The Financial Wellbeing Podcast

Episode 132 – Sense of Coherence

In this episode, the guys explore why some people seem better able to cope with stress than others, and what that might teach us about our relationship with money.

The conversation centres around a psychological model called Sense of Coherence. It may sound academic, but the ideas behind it are surprisingly practical. Can we understand what is happening? Do we have the resources to deal with it? And does dealing with it feel meaningful enough to deserve our attention?

Chris Budd – Author of the original Financial Wellbeing book and founder of the Financial Wellbeing movement.

Tom Morris – Managing Director and Chartered Financial Planner at Ovation Finance. Bristol-based, chartered, B Corp Certified and proudly employee owned.

Fancy a chat with Tom Morris and the team at Ovation? Contact details here

Chris has a suggestion for creating a nice surprise for your future self.

And Tom goes for the childhood favourite, blackberry picking – just remember to pick above dog height!

Money worries do not only affect people who do not have enough.

Clients can also worry about whether they have enough, where they should invest it and what might happen if they lose it.

The question Chris asks is whether understanding how we respond to stress could help us develop a better relationship with money.

The model describes three components of a strong sense of coherence;

Comprehensibility

Manageability

Meaningfulness

A financial plan can help bring structure to those unknowns.

It cannot guarantee that life will always go to plan. Nothing can.

But understanding where you are, knowing what resources are available and seeing how your money connects to the life you want can make difficult financial decisions feel considerably more manageable.

A strong sense of coherence does not mean eliminating every stressful situation.

It is about being better equipped when one arrives.

When it comes to money, that could mean:

• understanding your own financial position
• having tools and people available to help
• knowing what you want your money to help you achieve

It is not necessarily about getting richer.

It is about developing a better relationship with money and feeling more able to deal with the financial questions life throws your way.

Episode 131 – Preparing for Change with Steve Johnson

In this episode, the guys are joined by Steve Johnson, founder of the Wellbeing Science Institute, for a fascinating conversation about elite sport, financial wellbeing and preparing for change.

Steve explains why supporting an athlete means looking beyond performance. From finances and relationships to identity, career and emotional wellbeing, a whole-person approach can help athletes perform at their best while also preparing for life beyond sport.

Chris Budd – Founder of Ovation Finance and the financial wellbeing movement.

Tom Morris – Managing Director of Ovation Finance. Award winning, Bristol-based, chartered, B-Corp certified and employee-owned.

Fancy a chat with Tom Morris and the team at Ovation? Contact details here

A chat with Steve Johnson, founder of the Wellbeing Science Institute.

Steve began his career as a personal trainer and sports psychologist before moving through management, financial services and investment management. For the last 12 years, his work has returned to elite sport.

His wellbeing programmes take a holistic approach, helping athletes consider not just sporting performance, but their physical, psychological, emotional, relationship, community, career and financial wellbeing.

Light-hearted money saving tips, guaranteed to make you smile and think twice about your spending habits.

This time, food is on the menu.

Chris suggests going vegetarian to cut one of the more expensive parts of the weekly food shop, while Tom makes the case for visiting your local butcher. Better quality, support for a local business and, depending on what you buy, it might not cost any more.

• Looking at the whole person, not just sporting performance
• Why financial wellbeing matters for elite athletes
• The pressures of earning significant sums at a young age
• Identity, status and the question of “Who am I?”
• Knowing who to trust when money and success arrive quickly
• Why most elite athletes struggle to make a living
• The financial challenges facing women in professional sport
• Staying at the elite level, not simply getting there
• Financial literacy and the influence of agents
• Why wellbeing can be a performance enabler
• Preparing for injury, changing contracts and the end of a sporting career
• Normalising change rather than treating transition as unexpected
• The importance of understanding who you are and what matters to you
• The losses athletes can experience when they stop competing
• What elite sport can teach us about retirement, selling a business and redundancy
• Why financial education needs to start earlier and feel relevant to young people

Reflecting on the interview, David highlights Steve’s approach of starting with the person rather than focusing solely on results, contracts or performance.

Tom reflects on how easy it is in sport, and in life generally, to become focused on the outcome. Paying more attention to wellbeing and the process along the way can help people enjoy what they are doing, while potentially supporting better outcomes too.

Chris picks out two particularly important ideas from the conversation.

The first is normalising change. Whether it is an athlete facing injury, somebody retiring, a business owner selling their company or somebody being made redundant, change should not necessarily be treated as an unexpected event. Recognising that transitions are a normal part of life gives us an opportunity to prepare for them.

