Headsup On Money

'Markets in turmoil' 'S&P 500 experiences record losses'  'FTSE crashes on market opening'.  How can you remain focused on your financial plan in the digital age we are in?  With notifications of financial armageddon seemingly always around us, there are some simple steps you can take to tune out the noise and remain true to your financial plan.  Join Benjamin Mit...

In this episode Benjamin outlines the '3 Ps' of financial planning and how you should direct your focus to maximise your chance of financial success.  It's not as complicated as it may seem.  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 pers...

The Mansion House Accord has worrying implications for your pension and your retirement planning.  Fortunately, you can do something about this and don't have to accept the changes that are now due to come in to effect.  If you have a workplace pension scheme and you've never bothered to review the fund you're invested in within that workplace pension then this is the episode for yo...

Headsup on Money is 100 today! In this special episode Benjamin reflects on the key learns over the last 100 episodes of the podcast and shares some personal stories to help you get to know him better.  Thank you to the money nerds out there for your support.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financial jargon, as he helps make your finances clearer and ensures you never make...

Wondered what would happen to your bank account savings in the event your bank was to default?  Heard of the FSCS?  Benjamin explains everything you need to know in this week's episode.  Here's the link referred to in the show.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financial jargon, as he helps make your finances clearer and ensures you never make another financial mist...

What lessons can we take into our financial planning from the regrets of the dying?  Good financial planning should always just be the means to the end; the financial plumbing underpinning your financial goals.  In this episode Benjamin reflects on the top 5 regrets of the dying from Bronnie Ware's highly regarded memoir from her time as a palliative carer. You can find out more about Bronnie...

Is your financial plan based on sound evidence and a rigorous plan, or arbitrary numbers and dates that you've convinced yourself are correct?  I need to retire at age 62.  I need £500,000 in my pension to afford a good retirement.  Are these statements based on fact, or fiction?  Benjamin discusses why it matters in this week's episode.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hat...

Increased complexity doesn't mean better in personal finances.  Whether you have a £100k pension pot or £1m, the underlying investment principles should hold consistent. Benjamin explains why in this episode.  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 y...

It's one of the most common queries posed by retirees. Surely getting your hands on 25% of your pension tax free is an absolute no brainer, right?  In this episode Benjamin discussed the pros and cons to taking your pension tax free cash straight away and hopefully gives you food for thought that it's not as black and white as it may seem.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial h...

Is your life insurance or critical illness plan under Trust? Don't even know what that means, let alone why you would do this?! This is the episode for you.  Benjamin explains all and outlines the tax savings and headaches this can avoid.  As always, free from jargon and guff you don't need.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financial jargon, as he helps make your f...

The answer to this one is perhaps not what you expect.  Benjamin explains all in this episode.  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 finances doesn't need to be complicated or scary. Arm yourself with the only knowledge you need to tr...

So we're into the new tax year at last.  If you didn't start taking control of your money in the last tax year then you're probably feeling pretty unmotivated right now.  In this episode Benjamin explains why it's not sensible to dwell on the past and instead keep your eyes forward and start planning now with a fresh and positive mindset.  The new tax year has started, and now...

For some investors the current market volatility will be their first real taste of portfolio volatility.  In this episode Benjamin provides a reminder that what you're currently seeing isn't a bug of the system, it's a feature of investing.  Staying true to your financial plan will reward investors in the long-term, even if Donald Trump has other short-term goals.  Join Benjamin Mit...

As ludicrous as this sounds, if you've never been a member of a registered pension scheme then you should strongly consider opening a pension, even if you elect to pay nothing into it.  Why? Because not doing so could hamper your ability to use carry forward in future tax years.  This is a time sensitive action and something you should consider doing before the end of the current tax year.  F...

Understanding this crucial rule can allow you to pay more into your pension than you may think you're able to.  But it's not without its complications and caveats.  Wondering where to start and what this rule even means?  Benjamin explains all in this episode and as always keeps this as high level as possible, and free from jargon so that you can understand how this might benefit your fi...

This one is an important one.  The opportunity to pay for early missing state pension years is closing on the 5th April 2025. After this date you can only go back the preceding 6 tax years.  This might not sound a big deal, but you could be missing out on your full state pension if you don't act now. This episode is your starting point and will help you to consider whether paying for these mi...

Following on from last week's episode, here Benjamin outlines the main behavioural finance theories that are impacting our chances of investment success.  How many are you guilty of?  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 finances does...

By now the diligent money nerds out there should realise that successful investing is really very simple.  But in spite of this we still struggle to achieve good investment outcomes.  Research shows that investor personal returns are often far less than the returns of the assets they actually invest in.  In this week's episode Benjamin explains what may be causing this and why it matters so m...

With so many acronyms and confusing terms accompanying the world of personal finance it's no surprise so many of us bury our heads in the sand.  Thankfully, this episode will explain these apparently complex terms into simple language that you'll understand so you can make better financial life decisions.  This one's a fun one.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of...

Why abandon your investment principles when you reach retirement age?  As you near retirement, inevitably there will be products out there that catch your eye, often cleverly marketed to prey on your insecurities and apprehensions going into retirement.  Listen to this episode to learn why ignoring them will give your retirement journey the best chance of success.  Being a disciplined investor doe...

In this episode Benjamin chats about why the most rewarding financial plans are created through transparency and planning together.  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 finances doesn't need to be complicated or scary. Arm yourself w...

You've potentially heard there are some pretty massive changes coming into effect in April 2027 regarding how your pensions are counted for Inheritance Tax purposes.  Wondering what's going on, and whether it affects you or not?  If so, what should you now be starting to think about?  In this episode Benjamin explains everything you need to think about and do when it comes to planning fo...

In this short episode Benjamin shares a tip on how to work around buyer's remorse. It's unlikely to ever go away in entirety, but recognising its existence is the first step in starting to plan around it.  Buyer's remorse will appear at many junctures in your financial plan, as explained in this short and sweet episode, free from jargon as always.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneysc...

The 2024 budget was rife with speculation around pensions... the banishment of tax free cash, the restriction of tax relief, reintroduction of the lifetime allowance. Yo-yo. Swing-swing. U-turn. It's little wonder so many are disenchanted with retirement planning.  In this episode Benjamin suggests an alternative way.  Join Benjamin Mitchell (themoneyscot), serial hater of financial jargon, a...

In this episode Benjamin has a suggestion for how to inject some colour and enjoyment into your financial planning.  At this time of year it can be pretty hard to motivate yourself when it comes to good financial management, but there is one way to bring some fun to your personal finances.  Listen to this episode to understand what you need to do and how to realign your focus to return on experien...