The Wallet

Women in the UK still retire with significantly less pension wealth than men, despite decades of progress. So why does the gender pension gap persist?

In this episode, Emilie Bellet is joined by Susan Hope, Business Development Director at Scottish Widows, to unpack the structural reasons behind the gap, from career breaks and caring responsibilities to workplace pensions and auto-enrolment. 

They also share practical steps to help you understand your pension, make the most of employer contributions and build greater financial security for the future.

Topics we covered:

• Why women are retiring with less than men
• The £31 billion problem of lost pensions
• The three questions everyone should ask about retirement
• Why retirement planning starts earlier than you think
• How career breaks and caring responsibilities affect pensions
• Simple steps to find and reconnect with old pensions
• Building financial confidence for later life

The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice.

Connect with Vestpod

Join our free Vestpod Money Reset: https://www.vestpod.com/money-reset

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Emilie’s book: You’re Not Broke, You’re Pre-Rich

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Building better financial habits doesn't start with numbers. It starts with understanding behaviour.

In this episode of The Wallet, Emilie Bellet (founder of Vestpod) speaks with Jaskiran Mangat, financial adviser, coach and former banker, whose work sits at the intersection of money, mindset and behaviour.

Jaskiran shares how cognitive biases, habits and emotional patterns shape the way we earn, spend, save and invest, and explains how behavioural science can help us build.

They discuss:

• What behavioural science is and why it matters for your finances
• The common cognitive biases that make saving and investing harder
• How childhood experiences shape our relationship with money
• Why we sometimes sabotage our own financial progress
• Practical ways to recognise and overcome unhelpful money habits
• The psychology behind earning more and negotiating your salary
• How to overcome fear of rejection and imposter syndrome
• Science-backed strategies for building better financial habits
• The power of automation, habit stacking and the 24-hour spending rule
• How to stay motivated when working towards long-term goals like retirement

Whether you're trying to save more, invest with confidence, negotiate a pay rise or simply understand your financial behaviours better, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you make better money decisions.

Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide and difficult life circumstances.

Connect with Jaskiran: @moneywithjas

Follow Vestpod:

Instagram: @vestpod

LinkedIn: Emilie Bellet

Newsletter: www.vestpod.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with someone who might find it helpful.

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Why do some people confidently invest while others avoid money conversations altogether?

In this episode of The Wallet, Emilie Bellet speaks with behavioural finance expert, psychotherapist and King's College London senior lecturer Dr Ylva Baeckström about the hidden forces that shape our financial decisions.

From childhood experiences and financial attachment styles to confidence, investing behaviour and gender stereotypes, this conversation explores why money is rarely just about numbers.

Topics covered:

• How financial identity is formed
• Why many people avoid money conversations
• The link between childhood experiences and money habits
• Why women often outperform men as investors
• The confidence gap in finance
• Female financial advisers and investing behaviour
• AI, financial advice and the future of investing
• Why the real risk may be not investing at all

The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice.

AD |  This episode is sponsored by Wealthify.

Wealthify makes investing simple by doing everything for you — from building your portfolio, to managing it on an on-going basis. Open your account at Wealthify.com.

With investing, your capital is at risk. Wealthify is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Connect with Vestpod

Sign up to The Edit newsletter: https://www.vestpod.com/subscribe 

Courses and bootcamps: https://www.vestpod.com/courses 

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vestpod 

Emilie’s book: You’re Not Broke, You’re Pre-Rich

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

AD | This episode is sponsored by Wealthify.

Most people think investing is about picking the right stocks. It is not.

This week on The Wallet, Emilie Bellet (Vestpod) is joined by Jessie Kwok, Chief Investment Officer at Wealthify, to unpack what drives investment outcomes over time.

They cover:

• Why asset allocation matters more than stock picking
• How to think about risk in a practical way
• What shapes long-term portfolio performance
• Why staying invested is often the hardest part
• How to build a portfolio you can stick to

The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice.

