Welcome to the first podcast of 2026 where Roger and Pete answer more of your varied and interesting questions, covering everything from what to do when you've maxed out your pension and ISA, to whether you should borrow on your mortgage to invest!

Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA37

01:30 Question 1

Hello to Roger and his trusty sidekick Pete,

Only kidding Pete, but it will make Roger feel good briefly.

I must credit the pair of you for your continued dedication and commitment to educating the wider population on all things financial. I have gone from strength to strength in planning my retirement with the guidance and abundance of free information you have provided, the books you have written Pete, as well as signing up to the Meaningful Academy Retirement Planning and now planning to retire several years earlier than originally intended.

Using the information provided and learnt, I have got my finances in order but more importantly, that decision is to align my future life (and that of my wife) to the finances we need and when our needs are likely to be met, hence the realisation retirement is not as far away as we had originally perceived, so I really appreciate what you have done for me and my family.

My question maybe very simple, but it was sparked during a previous Q&A session Listener Question – episode 20 - 30th July – Question 2 – The question surrounded company Shares.

I am employed by BAE and I purchase company shares each month, partially as a sensible Tax saving being a higher rate tax payer (purchase them pre Tax) but also for the first £75 worth each month I buy each month, the company will match, so effectively £150 worth of shares which technically costs less than £50 in real money each month. Now whilst I do sell some shares along the way (after the 5-year maturity to avoid tax payment), I continue to have a reasonable amount invested (£35k subject to tax relief period on some).

A statement you made during the above session was "as a sideline issue we tend to say to people that investing in shares for the company you work for is a bad idea at any scale, thus to avoid backing one horse and it's not a good idea to hold onto shares for a company you work for."

Now I thought I was onto a winner and being tax efficient and building an amount of money which I tap into on an occasional basis as well as additional source of income once retired, but are you implying, as you did to that listener, I might consider cashing some in and transferring the money else where?

Perhaps in this instance it is suffice leaving it there, as the examples you gave were for smaller companies (in comparison) that folded, whereas BAE one of the larger Defence industry companies, doesn't appear to be going anywhere soon? I do have a Royal Naval DB pension already paying out, as well as a part DB and part DC pension with BAE (continuing to build), so I'm not reliant upon the money, which is another factor why I've not considered moving them away or am I doing myself a bad deal, id value your opinions (not advice ha ha)?

Thank you for your time Regards, John

08:02 Question 2

I'm 39, a basic rate taxpayer and I have a Lifetime ISA and a SIPP with HL. Can I save for retirement in my Lifetime ISA and invest in the same funds as my Pension after receiving the 25% bonus to achieve similar growth. Then at age 60, withdraw all that money tax free and pay it into my pension (up to my allowances and possibly using previous years) to gain the 20% tax relief just before I draw the pension? I would also save some money on platform fees as the LISA is 0.25% vs the SIPP at 0.45%.

I know I can get cheaper platforms elsewhere but I find HL easy, intuitive, and feel like I can trust them with my money, which really encourages me to save in the first place.

Thanks, Robert

13:40 Question 3

Hi Pete and Roger,

Longtime fan and listener, thanks for all the great work you do!

I'm 40 years old and a member of the LGPS DB pension scheme, which I've been paying into since my early 20s. My partner is also in a DB scheme (Central Government). We have no debt other than our mortgage.

We currently live in a modest home we bought for £89k, but are thinking about upgrading to a bigger property for more space and comfort (no plans to have children). That said, we've enjoyed the low cost of living here.

We've built up around £160k in savings, split roughly 40% in a Stocks & Shares ISA and 60% in Premium Bonds and cash. I've tried to keep the ISA intact as a form of flexibility/security around retirement, potentially to retire early or reduce hours in the future.

The dilemma is:

1. Do we spend most of the savings on a better house and accept working longer? 2. Or do we stay where we are, keep our financial flexibility, and potentially one of us works less or retires earlier? 3. Or is there a sensible middle ground, spending some of the cash to improve our living situation while still preserving part of our financial cushion for future flexibility?

We're just trying to balance quality of life now with freedom and options later, and would love to hear your take on it. Is there anything else we haven't thought about?

Thanks so much for your thoughts! Gez

19:25 Question 4

Hi Pete and Rog, big fan of the show and I appreciate the helpful topics you cover.

I am currently going through a remortgage and am extracting equity from our house to invest. The new mortgage rate is around 4% and our LTV will be around 80%. The additional monthly costs are within our budget too.

My strategy is to invest the extracted amount in a stocks and shares ISA with my wife, utilising the £20k allowance each per tax year. This will be invested into globally diversified index funds.

I have ran calculations on how much I will be paying in additional interest vs how much is probable from stock market returns. Over 25 years, the additional interest paid on £50k extracted at 4% is £29k Over 25 years, having invested £50k, I would need to return 1.84% to break even from this deal. This is due to the way mortgages are amortised via repayment vs the investments compounding positively.

With conservative returns of 7% used, this will net £236k of interest. Am I missing anything here? Keep up the great work and I'm very interested to hear whether you have done this in the past. Stephen

26:40 Question 5

Hi Pete and Roger,

Recent discoverer and now big fan of the show here - I have now caught up on all the Q&A episodes and am continuing to work my way through the back catalogue: a lot of material!

My questions centre on tax-efficient options once ISAs and pensions are maxed out, and how to "bridge" savings if retiring before pension-age.

I am 36, married and have 2 young daughters who are the apple of my eye. We have a very manageable mortgage and I benefit from a very well paid job. However, an extremely stressful period last year sent me on the track of better understanding personal finance (and ultimately finding you) in order to achieve financial independence and not need to tolerate that kind of situation ever again, as well as be free to dedicate my time and energy to things without worrying about how much money they pay.

1) I am trying to get to functional financial independence (i.e. paid work is entirely optional) as soon as possible - I now max out my annual pension and ISA allowance each year and am likely to continue to in the future. Are there any other normal vehicles I can use for additional saving and investing? Giving money to my wife to use her ISA allowance? Anything else? I don't want to overpay the mortgage for the next several years as we managed to get a fixed rate that is below the current rate of inflation.