The second is not defining ourselves solely through our job, status, income or wealth.

Chris reflects on business owners who spend years preparing their company for sale, only to complete the transaction and suddenly ask themselves, “Who am I?”

Preparing financially for a transition matters. Preparing the person for what comes afterwards matters too.

Steve Johnson is the founder of the Wellbeing Science Institute.

After beginning his working life as a personal trainer and sports psychologist, Steve went on to work in management, financial services and investment management before returning to elite sport.

He developed what he describes as the world’s first elite athlete wellbeing management programme, working with both athletes and the people who support them. His approach considers the whole person, helping athletes to perform while also building the skills and self-understanding that can support a fulfilling life beyond sport.

Episode 130 – What If Your Financial Goals Are Wrong?

In this episode, David Lloyd is joined by Chris Budd and Tom Morris to ask a deceptively simple question: Are the goals we are working towards actually likely to make us happier?

Along the way, there is a tenth anniversary, free museums, homemade kitchen islands, unrealistic sporting ambitions and an important conversation about the difference between accumulating money and using it to support a meaningful life.

Chris Budd – Reflects on the tenth anniversary of The Financial Wellbeing Book and the impact its ideas have had since publication.

Tom Morris – Managing Director of Ovation Finance. Award winning, Bristol-based, chartered, B-Corp certified and employee-owned.

Fancy a chat with Tom Morris and the team at Ovation? Contact details here

Featuring free museums, YouTube tutorials and reusing old parts of your house in DIY projects.

Setting objectives is generally seen as good advice.

Financial plans need goals. Athletes work towards targets. Businesses need direction.

People who focused mainly on financial success reported lower life satisfaction over time. Goals connected to relationships, helping others and social involvement were more likely to improve wellbeing.

That does not mean wanting a comfortable home, financial security or nice possessions is wrong.

It means those goals need to sit alongside the things that give life meaning.

Tom explains the difference between a goal and a motivation.

A goal usually has an endpoint, such as retiring at a certain age, buying a house or completing a qualification.

A motivation is often ongoing. It might involve creativity, purpose, pride or helping others.

Some motivations are intrinsic, meaning we pursue them because they matter to us. Others are extrinsic, meaning we pursue them to impress or please someone else.

Understanding the difference can help us decide whether an objective genuinely belongs to us.

Imagine working longer hours for years to buy a bigger house, only to realise that the original house was perfectly adequate.

The financial target has been achieved, but the cost may have been time with family, friendships or neglected interests.

A goal can be financially successful and still fail to improve your life.

Dreams have value, but our happiness should not depend entirely on something unrealistic.

The episode recalls Olympic diver Leon Taylor, who became so focused on winning a medal that the goal caused stress and unhappiness. Once he refocused on his love of diving, he performed at his best and won an Olympic silver medal.

The lesson is not to stop stretching yourself. It is to find the right balance between ambition, enjoyment and reality.

The team suggests asking yourself:

• When do you feel most excited and energised?
• Who or what do you want to make a difference to?
• How do you want to help?

Your answers may point towards family, creativity, community, charitable work, learning, teamwork or simply having more time available.

You do not need one grand life purpose. Something purposeful is enough.

Many people assume they need more money than they actually do to feel secure.

They continue saving and delaying the things they want to do because they are unsure what is possible.

Cashflow planning can help test different ideas.

Could you reduce your working hours? Retire earlier? Help your children now? Travel more? Return to an old hobby?

A good financial plan does not simply tell you how much money you have.

It helps you understand what that money can make possible.

Everybody has a financial plan, even if it has never been written down.

The important question is whether that plan is leading towards something meaningful.

Review your objectives and ask:

If I achieve these goals, what will actually be better about my life?

If the answer is unclear, it may be time to discuss them with your Financial Planner.

Episode 129: What are you building towards with John Moore

In this episode of The Financial Wellbeing Podcast, Chris Budd is joined by his friend John Moore for a moving conversation about success, trauma, purpose and what really brings wellbeing. John shares how building and selling a successful business, followed by a terrible accident, changed the direction of his life. They explore impatience, listening to your inner voice and why happiness comes from relationships, purpose and connection, not accumulation.

