In this episode of Ask About Wealth, Paul tackles one of the most misunderstood yet life-changing ideas in finance: the FIRE movement, Financial Independence, Retire Early. With just 3% of Irish people believing they can retire by 55, Paul explores why the majority are stuck in the rat race and how you can break free.

Learn how to calculate your financial freedom number, avoid the traps set by biased financial advice, and understand the real impact of tax and fees on your wealth. This episode offers a clear, actionable roadmap to becoming financially free, even if you’re starting late.

Key Takeaways:

• The 5 essential questions you must answer to calculate your “freedom number”
• How tax and fees silently erode your wealth, and how to stop it
• Why investing through a pension can double your return vs. doing it personally
• How starting early (like Alex) can shave 10+ years off your working life
• Why most financial advice is biased, and what impartial advice really looks like

You can use the Financial Freedom calculator here:

https://askaboutwealth.ie/tools/financial-freedom-calculator

Join The Masterclass:

https://askaboutwealth.ie/MasteringYourFinances

Ask About Wealth helps Ireland’s high earners preserve and grow wealth:

https://linktr.ee/askaboutwealth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Ask About Wealth, Paul sits down with Andrea McNamara, Director, Private Client Law at EY Ireland, to dissect the real-life pitfalls of inheritance planning in Ireland. From outdated wills to misunderstood tax implications.

• When and how wills can be legally challenged 
• Common clauses that sound good but can cause major problems later
• How trusts and family partnerships can be powerful tools in legacy planning
• Why high-net-worth families often need a more sophisticated structure than just a will

If you want to understand inheritance tax in Ireland, then this episode is essential listening.

Join The Masterclass:

https://askaboutwealth.ie/MasteringYourFinances

Ask About Wealth helps Ireland’s high earners preserve and grow wealth:

https://linktr.ee/askaboutwealth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Using a cautionary tale from the Celtic Tiger days and hard-earned experience, Paul exposes how biased information leads to poor decisions, and why impartial guidance is rarer (and more valuable) than most people realise.

Key Takeaways:

• The costly Budapest property story every investor should hear
• How to tell if your financial advice is truly independent
• Why even factually correct information can still mislead
• The one rule Ireland’s wealthy follow, and you should too

If you want to make smarter, more informed financial decisions, without getting sold to then this episode is essential listening.

Join The Masterclass:

https://askaboutwealth.ie/MasteringYourFinances

Ask About Wealth helps Ireland’s high earners preserve and grow wealth:

https://linktr.ee/askaboutwealthJoin the Masterclass:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Paul sits down once again with Aidan McLoughlin, Group Managing Director of ITC, to discuss how pensions can be used far beyond traditional retirement saving, as powerful tools for long-term wealth accumulation, tax sheltering, property investment, and legacy planning.

They also dig into Malta-based retirement structures, why more Irish clients are using them, and how they can legally reduce tax and increase flexibility.

Some episode highlights:

•The overlooked tax and asset protection benefits of private pension structures

•How Irish pension rules compare to Malta’s, and why flexibility matters

•Pension borrowing, non-recourse lending, and property investing within your fund

•The mistake in pension death benefits most people don’t see coming

•Why early pension planning is now more crucial than ever

This is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, consultants, and professionals looking to preserve wealth, protect family assets, and retire on their own terms.

Join The Masterclass:

https://askaboutwealth.ie/MasteringYourFinances

Ask About Wealth helps Ireland’s high earners preserve and grow wealth:

https://linktr.ee/askaboutwealthJoin the Masterclass:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Paul talks with private equity expert Kevin MacSweeny about how entrepreneurs can release equity, unlock value, and scale their businesses. Without losing control.

Key takeaways:

• Why equity release can help founders de-risk and still double or triple their business
• The difference between working in the business vs. on the business, and why it matters
• Why minority equity stakes don’t mean minority control (if structured properly)
• How private investors access deals with real ownership and alignment, not just products
• What kind of businesses attract private equity: the numbers, the mindset, and the journey

Ask about wealth helps Ireland’s high earners preserve and grow wealth.

https://linktr.ee/askaboutwealth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sole Trader vs. Partnership vs. Limited Company: Which is Best for Your Business in Ireland?

In this video, we delve into the three primary business structures in Ireland. Sole tradership, partnership, and limited companies. We explore the tax implications, risks, and wealth creation potential associated with each structure.

Learn why limited companies often offer superior tax benefits and greater asset protection. If you're deciding on the best structure for your business, this video provides essential insights to help you make an informed choice.

Ask about wealth helps Ireland’s high earners preserve and grow wealth.

https://linktr.ee/askaboutwealth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Markets are down, headlines are panicking, but should you be?

In this episode, Paul explains why most investors worry at exactly the wrong time and how to stay calm, rational, and profitable when markets drop.

💡 You’ll learn:

- Why "you haven’t lost money" unless you sell

- How pensions = stock market exposure (whether you realise it or not)

- The truth about lifestyle funds and automatic sell signals

- Why capitalism is built to boom and bust

- The McIlroy mindset every long-term investor needs

If you’re invested in the stock market directly or through a pension this is essential listening.

Ask about wealth helps Ireland’s high earners preserve and grow wealth.

https://linktr.ee/askaboutwealth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Week on the Ask About Wealth Podcast

Not all investments are created equal, and not all of them should do the same job.

In this episode, Paul breaks down the real reason most people mess up their investment strategy, and how to avoid it with the core and satellite approach.

💡 You’ll learn:

• Why your investment objectives matter more than your attitude to risk
• How to separate financial freedom assets from surplus assets
• The mistake of drawing income from growth-focused investments
• Why the financial industry’s idea of “risk” is actually just volatility
• How to match the right asset class to the right goal, using decades of history, not guesswork

This is essential listening if you’re building, protecting, or passing on serious wealth.

Ask about wealth helps Ireland’s high earners preserve and grow wealth.

https://linktr.ee/askaboutwealth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Ask About Wealth Podcast we sit down with international tax strategist Peter Ferrigno to unpack the misunderstood world of tax residency and citizenship by investment and how the right move at the right time could legally save you millions.

In this episode:

🔹 Why residency planning matters long before a liquidity event

🔹 The truth about “Golden Visas” and how they really work

🔹 How to legally reduce (or eliminate) tax on capital gains, pensions, or dividends

🔹 The biggest misconceptions about becoming tax resident abroad

🔹 How high-income earners can access EU or global residency from €250K

This episode is a must-listen for anyone considering selling a business, relocating, or building global wealth intelligently.

You can get in contact with Peter directly here: https://www.instagram.com/peter.ferrigno/

Ask about wealth helps Ireland’s high earners preserve and grow wealth.

https://linktr.ee/askaboutwealth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Ask About Wealth Podcast we’re joined by property investor and educator Gavin J. Gallagher, who went from a €60M fortune to -€16M debt, and rebuilt. This is a rare look inside the mindset, mistakes, and learnings of someone who has truly been through it all.

In this episode:

🔹The mindset traps that lead investors to over-leverage and under-think

🔹The 4 key forces that impact every investor, and how to manage them

🔹When (and how) to use leverage, structure, and private capital in property

🔹Why most people get property due diligence completely wrong

Essential listening for anyone serious about building wealth through property, and keeping it.

You can learn more about Gavin's coaching business here: https://www.elitepropertyaccelerator.com/

You can follow him on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@behindthefacade

Ask about wealth helps Ireland’s high earners preserve and grow wealth.

https://linktr.ee/askaboutwealth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.