Wealthify makes investing simple by managing your investments for you. And if you deposit or transfer into their Stocks and Shares ISA, you could earn between £50 and £1,000 in cashback. Open your account at Wealthify.com. [OFFER REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED]

T&Cs and minimum investments apply. Registration closes on 31st May 2026. Cashback varies by total investment amount. With investing, your capital is at risk. Wealthify is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Connect with Vestpod

Sign up to The Edit newsletter: https://www.vestpod.com/subscribe

Courses and bootcamps: https://www.vestpod.com/courses

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vestpod

Emilie’s book: You’re Not Broke, You’re Pre-Rich

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

Women are often told the path to success is straightforward: be confident, negotiate harder, lean in, speak up.

But what happens when women do all of those things and still do not receive the same outcomes?

This week on The Wallet, Emilie Bellet (Vestpod) speaks with Stefanie O’Connell about ambition, work, money, and the hidden costs many women still face professionally and personally.

They discuss:

• why negotiation advice alone is not enough
• the backlash women can face when expressing ambition
• burnout, invisible labour, and emotional load
• how inequality is reinforced through systems and expectations
• what financial independence and success can really look like for women today

The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice.

AD | This episode is sponsored by Wealthify.

Wealthify makes investing simple by managing your investments for you. And if you deposit or transfer into their Stocks and Shares ISA, you could earn between £50 and £1,000 in cashback. [OFFER REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED]

Open your account at Wealthify.com. T&Cs and minimum investments apply. Registration closes on 31st May 2026. Cashback varies by total investment amount. With investing, your capital is at risk. Wealthify is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Resources

Order The Ambition Penalty

Website: Too Ambitious

Instagram: @stefanieoconnell

LinkedIn: Stefanie O’Connell

Connect with Vestpod

Sign up to The Edit newsletter: https://www.vestpod.com/subscribe

Courses and bootcamps: https://www.vestpod.com/courses

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vestpod

Emilie’s book: You’re Not Broke, You’re Pre-Rich

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

When money feels hard, it is often the system, not you.

This week on The Wallet, Emilie Bellet (Vestpod) is joined by Krystle McGilvery, behavioural finance expert and Chartered Accountant, to unpack why traditional money advice fails so many people, especially those who are neurodivergent.

They cover:

• Why financial avoidance is often a form of protection
• How time blindness impacts spending and planning
• The link between impulse spending and frictionless payments
• Why “discipline” is the wrong framework for money
• What a system that actually works for your brain looks like

The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice.

Resources

Connect with Krystle via Krystle McGilvery and NeuroFinance OS

Instagram: @krystle_mcgilvery

LinkedIn: Krystle McGilvery

AD | This episode is sponsored by Wealthify.

Wealthify makes investing simple by managing your investments for you. And if you deposit or transfer into their Stocks and Shares ISA, you could earn between £50 and £1,000 in cashback. [OFFER REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED]

Open your account at Wealthify.com. T&Cs and minimum investments apply. Registration closes on 31st May 2026. Cashback varies by total investment amount. With investing, your capital is at risk. Wealthify is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Connect with Vestpod:

Sign up to The Edit newsletter: https://www.vestpod.com/subscribe

Courses and bootcamps: https://www.vestpod.com/courses

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vestpod

Emilie’s book: You’re Not Broke, You’re Pre-Rich

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

High income, low progress: the hidden leak in your finances.

This week on The Wallet, Emilie Bellet (Vestpod) sits down with Philly Ponniah to unpack the gap between earning and actually building wealth.

They cover:

• Why money still disappears at £100K+
• The lifestyle creep you don’t notice
• The belief that quietly blocks investing
• The UK’s £100K childcare tax trap
• What a real financial system looks like

The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice.

AD | This episode is sponsored by Wealthify.

