Back to Money Basics Podcast

Investing sounds exciting — until you try to work out where to start.

Do you need lots of money? How do you choose what to invest in? And is the stock market really just gambling?

In this episode of Back to Money Basics, Marina and Andreas Calero are joined by Nick Forbes from Rathbones, one of the UK’s largest wealth management firms, to explain investing in plain English — from stocks and bonds to compound growth and why time can be your superpower.

We cover:

💷 Starting small: what investing £20 a month could look like, and why understanding your budget comes first.

⏳ Compound growth: how returns can generate further returns, and why starting early can make a difference.

📈 Stocks, shares and bonds: what you’re actually buying and how investment returns work.

🧺 Funds, index funds and ETFs: unpacking the jargon and understanding a basket of investments.

🌍 Diversification: why spreading your money matters, and why one index doesn’t necessarily cover the whole world.

⚖️ Risk and reward: how your goals and when you’ll need the money shape your investment decisions.

📉 Market falls: why timing the market is difficult and how emotions can influence your choices.

💼 Pensions and stocks and shares ISAs: understanding where investments can sit and why it’s worth knowing how your pension is invested.

🚩 Common beginner mistakes: chasing recent winners, believing promises of quick riches and taking risks you don’t fully understand.

And stay until the end for our True or Myth session, where we put common investing beliefs to the test. Is investing only for rich people? Is cash always safest? And do the best investors take the biggest risks?

Whether you’re starting your first job, heading to university, beginning to save or supporting a young person as they become financially independent, this conversation will help you understand the basics and ask better questions.

Know someone who wants to understand investing but doesn’t know where to start? Send them this episode.

Understanding money isn’t about being rich. It’s about having choices.

Find us here 👇

🎥 YouTube: @BacktoMoneyBasics
📸 Instagram: @backtomoneybasicspodcast
🎵 TikTok: @BackToMoneyBasics
🟢 Spotify: @BacktoMoneyBasics
🎙️ Apple Podcasts: @BacktoMoneyBasics
🌐 Website: https://backtomoneybasics.co.uk

Follow Back to Money Basics for more conversations that make money easier to understand. If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating to help others discover the podcast.

EDUCATION, NOT ADVICE

Back to Money Basics is here to help you understand money, not tell you what to do with it. Everything you hear is for education and entertainment, not financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances before making financial decisions.

Investments can fall as well as rise in value, and you may get back less than you invest. Growth examples are illustrative, not guaranteed; fees and inflation affect outcomes. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

Think you know how tax and payslips work? 💷 Let's find out!

In this True or Myth mini-episode of Back to Money Basics, we put common beliefs about tax, take-home pay, payslips and pensions to the test.

Whether you're starting your first job, earning money on the side or trying to understand where your salary goes, discover what's true, what's myth and what you need to know.

🎧 Want to learn more? Listen to our full episode, Where Did All the Money Go? The Bit About Tax and Payslips No One Explains, featuring Rowan Baker, CFO of Essentra plc.

Understanding money isn't about being rich. It's about having choices.

Find us here 👇

▶️ YouTube: @BacktoMoneyBasics
📸 Instagram: @backtomoneybasicspodcast
🎵 TikTok: @BackToMoneyBasics
🟢 Spotify: @BacktoMoneyBasics
🎙️ Apple Podcasts: @BacktoMoneyBasics
🌐 Website: https://backtomoneybasics.co.uk

Education, not advice: Back to Money Basics provides financial education and entertainment, not financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances before making financial decisions.

Your first salary sounds great — until you see what actually lands in your bank account. 💸 Where did all the money go?

In this episode of Back to Money Basics, Rowan Baker, CFO of Essentra plc and a mum of three young adults, explains tax and payslips in plain English — so you can understand what you're being paid, what's being deducted and what to check.

We cover:

💷 Your first payslip: Gross salary versus take-home pay, and where the difference goes.

🧾 Tax codes: What they mean and why you should check yours.

🏛️ Income tax and National Insurance: How deductions work.

💼 Pensions: Why contributions matter, even when you're just starting out.

📱 Side hustles: What to know about earning money from tutoring, selling online and other work.

