Informed Choice Radio Personal Finance Podcast

When a pseudonymous programmer introduced "a new electronic cash system that's fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party" to a small online mailing list in 2008, very few paid attention. Ten years later, and against all odds, this upstart autonomous decentralized software offers an unstoppable and globally-accessible hard money alternative to modern central banks. In this episode I'm joined by economist Dr Saifedean Ammous. In his book The Bitcoin Standard, he analyzes the historical context to the rise of Bitcoin, the economic properties that have allowed it to grow quickly, and its likely economic, political, and social implications. While Bitcoin is a new invention of the digital age, the problem it purports to solve is as old as human society itself; transferring value across time and space. Is Bitcoin mining a waste of energy? Is Bitcoin for criminals? Who controls Bitcoin, and can they change it if they please? There are so many questions surrounding Bitcoin, crypto-assets and the blockchain right now. In this episode, we seek the answers. Here’s my conversation with Saifedean Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard, in episode 357 of Informed Choice Radio.

In this episode, we're talking about divorce and separation. It's been in the press a lot this week, with the government considering changes to the law to remove fault from divorce, and also a warning from Age UK that women are missing out on pensions as a result of failing to consider them in divorce. We hear from Katherine Muldoon, a solicitor in the family law team at Slater and Gordon Lawyers in London.

In this episode I'm joined by legendary personal finance podcaster Pete Matthew. Pete's written his first book, it's called The Meaningful Money Handbook. Rather than read out an author bio, I wanted to share a testimonial for the book written by Andy Hart, host of the Maven Money Podcast. Andy said: "Pete has shared more financial wisdom with more people than anyone I know. He is not only a credit to our mighty profession, he’s a credit to humanity. He’s on a selfless pursuit to assist those who are willing to take ownership of their financial futures. Money is invisible and financial success is about working on future problems. Pete brings these subjects to life and caringly tells you what you need to know and more importantly what you need to do. This book is long overdue; it deserves to be a bestseller." And I've no doubt it will become a bestseller. The book is out today, Monday 17th September, and we're publishing this episode to coincide with the publication. I've read it, it really is very good indeed. So good that my testimonial is on the front cover. In The Meaningful Money Handbook, Pete guides you through everything you need to KNOW and everything you need to DO to build a secure financial future for yourself and your family. He takes readers through three simple steps: 1. Spend less than you earn and clear debt. 2. Insure against disaster. 3. Build up your savings and invest wisely. No matter your starting position, or your existing level of comfort with dealing with your money, Pete's calm, straightforward and jargon-free approach will appeal to you and help you to set out on the right path. You can find the show notes for this episode, along with some useful links, at icradio.co.uk/355. Please take a moment to say thank you to Pete on Twitter, and wish him every success with his new new book; you can find him @petematthew. Here’s my conversation with Pete Matthew, host of the Meaningful Money Podcast and author of The Meaningful Money Handbook, in episode 355 of Informed Choice Radio.

In this episode, why an exhaustion epidemic is sweeping the UK and how workers can look forward to a four day working week in the future, thanks to efficiency savings from improved technology.

In this episode I’m joined by Lauren Janus, founder of Thoughtful Philanthropy. Thoughtful Philanthropy is a charitable giving advisory service for individuals, families and organisations that want to become informed and empowered philanthropists. With so many worthy charities vying for your attention, how do you create a giving strategy that transforms you into an engaged force for good in support of your issues? This is where the services of a philanthrophic adviser, like Lauren, come in. Lauren graduated with an honours degree in International Relations and devotion to the social change sector. Since then, she’s led change initiatives working for more than 10 years with formidable, for-impact organizations and gained deep insight of the field of nonprofits tackling today’s toughest challenges. Lauren has held positions at AARP, The United Way of the Bay Area, The Alliance for Climate Protection and Oxfam Great Britain. She also has a Masters degree in International Affairs and an MBA from the University of California, Davis. Here’s my conversation with Lauren Janus, founder of Thoughtful Philanthropy, in episode 353 of Informed Choice Radio.

