Informed Decisions Financial Planning & Money Podcast

Welcome to Episode #41 of the Informed Decisions Financial Planning Podcast, still the only dedicated resource here in Ireland. In this episode Paddy speaks with Stephen Browne, who is owner and distributor of Voyant here in Ireland. There are several providers of this type of software for Financial Advisors and Planners, such as Truth, however Voyant is a leading player in the Financial Planning/ Financial Forecasting Software industry. Stephen shares insights with listeners on what is it, what it does and importantly how financial panning software might benefit you in the long run. While the software is generally only used by Planners, for their clients, here is a link to Voyant Ireland's website if you want to check it out. Thanks for sharing... Paddy Delaney QFA | RPA | Qualified Coach    

Last week we explored what will happen when the next crash comes......and importantly how we will react. It is the volatility of things which causes us to react, not the risk! Volatility is not risk, risk is not volatility. I'm not trying to be profound (it's not one of my strengths!). In today's world the two are thrown together, interchanged in conversations, media and advertising, yet they are 2 completely different things. It's sort of like interchanging chalk and cheese in conversation: Hey, did any of you students take the cheese I was using to write on this black-board? (showing my age there!) Hey, would you like chalk on your ham & turkey sandwich? Makes no sense, just as it doesn't to mix risk and volatility, yet we all do it, and I am as guilty as the next fella/gal! Now this may help some of you, and it may not help, yet it is a critical aspect of retirement planning, pensions, investing and savings of any sort here in Ireland, it is vital to understand the difference between the 2, particularl

Regular readers & listeners will by now know that Informed Decisions isn't in the space of trying to predict the markets, we leave that to the fortune-tellers of this world! We don't see any benefit in dissecting the daily news-feed and trying to interpret what that means for our investments, pensions, property prices etc. Nobody can do that with any degree of accuracy. Also, what difference does it make if the price of something which you intend holding for 10, 20, 30 or 40 years fluctuates by 0.1 or 1% this week?? And that is what this week's shortish blog is out to address, our human inclination to do something stupid at the absolute wrong time! It will be a real test of our Financial Planning here in Ireland, so listen to this podcast episode to be as well prepared as possible not to do the wrong thing when that time comes!! Thanks for listening and sharing. Paddy Delaney QFA | RPA | APA | Qualified Coach

We were humbled to have been contacted by the Irish Times a few weeks ago and asked for our opinion on life cover for an article by journalist Eithne Dunne, published in the Sunday Times on 21st May. We wholeheartedly gave our 'tuppence-worth' on some of the things we believe are important to consider when selecting Life Cover for yourself. However it also dawned on me how big a problem exists with regards Life Cover, so we are out to quash that problem right here and right now.........in a second! Firstly, if you are a new visitor to Informed Decisions, welcome, and have a quick look over here to find out what we are all about & why we exist! We are on a mission to bring practical financial planning & personal finance to Ireland's millennials. If not, welcome back to Ireland's only dedicated Money & Financial Planning Podcast! What's The Big Problem!? Life Cover, it's a product (of many sorts!) and as someone recently said to me 'everyone and their Granny sells it'. The commissions paid to the i

Many of us have heard of psychology, many of us have heard of positivity, yet not many of us have heard of Positive Psychology, which is an emerging science in and of itself. That's why we are bringing it to you, and looking at how we can utilise it in managing our finances. In this episode we are delighted to host Dr. Jolanta Burke, a Doctor of Positive Psychology, a visiting Professor in Trinity College's School of Psychology, and a Senior Lecturer in School of Psychology, University of East London. Whether you are considering your budgets, planning for retirement, planning on buying life cover, or indeed nurturing your kids there is something of note in this episode! If you are a new visitor to Informed Decisions, please have a quick look over here to find out what we are all about & why we exist! We are on a mission to help normal Irish people with practical financial planning & personal finance info. If not, welcome back to Ireland's only dedicated Money & Financial Planning Podcast! Thanks f

Apparently 66% of the 70,000 'landlords' in Ireland own 1 investment property. Surely you don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, you want to be one of these? "Sure property prices are climbing, you'd be mad not to own at least one investment property". You buy the place and rent it out so that someone else can pay the mortgage for you, job done! Right?! Seems not long ago when this was the regular 'pub talk', however it is over 10 years ago now, and that talk is coming back (to a degree!). For a long time a bank would ring the Gardai if you went in and asked for a 'buy to let' mortgage (a loan to buy an investment property which you would rent out). They have softened, and are actually advertising these again, just google it! Now before we jump in it's worth noting that there is a large % of our generation who are making ends meet, putting kids into creches, working hard, and paying the bills, maybe stashing a few quid each month for future and for rainy days. For this % of us a buy to let is not on t

