AJ Bell Money Matters

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Laura and Danni explore the common myth that cohabiting couples have the same rights as married couples or those in a civil partnership under what many people refer to as “common law marriage”.  Spoiler alert: they don’t, even if they have children together. And if their relationship breaks down or one of the couple passes away, they could find themselv...

On this episode Laura and Danni get you up to date on all the price rises that came in on April Fool’s Day – from broadband and mobile costs to council tax and the end of the energy support. They also give you some tips to help spring clean your money. Our guest this week tackles the tricky issue of the lack of women in the finance industry – still only 12% of UK fund managers are women. But Danni...

On this episode Danni Hewson and Laura Suter look at the details of the big childcare promises in the latest Budget. The chancellor’s new proposals for free childcare hours from nine months and up have been cautiously welcomed by many parents, but we lay out how the scheme will actually work and the potential pitfalls. Our guest this week is the Financial Times’ Claer Barrett, who has taken on the...

On this special episode of the Money Matters podcast, we are celebrating International Women’s Day and Danni and Laura discuss this year’s theme which is “Embrace Equity”. Our campaign, which aims to help women feel more confident in their finances and narrow the gender investment gap, has been going just over a year and Laura catches up with Baroness Helena Morrissey, who has been campaigning for...

Romance is in the air, as Danni and Laura grab the confetti and chat about the rising cost of getting hitched. With the average wedding now costing more than £18,000, the pair take you through different ways to save and where to get the best rates to help protect your cash from inflation. Danni also chats to one woman who made it her mission to have her dream wedding without breaking the bank. Lau...

On the latest episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura update you on where we stand with those energy bills. With government help being scaled back from April, they discuss what might happen as wholesale energy costs fall and take you through what to do if you’re struggling to pay your bill. With lots of pressures on people’s budgets at the moment, we know money worries can have a real...

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura go back to basics and talk you through what a recession is, whether the UK is in one and if there’s anything you can do to help prepare your finances for a downturn. Danni also chats to Pearl Akintola from the credit reference agency Experian about credit scores, to find out what they are, how you find yours and what you can do to improv...

In the first Money Matters podcast of 2023 Danni and Laura discuss New Year resolutions and the pressure to get fitter, healthier and more motivated. January’s dark nights and wet weather might dampen the appeal of heading out for a run, but they’re perfect for getting your finances in shape.  We run through five tips to detox your finances and become financially fitter for the year ahead. Danni a...

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura give you the lowdown on inflation. It’s been making headlines all year and prices just keep going up and up.  But exactly what is inflation, is there any sign things might ease in the new year and how does raising interest rates help to bring it down? One thing’s for sure rising prices are making budgeting this Christmas particularly har...

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni chats to podcast sensations the Scummy Mummies about why money is still a massive taboo.  Comedy duo Ellie Gibson and Helen Thorn are currently on a UK tour and while their audience is happy to share stories about parenting failure, sexual misadventures and hangover woes, they very rarely mention money. Both mums have had their own financial trial...

The recent Budget will have a big impact on all our pockets. But fear not, Danni and Laura are here to tell you what all of the economic jargon and boring tax changes mean for your money. And Black Friday is looming, which can be a time to grab a great bargain – but also a tricky time to avoid overspending. To help you navigate (and survive) the big shopping day we’ve enlisted Karen Hasid, the mum...

Laura and Danni are back with a slightly new feel Money Matters podcast and on this episode, they’ve drafted in the big guns, Instagram sensation Heidi Ondrak. The “Duchess of Thrift” shares her secrets for cutting the cost of Christmas this year.  She’s got loads of money saving tips and tricks which can help you cope with the perils of pester power and enjoy the festive season without the debt h...

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura talk about another life event that can have a huge impact on a woman’s working life. Menopause typically affects women between the ages of 45 and 55 and one in four women surveyed said it had impacted their working life. Confidence takes the biggest knock and 6% of women going through the menopause said they’d had to reduce their hours a...

On this special episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura pick apart the new Chancellor’s Budget and explain how the new measures might affect you. From tax cuts and stamp duty being slashed, to help with energy bills and changes to universal credit. They also talk about what the downbeat market reaction has done to the value of the pound and why that really matters – as well as looking...

This episode of the Money Matters podcast is your download-and-keep guide to buying a house. Danni and Laura have enlisted a couple of fantastic guests to talk through the ins and outs of every stage of getting on, or stepping up, the housing ladder. You’ll get tips on how to position yourself as the perfect buyer, the lowdown on all those tricky mortgage terms, and crucially, hear how much everyt...

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura tell you everything you need to know about saving for a deposit to buy a home. They chat to two women who took very different paths on the way to fulfilling their house buying dreams. A house is normally the biggest purchase you’ll ever make and one that requires some serious saving in order to cobble together the deposit required. There...

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura are talking kids and money. Many people want to give their children a savings cushion, to help them with everything from education costs to buying a car or house. Laura catches up with Charlene Young, AJ Bell’s pensions and savings expert, about how to navigate all the options from ISAs to pensions, and how investing little and often can...

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura discuss the issue of childcare costs. With inflation shooting up and options hard to come by after lockdowns pushed a number of providers to quit or close, prices are at an all-time high. We hear from a number of mums about how they’re coping by using family to fill in or by quitting work altogether. We talk through the help that’s avail...

This episode of the Money Matters podcast digs into student finances, how much debt will you end up with, when do you start to pay it back and how do you support yourself whilst you’re studying? The latest figures from the Student Loans Company show the total national student debt is valued at £161 billion. Danni talks to two graduates from the University of Leeds, Bronwen Jones and Connie Steen,...

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast, Danni and Laura talk about the big choices being faced by millions of school leavers. Whilst many will choose to stay in full-time education, others will be thinking about applying for their first job or considering an apprenticeship. They discuss the financial implications of those decisions and Laura catches up with Paula Wharrier, AJ Bell’s recruitm...

In this episode, Laura chats to Kate Stephens, the CEO of Smart Works, which has helped over 20,000 women return to work. That includes Sam Gilbert, who tells Danni how the charity helped her start a new job this spring. The Money Matters team also discuss the barriers of getting back into the workplace, particularly if you’ve been out of work for a long time – whether that’s because of studying o...

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast, Danni and Laura tackle an issue on a lot of listeners minds right now – how do you go about asking for and getting a pay rise? With the labour market so tight, it might seem like the perfect time to push your employer for more money. And as inflation soars, a bit of extra cash in pay packets would certainly help. Laura chats to one Money Matters listen...

On this episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast, Laura and Danni strip investing back to its bare bones with the help of two fantastic guests. Prerna Khemlani, founder of This Girl Invests, breaks down investing jargon with Laura, and Danni chats to Abby Glennie, fund manager at Abrdn, about how she builds and runs a fund.

This episode of the Money Matters podcast tackles the thorny issue of investing mistakes. Danni Hewson and Laura Suter share their regrets about their money journeys and hear from members of the AJ Bell team about things they wish they’d done differently. But perhaps the most common investing mistake is not getting started soon enough – or not investing at all. To learn more, Danni chats with co-f...

In this week’s AJ Bell Money Matters podcast, Laura chats with Chanelle Pattinson, a financial planner, about the differences between financial planning, coaching and advice. And Danni catches up with Charlene Young, an AJ Bell pensions expert, who delves into all the other options and resources out there to help you get in control of your finances.