The Pension Confident Podcast

If you had some spare cash each month, where would you spend it? Overpaying your mortgage or giving your pension savings a boost? Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and Maike Currie, VP Personal Finance at PensionBee, as they discuss the benefits and considerations of making extra payments on your mortgage vs. topping up your pension pot.

00:38 Inflation, interest and mortgage rates

05:59 Pensions and tax relief

12:00 Getting the order of priority right

14:23 So what should you actually do?

To learn more about saving for children, check out these articles, podcasts and videos from PensionBee:

• Episode transcript (Blog)
• Should you pay more into your mortgage or your pension? (Blog)
• What to do when interest rates rise (Blog)
• How does inflation affect pensions? (Blog)
• Why the Middle East conflict has affected markets, and what it could mean for your investments (Blog)
• Pensions and tax: the ultimate guide (Article)
• Self-Assessment: what you need to know (Video)
• The £100k tax trap: how it works, and what you can do to avoid it (Blog)
• ISAs vs. mortgage overpayments (Article)
• How much should I have in my pension? (Blog)
• Should I take a lump sum from my pension? (Article)
• Episode 26: Are you ready for your 100-year life? (Podcast)
• Pension age (Article)
• Six ways to put together your emergency fund (Blog)
• What is a workplace pension? (Article)
• How to combine and consolidate your pensions (Article)
• What is compounding? (Article)

• Interest rates and Bank Rate (Bank of England)
• Inflation Calculator (PensionBee)
• Pension Tax Relief Calculator (PensionBee)
• Mortgage and homes (MoneySaving Expert)
• State Pension Age Calculator (PensionBee)
• Check your State Pension Forecast (GOV.UK)

Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:

• The Pension Confident Podcast

• The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.

Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: [email protected].

Do you know what your money is invested in? And do you feel confident you're making the right choices?

Some of us are investing in the 'default' plan, whether that's through a Stocks and Shares ISA or a workplace pension. Others are dabbling in crypto or gold. And many of us aren't even investing at all, preferring the safety of keeping cash tucked away in a savings account.

Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and our expert panel as they discuss investing fundamentals:

• Content Creator 'That Money Guy', Gabriel Nussbaum;
• Founder and CEO of rainchq, Davinia Tomlinson; and
• Senior Investment Content Manager at PensionBee, Matt Batsman.

02:53 Who's investing today?

04:54 The classic asset mix

07:08 'Reckless caution' and inflation

09:03 Home bias and diversification

11:52 Bonds explained

13:45 Alternative assets and crypto

18:09 Gold, oil and 'flight-to-quality'

19:44 What the panel invests in

23:03 What they panel would never touch

24:25 Biggest investment regrets

28:17 Regulated advice, robo-advisors and AI

30:22 Golden rules to start

To learn more about investing fundamentals, check out these articles and podcasts from PensionBee:

• Episode transcript (Blog)
• Investing 101 with Bobby Seagull MBE (Video)
• What are Premium Bonds? (Article)
• What is a Lifetime ISA? (Article)
• What is a workplace pension scheme? (Article)
• How to start investing (Article)
• Why don't women invest? (Podcast)
• What is the stock market? (Article)
• What are bonds and how do they work? (Article)
• How to work out your risk tolerance (Article)
• How does inflation affect pensions? (Article)
• How to diversify your pension investments (Blog)
• Why do people invest in gold? (Article)
• Why the Middle East conflict has affected markets (Blog)
• What is a Stocks and Shares ISA? (Article)
• What is a personal pension? (Article)
• How does market volatility share your pension pot? (Podcast)
• What SpaceX's public listing could mean for your pension (Blog)
• What is socially responsible investing? (Podcast)

• Financial Lives 2024 (Financial Conduct Authority)
• How many people invest in the stock market? (Finder)
• Bitcoin vs. Ethereum (Just EFT)
• Is Day Trading Profitable? (Investopedia)
• Cash is Queen (rainchq)
• Inflation Calculator (PensionBee)
• Flight to Quality: Investor strategies explained (Investopedia)

Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:

• The Pension Confident Podcast
• The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.

Follow Gabriel (@ThatMoneyGuy) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.

Follow rainchq (@rainchq) on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: [email protected].

In this bonus episode, we hear from PensionBee customer Joumana as she shares her pension story. From moving to the UK from Lebanon 13 years ago with no idea a personal pension was even an option, to buying back missing National Insurance years and picking an investment plan that matches her appetite for risk as a freelancer.

