The Making Money Simple Podcast

In this episode I share my brand new Stocks & Shares ISA, why I chose Trading 212, and exactly what I'm investing in.
You can sign up to Trading 212 here
To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR/GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this above link (or use promo code 'MMS' in the app). Terms apply.
This portfolio is part of a brand new investing journey that I'll be sharing on here, including portfolio updates, lessons learned, investing mistakes to avoid, everything I've learnt along the way, and more.
If you've got any questions, let me know and I'll get back to you!
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📝 Get started with investing - I pulled together a 10-page guide, 1-page cheat sheet and 30-day email course (all for free) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
📕 Get my book Stop Waiting, Start Investing (available as a physical, digital and audiobook) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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⚠️ Disclaimers: I am not a financial advisor and this does not represent financial advice, it is for entertainment purposes only. Please seek professional advice to get the best information for your personal situation. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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📥 Get in touch - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here
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⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 - My brand new Stocks ISA
00:37 - Why I chose Trading 212
03:55 - What I'm investing in
05:30 - ETF 1
08:20 - ETF 2
12:20 - My portfolio split
13:35 - my plan

Will from @nextgenngpf joins me on this episode - my first ever street interview!
Do you like this style of content?
In this one we discuss Will's portfolio, the platforms he uses, the actual investments he makes, and a lot more!
And if you're interested, you can sign up to Trading 212
To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR/GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this above link (or use promo code 'MMS' in the app). Terms apply.
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📝 Get started with investing - I pulled together a 10-page guide, 1-page cheat sheet and 30-day email course (all for free) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
📕 Get my book Stop Waiting, Start Investing (available as a physical, digital and audiobook) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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⚠️ Disclaimers: I am not a financial advisor and this does not represent financial advice, it is for entertainment purposes only. Please seek professional advice to get the best information for your personal situation. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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📥 Get in touch - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠

Get started with investing (free guide & course) click here
How I can help you (The Investing Academy) click here
Top broker sign-up offers are here
I hit 12,000 subscribers on YouTube, so thought I'd do a Q&A.
This is the first ever Q&A I've done and I'm answering some of your investing questions from Instagram and YouTube.
We cover a wide range of topics, including bonds, Stocks & Shares ISAs, SIPPs, Trading 212 vs Vanguard, retirement planning, factor investing, portfolio strategy, and much more.
A huge thank you to everyone who has subscribed, watched, commented and supported my YouTube channel and my Podcast.
I genuinely appreciate your support!
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📝 Get started with investing - I pulled together a 10-page guide, 1-page cheat sheet and 30-day email course (all for free) to help you start investing - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
📕 Get my book Stop Waiting, Start Investing (available as a physical book, digital book and audiobook) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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⚠️ Disclaimers: I am not a financial advisor and this does not represent financial advice, it is for entertainment purposes only. Please seek professional advice to get the best information for your personal situation. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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📥 Get in touch - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:41 Q1: Is VANGRS the Best Bond Fund for Retirement?
03:08 Q2: Should You Switch Your SIPP from Vanguard to
Trading 212?
05:55 Q3: Can You Retire Before Pension Age Using an ISA?
08:54 Q4: ISA & DC Pension Tax-Efficient Drawdown?
09:39 Q5: What's the Best Junior Stocks & Shares ISA?
11:09 Q6: Should You Add Factor Investing to Your Portfolio?
12:48 Q7: Will £1 Million Be Enough to Retire?
15:09 Q8: Is It Too Late to Start Investing?
17:12 Q9: How Will I Transition from Wealth Accumulation to
Wealth Preservation?
20:32 Q10: How Much Is Too Much for a Shot of Tequila?
21:27 Q11: Thanks for your support!
21:51 Q12: Which SIPP Platform Is Best?
25:13 Q13: Is It Too Late to Buy Marvell Stock?
27:38 Q14: Should You Add the FTSE 100 Alongside a Global Index Fund?
30:37 Final Thoughts

📈 Join The Investing Academy here!
In this video we go through my investment portfolio - an update as of the end of June 2026.
Including: what accounts I use, what I actually invest in, how my portfolio is performing so far this year, what I've been investing in this year, and more.
I hope this helps. If you have any questions or thoughts please let me know in the comments below!
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📝 Get started with investing - I pulled together a 10-page guide, 1-page cheat sheet and 30-day email course (all for free) to help you start investing - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
📕 Get my book Stop Waiting, Start Investing (available as a physical book, digital book and audiobook) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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⚠️ Disclaimers: I am not a financial advisor and this does not represent financial advice, it is for entertainment purposes only. Please seek professional advice to get the best information for your personal situation. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
-----------------------------------------
📥 Get in touch - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Time for an update
0:56 - The numbers
2:53 - Vanguard UK
9:13 - Vanguard Australia
13:15 - HL
14:13 - Trading 212
14:50 - Freetrade
16:15 - Crypto
18:05 - Final thoughts

Tom from @moneycoachtom joined me on this podcast episode to discuss - perhaps controversially - the financial advice industry.
Sometimes categorised by high fees and a lack of transparency, which begs the question: is a financial advisor actually worth it?
For some people, maybe. For others, maybe not.
In this episode we get into when a financial advisor isn't (or is) worth it, the questions you need to ask your financial advisor ASAP, how to actually get value, some horror stories, and more.
Listen to the episode for the full details!
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📝 Get started with investing - I pulled together a 10-page guide, 1-page cheat sheet and 30-day email course (all for free) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
📕 Get my book Stop Waiting, Start Investing (available as a physical, digital and audiobook) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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⚠️ Disclaimers: I am not a financial advisor and this does not represent financial advice, it is for entertainment purposes only. Please seek professional advice to get the best information for your personal situation. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
-----------------------------------------
📥 Get in touch - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠
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Timestamps:
3:50 - What questions should you ask your FA?
8:45 - What about fees and value add?
13:55 - Further things to ask your FA
24:59 - What about the rise of ‘financial influencers’?
34:22 - What are some of the worse FA examples?
41:51 - When is a FA actually useful?
47:21 - What should you do?