Skint

Connie and Mik take on the FIRE movement this week, financial independence, retire early, and try to get their heads round how it actually works. The maths behind saving 40 to 70% of your income to retire by 35 or 40 The 25 times rule and the 4% withdrawal rule explained Why FIRE savers can’t touch their pension pot until much later in life Real examples of people who’ve retired early, including a...

This week Connie and Mik break down the rumours circulating ahead of the budget. They cover talk of equalising capital gains tax with income tax, changes to the mansion tax threshold, the pension tax free lump sum, and Andy Burnham’s comments on the state pension triple lock. Mik explains which rumours are likely to hold and which ones probably won’t. With bullet points: Connie and Mik go through...

This week Skint welcomes Sally, who opens up about getting into serious credit card debt after her divorce. What started as one gifted credit card turned into a two year spiral of designer shopping, hidden bags under her desk, and a debt she told nobody about. She talks through what finally made her ask for help, and how she rebuilt her relationship with money from the ground up. We cover: How eas...

The financial industry loves its jargon, and this episode is here to fix that. Connie and Mik go through the terms you hear all the time but nobody ever really explains. The Bank of England, the Fed, and why interest rate decisions are kept independent from politicians The FCA and the difference between financial conduct and financial stability Passive vs active investing, and what "alpha&quo...

Mik was nearly scammed. A scarily professional WhatsApp message asked him to "verify" his card for a holiday booking in Sicily, reference number and all. On this episode of Skint, Connie and Mik break down what happened and the other scams doing the rounds right now. The fake booking confirmation that had all his details, down to arrival and departure dates The O2 phone scam where frauds...

Buying a house in England is famously one of the most stressful processes in the world — no real commitment from either side until the very last minute, surprise gazumping, and estate agents with zero formal qualifications. In this episode of Skint, Connie and Mik dig into the government's proposed overhaul of the home-buying system. Sales packs : sellers disclose chain position, covenants, le...

ISAs were designed to be simple, tax-efficient savings accounts, but over time, they’ve gotten surprisingly complex. In this episode of Skint, host Mik breaks down everything you need to know about Individual Savings Accounts. The discussion covers: ISA Types & Limits: Navigating the £20,000 annual allowance across Cash, Stocks & Shares, Lifetime (LISA), and Innovative Finance ISAs. Junior...

In this episode of Skint, Connie sits down with Debbie, a chartered accountant and former Deloitte partner, to break down the complex worlds of corporate finance, career progression, and personal data privacy. Debbie shares her 23-year journey through professional services, the realities of navigating high-level finance roles as a woman, and how she managed work-life integration while raising a fa...

Holiday season is here. Let's make sure your money goes as far as you do. Mik breaks down the stuff most of us get wrong when it comes to spending money abroad. Which exchange rates are actually good, which ones are quietly robbing you, and why where you convert your money matters more than you think. He also covers prepaid travel cards, what to watch out for with data roaming charges and the...

The government made a squirrel to fix your finances. Let's talk about it. The government has launched a new campaign to get the UK investing. It's called Invest for the Future. It's fronted by a cartoon squirrel. Mik breaks down what the Savvy Squirrel campaign actually is, who's behind it and why it exists. He explains how there are billions of pounds just sitting in cash ISAs and savings account...

What if the way you think about money is the thing holding you back? This week Mik takes a step back from the numbers and paints a bigger picture. He walks us through the psychology behind how most of us think about earning, spending, status and investing, and why those instincts don't always work in our favour. He breaks down how thinking about risk earlier, understanding probability and spre...

Renters... you just got more rights! Mik breaks down every right renters have gained under the new Renters Rights Act 2026. How it's now easier to hold landlords accountable, and a whole lot harder for them to infringe on your rights as a tenant. Connie reflects on her own experiences as a renter... and let's just say it's a story worth hearing. There's a lot to unpack in this one, but don't worry...