We unpack Joumana's pension journey with pensions expert Dani Skerrett from PensionBee, covering:

• why the self-employed pension gap exists, and how flexible contributions can help;
• how to check and fill gaps in your National Insurance record;
• how your pension is protected by the FSCS; and
• the Retirement Living Standards, and what they mean for your own retirement goal.

01:04 Meet Joumana

08:58 How your pension is protected

13:03 Self-employed pension contributions

17:24 The Retirement Living Standards

To learn more about the topics discussed in this bonus episode, check out these articles from PensionBee:

• Episode transcript (Blog)
• How much should I have in my pension? (Blog)
• How to check your State Pension forecast (Blog)
• Is my pension protected by the FSCS? (Article)
• Pension contribution limits (Article)
• SIPP vs. defined contribution pension: which is the best for self-employed? (Article)
• What is the State Pension? (Article)

• Check your National Insurance record (GOV.UK)
• Pension Calculator (PensionBee)
• Retirement Living Standards (Pensions UK)

Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:

• The Pension Confident Podcast
• The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.

Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: [email protected].

With the kids back at school, is now the time to start saving or investing for their future? Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and Maike Currie, VP Personal Finance at PensionBee, as they break down the key differences between a Junior ISA and a Junior SIPP, how each is taxed, and which one might be right for your family.

00:51 Junior ISAs and Junior SIPPs at a glance

02:29 How Junior ISAs and Junior SIPPs are taxed

06:07 Cash Junior ISA versus Stocks and Shares Junior ISA

08:04 How to decide between a Junior ISA or Junior SIPP

To learn more about saving for children, check out these articles, podcasts and videos from PensionBee:

• Episode transcript (Blog)
• E8: How to teach kids about money (Podcast)
• E28: The Bank of Mum and Dad - what's the impact on your pension? (Podcast)
• E42: Should you pay for your kids to go to university? (Podcast)
• 5 tax allowances to make your savings and investments more tax-efficient in 2026/27 (Blog)
• 7 of the best ways of giving money to grandchildren (Blog)
• Buying a property: the basics - PensionBee's Milestone Moments (Video)
• How to diversify your pension investments (Blog)
• How to make your child a millionaire (Blog)
• What is a Junior ISA? (Article)
• What is compounding? (Article)
• Should I pay into a pension or an ISA? (Article)

• Junior Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) (GOV.UK)
• Junior pensions: what is a junior SIPP and how does it work? (Unbiased)

Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:

• The Pension Confident Podcast
• The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.

Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: [email protected].

We're over halfway through Series 5, and it's already covered a lot of ground: whether marriage makes financial sense, what to do if you're 50 years old with nothing saved for retirement, how to stop lifestyle creep swallowing your pay rise, and plenty more.

So our Host, Philippa Lamb, pulled Series Producer, Lucy Greenwell, out from behind the glass to argue over their favourite moments from the 33 guests who've joined the podcast so far this year.

01:42 Best episode for first-time listeners

04:20 Most surprising number

08:16 Funniest episode

10:40 Best money tip

13:44 Most shocking moment

Catch up on all of Series 5 of The Pension Confident Podcast today!

• Bonus episode: What does the 2026/27 tax year mean for your finances? With Maike Currie
• Bonus episode: How much can you contribute into your pension each year? With Maike Currie
• Bonus episode: Should you buy Premium Bonds or save into a Cash ISA? With Maike Currie
• Bonus episode: How does market volatility shape your pension pot? With Maike Currie

• Bonus episode: "I stopped paying into my pension for 20 years" With Rachael Oku and PensionBee customer, Tara-Jane
• Bonus episode: "I work as a handyman to top up my pension income" With Rachael Oku and PensionBee customer, Tony
• Bonus episode: "I switched my pension so it complies with my faith" With Rachael Oku and PensionBee customer, Sanna
• Bonus episode: "A life-changing diagnosis refocused me on my beneficiaries" With Dani Skerrett and PensionBee customer, David
• Bonus episode: "As soon as I left that job, the pension stopped" With Dani Skerrett and PensionBee customer, Becca
• Bonus episode: "I've often said that I retired when nobody wanted me anymore" With Dani Skerrett and PensionBee customer, Nigel
• Bonus episode: "I put my money where my mouth is" With Veronica Morozova and PensionBee customer, Sally
• Bonus episode: "There's no point being the richest person in the graveyard" With Veronica Morozova and PensionBee customer, Andy