2) I have a good understanding of our essential and discretionary spending, and with a conservative annualised rate of return I could theoretically stop contributing to my pension pot in the next 7ish years and compounding would mean it would be big enough to fully support us once we can access it. My question is - is there a good rule of thumb or approach for working out how much I need to save outside the pension if I wanted to stop working for money before 57? Is it just a case of working out # years x expenses or is there anything more sophisticated to it?

3) bonus question - feel free to cut if it doesn't fit: I'm familiar with the idea of asset allocation and rebalancing to "smooth the ride" for my portfolio. Most things I've read or listened to have focused on equities vs. bonds. When I was looking at a number of bond indexes recently the returns have been pretty flat, often 4% from a cash ISA, what's the point of the bonds? Am I missing something?

Thanks so much for all the knowledge you put into the world, giving people the tools to look after themselves. The chat is pretty great too! Kind regards, Martin

37:18 Question 6

Hello Pete & Roger

Thank you for your fantastic materials, so well explained. We're 62. We already have a standard pension pot Annuity and we have around £300,000 in savings in building society accounts. (We value peace of mind over the potential for big gains, so we're not really considering stocks and shares). We're wondering whether, rather than rely entirely on savings accounts, it would make sense to use a Purchase Life Annuity. With current annuity rates, it looks like that's a Yes, so we're curious what your expert view is on this.

We're aware of the downside: that it leaves us without much of a savings pot for any unexpected very large need. Have watched the Annuities: Back from the dead? video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alTTzrd2NbY - which talked about buying an annuity with pension, but in our case it would be Purchase Life Annuity, so does that make a difference when purchasing an annuity?

Thank you again! Moira

Join Roger and Pete for a 2025 retrospective where we look into the kind of year it's been and a little bit ahead to 2026. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/session602

02:04 Meaningful Money - Podcast, YouTube, Academy 12:05 Antidote to the noise. 16:40 Bank of Dad 22:39 Jacksons 31:18 Personal Reflection 45:18 Thanks To... Meaningful Money Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MeaningfulMoneyPodcast Meaningful Money Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@meaningfulmoney

Meaningful Academy: https://meaningfulacademy.com

Jacksons: https://jacksons.life

Welcome to the last Q&A session of 2025. In this show we cover selling properties to invest in pensions instead, starting to invest for the first time, UFPLS vs FAD and SO MUCH MORE!

Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA36

02:05 Question 1

Big thanks to Pete and Roger for all the excellent advice. This question is for some of the 2.8 million UK landlords. Even those with just one property in their own name—not through a limited company—are increasingly affected by fiscal drag.

Looking ahead, I plan to sell down much of my property portfolio in later life (because who wants to be a landlord at 70?). Plus, mortgage finance becomes trickier in your 70s. That said, even if I retain one or two of the best properties, the rental income alone may push me into the higher-rate tax bracket.

I'm 49 and don't currently have a SIPP, but I can invest up to the £60k annual allowance via my limited company. Would it make sense to start building a modest pension over the next 10 years as a risk mitigation strategy?

If so, how should I think about the opportunity cost? I'd save 25% corporation tax going in, but pay higher-rate income tax on the way out (less the 25% tax-free lump sum)—so is the net tax cost around 5%? Or am I overlooking other factors, like the benefit of CGT and income tax exemptions on growth within the pension?

Appreciate your thoughts—and keep up the great work.

Regards, Cameron.

07:29 Question 2

Hi Pete, Roger and Nick,

I've recently discovered your YouTube channel and podcast, and it's been a real eye-opener - thanks so much for all the great content!

I'm 45 and currently have £74,000 in a Fidelity SIPP, but it's all sitting in cash. I know that's far from ideal, especially with 15–20 years until I plan to retire. I also realise it's a relatively modest pot for my age, and it's not earning anything while it just sits there.

How would you typically advise someone in my situation to begin investing some or all of that cash? I'm keen to make up for lost time but want to do so wisely.

Thanks again, and keep up the brilliant work! Joanne

15:15 Question 3

Hi Pete & Roger,

Firstly thanks so much for all your hard work - I devour your podcasts, videos & books - so much hard work on your behalf & I hope you realise how appreciated they are.

I am just at the stage of life where in the next few years I need to start thinking about drawing money out of mine & my husband's pensions and I am considering the most tax efficient way of doing this. I have been reading all about UFPLS and FAD. As background, it is unlikely that either my husband or I will ever have much Personal Allowance unused in the years up to receiving our State Pensions due to rental income we receive; it is also unlikely that either of us will ever become higher rate taxpayers. I also understand that to get the most out of ones PCLS it is best to only crystallise the funds actually needed from an uncrystallised pension so the rest of the pot can hopefully grow and therefore the 25% tax free sum also grows. So, my question is, what am I missing, in what situations would it be more beneficial to take an UFPLS payment v making a partial crystallisation into a FAD pot (I am with ii who offer this).

I feel like an UFPLS payment would give me 25% tax free and 75% taxed right away, whilst a FAD would give me the same 25% tax free and 75% could be taken straight away or drawn down over time as desired and could also be left invested to hopefully grow?

Thanks so much, Tracy

21:12 Question 4

Hi Pete and Roger, thanks for hosting such a great podcast!

I've recently been searching for a new job and was lucky enough to receive an offer with some interesting compensation features that I thought I would ask your opinions on. I actually turned down this role in favour of something else, but wanted to ask nonetheless as the offer came with an interesting feature that I have not come across before.

Firstly, and probably most straightforward to answer – The salary on offer was £50,500 per year, which seems a weird figure – suspiciously only slightly above the threshold to tip me into the higher tax bracket, which got me thinking – are there any benefits (to the employer or employee) of being only just into the next tax bracket up? Why not £50k, or £51k?

Secondly, in addition to a very generous DC pension scheme (they would pay in 12% if I pay in 5%) they offer a "Savings Scheme" whereby 5% of my salary would be deducted (and paid into this scheme) each month and at the end of 12 months the company would then top up these savings with another 5% of my annual salary – (actually 6% to "account for the extra tax"). My real question is this – what are these "savings schemes" in a nutshell, and are there any benefits of them over trying to negotiate for increased employer pension contributions instead?

Interested to hear your thoughts on these.