I have to say, the chemistry is off the charts... This week we've got a very special guest. Brenda, who some of you might know as Mik's partner, joins the pod to share her money story from the very beginning. She opens up about growing up when money was tight, the habits that came from that, and why saving became non-negotiable for her. She also breaks down her personal money rules, including the...

What do the world's most successful investors actually know that we don't? Mik walks us through some of the most famous quotes in investing, and goes deep on what each one really means, why it matters and how it actually applies to you! Together they get into the good and the bad. Where following this advice could genuinely pay off, and where it could all go horribly wrong. And yes, Connie...

Hmm... I wonder if Connie is absolutely loving every single second of this challenge. Mik kicks things off by breaking down exactly how Cash Bootcamp works and the thinking behind it. The rules, the reason, and what it actually takes to survive a skint challenge. Connie gets checked in on... is she sticking to the budget or quietly bending the rules? And more importantly, how much did she spend on...

Checked your student loan balance recently ? ... Mik opens with the recent campaigns pushing for change, and breaks down what’s actually going on with Plan 2 specifically -the headlines, the noise, and what it could mean if you’re one of the millions still chipping away at yours. Connie takes a trip down memory lane to her own student loan days, and asks the question everyone’s secretly wondering…...

As of the 6th of April, how we report tax has changed 🥲 Mik outlines what’s actually changing and why this could affect a lot of you. The way we report tax is moving online, more regularly, and with less room for “I’ll sort it later”. Connie asks the practical questions. How do people actually do this, who does it affect, and what it means day to day if you are self-employed or earning outside a...

Cash just hits different. Mik outlines the idea behind the initiative and it turns out when people have tried this before, they often end up spending less without even trying. They also touch on why cash still matters more than people think. Like the Milan blackout, where digital payments suddenly stopped working and cash became essential again. If you have ever checked your bank account and wonde...

Cash just hits different. Mik outlines the idea behind Cash Bootcamp and how people have tried this before, they often end up spending less without even trying! Connie is, understandably, a bit reluctant. But that is kind of the point. Physically handing over cash forces you to think twice, whereas contactless makes it dangerously easy to spend without noticing. They also talk about why cash still...

Strap in, it’s tax season, and yes, there’s a lot of it. Mik runs through some of the key changes from the latest budget, including the freeze on tax thresholds and why that matters more than it sounds. Yes, technically nothing has changed, but somehow you might still end up paying more. Connie and Mik unpack how things like salary sacrifice and dividend tax fit into the picture, what they mean in...

Gold, that shiny metal - and yes, Trump is involved. Mik opens with why gold is back in the spotlight and how political decisions, including Trump’s tariffs, can push investors toward it when uncertainty rises. Turns out when things feel unstable, people tend to like things that have been around for a few thousand years. Connie and Mik unpack what actually drives the price of gold. Why it goes up...

You owned the flat but not the ground under it? ... sounds silly - (it's real, and on its way out) For the first time in a long while, the idea of owning your home without also renting the ground beneath it might actually become normal. Revolutionary, we know. Connie and Mik talk through how commonhold works, what the reforms are trying to fix, and why the current leasehold system has been cri...

Universal Credit - the system designed to simplify benefits… results may vary. Mik opens with why Universal Credit was created in the first place. The idea behind it, what problem it was meant to solve, and how bringing several benefits into one system was supposed to make support simpler. Connie and Mik unpack what Universal Credit actually is and how it works in practice. Who it was designed for...

Renting just got new rules, because housing was so simple before. Mik outlines the key changes in the Renters’ Rights Act. What is actually changing, how it could affect your finances, and what it means in practice for both tenants and landlords. It turns out housing policy is a lot more connected to everyday money than most people realise. Connie brings in what is happening with rent levels right...

You’re telling me we can’t predict what’s going to happen… even with all the experts? Mik explains who actually sits behind major economic decisions. The advisors whose job it is to analyse the numbers before policies are announced. It turns out there are a lot more spreadsheets involved than most of us imagine. Connie and Mik unpack how government forecasting works, and why even with experts in t...