Informed Choice Radio Personal Finance Podcast

Anyone who has learned a financial lesson the hard way has probably thought, "I wish I knew that sooner". We've all got financial regrets, some big and some small. My guest on the podcast today wants people to have access to the right financial information at the right time, before they do the wrong thing. Sten Morgan is a Certified Financial Planner and founded Legacy Investment Planning as an alternative to traditional financial advisers. He's on a mission to bring creativity back to the financial industry and to help as many people as possible avoid the financial regrets that come from wishing they would have known sooner. In our conversation today, we discuss the importance of focusing on the big financial decisions, why the cash emergency fund needs an urgent rethink, and how the pandemic has influenced our financial decision making. Here’s my conversation with Sten Morgan, author of Wish I Knew That Sooner, in episode 557 of Informed Choice Radio.

Crypto is always in the headlines, with a growing number of people speculating on Bitcoin, Ethereum and other tokens. But, along with the rest of the financial industry, scams are rife. Thousands of people lost billions of dollars in the OneCoin scam, masterminded by the now infamous Missing Cryptoqueen, called 'one of the biggest scams in history'. How can you protect yourself from losing out? My guest on the podcast today is Erica Stanford, a crypto expert and educator. Erica is author of Crypto Wars: Faked Deaths, Missing Billions & Industry Disruption, highlighting the real stories behind some of the biggest crypto scams in the world. She's founder of crypto networking and events organisation the Crypto Curry Club, and a lecturer at Warwick Business School. In this conversation, I chat with Erica about distinguishing between the use case for crypto and the scam element of the industry, what some of the crypto scams look like, and the things you need to watch out for to avoid being scammed. Here's my conversation with Erica Stanford, author of Crypto Wars, in episode 556 of Informed Choice Radio.

What has the pandemic taught us about wealth and what my guests today refer to as 'funded contentment'? I'm delighted to welcome back to Informed Choice Radio two of my favourite people from the world of behavioural finance. Brian Portnoy is one of the world’s leading experts on the psychology of money.   He has written multiple bestselling books, including The Geometry of Wealth, and has 20+ years of experience as investor and educator in the hedge fund and mutual fund industries.  He is a CFA Charterholder and earned a PhD at the University of Chicago.  Neil Bage is an expert at bridging complex behavioral science with practical, tech-enabled application. He has served as a Chief Behavioral Officer for a UK-based financial planning firm and was the founder of an award-winning behavioral technology business. Neil has presented to thousands of business professionals around the world on human evolution, human biology, and behavioral psychology. As experts in psychology, finance, technology, and learning, Brian, Neil and their colleagues at Shaping Wealth combine science and story to show people how to underwrite a meaningful life. It’s what they call "funded contentment." Here’s my conversation with Brian Portnoy and Neil Bage of Shaping Wealth, in episode 555 of Informed Choice Radio.

The recent high-profile ITV documentary ‘Kate Garraway: Finding Derek’ highlighted the severe issue of losing mental capacity. This documentary is about Kate’s struggle to support her Husband Derek, in a year-long battle with Covid-19, has been only complicated by the lack of legal protections. Kate has been unable to manage her husband’s care or manage his finances. She did not even have the right to see his medical information. But what happens when you or a loved one loses mental capacity, and you can’t make financial or healthcare decisions on their behalf? There is an effective legal tool available, the Lasting Power of Attorney, that can prevent a great deal of stress and cost at what is already a challenging time. My guest on the podcast today is Emily Taylor, Partner at BDB Pitmans. Emily specialises in tax planning, trusts, estate administration and drafting of wills and powers of attorney. She has a wealth of experience dealing with a wide range of private client matters in particular high net worth estates including those with foreign property. She also deals with Court of Protection matters and is a Court Appointed Deputy with clients all over the UK. In this conversation, Emily explains how a Lasting Power of Attorney works, why we are thinking more about this legal instrument in light of Covid, and the practical steps to follow when putting your LPA in place. Here’s my conversation with Emily Taylor, Partner of BDB Pitmans, in episode 554 of Informed Choice Radio.