In this episode, is social media driving us into debt? I chat with social media influencer Jasmine Jonas, along with Barclays Bank Head of Savings & Investments Clare Francis, to find out whether influencer impulse is outweighing savvy spending. There's also a roundup of the latest personal finance news, with RBS closing more branches, Ofgem capping energy tariffs and Esther McVey passing the pensions dashboard to industry.

In this episode, I'm pleased to welcome Rodney Hobson back to the show. Rodney is an experienced financial journalist who has held senior editorial positions in the UK and Asia, including Business News Editor for The Times, Business Editor of the Singapore Monitor, Deputy Business Editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review, Head of News at Citywire and Editor of Shares magazine. He has contributed to the Daily Mail, the Independent and Business Franchise Magazine and speaks at investment shows in London. His weekly email issued by financial newswire Hemscott/Morningstar is read by 15,000 subscribers. We're talking today about Rodney's popular book Shares Made Simple: A beginner's guide to the stock market, recently republished for a well deserved second edition. In Shares Made Simple, Rodney tears away the mystique and jargon that surrounds the stock market. He takes you step by step through the most basic concepts of stock market investing, carefully explaining issues such as what shares are and how they are bought and sold, why share prices go up and down, why some companies' shares look cheap while others appear to be expensive, and the hidden traps for the unwary. Rodney's book is all about creating a level playing field between the stock market professionals and the small investor. As rising living standards and inherited cash provide assets for investment, Rodney's message is no-one needs to suffer pitiful bank interest rates when there is real money to be made in sharing the nation's wealth. You can find the show notes for this episode, along with some useful links, at icradio.co.uk/351. Please take a moment to say thank you to Rodney on Twitter, where can you find him @rodneyhobson. Showing our guests some love on Twitter is a great way to support this podcast. Here’s my conversation with Rodney Hobson, a beginner's guide to the stock market, in episode 351 of Informed Choice Radio.

In this episode, it's a double-header! I chat with Alistair McQueen, Head of Savings & Investments at Aviva, about how they are checking up on the work, wealth and wellbeing of their older employees with mid-life MOTs. I also talk about growing speculation the Chancellor could have something up his sleeve for pensions tax relief in the Budget this autumn. There's also a roundup of the latest personal finance news and, of course, the aftershow, where I talk about what's been happening at Informed Choice this week.

Retirement today is the golden era, not the olden one. Everyone I meet who is entering the retirement phase of their life wants to have a life well lived and achieve their big goals. My guest on the podcast today is a fellow financial planner who has written the book on redefining retirement, showing how the post-war baby boomer generation are having an enormous impact on how we lead the later part of our lives. Marlene Outrim was originaly a probation officer for South Glamorgan for 13 years. Anxious for a chance and wanting to become her own boss, she has since worked in financial services for 28 years, establishing her own financial planning practice back in 1991. She started UNIQ Family Wealth in July 2013. She has helped many people, over the years, redefine their retirement and ensure that they could have a ‘Life Well Lived’ and get the most out of their later years. Marlene is the recipient of too many awards to list, but notably the Best Client Engagement Awards at the 2016 Professional Adviser Awards and 2009 Financial Planner of the Year in the New Breed Adviser Awards. She's a Certified Financial Planner, Fellow of the CISI, Chartered Wealth Manager and Chartered Financial Planner, as well as holding numerous other professional qualifications and designations. Her new book, Boomers, shows how longevity, medical breakthroughs and healthier living means that we can all lead meaningful and purposeful lives well into old age. The book sets out the importance of planning to ensure that your money doesn't run out before you do. Here’s my conversation with Marlene Outrim, how to live a life well lived in retirement, in episode 349 of Informed Choice Radio.

In this episode, why you're not saving enough for your care in later life and why a proposed care ISA is a really bad idea. There's also a roundup of the latest personal finance news, and the aftershow, where I share some news from the world of Informed Choice - including an exciting announcement about our new offices in Hampshire.