Thanks so much! Jamie

29:09 Question 5

Hello Pete and Roger

I've recently found your podcast and wanted to say thanks for all the insight you are providing. Not only do you make a fairly dull subject tolerable, you even manage to make it reasonably enjoyable 😉

My wife and I have a couple of rental properties which should be paid off along with the house in a year or so.

I'm 47 and on an average salary. I have a medical condition which means I'll probably be unable to carry on working till 67 (but life expectancy unaffected). The problem I have is I don't know when I'll need to access my personal pension so planning is a bit tricky.

My DC pension pot is just over £200k which ordinarily would be quite healthy but if I have to access it at 57 suddenly it isn't so great.

I'm currently invested 100% in shares and have been a bit braver than I'd normally be inclined, as I feel I need to make hay while the sun shines, but now getting to the stage where I might want to reduce the risk on the money I've worked hard to save.

The problem I have is knowing how to go about planning for an uncertain future.

I'm also aware I have a blind spot when it comes to bonds. I know they are meant to fare better than shares in falling markets but not sure if the reality matches the reputation. Fundamentally I just don't understand the mechanics of how they work and what factors affect how they move.

Would be very grateful to hear your thoughts!

Thank You and keep up the good work. Danny

37:08 Question 6

Hi Pete and Roger,

I'm 31 and have been listening to this podcast for at least 10 years so have been very lucky to have baked all of your wisdom and advice into my own financial habits over the formative years of attending university and entering the world of work, which has undoubtedly set me on the right path for the rest of my life - I hope! I can't thank you enough for your generosity and dedication to this mission.

My question is maybe an unusual one...

I am fortunate to be in a well-paid job in what I think is a relatively secure career and have all of the basics covered - from a good EM fund, no debt and money put into wealth-building mechanisms (pension and Stocks and Shares ISA). I have more than enough to be comfortable.

Unfortunately, a couple of years ago my brother got diagnosed with a rare cancer at the age of 26 and has been battling the condition ever since. He's spent a lot of time in the care of the national treasure that is The Christie in Manchester, and I'm so grateful for the work they have done to support him and would like to financially donate to them so that I can do what I can to help them and others in return.

I get (what I consider to be) a significant pre-tax annual bonus to the tune of £10-15k and am considering donating this in one-off charity contributions through my employer's benefit scheme each year when I receive it. Alternatively, I could pension-dump these bonuses and build a strong compounding engine for retirement one day and at that point could then donate a substantially higher figure (potentially even just from interest on the core portfolio alone..?).

Whilst I won't ask you to answer what is probably an impossible question on behalf of The Christie in terms of which is more important - money now or money later - do you have any thoughts on the pros and cons of either approach? Is there a right answer here in your opinion?

Thanks again for all you do Tom

It's episode 600 of the podcast, not that we're doing much to mark that milestone! We have some excellent questions today, taking in retirement planning, getting a mortgage if you have a new business and how flexible ISAs work!

Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA35

02:43 Question 1

Hi Pete,

I'm a single household, due to pay my mortgage off in my early 50's….I have very little savings and pensions are everywhere and been 'balanced fund choices' as I either do self employed work or fixed term contracts. I'm really concerned I won't have 'enough' to retire. Where do I start to know how much I need? I don't have an extreme fancy lifestyle but want to live comfortably with running a car, having a nice home and having a holiday every few years. I would also like to help my siblings out if possible when they need it.

Also for your business…..have you thought of making it an 'employee owned trust' in the future? This could be a good option if you don't want it swallowed up by larger organisations and want to keep a people focussed culture.

Thanks, Anna

12:57 Question 2

Hi Pete and Roger Recently discovered the podcast and it's been really helpful in getting my thoughts straight about future planning - thank you! My job gives me a DB pension that as it stands will give me £4617 per year at 67 - for every year I work that will go up by one 54th of my salary, (£57k) so £1055 annually if I stay at the same grade. Increased by cpi plus 1.5% annually at the moment; and by CPI only once in payment. I can exchange part of this for a lump sum when I take it but that's a decision for another day! I'm projected for full SP at 67 after another 2 years contributing. I have £30k in a pensionbee that I'm adding to £100 a month, and after listening to the podcast I have started an AJ Bell SIPP (vanguard lifestrategy 60% equity) which I'm adding £200 a month to. Also working on the cash ladder/emergency fund - currently just £5k in a cash ISA I am hoping to get this up as much as possible. After overpaying mortgage and contributing to PensionBee/SIPP I can save £200 in a good month. I am aiming to retire as soon as I possibly can after 60, when the kids will all be in their 20s. I am sure this seems impossible but might as well aim high!!! So my priority is to build for the years between 60 and 67. And leave something for the kids, eventually! So…my question!! I have an old tiny deferred DB pension that I can take at 60, £3461 lump plus £1153 per annum (no option to take either a smaller or larger lump sum). I can't trivially commute this due to the rules of the scheme. As it's deferred there are no other benefits eg death in service. Or, I can take this now (age 53) with a reduction for early payment so it would be worth £3076 lump and £869 per annum. The pension increases each year by CPI while deferred and also when it's in payment. Does it make sense to take now, and put lump and monthly payment into either mortgage, or SIPP, or cash ISA? And if so which - SIPP gets me extra 25% from the gov as it's under pension recycling amount? But £3k off my mortgage now might be better. Cant get my head around the maths of this...but my gut feel is it would be working harder for me in my hand despite the fact I'd be taxed on the annual amount? I'd make sure that with my work and personal contributions I stay in 20% tax band and reclaim from HMRC when I do my tax return. Sarah

19:39 Question 3

Hi Pete and Roger, great show and love the new format to allow listeners to ask lots of questions.

My question is around pension inheritance. When a person dies and passes a DC pension to a spouse or child, does the inheritance remain in the pension wrapper when it passes on or does it lose its pension wrapper status which allows the person inheriting to use the cash as they want without the pension restrictions?

Many thanks, Kavi

26:04 Question 4

Hi Pete

I've been watching your videos and listening to your podcasts for about two years now and I'll start by thanking you (and the youthful Mr Weeks) for the public service you provide outside your paying work. I have what I think is a simple question, but I don't seem to be able to find a definitive answer on-line.