Businesses in England could stimulate the economy by as much as £61 billion by 2025, if they proactively develop new wellbeing strategies and improve underperforming ones. With many employees thinking about a return to the workplace in the coming months, wellbeing will be front of mind during this critical transition. My guest on the podcast today is Vicky Walker, Head of People at Westfield Health. Vicky has more than 25 years’ experience in HR. She believes it is the role of HR to act as the conscience of an organisation and the voice of its employees in the boardroom. In this episode, we discuss the findings of the new report, Coping with Covid: The Hidden Cost to Businesses (and their People), which takes a look at business attitudes towards wellbeing and its role in the workplace. Here’s my conversation with Vicky Walker, Head of People at Westfield Health, in episode 553 of Informed Choice Radio.

4 in 10 women struggle with their financial wellbeing as a result of a focus on short-term finances. According to the latest Aegon Financial Wellbeing Index, women wait until later in life than men to determine what they truly want from their finances. In this episode of Talking Money, Martin and Hannah discuss why women's financial wellbeing is suffering because of a focus on short-term finances. They also look at the new rules being introduced by the FCA to stamp out the systematic scam of insurer price walking, and they talk about new research that suggests we are counting our inheritance chickens before they hatch. Welcome to episode 20 of Talking Money, with Martin Bamford and Hannah Godfrey. In each episode of Talking Money, we take a topical look at the big money stories of the week, putting our personal spin on the news.

My guest on the podcast today found himself deeply in debt, despite earning significant amounts of money in his career. He came to realise that what he didn't understand about money was really hurting him. It was the right time to get a strong financial education. Dave Mason is the author of The Cash Machine, a novel that charts the rollercoaster relationship of characters Amber and Dylan, teaching the reader hundreds of money lessons along the way. In our conversation today, we talk about the importance of money in relationships, why you need a clear purpose before seeking financial independence, and the secret to finding the answers you already know. Here's my conversation with Dave Mason, author of The Cash Machine, in episode 551 of Informed Choice Radio.

The absence of a renewed economic strategy in the UK risks creating a relative decline in the coming years. That's according to a new report from the Resolution Foundation, The UK's Decisive Decade. In this episode of Talking Money, Martin and Hannah discuss the five seismic changes to our society and economy that require a clear strategy to avoid disaster. Also in this episode, why the latest official payroll data looks good but hides some worrying numbers, and how one business is measuring the carbon footprint of its staff who are working from home. Welcome to episode 19 of Talking Money, with Martin Bamford and Hannah Godfrey. In each episode of Talking Money, we take a topical look at the big money stories of the week, putting our personal spin on the news.

The pandemic has forced a huge number of people to work from home. In some cases, this enforced change in our working practice has been a revelation; life became instantly better overnight, with distractions removed and hours each day saved in commuting time. For others, working from home is a living nightmare, and they can’t wait to get back to the office. My guest on the podcast today has written the book about working from home productively. Cynthia Spraggs is a nomadic traveller who got her Masters degree in telecommuting in the mid-90s, when remote working was still an alternative approach. She has worked remotely exclusively since 1993, from all over the world. As President and CEO of Virtira, she leads a team that implements processes, standardised tools and facilitators to make sure that everyone, no matter where they are, stays on track and accountable. In our conversation today, Cynthia explains why some people are suited to remote working and why others are most definitely not; we talk about Zoom fatigue and how to overcome the exhaustion that comes with being on camera; and we discuss how a hybrid working pattern might work – or might fail spectacularly. Here’s my conversation with Cynthia Spraggs, author of How to Work from Home and Actually Get Sh*t Done, in episode 549 of Informed Choice Radio.

The post-pandemic rental market outlook is clouded by economic uncertainty and shifts in housing preferences. In this episode of Talking Money, Martin and Hannah discuss new figures showing a decline in the private rented sector, following almost two decades of rapid expansion. Also in this episode, why the new Breathing Space scheme for those in problem debt comes at the perfect time, and the jobs outlook for older workers as the furlough scheme comes to an end. Welcome to episode 18 of Talking Money, with Martin Bamford and Hannah Godfrey. In each episode of Talking Money, we take a topical look at the big money stories of the week, putting our personal spin on the news.