📈 ISAs and investing: The basics of tax-efficient saving and investing.

And stay until the end for True or Myth, where we put common money beliefs to the test!

Whether you're starting your first job, leaving university, earning money on the side or supporting a young person as they become financially independent, this episode will help you make more sense of your money.

Know a young person who's starting to make financial decisions on their own? Share this episode with them. Understanding money isn't about being rich. It's about having choices.

Find us here 👇

▶️ YouTube: @BacktoMoneyBasics
📸 Instagram: @backtomoneybasicspodcast
🎵 TikTok: @BackToMoneyBasics
🟢 Spotify: @Back2MoneyBasics
🎙️ Apple Podcasts: @Back2MoneyBasics
🌐 Website: https://backtomoneybasics.co.uk

Education, not advice - the legal bit:

Back to Money Basics is here to help you understand money, not tell you what to do with it. Everything you hear is for education and entertainment, not financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances before making financial decisions.

Do you need a credit card to build a good credit score? Does checking your own score damage it? And can your mobile phone contract affect your credit history?

Time to separate fact from fiction. 👀

In this True or Myth special from Back to Money Basics, we put common credit score beliefs to the test with John Webb, Head of Consumer Affairs at Experian.

Some of these might surprise you. Others could change how you think about credit altogether.

Whether you're just starting to manage your money or want to understand your own credit profile better, these are useful facts to know — without the jargon or lectures.

About Back to Money Basics

We’re Marina and Andreas, a mother-and-son team helping young adults navigate money with confidence.

Because understanding money isn’t about being rich. It’s about having choices.

🌐 https://backtomoneybasics.co.uk

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances before making financial decisions.

What is a credit score, and why does it matter? Could your phone contract affect your credit history? And do you need a credit card to build a good credit profile?

In Episode 5 of Back to Money Basics, Marina and Andreas are joined by John Webb, Head of Consumer Affairs at Experian, to make sense of credit scores, credit reports and the things young adults should understand before borrowing money.

We cover:

💳 What a credit score actually means — and how it differs from your credit report
🏦 Whether you need to borrow money to build a credit history
📱 How mobile phone contracts and missed payments can affect your credit file
📋 Why checking your own credit score doesn’t damage it
🗳️ How being on the electoral roll can help with identity checks
💰 What lenders consider when deciding whether to lend
🚩 Common credit myths that could leave you confused

Whether you’re just starting out financially or want to understand your own credit profile better, this episode breaks down the essentials without the jargon.

About Back to Money Basics

We’re Marina and Andreas, a mother-and-son team helping young adults navigate money with confidence. No jargon, no lectures — just honest conversations and practical information to help you make informed choices.

Because understanding money isn’t about being rich. It’s about having choices.

🌐 Find out more: https://backtomoneybasics.co.uk

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances before making financial decisions.

Think you know the truth about student money?

Andreas puts Kara Gammell to the test with some of the biggest student finance myths — from overdrafts and loans to bills and credit scores.

How many will you get right?

Starting university? Your student loan can make you feel rich for about five minutes… and then it’s gone.

In Episode 1 of Back to Money Basics, hosts Marina and Andreas are joined by Kara Gammell, Personal Finance Expert at MONY Group, to talk about the money decisions students face before and during university.

We cover:

• Student bank accounts and overdrafts
• How to make your maintenance loan last
• Student accommodation, bills and shared houses
• Insurance and broadband
• What your student loan means for your finances
• The biggest student money myths — TRUE or MYTH?

Plus, we ask the questions every 17-year-old should understand before before heading off to university — and the conversations parents should be having around the kitchen table.

Back to Money Basics makes money simpler for young adults and the parents trying to help — without the jargon.

Because understanding money isn’t about being rich, but about having choices.

🎙️ Hosted by Marina & Andreas Calero
🎓 Episode 1: Student Money 101
👩‍💼 Guest: Kara Gammell, MONY Group

Find us on:
Instagram: @backtomoneybasicspodcast
YouTube: @BacktoMoneyBasics
TikTok: @BackToMoneyBasics

This podcast is for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.