I retired about this time two years ago at the age of 62 so I'm 64 now. I have a DC pension in the form of a SIPP which is currently worth a little more than £600k. I also have a similar amount in savings (some in cash, some in an S&S ISA). I live on a combination of the income provided by the cash and the S&S ISA, plus a series of small UFPLSs taken roughly quarterly from my SIPP throughout the tax year. At this stage the SIPP withdrawals are relatively modest (totalling maybe 12k a year, of which of course 3k is tax free). My intention is to continue doing the UFPLSs at roughly the same rate, possibly increasing a little as a result of inflation. State pension will add another 12k or so to my annual income in 3 years so that will likely reduce the need to increase my SIPP withdrawals for a while. My SIPP is currently growing faster than my rate of withdrawal.

I understand that the maximum tax free cash I can have out of my pension in my lifetime (under current legislation) is £268,275 and obviously at my current withdrawal rate, I'm not getting to that total anytime soon. However if I've understood the rules correctly (and I may not have), I think my ability to have tax free cash once I reach the age of 75 goes away. If that's true, presumably I need to crystallise my SIPP pot just before I reach age 75, taking a quarter of it or my remaining LSA (whichever is smaller) as a tax free lump sum, at which point the remainder turns into an entirely taxable (crystallised) draw down pot? Alternatively, have I completely misunderstood what happens at age 75 and I can continue to do UFPLSs (with 25% tax free) until the cows come home, or I reach the LSA, whichever is sooner?

I don't think it's relevant to my question above but just for background, I have a wife who inherits everything if she survives me, or a few nieces and nephews and charities that benefit if she doesn't. We have no children of our own.

Keep up the good work gentlemen.

Regards, Robert

31:05 Question 5

Hi Pete

My son, who has never been a saver (apart from workplace pension) and never seems to have any spare money (single dad, renter) is in the process of going self employed with a colleague. If all goes well, he has a chance to make a reasonable income, not be hand to mouth and periodically take lump sums as a company director. E. G £5k to £10k starting in a couple of years.

My question is not about the viability of the business but this business will open up the prospect of my mid 30's son, David, owning a house while I am alive. As in, building up a deposit as dividends are paid. It may take several years and then, I assume, he would have to go through the pain of a self employed mortgage. An area that I know nothing about.

In effect, he is just starting out, but we would be really interested in your thoughts about the longer term aim of buying a house.

Many thanks again for your wonderful books and podcasts Helen

37:55 Question 6

Hi Pete & Roger, I continue to recommend your podcast to others. Please keep up the excellent work. My question is on the process of using flexible Cash ISAs. I cannot find any worked examples online and a few IFAs I have approached suggested kicking back the question to the ISA provider but I would appreciate your thoughts.

My wife and I have £200k in flexible cash isas. We plan on using these funds for a house purchase. Should I reduce the balance to zero, can I top the ISA back up to the full £200k provided the money goes in and out of a 'flexible' cash isa (and is within the same tax year)? I would be in a position to do this following the sale of some investment property..

And the second part of the question would be can the money move freely between a stocks and shares isa and a flexible cash isa eg £200k in a flexible cash isa moved into a stocks and shares isa > then back to the flexible cash isa.

We are both higher-rate tax payers and I won't drop a tax bracket in retirement so I feel the ISAs are the most useful savings bucket we hold.

Take care and all the best. Stuart

We're getting into the groove of doing video podcasts now, and today we have another mixed bag of questions. They include the tax implications of moving abroad, whether to start a pension in your 60's, whether it's possible for a pension fund to be too big and lots more besides!

Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA34

01:24 Question 1

Hi Pete and Roger Thanks for the fantastic podcast, YouTube videos (and book) I have learnt so much.

My question is essentially about whether to overpay my mortgage or invest. I have watched Pete's videos on this subject but just wanted to check if my situation changes anything.

I'm a 41 year old Firefighter and I am in the Firefighters Pension Scheme. I am recently divorced and as such have had to start again with a 25 year mortgage currently fixed for 5 years at 4.1%.

Essentially should I focus on overpaying this mortgage so that it is definitely paid off by the time I am 60 (When I can retire from the Fire service) as I already have the DB Firefighters Pension.

Or would I still be better to invest this money in a stocks and shares ISA and use it to pay off the mortgage at a later date? My disposable income for whichever option would be around £200 a month.

Lastly I will probably continue working past 60 yrs old but it may be in a different profession as by that age I may not feel like dragging hose and climbing ladders anymore!

Thanks again, James

05:33 Question 2

Hi Pete and Roger,

I've been listening to your brilliant podcast since COVID, so around 5 years now and always look forward to the new episode coming out.

I don't really have a financial related question for you, more some advice...

I've tried to educate my daughter on personal finance and I think she now has a good grasp and is interested in becoming a financial advisor. She is now 19, has decent A levels and has just completed an Art foundation course. She has University offers for September which she has deferred as she really doesn't want to go! We live in West Kent (nr Tunbridge Wells) and I've been looking for trainee, bottom of the rung, Financial advisor jobs for her but I can't seem to find anything. She could commute to London, if required but would rather stay local if possible. Do either of you have any suggestions about how she might be able to get into the industry? We're happy to pay for courses of that helps her but not sure what would be best.

Sorry for the long email, any advice would be very gratefully received.

All the best and keep up the great work Matt and Belle Hart

13:23 Question 3

Hello to Pete and Rog,

Thanks for the podcast so far, my family is in a much sounder financial footing since I've started putting into action some of the basics you've spoken about previously. ISAs, pensions and insurance all ticking along nicely now - thanks to you!

I have a question about my pension, is it possible to add too much?

My thoughts are, if my pension pot in today's money is worth £1.25m when I retire, I can take the 250k tax free and £40k a year thereafter, anymore than this and I would be paying 40% tax on my drawings. Are there benefits I'm missing of having a larger pot (say £2m)? Not one I need to worry about yet, if at all, but it's always puzzled me!

Many thanks for the content, keep up the good work and enjoy the sunshine this weekend! Adam

18:30 Question 4

Hi Pete & Rog,

Have been a long time listener and have loved your double act with the self effacing banter alongside sound, sensible guidance on the minefield that personal finance can often seem to be. Listening whilst walking the dog is like chewing the fat down the pub with a couple of great friends,

So my situation is this... 47 years old, married with two kids (11/14).

