining for their own home, looking to get onto the property ladder, sick of paying rent or perhaps living with parents or family. There are usually a one or more of the following barriers to them doing so; cannot get a mortgage large enough, cannot find a suitable home in the location they want, or they are waiting for the 'next property crash' before buying. This last barrier is an interesting one, and indeed one which many many people of our generation are asking themselves; should I wait for a property crash instead of buying a house now. Recent property price increases are well documented, as are the issue around supply etc....we are not here to discuss these. What we are aiming to do is separate the financial from the emotional when it comes to these decisions.....because let's face it, whether we realise it or not that is often the dilemma! How Do Property Prices Compare To 'The Peak'? How prices compare to the past is a non issue, it is not a determinant or a

It's Showtime! If you swim too close to a shark it'll bite ya! If you have decent savings, investments and pensions you could be in danger of getting bitten too! We're here to help you understand if you are in danger of getting bitten, it's up to you as to whether to stay in that water or not! We are realists here at Informed Decisions and so no matter what you get done; a tap fixed, a wall painted, a tooth pulled, a will administered, a house bought or indeed an investment invested you will pay a price for those services! This episode it aimed squarely at ensuring you know the impact of any fees you are paying on your financial products, wealth management or indeed retail investment products here in Ireland. We'll also share some insights on what you might be able to do to help yourself avoid a nibbling......because ultimately controlling your costs is a smart thing to do! Firstly, and as always, we are chuffed that you have checked out our website & podcast, and we ask for your help to spread the word,

Thanks for tuning in to this weeks' Episode, our 52nd, and Informed Decisions' 1 year anniversary!! We bring you something pretty special, interviewing one of Ireland's brightest talents in regards Investment Management, Will Sparks. Will tells it like it is, so it was a pleasure to have him on the show, and in addition to that he knows how to manage investments....who better to help identify some insights for our listeners! By all means please do visit our small website, and check out all our podcasts and blogs, and if you like what you see we'd be delighted to have you join our mailing group! Thanks all. Paddy Delaney Creator & Dogsbody @ Informed Decisions! QFA | RPA | APA | Qualified Coach

Hey! In a recent blog we took a look at the big 6 risks which exist when it comes to managing ourselves and our money. We had everything from ostrich risk (sticking our head in the sand!) to longevity risk (living too long!). This time around we are going to focus on practical tools we can apply to our money and savings, in order to ultimately have a more pleasant investment journey, the growth we expect, and the appropriate outcomes......please keep reading! As we try do things slightly differently here at Informed Decisions we are going to attempt to explain all this using the metaphor of a plane journey to New York.....chocks away! Before we fly off into the blue yonder, if you enjoy this blog, all we ask in return is to help us spread the word, share the article with the little icons at the bottom, check out the podcast, and in general just be a huge fan of our little site! We are on a mission to make Investing and Financial Planning here in Ireland a doddle! Be delighted if you checked out our why. What

Hey all, in this 50th episode of the Informed Decisions Financial Planning Podcast we will aim to share insights on the very best mortgage that you can get here in Ireland; whether you are aiming for your first mortgage or have a collection of them we hope to share ideas which will save you a small fortune over your life-time. We also have a short guest appearance from Seamus & Conn (future Informed Decisioners!!).... All we ask in return is to help us spread the word, share the article with the little icons at the bottom, check out the podcast, and in general just be a huge fan of our little site! Be delighted if you checked out our why. We shared insights a number of months ago in what still remains one of our most popular blogs in the area of over-paying one's mortgage and the impact that has on the number of years you will be lumbered with it and also the lump of interest you would have paid. Speaking of which, if I was to offer you €38,000 of a saving over the next 20 years, and all you had to do to

We are joined by Professional Coach Niall English, to uncover exactly what coaching is, how it can be of benefit to us in achieving the things we want to achieve. We also take a look at how it might be useful if you find yourself in need of making some changes to your finances. Here at the home of unbiased financial planning in Ireland we like to bring some fresh ideas.....this is our latest! Plus, Niall shares some practical tools we can all use in order to make some real improvements in regards to our finances. Hopefully you enjoy! If you do then please share, join our community and spread the word! Thanks a mill. Paddy Delaney QFA | RPA | APA | Qualified Coach  

Hey, welcome to the latest Episode......This week we follow-up on our promise to share with you guys how ETFs are taxed here in Ireland. Like a lot of stuff these days there is a lot of info floating around about this topic, and if any of you have gone looking to get definitive answers it can prove quite tricky. We aim to bring several years of research to you in this episode, to answer most of the common questions that arise (and accept that we will naturally miss some of the less common stuff - who doesn't!). Now this may help some of you, and it may not help, but understanding how you are taxed on your investment, pensions, savings or nest egg in Ireland is fairly vital in making informed money decisions...speaking of which please do pop over here to find out why we exist, what our purpose is and why we are Ireland's first Financial Planning & Wealth Management Blog & Podcast. Also, if you have any questions or comments we'd love to hear from you, just drop a message to us here. In Blog 39 we took