Wealthify makes investing simple by managing your investments for you. And if you deposit or transfer into their Stocks and Shares ISA, you could earn between £50 and £1,000 in cashback. [OFFER REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED]

Open your account at Wealthify.com. T&Cs and minimum investments apply. Registration closes on 31st May 2026. Cashback varies by total investment amount. With investing, your capital is at risk. Wealthify is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Resources

Connect with Philly at Philly Financial

Instagram: @phillyfinancial

LinkedIn: Philly

Connect with Vestpod

Sign up to The Edit newsletter: https://www.vestpod.com/subscribe

Courses and bootcamps: https://www.vestpod.com/courses

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vestpod

Emilie’s book: You’re Not Broke, You’re Pre-Rich

The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice.

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

Why does building wealth feel complicated, slow, or out of reach, even when you are earning and doing “the right things”?

In this episode of The Wallet, Emilie Bellet (Vestpod) is joined by Mary and Ken Okoroafor, founders of The Humble Penny and authors of The Wealth Habit. Together, we unpack why wealth is less about income and more about habits, identity, and systems, and how small, consistent actions can create long-term financial security.

We discuss:

• Why wealth starts with habits, not income
• The identity shift required to become a wealth builder
• The systems that matter most, including paying yourself first
• Why mindset without action leads to “analysis paralysis”
• How emotional spending happens, and how to add friction
• The £1 shift and how to start earning beyond your main income
• The trade-offs required to build long-term wealth

AD | This episode is sponsored by Wealthify.

Wealthify makes investing simple by managing your investments for you. And if you deposit or transfer into their Stocks and Shares ISA, you could earn between £50 and £1,000 in cashback. [OFFER REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED]

Open your account at Wealthify.com. T&Cs and minimum investments apply. Registration closes on 31st May 2026. Cashback varies by total investment amount. With investing, your capital is at risk. Wealthify is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Resources

Mary & Ken's new book: The Wealth Habit

The Humble Penny Website

Instagram @thehumblepenny and @financialjoyacademy

Connect with Vestpod

Sign up to The Edit newsletter: https://www.vestpod.com/subscribe

Courses and bootcamps: https://www.vestpod.com/courses

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vestpod

Emilie’s book: You’re Not Broke, You’re Pre-Rich

The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice.

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

Building financial independence often starts with earning more, and learning how to negotiate your salary.

In this episode of The Wallet, Emilie Bellet speaks with Nicole Michler, founder of Phase 20, a career strategy and negotiation platform that helps women navigate competitive corporate environments.

Nicole shares how she went from earning around £27,000 a year to building financial independence, and explains how salary negotiation, career strategy, and mindset shifts can help women ask for a pay rise and grow their income over time.

Connect with Vestpod:

Sign up to The Edit newsletter: https://www.vestpod.com/subscribe

Courses and bootcamps: https://www.vestpod.com/courses

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vestpod

Emilie’s book: You’re Not Broke, You’re Pre-Rich

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

Why do credit cards so often feel manageable at first, and then quietly turn into long-term debt?

In this episode of The Wallet, Emilie Bellet (Vestpod) is joined by Iona Bain, award-winning broadcaster, columnist, and author, following her Panorama investigation Maxed Out: The Credit Card Trap. Together, we unpack how credit card products are designed, why minimum payments and rising credit limits keep people stuck, and why debt can linger for years, even when people feel responsible and are doing their best.

We discuss:

• What the “credit card trap” really is, and why it is not about being bad with money
• Why minimum payments create a false sense of safety
• How credit limit increases quietly make debt harder to escape
• Balance transfers, when they help and when they just delay the problem
• The emotional side of debt, and why shame keeps people stuck
• What actually helps people stay in control

The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice.

#ad This episode is sponsored by MoneyWeek.

MoneyWeek gives you a clear weekly roundup of the stories, trends, and market moves that matter, written by expert journalists and delivered in print or on the app. You can try six issues for free, then enjoy an exclusive £5 discount on a quarterly subscription for The Wallet community at moneyweek.com/wallet with the code WALLET.

Connect with Vestpod:

Sign up to The Edit newsletter: https://www.vestpod.com/subscribe

Courses and bootcamps: https://www.vestpod.com/courses

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vestpod

Emilie’s book: You’re Not Broke, You’re Pre-Rich

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