Chris Budd – Founder of Ovation Finance, the Institute for Financial Wellbeing and author of the original Financial Wellbeing Books, you can view all three here

Fancy a chat with Tom Morris, Chartered and award winning Financial Planner at Ovation? Contact details here

In this episode of the Financial Wellbeing Podcast, Chris Budd is joined by his friend John Moore for a conversation about success, trauma, purpose and what it really means to live well. John was a successful businessman who had built and sold a company, cleared mortgages and created freedom and choice in his life. Then one decision changed everything. But this is not just a story about what happened to John. It is a story about what he learned afterwards.

Light-hearted money saving tips, guaranteed to make you smile and think twice about your spending habits.

David shares a cautionary tale about dogs, vets and why pet insurance can be a very good idea.

Producer Tommo also brings us a listener-submitted Tight-Ass Tommo tip from financial planner Darren Cook, involving teenage children, Saturday jobs and handy staff discounts.

• John’s early career, business success and selling his first company
• Why he planned to divide his time between business, community and charity
• The accident that left him in hospital for nearly five weeks
• Learning to forgive yourself after a serious mistake
• Why impatience can be both a strength and a weakness
• Listening to your inner voice and the warning bells we sometimes ignore
• The search for purpose after a major life event
• What John learned from working in care
• Building a business around joy, values and human connection
• Why happiness does not come from accumulation
• How relationships, purpose and connection support financial wellbeing

Life is short, fragile and precious.

Money matters, of course. A good financial plan can create choice, security and confidence.

But the point of that plan is not just to have enough. It is to use what you have to build a life that means something.

Ask yourself

What are you building towards?

And is it still the life you actually want?

Episode 128 – The Fisherman Parable

In this episode of the Financial Wellbeing Podcast, we visit the well-known Fisherman Parable: a story about money, happiness and what it really means to have enough.

Chris, David and Producer Tommo explore why the parable is useful, but perhaps a little too simple. Money may not be the source of happiness, but it can provide security, choice and peace of mind. The real question is not just “how much is enough?” but “enough for what?”

Chris Budd – Founder of Ovation Finance, author of The Four Cornerstones of Financial Wellbeing, trustee of a hospice and, as someone else once described him, the “grandfather of financial wellbeing.”

Tom Morris – Managing Director of Ovation Finance. Award winning, Bristol-based, chartered, B-Corp certified and employee-owned.

Fancy a chat with Tom Morris and the team at Ovation? Contact details here

Featuring long-running manga series One Piece on BBC iPlayer, selling your car and not ironing your shirts!

There was this chap lazing on the beach, sipping a beer.

A businessman comes up to him and asks the fisherman, “How

And the fisherman replies, “Three. Enough for my family for

So the businessman replies, “You know what, you could catch

And the fisherman says, “Well, why would I do that?”

And the businessman says, “Because as well as having fish

The fisherman replies, “Then what would I do?”

And the businessman says, “Well, with that profit from the

“After a while, you could have a whole fleet of fishing

And the fisherman replies, “Then what would I do?”

“Wow,” the businessman says, “you could use the profit to

And then the fisherman asks, “Then what would I do?”

And the businessman says, “Well, then you could be so

What is that parable is all about then?

Why the Parable Is Too Simple

Link to Episode 113 – Maslow, Money and Happiness

Episode 125 – Feeling Financially Safe

Real-Life Examples of Financial Wellbeing

Start With Happiness, Not Money

What Would the Fisherman’s Financial Plan Look Like?

Episode 127: Thinking Clearly About Money with John Dashfield

In this episode, the guys are joined by financial coach John Dashfield for a thoughtful conversation about money, mindset and decision-making.

John explains why our state of mind has such a powerful effect on the financial choices we make. When we are stressed, fearful or mentally busy, money can feel heavier than it needs to. But when the mind settles, we often find we are better able to make clear, thoughtful decisions.

The episode also explores the difference between intellect and insight, why money worries are not always about the money itself, and how creating a little space in our lives can help improve financial wellbeing.

Chris Budd – Founder of Ovation Finance, the Institute for Financial Wellbeing and author of the original Financial Wellbeing Books, you can view all three here

Fancy a chat with Tom Morris, Chartered and award winning Financial Planner at Ovation? Contact details here

A chat with John Dashfield, a former financial adviser who now works as a financial coach and transformation coach. John’s work focuses on thinking, particularly how our thinking affects our experience of money.

Light-hearted money saving tips, guaranteed to make you smile and think twice about your spending habits.