• E46: How to bounce back from redundancy with Jimmy McLoughlin OBE, Eleanor Mills, and Emma Ferenc-Bachelor
• E47: The 'Singles Tax' - how much is it costing you? With Bobby Seagull MBE, Emma Barnes, and Valentina Adaldo
• E48: Are you ready for the 'great wealth transfer'? With Niaz Azad, Annaliese Barber, and Dan Stean
• E49: Can you still make money as a Buy-to-Let landlord? With Anna Pearce and Michael Annis
• E50: Starting a pension from £0 at 50 years old with Hannah Martin, Simonne Gnessen and Sarah Durber
• E51: How to resist lifestyle creep with Clare Seal, Edoardo Moreni, and Alex Langley
• E52: Is it worth getting married? With Mike Donkor, Philippa Dolan, and Jasper Martens

And there's plenty more where that came from. We'll be back in September with three new episodes:

• 7 September - Bonus episode: Should you save into a Junior ISA or a Junior SIPP? With Maike Currie

• 17 September - Bonus episode: "Discussing money is a taboo subject" With Dani Skerrett and PensionBee customer, Joumana

• 27 September - E53: What might be missing from your investment portfolio? With Gabriel Nussbaum, Davinia Tomlinson, and Matt Batsman

You don't want to miss it! So make sure you're subscribed to The Pension Confident Podcast today and catch every episode as soon as it airs.

Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:

• The Pension Confident Podcast
• The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.

Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: [email protected].

In this bonus episode, we hear from PensionBee customer Andy as he shares his pension story. From two decades living and working abroad and untangling the dormant pensions he left behind, to returning to the UK and working out what "enough" really means when you're planning around a Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosis.

We unpack Andy's pension journey with pensions expert Veronica Morozova from PensionBee, covering:

• why finding and consolidating old pensions matters, especially after working overseas;
• what 'QROPS' is, and how time spent abroad affects your State Pension;
• the tax benefits of paying into a pension through your own limited company; and
• how to plan for a range of retirement scenarios, including future care costs.

00:51 Meet Andy

04:12 Consolidating pensions and working abroad

08:13 Tax relief and self-employment

11:31 Planning for an uncertain future

To learn more about the topics discussed in this bonus episode, check out these articles and podcasts from PensionBee:

• Episode transcript (Blog)
• E15: How can we achieve financial inclusion? (Podcast)
• How to transfer an overseas pension to the UK (Article)
• Markets and tariffs: what's going on and what it means (Blog)
• Overseas pension transfers (Article)
• Pension tax relief and the tapered annual allowance for high earners (Article)
• The lump sum allowance, lump sum death benefit allowance, and overseas transfer allowance (Article)
• What happens to my pension if I move abroad? (Article)
• What is the State Pension? (Article)

• Check the recognised overseas pension schemes notification list (GOV.UK)
• Check your State Pension forecast (GOV.UK)
• Pension Tracing Service (GOV.UK)
• When the council might pay for your care (NHS)

Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:

• The Pension Confident Podcast
• The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.

Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: [email protected].

It's time for your Series Five rewind and sneak peek at what's coming up on The Pension Confident Podcast.

If you missed an episode, don't worry, you can catch up on every single episode so far wherever you get your podcasts:

• E46: How to bounce back from redundancy
• E47: The 'Singles Tax' - how much is it costing you?
• E48: Are you ready for the 'great wealth transfer'?
• E49: Can you still make money as a Buy-to-Let landlord?
• E50: Starting a pension from £0 at 50 years old
• E51: How to resist lifestyle creep
• E52: Is it worth getting married?

And there's plenty more where that came from. Later this month, Series Producer Lucy Greenwell joins our Host Philippa Lamb to pick out the best bits from our Series 5 guests (so far).

Then, coming up in September: What might be missing from your investment portfolio? We'll be joined by:

• Content Creator 'That Money Guy', Gabriel Nussbaum;
• Founder and CEO of rainchq, Davinia Tomlinson; and
• Senior Investment Content Manager at PensionBee, Matt Batsman.

You can read the episode transcript here.

Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:

• The Pension Confident Podcast
• The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.

Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: [email protected].

For the first time ever, fewer than half of UK adults are married or in a civil partnership, yet the law hasn't caught up with how many of us now live together instead. So, legally and financially, is it still worth getting married?

Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and our expert panel as they discuss whether marriage still pays off financially and legally, and what unmarried couples need to put in place instead:

• Financial Planner, Mike Donkor;
• Solicitor and Partner at Collyer Bristow, Philippa Dolan; and
• Chief Marketing Officer at PensionBee, Jasper Martens.

01:18 Why marriage rates are falling

05:44 The financial perks of marriage

09:04 When unmarried couples split

12:41 Avoiding the money conversation

16:20 How are pensions shared

19:28 Who gets the pets?

21:15 Protecting your partner with a will

24:22 Cohabitation Agreements and annual reviews

28:48 A fairer end to relationships

To learn more about managing money in a couple, check out these articles and podcasts from PensionBee:

• Episode transcript (Blog)
• E14: What's the impact of your relationship status on your finances? (Podcast)
• E35: The cost of divorce (Podcast)
• How does divorce or remarrying affect your pension? (Article)
• Pension beneficiaries (Article)
• Six money conversations you need to have with your family (Blog)
• Why pensions deserve your attention during divorce (Blog)
• Writing a will (Article)

• A fairer end to relationships: consultation (GOV.UK)
• Capital Gains Tax allowances (GOV.UK)
• Cohabitation Agreement guidance (The Law Society)
• Families and households in the UK (Office for National Statistics)
• Inheritance Tax (GOV.UK)
• Marriage Allowance (GOV.UK)

Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:

• The Pension Confident Podcast
• The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.

Follow Collyer Bristow (@Collyer_Bristow) on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

Follow Mike Donkor (@michaelgdonkor) on TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: [email protected].

In this bonus episode, we hear from PensionBee customer Sally as she shares her pension story. From decades of putting money into living over saving, and losing her husband suddenly in his 40s, to retirement in her 60s and choosing a pension plan that truly reflects her values.

We unpack Sally's pension journey with pensions expert Veronica Morozova from PensionBee, covering:

• why financially literate people still don't save;
• how emotional barriers can be a bigger obstacle than lack of information;
• the tax benefits of saving into a pension; and
• what values-based investing actually means in practice.

00:39 Meet Sally

02:48 'Present bias' and money

06:10 Tax efficiency in retirement

10:11 Values-based investing

To learn more about the topics discussed in this bonus episode, check out these articles from PensionBee:

• Climate Plan (Web)
• What do heatwaves have to do with your pension? (Blog)
• What is a crystallised pension? (Article)
• What is flexi-access drawdown? (Article)
• Why reaching net zero is cheaper than doing nothing and what it could mean for your pension (Blog)

• Pension Calculator (PensionBee)
• Retirement Living Standards (Pensions UK)
• Taking money from your pension just got simpler with Automatic withdrawals (PensionBee)
• The new State Pension (GOV.UK)

Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:

• The Pension Confident Podcast
• The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.

Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: [email protected].

Market volatility is back in the headlines, and if you've noticed your pension balance moving up and down, you're not alone. From tariffs to geopolitical tensions, there's no shortage of reasons to feel uneasy. But before you rush to make any changes, it's worth understanding how volatility actually works and why, more often than not, staying put is the smartest move.

Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and VP Personal Finance at PensionBee, Maike Currie as they discuss:

• what market volatility is and what drives it;
• why pension pots are more resilient than you might think, and how quickly markets have historically recovered;
• why keeping up contributions during a downturn can actually work in your favour; and
• how to check whether you're in the right plan for your life stage.

00:49 What's market volatility?

03:21 How far can a pension balance fall?

05:25 The investor upside of a market downturn

08:32 How quickly can markets recover?

09:55 Pension plans for different life stages

To learn more about investing and stock markets, check out these articles and podcasts from PensionBee:

• Bonus episode: How much can you contribute into your pension each year? (Podcast)
• E39: Trump, tariffs and what it all means for your pension (Podcast)
• Markets and tariffs: what's going on and what it means (Blog)
• Switching plans in volatile markets: what to know (Blog)
• The power of regular contributions in volatile markets (Blog)
• Understanding market volatility and pensions (Blog)
• What is the stock market? (Article)

• Bull and bear markets explained (Investopedia)
• Fed History Overview (Federal Reserve History)
• Our pension plans (PensionBee)

Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:

• The Pension Confident Podcast
• The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.

Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: [email protected].