When It Comes To Pension Planning We Will Get Our Just Deserts: Deserts is apparently the plural of 'desert' which is 'that which one deserves'....honestly I always assumed it was to do with the jelly & ice-cream type of desserts.....but had never given it much thought in fairness! The same is most certainly true of Pensions. It would be hard to put it any more simply than I am about to now; You will only get a lot out if you put a lot in. If you are haphazard about your approach to funding for retirement then it is quite likely that the benefits you get from yours may be haphazard too. Coming at you 'live' (and sideways) from Kenmare!   Blame Your Advisor: It may seem a bit pomp of us but your advisor (assuming you have one!) is absolutely at the coal-face of ensuring you know exactly where your level of income in retirement is headed. As we like to harp on about here 'begin with the end in mind' , otherwise what's the point in beginning! If you find out upon retiring that your income is a million miles

The noun Faff has been defined by the Oxford Dictionary as 'A great deal of ineffectual activity'.......most financial plans are absolute faff! So there, I said it! I said it, and the fact of the matter is that it is pretty true. Any plan worth it's salt with regards to pretty much anything will be mostly faff, in hindsight. Bear with me and we'll explain! (You can read the full blog here) We really want to thank Carl Richards for writing the book 'Behavior Gap' which I have re-read (again!) recently. This book looks at how to help people stop doing silly things with their money. It also inspired my thinking for this episode, about Financial Plans, and how seldom they see the light of day! in this episode you will get an insight into: How Do I Create A Financial Plan? What is A Financial Plan? Why Do I Need A Financial Plan? Why DO Financial Plans Go Off Course? Among others! Thanks for listening... Paddy Delaney QFA | RPA | APA | Qualified Coach  

Hey, and welcome to another episode of Informed Decisions Financial Planning podcast here in Ireland. If you have ever asked yourself: What are ETFs?...... How Do I invest in ETFs?....... How Do ETFs actually work?..... Are ETFs Risky?..................Then this episode will hopefully give you some useful information. This time around we are taking a look under the bonnet of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in Ireland and determining how they may or may not be something you want to get behind the wheel of as part of your portfolio. ETFs are well documented at this stage, having grown in popularity for investors over recent years. They now estimate that ETFs account for 25% of all stock market transactions (in the US anyway - Ireland is a little behind those guys!). Whether you do or don't know about them there is no doubt they are popular and more and more of us regular folk are asking about them here in Ireland! Thanks for listening. Full written version here. Paddy Delaney QFA | RPA | APA | Qualified Coach  

If you are a new visitor, welcome! Please do pop over here to find out why we exist, what our purpose is and why we are Ireland's first Financial Planning & Money Podcast. Also, if you have any questions or comments we'd love to hear from you, just drop a message to us here. Apparently Noah's Ark was made of 'cypress wood' and was in the region of 500 feet long. It was said to have been quite a boat, large enough to hold  125,000 sheep if those were his orders! Anyone familiar with the story will know however that he was instructed to bring on only 1 mated pair of every animal that walked along the ground, and his own family. Poor Noah was given only 7 days in which to build this behemoth, and to ultimately save the animal kingdom, before the great flood arrived, no pressure! If we were to relate this to our own financial lives it's fair to say that, unless you yourself are on the cusp of retiring, you have more than 7 days to build your own ark and save yourself from the flood when you stop working!! Let

Needless to say it is a bit of a coup to have a Fintech Legend that has 9 million monthly listeners to his hit radio show 'Breaking Banks' in New York come on our show! An Australian based in New York, he has taken a circuitous route to being a Global thought-leader in the FinTech World. Paddy invited Brett to share his thoughts on the near future of how we will interact, invest and behave with our money. Ever thought about how our experiences will change when we venture even to our local shop? Thanks for checking out Ireland's only dedicated Financial Planning & Money Podcast. Be delighted if you share and spread the word......be great if we could keep in touch with you directly here. You're a Legend! Paddy Delaney QFA | RPA | Qualified Coach Brett King Website Brett King Radio Show Informed Decisions Website  

PCP ('Phencyclidine' - not sure how that is pronounced!) was introduced in the 1950's as an anesthetic but was shelved in the 60's due to it's potentially lethal hallucinogenic effects. It was this hallucinogenic effect that made it so popular with recreational drug users and they have been producing it under the title of 'Angel Dust' since! It's chocka with Ketamine and apparently is the bees-knees if that is your idea of fun! Another PCP, Personal Finance Plans, are on the scene now! This and other forms of consumer borrowing have rocketed in recent years, with experts saying the access to these loans is driving the new-car sales figures hugely, almost to hallucinogenic levels! New Car Sales Figures for 2016: Ireland 150,000 UK 2.7million USA 17.5million We love cars here at Informed Decisions, we don't necessarily spend lots of money on them however! We did a blog and podcast a while back to shed light on the true cost of cars, this proved really popular with many of you. We don't mean to suggest we have a