This time we explore leaving items in your online shopping basket

• Challenging your own assumptions
• The role of thought in financial decisions
• Why money can feel so emotional
• Can we control our thoughts?
• Insight versus intellect
• Physics versus engineering
• Slowing down the busy mind

Reflecting on the interview, David says his key takeaway is that we need to create space for the mind to relax.

Tom reflects on the connection between John’s message and the recent conversation with George Kinder. Both point towards mindfulness, presence and the importance of giving the mind room to settle.

Chris adds that happiness takes work. We do not simply wake up one day with life perfectly arranged around us. We need to be proactive, especially when it comes to money, because money worries are one of the biggest sources of stress.

John Dashfield is a financial coach and transformation coach with a long background in financial services.

After beginning his career in the 1980s, John worked as a financial adviser before selling his practice and moving into coaching. He now works with financial professionals, business owners and individuals, helping them understand their thinking, improve decision-making and develop a healthier relationship with money.

Want to know more? Connect with John on LinkedIn

Episode 126 – Why Money Should Support Life with George Kinder

This episode is a thoughtful look at financial wellbeing from a broader perspective. The guys are joined by George Kinder, one of the best-known names in financial life planning. They explore why good financial planning starts with listening, not just number-crunching, and discuss George’s well-known three questions that help people think more deeply about what matters most.

Chris Budd – Founder of Ovation Finance, the Institute for Financial Wellbeing and author of the original Financial Wellbeing Books, you can view all three here

Fancy a chat with Tom Morris, Chartered and award winning Financial Planner at Ovation? Contact details here

A chat with financial planning legend George Kinder – exploring why good financial planning starts with listening, not just number-crunching, and discuss George’s well-known three questions that help people think more deeply about what matters most.

Light-hearted money saving tips, guaranteed to make you smile and think twice about your spending habits.

This time gambling and and how to avoid being a good host when people visit!

Why listening matters so much in financial planning
George explains that the quality of advice depends on the quality of the listening that comes before it. The real skill is not jumping straight to solutions, but taking the time to understand what matters most to someone.

The three questions George Kinder is known for
Chris asks George to share the famous three questions he uses to help people think more clearly about their lives. These questions move the focus away from money and towards meaning, priorities and what really matters.

Why money should support life, not dictate it
A central theme of the episode is that many people do not have a money problem as such. They have a clarity problem. They may be doing fine financially, but still not know what they want their money to help them do.

Stories of life planning in action
George shares examples of clients whose priorities became clearer through conversation. One client realised that what mattered most was not earning more, but having more time with his children. Another moved much sooner than expected towards a long-held dream.

The dream of freedom
George talks about what he means by freedom, not as a slogan, but as a way of describing a life that feels meaningful, aligned and true to what matters most.

The link between mindfulness, coaching and financial planning
The discussion also explores mindfulness, presence and emotional intelligence, and why these are more connected to financial planning than many people might think.

Fiduciary in All Things
George introduces his latest project, which argues that organisations should place truth, democracy, people and planet ahead of self-interest. It is a wider conversation about trust, responsibility and the kind of society we want to build.

Reflecting on the key themes from the interview:

• The challenge and value of active listening, especially in financial planning.
• How difficult many people find it to imagine what comes next, especially around retirement or life after selling a business.
• Retirement, free time and how identity and work can be more closely tied than we sometimes realise.

George Kinder is widely recognised as the father of the life planning movement. Through his writing, teaching and the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, he has helped shape a more human approach to financial planning, one that puts people, purpose and meaning at the centre of the conversation.

For further information, people can visit the Kinder Institute of Life Planning for his work on life planning and the well-known Three Questions

Universal Basic Income: Would It Make Us Happier? In this episode, David Lloyd is joined by Chris Budd and Tom Morris to explore this hotly debated idea, UBI, but through a financial wellbeing lens rather than a political one.

Along the way, there’s community joy, reused tea bags, Maslow’s pyramid, behavioural psychology and what all of this might mean for parents supporting their children, as well as those approaching retirement.

Chris Budd – Founder of Ovation Finance, author of The Four Cornerstones of Financial Wellbeing, trustee of a hospice and, as someone else once described him, the “grandfather of financial wellbeing.”

Tom Morris – Managing Director of Ovation Finance. Award winning, Bristol-based, chartered, B-Corp certified and employee-owned.

Fancy a chat with Tom Morris and the team at Ovation? Contact details here

Tom’s money-saving tip this week involves former England cricketer Jack Russell. Rumour has it he would hang up his tea bags between uses and reuse them later.