We all know that money is not the be all and end all.....most of us appreciate that there is more to life and more to being a decent human. We might also recognise that living a fulfilled life is not about having full bank accounts, but it sure does help to have sufficient money to make your own decisions and live the life you want! As parents we are naturally wired to try and create positive futures for our children, that probably why we care so much, right!? As part of that for some parents it will come naturally to instill an element of financial awareness and sense into our kids, and to maybe ensure they are a bit better able to manage money than we are! This episode is going to explore just a few ways of doing that, some you may have considered and some not......including a little bit about Andy Dufresne! Thanks for reading, don't forget to drop me a mail at if you fancy a copy of that Excel sheet mentioned in this episode. Thanks for tuning in. Paddy Delaney QFA | RPA | APA | Qualified Coach

Hi All, Why Is My Defined Benefit Scheme Closing? What Should I Do About My Defined Benefit Scheme Closing? What Income Will I Now Have in Retirement? In this episode we empathise whole-heartedly, then delve and explore the options available to the many many thousands of employees who have 'lost' their Defined Benefit Pension Schemes in recent times. We go about answering the above questions. All is not lost! Most 'normal people' out there (with the exception of financial nerds & indeed yours truly until I started working in this area 12 years ago!) have no more interest in Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution schemes than the man on the moon! It's sort of like saying to your mate, 'you know, the price of beef in Kilkenny Mart today jumped from €3.60 per kilo to €4.05 per kilo in the space of an hour!!', not really that interesting or relevant to most of us, unless of course your mate is a beef farmer! If you know of anyone who is losing or has lost their DB scheme please do them a favour and pass thi

Risk. The Oxford Dictionary defines risk as 'the possibility of something unpleasant or unwelcoming happening'! It is therefore not a word which most of us are that much inclined towards. There are many forms of risk which many of us don't really think of until it happens! In this episode we will unearth these risks, and indeed share ideas on what one can do to manage them (if possible!). On a related but separate note we are delighted to tell you that we have written & launched our first ever quick-guide resource for you guys! This was based on your feedback to our Financial Planning in Ireland Survey a few short months ago. We want you to download your own complimentary copy of the '4 Principles Guide' to Investment Success; simply click the pop-up or head over here and add your email, we'll mail it directly to you, for keeps, at no charge at all........limited time offer!   Flick over to the written version if you prefer to read this episode! Thanks,   Paddy.   QFA | RPA | Qualified Coach  

Welcome to Episode 31 of The Informed Decisions Financial Planning Podcast. This Podcast Episode took all of my efforts, Tax is not a subject I especially enjoy but you are worth it! In this episode we explore how Income Tax works, what other tax is generally taken at source, and how to manage the levels of tax we pay. when we approach out Financial Planning in Ireland it can be so important to ensure we are paying the right amounts, and no more! You can check out the full written version of this show here. We are aiming to have all regular visitors to join our mailing list. If you are not on it please do so here. Email & first name is all we ask and we will send you a weekly exclusive update on what's happening at Informed Decisions. You're a legend! Paddy Delaney QFA, RPA, APA, Qualified Coach.

Welcome to Episode 30 of The Informed Decisions Financial Planning Podcast. In this episode I am going to open the can on Financial Advice full stop! I am going to outline why you don't need any initially, and how you can help yourself. For the past 2 weeks our Podcast featured Dr. Daniel Crosby and discussed how we can enable ourselves to make more informed money decisions. One of his key principles was that 'we cant do this alone'. In this he outlined that all the research goes to support the idea that as investors we will do a lot better if we have the guidance of a competent financial advisor/coach. This point also related to the management of ones funds. However on this show we are also conscious that a lot of us won't yet have accumulated large assets/investments, and that is who we are supporting in this weeks' episode. You can check out the full written version of this show here. We are aiming to have all regular visitors to join our mailing list. If you are not on it please do so here. Email & fi

Welcome to the latest Podcast in Ireland's only dedicated resource on Financial Planning for millennials. In this episode we bring you Part 2 of the Dr. Daniel Crosby Interview (New York Times Best-Seller might I add!) as well as the results of our Annual Listener Survey. I promise to be as concise as is feasible! If you are a new visitor to Informed Decisions, have a quick look over here to find out what we are all about and why this blog & podcast exists in Ireland. If not, welcome back! As always, you can check out our Podcast, Ireland's only dedicated Personal Finance & Financial Planning Podcast for millennials. Thanks for checking us out! Paddy Delaney QFA, RPA, APA, BBS, Qualified Coach  

It is not too often that we get to speak to a New Your Times Best Seller, so we are so chuffed to speak to Dr. Daniel Crosby, a specialist in Behavioural Finance. If this term is new to you then you are in for a treat. If you are familiar with it you are also in for a treat! Join Paddy on Part 1 of this special interview to learn his fully researched strategies for managing your financial decisions for maximum results. If you have not then you really need to join our exclusive mailing list here! You can find Daniel's book here. Thanks so much for tuning in and sharing what is Ireland's only dedicated personal finance and financial planning podcast. Paddy Delaney (QFA, RPA, BBS, APA & Qualified Coach!)    