Myself and my wife both have good jobs, own jointly (own names) 8 x BTL properties generating a profit. Equity in Portfolio is about £400k Portfolio was built to provide additional income and to support us in retirement (either the income or by selling)

We have our own home (mortgaged) and are in the process of moving to a bigger place as we're growing out of where we are. This will come with a bigger mortgage as we're scaling up so to minimise the increase in monthly payments we're increasing the term back to our state retirement ages (which is a bit depressing!).

So our ideal plan is to have the "choice" to semi retire / work as much or little as we want by age 57 - so around 10 years from now but we are not sure whether this is realistic and the best way to set things up to achieve it if it is. We would probably still work part-time beyond 57 but would want to have other sources of income that could support a comfortable lifestyle.

To add to the complexity, but in a good way, I'm also in the process of changing jobs and the new job comes with a £20k pa pay rise and a matched pension at 6%. This is obviously lower than my current employers scheme but I plan to at least match what currently goes into my current employer pension one way or the other.

So after what must be one of the longest pre-ambles you've ever read here are my question(s):

In terms of where we are now do you think getting to a position where we have a choice to retire/semi retire in 10 years is realistic and what are the key things we should be doing now ten years out taking into account our circumstances?

How would you approach the pension situation with my change of employer, my thought was to make contributions to my private pension to cover the overall reduction (9% matched to 6% matched) between employers so that I'm still putting in 18% overall. I think I may be able to put as much as I like into my new employers scheme though (but they'll only match 6%) so would this be a better option?

In terms of our mortgage in 10 years it will still be around £350k so we would want to reduce this significantly or even pay off in full at that point. My thought was to sell 5-6 of the BTL's over 5 years leading up to age 57 to pay it down however this obviously reduces our passive income from the portfolio and we'd pay a chunk of CGT along the way. Are there any better ways of achieving the same result?

I hope I haven't broken any rules around length of email and number of questions, I can only hope you'll treat this with your customary humour and patience!

Keep up the great work guys. Best Regards, Nick

25:15 Question 5

Hello Pete and Roger -I'd like to say how your podcast has really helped me to focus on preparing for retirement ,so thank you .

My question is I'm in my early 60,s I have 2 x Db pensions which will pay about £22000 Pa immediately if I choose , a full state pension at 67 and I have no mortgage and cash savings of £235000 half of which is in cash ISAs. My DB Pensions and state pension will be enough for my life style .

I may move home next year hence the large cash savings and also because I recently divorced and that's how the settlement added to that figure. It was a coercive relationship and I'm so worried now I hold too much cash as I never had my own money to invest in a pension. Prior to the marriage and children I did work and pay into a pension which will provide half of the DB pension as stated earlier but that all stopped when I married.

Should I start a personal pension now so close to retirement if I know I'll have spare cash to pay the max £3600 inc tax relief to take advantage of the tax relief and build up a pot not for income necessarily but for care home fees /inheritance tax costs for my two young adult children? Or shouldn't I worry?

Many thanks for your help. Charlotte.

30:13 Question 6

Dear Pete and Rog,

Thank you so much for your incredibly valuable podcast. I've learned a great deal from it and really appreciate the clarity and insight you bring to complex financial topics. Can't wait for the Youtube version to finally see what Rog looks like!

I had a question that I hope you might be able to shed some light on. My wife is from Slovakia, and we're likely to retire there in the future with our two children. I understand that capital gains tax and inheritance tax are both zero in Slovakia. However, I've read that UK-situs assets remain within the scope of UK inheritance tax even after leaving the UK, and that these would seem to include UK-domiciled OEICs such as the Vanguard LifeStrategy 100% fund, which I currently hold in a general investment account.

Would it therefore make sense to consider switching from the LifeStrategy 100% UK domiciled fund to an Ireland-domiciled ETF such as the Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF (VWRP)?

Would doing so resolve the issue of UK IHT exposure on those Situs assets?

Or transferring the UK OEICs to a global investment platform, would that work (seems too easy to be true)?

Any other tips to look into before making the big move abroad?

Thank you very much again for your time, and for all the invaluable information you share! Please keep it going ! Best regards, John

Roger and Pete discuss the November 2025 Budget, 24 hours after it was announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. We cover the salient points from a financial planning standpoint and try to avoid politics if we can!

Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/session598b

02:37 Income Tax 09:27 Capital Gains Tax 12:35 IHT 17:32 State Pension 19:48 Salary Sacrifice 25:32 What was NOT announced 30:02 VCTs 30:53 High-Value Council Tax Surcharge 34:00 EV and Plug-in Hybrid mileage scheme - eVED 37:55 Student Loans 38:44 Opinions 41:37 A Podcast Review

Welcome to another show full of questions form you, the audience and hopefully some meaningful questions from Pete & Roger. This week we have questions about paying school fees, becoming a financial adviser, how to invest an inheritance and lots more!

Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA33

01:15 Question 1

Good morning Pete & Roger, Thank you for a great podcast, been really enjoying it over the years and it's been no end of help for me. My question concerns my grandchild. She was born in America but now lives in the UK, is duel nationality. As grandparents we were hoping to put money aside into a savings account for her. Now obviously we thought the JISA but as she is born in America we can't do that. Is there any advice for how we can save for her in the most tax efficient way for her, conscious that she is quite young. If we can put some money away now regularly, it could build up into a nice little nest egg for her. Also hoping to do this for other grandchildren, not necessarily born in America. Any advice gratefully received. Mike.

05:48 Question 2

Hello Pete & Rog Wow these Q&As just keep delivering incredible value -keep up the great work! I'm 52 and my wife is 43. We're both higher-rate taxpayers contributing to a DB-DC hybrid via salary sacrifice. We'd like to retire together in 12 years (me at 64, my wife at 55—she has a protected pension age). We both have a DB pension and a DC pension. Combined we have emergency fund of £30k in Cash ISA, no S&S ISA.

Observations: - Once both DB & State Pension are in payment pay, planned spending of £60k p.a. is fully covered. - My ability to draw DC within the basic-rate band post-State Pension is limited, as DB 33k p.a. - My wife has much more scope to use her DC tax-efficiently before her DB/State Pension start. - Likely outcome: large residual DC balances if we only withdraw what's needed to spend.

