Headsup On Money

It's been over three years since Headsup On Money was born.  In this, the final episode, Benjamin reflects on the key learns you should take into your financial plans as he also reflects on the amazing ride it's been over the past 169 episodes.  Money nerds - thank you.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financial jargon, as he helps make your finances clearer and en...

In light of the upcoming April 2027 pension and inheritance tax changes, Benjamin explains how ISAs and pensions will compare next year. As he explains, the best way to think about this is to view your pension as a super ISA, with tax privileges on the way in and nuances requiring detailed tax planning on the way out.  Resources mentioned in the episode:  Are pensions now a waste of time?  Pension...

Opting out of your workplace pension to help ease current cash flow concerns may be very tempting; however, the long-term effects this will have on your financial plan are drastic.  In this episode, Benjamin explains why opting out of your workplace pension could be one of the most costly financial mistakes you make.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financial jargon, as he h...

In this episode, Benjamin outlines how you can achieve the perfect financial plan. Is it possible? If it's not, what can get you to the point of maximum certainty, save for having a crystal ball?  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financial jargon, as he helps make your finances clearer and ensures you never make another financial mistake. Getting on top of your personal...

How many of these false economies are you making with your financial planning? You feel like you're doing the right things, you feel like you're taking the right steps, but in reality, it's pushing you two steps back. Benjamin covers all in under 20 minutes.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financial jargon, as he helps make your finances clearer and ensures y...

In this episode Benjamin discusses the often misunderstood financial product of equity release.  For some people, this may be a critical tool needed in their financial plans.  For others, it may represent an expensive debt that is unsuitable for them.  By the end of this episode, you'll have an understanding of whether this may have a role in your financial plan, or the financial plans of you...

In this episode, Benjamin discusses whether pensions are still relevant in our financial plans in light of the changes coming into effect in April 2027.  Are pensions still worthwhile?  Want a deeper dive on this? Here's a link to a video we've recorded on this subject  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financial jargon, as he helps make your finances clearer and ens...

There are significant changes coming into effect in April 2027 with pensions and inheritance tax.  In this episode, Benjamin explains the backdrop as to what is happening, and why.  Many more households will now face seismic tax charges as a result of these changes, so knowledge is power.  Want to learn more? Here's a link to a video on this subject that we recorded.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (...

In this episode, Benjamin looks at recent analysis which concluded how much income you need to be happy in 23 UK cities.  Benjamin reflects on the numbers mentioned and reverse engineers this with your financial plan to ultimately ask how much your 'FU' number is.  Here's a link to the resource mentioned in this episode.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financ...

We're all approaching retirement with too many misconceptions and confusions.  In this episode Benjamin explains that retirement planning isn't as black and white as you may think it is. You don't have to retire when your State Pension kicks in. You don't have to necessarily buy an annuity. Your pension doesn't die with you.  It's all here and served free from any fin...

The last two episodes have focused on the myths surrounding pensions and ISAs. In this episode Benjamin reviews the main tax misconceptions we all typically share.  By the end of this episode you'll hopefully feel a lot more positive about tax, have some tax planning ideas you can take into your own financial plans, and no longer view tax as a bad thing but instead a success fee.  Join Benjam...

Benjamin continues the misconception series in this episode by addressing the humble ISA.  How many of these were you aware of?  Here's the link Benjamin mentioned in the episode: pensions or ISAs - which is better?  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financial jargon, as he helps make your finances clearer and ensures you never make another financial mistake. Getting on t...

In this, the first episode in a 'misconceptions' mini-series, Benjamin talks all things pensions. Benjamin shares the most frequent misconceptions we tend to have when it comes to our pensions and why these may be damaging to our longer term financial health.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financial jargon, as he helps make your finances clearer and ensures you n...

None of us like to pay more tax than we need to, but in this episode, Benjamin tries to change your views around tax and financial planning. Adopting a short-term tax reduction perspective can be detrimental to your long-term financial goals. By the end of this episode, you'll understand how taxes interact with financial planning, and hopefully you'll consider your lifetime rate of tax r...

For many people, the years between your income stopping and your state pension commencing represent the greatest risk and worry in your retirement plan. In this episode, Benjamin gives you a full MOT of things to be thinking about in this often stressful window: Investment planning, tax planning, order of withdrawals, pensions or ISAs?! It can be a complex and overwhelming subject, but at the end...

In this episode, Benjamin discusses why the FCA are currently looking into how interest is dealt with on your platforms.  There's also some homework for you in this episode: to reach out to your investment platform to understand how they are paying you interest and whether or not they are engaging in the shady practise of 'double dipping.' Benjamin explains everything you need to kn...

This episode, Benjamin discusses the SpaceX IPO, arguably one of the bigger financial news stories of the year, explaining why, as a diversified global investor, you will always own the beasts and don't need to be concerned about FOMO.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financial jargon, as he helps make your finances clearer and ensures you never make another financial m...

In this episode, Benjamin explains why you shouldn't automatically transfer and consolidate your pensions. There can be benefits in doing so, but you need to first understand what you may potentially be losing out on or giving up. Understanding that will give you the confidence that you're making the right financial decision and avoiding any financial mistakes in consolidation.  By the e...

The Never Ending Worry Service is rife at the moment with conjecture that 'the market has peaked' and 'a downturn is around the corner'. It might be. It mightn't be. We cannot know for certain. But looking at the data it tells us that just because we're currently at a market high that is not to say the market cannot get any higher.  Benjamin brings this to life with s...

In this episode, Benjamin explains why passive investing is actually an active investment decision based on sound evidence rather than conjecture. The active versus passive debate is all around us, and often, passive is framed as the second-best option. The reality, however, is that it couldn't be further from the truth. Evidence and history do not lie.  Here's a link to the SPIVA analys...

Small company business owners often believe that their business is their pension and that pensions are inefficient and subject to too much change to even start with in the first place.  Benjamin climbs on his soapbox in this episode to encourage you to re-evaluate this false economy.  And:  Your personalised business owner blueprint  Here's a link to the tool Benjamin mentioned in the episode...

In this episode of Headsup on Money, Benjamin explains the pros and cons of investment bonds. They can appear very confusing, and you are probably unsure whether or not your financial plan needs one. But by the end of this episode, you'll have mastered the pros, the cons and be more confident about whether they could help you save tax.  Jargon-free as always.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoney...

So many of us have heard of life insurance as a way to protect our family and our financial plans, but too few of us have heard of another product that, instead of providing a lump sum, can provide us with a regular monthly income in the event that we're no longer here.  The benefits of these plans can provide you, and your loved ones, with significant  peace of mind, often at minimal ongoing...

In April 2027, the amount you can subscribe to Cash ISAs is likely to change.  In this episode, Benjamin summarises the key points you need to be aware of and ultimately why these changes are unlikely to have any material impact on your long-term financial plan.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financial jargon, as he helps make your finances clearer and ensures you never ma...

In this episode, Benjamin outlines why record-keeping when it comes to your inheritance tax planning, is as important as the planning itself. Yet, so few of us are keeping necessary detailed records, accounting for the information that your executors will need on your passing.  Nailing this stuff down now will give you the peace of mind to know your IHT planning is effective and will provide your...