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Listener Questions – Episode 34

Questions Asked

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

Send Us Your Listener Question

We’re going to spin out the listener questions into a separate Q&A show which we’ll drop into the feed every 2-3 weeks or so. These will be in addition to the main feed, most likely, but they’re easier for us to produce because they require less writing! Send your questions to hello@meaningfulmoney.tv Subject line: Podcast Question

---

The post Listener Questions – Episode 34 appeared first on Meaningful Money – Making sense of Money with Pete Matthew | Financial FAQ.

* This article was originally published here

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How the internet became enshittified – and how we might be able to deshittify it - The Week

Like medieval landlords, the tech overlords don't make money in the enshittoscene by creating or circulating new products. They make it by owning ...

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Tesla faces many challenges heading into 2026. Using options to make money on declines

Internet · Media · Mobile · Social Media · CNBC Disruptor 50 · Tech Guide ... Using options to make money on potential declines. Published Wed, Dec 3 ...

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How to make money online as a pharmacist (without owning a pharmacy) ... Canadian Healthcare Network is an independent online community for ...

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Listener Questions – Episode 33

Questions Asked

• 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.

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

Send Us Your Listener Question

We’re going to spin out the listener questions into a separate Q&A show which we’ll drop into the feed every 2-3 weeks or so. These will be in addition to the main feed, most likely, but they’re easier for us to produce because they require less writing! Send your questions to hello@meaningfulmoney.tv Subject line: Podcast Question

---

The post Listener Questions – Episode 33 appeared first on Meaningful Money – Making sense of Money with Pete Matthew | Financial FAQ.

* This article was originally published here

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