Question: Would it be sensible to draw more from DCs early (using UFPLS at ~15% effective tax) and reinvest the surplus in S&S ISAs? This could: - Lock in withdrawals at basic-rate tax before DB/State Pension restrict allowances - Reduce the chance of paying higher-rate tax later - Diversify across ISAs (which we intentionally lack currently)

Am I letting the "tax tail wag the investment dog," or is this just pragmatic tax-efficient planning?

Cheers, Dunc

09:05 Question 3

Hi, Thank you both for your financial wisdom! It has definitely lit a fire under me!

My husband and I (41) would like financial independence at 50. We have received £120k early inheritance gift and also plan to sell 2 rental properties over the next 5 years to reduce commitments (a further approximate £250k post CGT)

We are mortgage free and I have since filled our stocks and shares LISA and ISA, investing in 100% equity low cost global trackers.

Other than investing the remaining in a GIA and transferring to ISAs each year are there any other options to help money grow over the next 9 years.

We may continue to work at 50 but under our terms. We need sufficient to tide us over from 50-57 when we can consider access to Pensions and the LISA at 60. Thanks Amy

12:18 Question 4

Dear Pete & Roger,

Thank you so much for all the work you do on YouTube, on the Website and on the Podcast, it really does make a difference to people's lives and long may it continue!

I'm 36 years of age, and I currently work as an Aircraft Technician, which I somewhat enjoy. However I find the older I get, the harder it is to keep up with the physically demanding nature of the job, and fear this may become more of an issue further down the line. This has prompted me to think about my future employment. Engineering has been my whole life, and my curiosity for learning and my persistent quest for personal development has resulted in me becoming a fully qualified Car Mechanic and Aircraft Technician. I have also achieved a BSc (Hons) in Motorsport Engineering & Design! However, my race car days are over, and in a way I feel like I have "completed engineering" to the best of my ability, and I am eager to take on a new challenge!

I have always been interested in finance (some would say I talk about nothing else!). I've always kept on top of my own personal finance (thanks to yourselves), and try to encourage/empower others to take control of theirs. The past few months I have been thinking of self-studying (whilst remaining in my current employment) for the AAT Level 2+3 in Accountancy, however the more I think about it perhaps Financial Planning is more my cup of tea? I love working with numbers, working with and helping people, planning for the future etc, however I worry I lack the necessary confidence and people skills to become a successful advisor.

So I guess my questions are:

1. How do you become a Regulated Financial Planner? 2. Is it possible to self-study for the CII Level 4 in Regulated Financial Planning whilst remaining in employment? Or would you advise against this? 3. Are there any pre-requisites to studying for the CII L4 in RFP? 4. Would an Accountancy role be more suited to someone who does not possess great people/communication skills? 5. Could a RFP qualification open doors to work in industry as a FP&A as oppose to personal finance? 6. Anything else you wish to add for clarity? Both your opinions are highly regarded. Keep up the great work!

Kind Regards, Tom

23:55 Question 5

To the wonderful Pete and Rog

I am a long time listener with my husband . the podcast and videos have been invaluable in developing our understanding of personal finance - translating complex issues into an accessible format so that people like me can get to grips is a real skill and thank you sincerely!

My husband and I are 53 and have quite late become parents to beautiful twin daughters who just started secondary school (and are learning how to slam doors and stamp feet... you know that age...) anyway back to us, we are both employed, my husband is a higher rate tax payer and I am on the lower rate band.

Because of some specific issues with the kids development needs we have decided to prioritise their education and to put them in our local small independent school where there is excellent specific support for them. They started in September and were paying £45k per annum. just typing that number scares me!

To support the fees we moved house and extended our mortgage. This given us c100k for fees and alongside significant monthly savings out of our income (1.5k) has given us capacity to support the fees for the next three years, however it won't be enough to take them through to GCSEs.

We're feeling weighed down by our mortgage which is now significant although supportable because of our salaries. It leaves us very little capacity for savings or luxuries like holidays. We realise this is our choice!

Up until this point we have been relatively disciplined paying into pensions. My husband has DB pension scheme which will pay circa 50k a year from the age of 61 (he has been paying in since 21) and one of those good, connected DC pots which should have circa £350,000 in by 61. the 350k can be used to provide the TFLS as it is connected to the DB scheme. So, we know when my husband retires, we will have capacity to clear the current mortgage. But this can only be accessed at 60+. I have a smaller pot which is £180k currently. I'm paying in £150 month which is as much as I can afford.

We need to make a planning decision about how do we afford the 5 years of fees not just the next 3? the decision is imminent as we have to renew our mortgage in the coming months. We have we think two options (excluding selling a kidney or two).

1. To further extend the mortgage. This will mean we push back possibility of retirement even further and will certainly use up all £265k of TFLS from husbands pension.... and gives us a problem of repayments - further squeeze. or 2. we wondered whether we could use my pension fund? The idea we had was to use tax-free cash from my pension to support the fees. I will be 55 in November 2027 and we think we might be able to get c £50,000 to use as a TFLS. - Is the drawing my tax-free lump sum a real option? It feels like the only way we might access funds other than the mortgage. - what impact would that have on my pension does it mean I can't continue to contribute to the pot? - Finally, how might we evaluate the pros and cons of the two options?

we suspect there is no right or wrong answer but if anyone can offer a few wise words it would be the dynamic duo - thank you're the best. Katherine

31:50 Question 6

Hi Pete and Roger

I love this show. There's so much great information and it brings me comfort to know so many people are making similar decisions to me and I seem to be on the right path!

My question is about property vs index funds. I am about to inherit about £100k and am wondering what to do with it. I invest in global index funds every month so would be comfortable DCA-ing (pound cost averaging) it in over a few months.

But, I do not own a property. So, I could buy a 2-3 bed property in Kent with approx. £150k mortgage and rent out a room to take advantage of the rent-a-room scheme. I am fortunate that my job provides my accommodation so I do not pay ridiculous rent and so do not need a property.

Would you choose index funds or property for growth over the next 10-15 years? I'm located in Kent.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Ceara

This week I enjoy a brilliant conversation with Dan Haylett, a fellow financial planner and podcaster, and author of The Retirement You Didn't See Coming, a book I highly recommend.