In this episode Paddy follows up on last week's show and shares the main ways of saving for education. Importantly it will highlight the main pros and cons of each and give you a sense of realistic growth expectations from each. If you would like to see the blog version of this episode you can get it here. If you are a new visitor to Informed Decisions, have a quick look over here to find out what we are all about. As always, you can check out our other episodes in Ireland's only dedicated Personal Finance & Financial Planning Podcast. If you have found this piece of any benefit whatsoever we would be super chuffed if you would share it with someone you know who might be in the same boat as you.......and of course make sure you join our exclusive weekly mailing list here. Ah Go On, do it here.... You're a Legend! Paddy Delaney Informed Decisions Financial Planning

  In this episode Paddy shares the main costs of education so you can begin planning, but importantly will open your eyes as to 'how' to achieve the fund necessary to cover such costs! In Part 1 we share illustrations to show you what is involved in getting to your goal. Part 2 (next week) will delve into the pro's and con's of the different products and avenues available. If you would like to see the blog version of this episode you can get it here. If you are a new visitor to Informed Decisions, have a quick look over here to find out what we are all about. As always, you can check out our other episodes in Ireland's only dedicated Personal Finance & Financial Planning Podcast. If you have found this piece of any benefit whatsoever we would be super chuffed if you would share it with someone you know who might be in the same boat as you.......and of course make sure you join our exclusive weekly mailing list here. Ah Go On, do it here.... You're a Legend! Paddy Delaney Informed Decisions Financial Plann

Hi, Welcome Back! It was in my 'schedule of topics to blog about' and it seems it is timely as in the past 3 weeks only I have been asked about the above topic on 3 different occasions. In addition to that my present wife & I have just returned from a weekend city break to UK, and there is no doubt that flashing the oul' Credit Card around the place is an easy pit to fall into, hence the reason I don't currently operate a Credit Card (& hence why I use the term present wife!!). The 3 people I have chatted to about the issue of Credit Cards in the past few weeks all have or have recently had fairly sizeable amounts owing on their cards, and all for various reasons. One was to pay day to day bills on a 1-income household and to tie them over till pay-day, another was an accumulation of expenses for house furniture and electronics, and the other was a big blow-out holiday last year. Each of them were really aware of the debt, however what was surprising was that two of the individuals were paying the min

Hi All, This week we are sharing something a little 'off topic'! I have been looking for an opportunity to donate this year, so for every completed Informed Decisions Survey in the next 6 days I will donate €1 to Irish Cancer Society. Given that I am doing all 'this' at no monetary gain I need to cap this at €200, so please help me get to that mark.....share it like there's no tomorrow! Six months after the very first Informed Decisions Podcast it probably is a good idea to check-in with you 'regulars' and provide a bit of an update on how this little website is progressing! I am also reaching out to you and seeking your help; with an important invitation for you to have your say on the shape and format of Informed Decisions via a short but important anonymous Survey/Questionnaire! If you have got any value from us in the past 6 months we would really appreciate your time (4 minutes!) in completing this and having your say. It will allow us to identify a broad profile of who is listening & reading, and im

Hi, Firstly, thanks for joining us! If you are a new visitor to Informed Decisions, have a quick look over here to find out what we are all about. If not, welcome back to Ireland's only dedicated Personal Finance & Financial Planning Podcast! Everyone has been told to do one, but 'why & how' needs to be answered first! Join Paddy as he demystifies the topic in this 16 minute audio show.... Thanks for sharing and spreading the love, the message is getting out there. Thank You. If you prefer to read this episode then please do check out Blog #21. Cheers, Paddy Delaney          

Hi, A pretty influential insurance 'evangelist', Hesus Inoma is founder & CEO of WeSavvy, a Dublin-based start-up in the process of reshaping how we engage and manage our insurances. If you have ever gotten a Health, Home or Motor Insurance renewal letter in the post or via email you will know it is not always the most rewarding experience! WeSavvy is working to forge the future of how consumers interact with their Insurances, get rewarded and essentially earn cash-back by living healthy life-styles. Thanks to Hesus for his time and sharing what he sees as the future of Insurance across the globe. Thanks to you too for tuning-in! Paddy Delaney. You can join the WeSavvy movement at www.wesavvy.com  

Hi, and thanks for popping in to listen to this weeks' Episode, which promises to be an interesting one for anyone who owns a car (so that represents the vast majority of us!). If you are new here please do check out this page, which will tell you a little about why this project exists and what it's aiming to do for you. Episode 21 is here: ################################# While some would argue that the cost of running a car hardly qualifies as a Financial Planning topic, I would beg to differ. Seeing as many of us possess one for the duration of our adult lives our choice of car represents a significant life long investment. What I am hoping to uncover is exactly how much they cost and what if any differences there are in buying a 'newish' car versus an older car! Some of you at this point will hit the red 'x' in the top right hand corner, you like your cars, you don't care what they cost you, provided you can afford to have a 'nice' car you will continue to do so irrespective of the financial costs. I res