Whether for sustainability or savings, the lesson is clear: small habits can save money. (Although David points out his mum was doing this decades ago.)

Before diving into economics, the team share their regular feature: Joy Baiting – the antidote to online “rage bait.”

Tom shares a story from a local mini rugby festival: 500+ children aged 6–12, countless volunteers organising parking, food stalls, refereeing and coaching — all creating a joyful community event.

So… What Is Universal Basic Income? In this episode we look at a non-political Exploration.

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is the idea that every adult receives a fixed income from the government, regardless of their circumstances.

It’s:

Importantly, the discussion here is not about politics or affordability – but about what UBI tells us about the relationship between money and happiness.

For context, if the UK paid everyone roughly £400 per month, it would cost around £200 billion a year — more than the NHS budget.

So yes, it’s expensive. But what about the wellbeing implications?

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggests we must satisfy basic needs — food, shelter, safety — before we can pursue higher goals like belonging, esteem and creativity.

If someone is anxious about survival, it’s extremely difficult for them to move “up the pyramid.”
Financial planners see this constantly — particularly with people approaching retirement. Until clients feel secure, they struggle to explore purpose or joy.

So the question becomes:

Would guaranteeing a basic income help people move up Maslow’s pyramid – or make them lazy?

There are two competing views:

To explore this, Chris consulted behavioural finance expert Neil Bage, who pointed him to the Yerkes-Dodson Law.

A little anxiety improves performance.

Financial stress often sits firmly in the “too much” category. When people are overwhelmed by money worries:

Research shows that when people worry about paying bills, cognitive performance drops significantly.

David shares two personal examples:

The difference? Confidence and perceived control.

Similarly, financial anxiety can either sharpen focus – or overwhelm entirely.

Chris recounts how severe financial stress led his father to stop opening bills altogether — anxiety became paralysing rather than motivating.

Several trials have been conducted:

Still awaiting results.

From a wellbeing perspective: yes.

UBI appears to:

From a purely economic perspective:
There’s no strong evidence yet of significant economic growth benefits.

But the economic arguments may be missing a key point:

The wellbeing benefits are significant.

Financial planners often help clients answer:

But perhaps they should also help answer:

Universal Basic Income may or may not be politically viable. But the psychology is clear:

A guaranteed level of financial security reduces anxiety and increases wellbeing.

And that principle applies whether you’re:

Episode 124 – Money and Meaning with Daniel Crosby

What is money really for?

In this episode of the Financial Wellbeing Podcast, Chris Budd is joined once again by behavioural finance expert and author Daniel Crosby to explore the deeper relationship between money, happiness, and meaning.

Daniel’s latest book, The Soul of Wealth, moves beyond traditional behavioural finance to ask how money can support a life that feels fulfilling, connected, and purposeful. Together, Chris and Daniel discuss comparison, gratitude, social influence, the role of luck, and why understanding people’s stories matters just as much as understanding their finances.

This is a thoughtful and wide ranging conversation about using money well, not just managing it efficiently.

Chris Budd – Founder of Ovation Finance, the Institute for Financial Wellbeing and author of the original Financial Wellbeing Books, you can view all three here

Fancy a chat with Tom Morris, Chartered and award winning Financial Planner at Ovation? Contact details here

Lighthearted money saving tips, guaranteed to make you smile and think twice about your spending habits.

The core conversation covers:

Reflecting on the key themes from the interview:

What if the secret to financial wellbeing isn’t just in what you earn or spend, but in how you think? In this episode the guys are looking to see if we can do anything to improve our thinking and thereby improve our wellbeing. Along with the usual TightAssTommo money saving tips we have a thoughtful episode just for you!

Fancy a chat with Tom Morris and the team at Ovation? Contact details here

Exploring the issue of thinking – is it something that just happens or do we have some control over it so we can improve our relationship with money and wellbeing?

Go and watch women’s sport, a great way to see quality sport at a fraction of the cost.

A new feature, do share your name ideas for future episodes in the comments below! This time, a sauna in Somerset that promotes social wellbeing.

How do we think, what gets in the way and how can we think better?

Thinking well begins with asking the right questions.

Try asking yourself:

One of our advisers describes this as “daring to dream.” It is the courage to ask honest questions, even when the answers might challenge the path you are on.

The right questions bring not confusion, but freedom.

A few simple shifts in perspective can make a big difference.

When your goals come from within, they lead to satisfaction that lasts.