Dan Haylett on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-haylett-retirement-coach/

Humans vs Retirement Podcast https://www.humansvsretirement.com/

The Retirement You Didn't See Coming - Book on Amazon https://amzn.to/4o0UhYB

The Retirement You Didn't See Coming - Book on TGBB https://www.thegreatbritishbookshop.co.uk/products/the-retirement-you-didn-t-see-coming

The above links can also be found on the Meaningful Money website, at https://meaningfulmoney.tv/session597

Some excellent questions this week, as always, and with the added bonus of moving the podcast onto YouTube! Join Pete and Rog as they answer questions about finance management apps, investment platform selection and transitional tax-free allowance certificates!

Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA32

01:39 Question 1

Hi Pete and Roger Thanks so much for all the work you do, I've only found the podcast recently but already enjoying learning more and thinking about things differently. My question relates to saving for retirement and specifically the period leading up to retiring. Nearly all of our (mine and my husband's) pensions are in SIPPs where we have been happy to be 100% equity, in global index funds. We are now maybe 7-10 years from the point where we could retire, and I've been able to research withdrawal strategies to the point where I'm confident managing that when we get there. We have determined our target asset allocation split between equities / bond funds / individual gilts and money market funds for the start point of retirement.

I haven't been able to find much information about the period of transition from 100% equity to the asset allocation we want in place for the start of retirement. Obviously it's a balance between reducing exposure to volatility as we approach retirement and accepting a drag on the portfolio caused by the increasing allocation to cash and bonds and my instinctive (but not evidence-based!) approach would be to gradually move from one to the other over a number of years.

So my question is this - is there a better approach than just a straightline shift from one to the other? How far out from retirement is it appropriate to start making the transition? The best advice I can find online is just to pick whatever makes you feel comfortable and do that but surely there must be some more robust guidance out there? I appreciate it might not be a one size fits all answer but would appreciate your thoughts on how to approach this.

The one piece of advice I do seem to have found is that however we decide to do it, to stick to a predetermined schedule to avoid temptation to try to time the market - does that sound sensible or have I missed the mark on that? Thanks so much for any help you can give. Fran

08:28 Question 2

Hello

I listen to your show when out on walks and find it helpful for somebody who struggles at times with pension planning

I am 55 and myself and colleagues were told we had to leave the Final Salary pension scheme in 2019, the flipside being we would still have employment and our final salary pension would be triggered at reduced age of 50, although we would only get the years paid into rather than the magic 40 years which would give 40/80ths of your final salary.

So, for me , mine was triggered in 2020 and it was around 32/80ths (paid in since age 17), and I still remain in employment.

At this time I received a statement saying my pension had triggered, I had opted for the smaller lump sum (we had two options and some took the larger sum). There was no option to not take a tax free lump sum. I received a statement from the pension provider and it stated I was using 57% of the LTA

Now, since 2024 the P60 I receive from the pension provider annually now shows how much of the LSA I have used, this shows an amount of £153k , which equates to the same 57% , this time of the tax free lump sum allowance of £268k (I have rounded the figures).

However, the actual lump sum I received was £80k - so should I not have £199k left to use up ?

As I got my lump sum prior to 2024 and it is far lower than the standard calculation used to generate £153k used figure , do I not have any protected rights and able to dispute this ? It seems unfair that others who opted for double the tax free lump sum I received will be treat the same as myself regarding what tax free lump sum they can get in future (We all pay into a company DC scheme these past 6 year, with a different provider).

I have read about Transitional Tax Certificates but unsure if they are relevant to my scenario. I was unsure if the onus is on myself to take some action, or if the above is correct and that is how it works.

Any advice would be appreciated and may help others in a similar scenario also.

Many thanks, Jason

13:15 Question 3

Hi both,

Thank you for all the great content, my question relates to financial planning as a couple.

My partner and I are getting married next year and plan to combine finances at that time. We will also be looking to buy our first home in the next few years.

Aside from some lifestyle creep, we are both 'good' with money and have worked with monthly budget systems before. We are looking for a system to help us manage our *total wealth/finances* on a larger scale as opposed to the majority of online finance spreadsheets which focus more on monthly budgeting. Do you have any recommendations for spreadsheets or software to help us keep track of the 'big picture' i.e. emergency fund, pensions, ISAs, investments. We WILL be seeking financial planning but are keen to keep track of this stuff ourselves. We would be happy to update spreadsheets quarterly, but not get bogged down in tracking specifics of bills etc!

Best, Maddie

18:44 Question 4

Hello Pete and Roger,

The older of my 2 sisters has been diagnosed with a terminal illness at the early age of 46 and because of the late stage diagnosis the timescales could be as short as 3-6 months without treatment. Myself and my other sister have been looking through her work pension/ finances to sort out her estate to get everything looked after for her only daughter, who is under the age of 18.

She works for a government department and after reading the small print with her pension/ employment contract her estate would be about £130k worse off if she continued to be on sick leave but employed compared to taking medical early retirement. We have advised and started the process to get the lump sum and early retirement pension for my sister, as she is unlikely to benefit from the higher yearly pension payouts of around 23k vs 15k with £100k lump sum.

My younger sister is applying for power of attorney as my older sister is too unwell to deal with all the admin and is becoming very forgetful with her condition and medication. My sister's entire estate will be around £300k, we are concerned about my niece inheriting such a large lump sum at the age of 18. We are considering setting up a trust so that the money can be fully invested and paid out in smaller staggered lump sums to her on a 6 month or 12 month basis, just to get her used to dealing with larger sums of money and when she needs a Deposit for a house etc this will be available. Are there any reasons not to go down the Trust route and would this even be practical? Are there other options? We have been thrown into the deep end trying to make the best decision and could use your advice.

I'm 38 and if I'd have inherited such a large lump sum at the age of 18, I probably would have blown it on expensive cars and motorcycles and have had some great fun in my 20's, but probably would have little left to show. Regards Mark

24:03 Question 5

Hi Pete and Rog

Long time fan here! Love the accessibility of your information in the pod and the books! I've learnt a huge amount. But....

I still have a probably rather stupid question... I have a SIPP with funds in a Vanguard Global Index fund with Interactive Investor. It's taken a bit of a battering, but I'm hopeful it will grow in the next 10 years!

My question is, how does it grow? I keep reading about interest and the magic of compounding, but it seems to me that there is no interest in an index fund? I dabble for a while with a dividend specific pie on Trading 212 and clearly saw dividends being paid to me on a regular basis, but this doesn't seem to happen with the Vanguard fund. What is it that's compounding?

Please can you explain (as if I was a child!) how and why the fund grows and (hopefully) keeps gaining value over the long term?

Many thanks!

Alex

29:34 Question 6

Hello Pete and Roger,

Great podcast!

We are all very aware of costs eroding returns over time. On reading the Sunday Times review of investing platforms (8th June 2025 entitled, *'Switch investing platform and save £30k*'), this would seem to advocate changing platforms as funds increase to minimise costs. However, what this article doesn't go into is the flexibility on each platform to invest in individual shares / ETFs etc. Please could you and Roger give your insightful views about investment platform selection and particularly keeping with the most cost effective platforms as invested funds grow in value.

Thank you for helping so many of us!

Ivana

A couple of questions this week about having too big a pension fund, plus a great question on platform choice where Rog and Pete discuss their own experiences.

Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA31

01:58 Question 1

Hi, really enjoying the podcast. Started by watching your YouTube videos and still like getting the notifications of your new content.

I have a question regarding early retirement, before pensions are available.

I'm 50 and my wife is 52 and we would like to retire now. We have a mix of DB and DC pensions that will be sufficient for our retirement. She can start taking her pensions at 55 and I'll start at 57.

We have a savings pot outside of pensions of £700k in a mixture of investment funds (ISA being maxed yearly) that we would like to live on between now and our pensions becoming available.

Based on £5000 per month to live on, we would need to withdraw £60000 in year 1, year 2 and year 3. After that, we would need to withdraw £32500 in year 4, year 5, year 6 and year 7.

Based on these figures and your experience of the expected interest we should gain over the period if our pot is sensibly invested, what are your thoughts on how low the pot will drop to over the first 7 years and how long would the amount we spent take to recover to the original value of the pot?

Many thanks, Adam

10:39 Question 2

Hi Pete and Roger,

Thank you both for all of the content and guidance – it has really helped me build my confidence in planning my finances.

How much is too much in a pension? I'm 42 years old and have always prioritised pensions as a relatively high earner. I'm now in a position where I have a fairly healthy £530k in my pension, and wondering if I need to throttle back the contributions soon? If I take an assumed 5% growth rate, I'm on target for a £1m pot by age 55 without any more contributions (my access age is protected at 55). Should I just pay in enough to get employer match - I get 7% employer contributions for my 5%? My employer offers salary sacrifice, so as an additional rate taxpayer, I benefit from 47% relief (the employer savings are not shared unfortunately). I do already manage to fill my S&S ISA every year and have an adequate emergency fund, so really it's a question of pension vs GIA at this point. My concern is that I may have to pay 40% tax on withdrawals on the way out, so I might be better to keep the money accessible and support an early retirement before pension access age. What is the maximum pension pot size to target at age 55? – what do you think?

Many thanks and keep up the good work, Steve

15:55 Question 3

Hi Pete and Roger,

Thank you for all you do!

My mum is 63 and retired a few years ago. She has a DC pension, which she won't need to take until she's around 68 as they currently live off my dad's income.

Her pension has been in the default fund, which automatically de-risks as she approaches retirement age. We only recently learned that this default fund probably isn't ideal for her circumstances, when I discovered your podcast and forwarded some episodes to her!

She doesn't intend to buy an annuity, so what can she do with her pension pot at this late stage to stop it being entirely de-risked and losing value as she gets older? She plans to start taking an income from it in around 5 years time.

Many thanks in advance! Kathryn

22:23 Question 4

Hi Roger and Pete,

Listening to your podcast has me feeling like a money ninja - ready to conquer my finances one episode at a time!

Here`s my question:

My workplace pension match is 3% and I also I contribute 3% - it`s auto enrolment and a DC pension.

I would like to put 15% in my retirement, but can`t find any advice on how to best do that – do I just up my contribution into my workplace pension to 15% and that`s that, or do I also open a SIPP and GIA and split between all three?

What do people usually do? :D

Thanks so much – Leah

27:22 Question 5

Hi Pete and Roger

Been a fan of your podcast for a long time and have put some of the lessons from yourself and others into practice since I was 19, now 46 . Regularly saving and investing as much as possible by way of ISA , high interest accounts etc

I have been able to build a decent portfolio over the years

My question is regarding the most efficient platform for Stock and Shares ISA regarding fees. In the past I had an FA and the ongoing fees I always felt eroded investment gains and switched to Hargreaves Lansdown.

I have a mix between individual shares/funds and trackers totalling £210k with Hargreaves Lansdown.

I have heard about other cheaper platforms such as AJ Bell Trading 212 and wondered if your opinion would be to move over to something cheaper with an in specie transfer.

I remember well the financial crisis and Lost money with the bank ICESAVE, only saved by the then PM Gordon browns decision to reimburse. So although I am attracted , once bitten twice shy for lesser know companies.

My end goal is to scale back or stop work mid 50's

For fullness of info , Pension DC £240k , Cash Isa £30k, House Paid off in Full £550k, Trust £50k No debt , No loans, 2 kids well looked after.

Keep up the good work , that regular saving and diligent invest has worked really well over the long term .. thanks in advance and keep up the great work.

regards Blair

36:11 Question 6

Hi Pete, Roger and Nick!

My question is: when should you stop making additional pension contributions over and above those matching contributions from your employer?

I am 43 and have amassed £450k in defined contribution pensions. For the past few years I have been topping up my contributions to the maximum £60k. But given that I still have 15 years until I will be able to access my pension, I assume with standard growth rates I will have amassed a significant sum even without the extra contributions (the extra is about £33k).

I plan to withdraw approx £50k per year (up to the high rate income tax band) so assuming a 4% withdrawal rate I would need £1.25m at age 58.

Should I just stop contributing the extra now and instead make contributions to my wife's SIPP instead? She has a salary sacrifice pension via work and has headroom to pay more into that pension or a SIPP.

I am at the 62% marginal income tax/NI rate but my wife is a basic rate tax payer. I don't love the idea of paying 62% tax but only getting 28% tax relief (via salary sacrifice) if I do this!

Many thanks, John