The Pension Confident Podcast

If you had some spare cash each month, where would you spend it? Overpaying your mortgage or giving your pension savings a boost? Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and Maike Currie, VP Personal Finance at PensionBee, as they discuss the benefits and considerations of making extra payments on your mortgage vs. topping up your pension pot.
 
Episode breakdown
00:38 Inflation, interest and mortgage rates
05:59 Pensions and tax relief
12:00 Getting the order of priority right
14:23 So what should you actually do?
 
Further reading, listening, and watching
To learn more about saving for children, check out these articles, podcasts and videos from PensionBee:
Episode transcript (Blog)
Should you pay more into your mortgage or your pension? (Blog)
What to do when interest rates rise (Blog)
How does inflation affect pensions? (Blog)
Why the Middle East conflict has affected markets, and what it could mean for your investments (Blog)
Pensions and tax: the ultimate guide (Article)
Self-Assessment: what you need to know (Video)
The £100k tax trap: how it works, and what you can do to avoid it (Blog)
ISAs vs. mortgage overpayments (Article)
How much should I have in my pension? (Blog)
Should I take a lump sum from my pension? (Article)
Episode 26: Are you ready for your 100-year life? (Podcast)
Pension age (Article)
Six ways to put together your emergency fund (Blog)
What is a workplace pension? (Article)
How to combine and consolidate your pensions (Article)
What is compounding? (Article)
 
Other useful resources
Interest rates and Bank Rate (Bank of England)
Inflation Calculator (PensionBee)
Pension Tax Relief Calculator (PensionBee)
Mortgage and homes (MoneySaving Expert)
State Pension Age Calculator (PensionBee)
Check your State Pension Forecast (GOV.UK)
 
Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:
The Pension Confident Podcast

The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

 
Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.
Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: podcast@pensionbee.com.

Do you know what your money is invested in? And do you feel confident you're making the right choices? 
Some of us are investing in the 'default' plan, whether that's through a Stocks and Shares ISA or a workplace pension. Others are dabbling in crypto or gold. And many of us aren't even investing at all, preferring the safety of keeping cash tucked away in a savings account.
Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and our expert panel as they discuss investing fundamentals:
Content Creator 'That Money Guy', Gabriel Nussbaum;
Founder and CEO of rainchq, Davinia Tomlinson; and
Senior Investment Content Manager at PensionBee, Matt Batsman.
 
Episode breakdown
02:53 Who's investing today?
04:54 The classic asset mix
07:08 'Reckless caution' and inflation
09:03 Home bias and diversification
11:52 Bonds explained
13:45 Alternative assets and crypto
18:09 Gold, oil and 'flight-to-quality'
19:44 What the panel invests in
23:03 What they panel would never touch
24:25 Biggest investment regrets
28:17 Regulated advice, robo-advisors and AI
30:22 Golden rules to start
 
Further reading, listening and watching
To learn more about investing fundamentals, check out these articles and podcasts from PensionBee:
Episode transcript (Blog)
Investing 101 with Bobby Seagull MBE (Video)
What are Premium Bonds? (Article)
What is a Lifetime ISA? (Article)
What is a workplace pension scheme? (Article)
How to start investing (Article)
Why don't women invest? (Podcast)
What is the stock market? (Article)
What are bonds and how do they work? (Article)
How to work out your risk tolerance (Article)
How does inflation affect pensions? (Article)
How to diversify your pension investments (Blog)
Why do people invest in gold? (Article)
Why the Middle East conflict has affected markets (Blog)
What is a Stocks and Shares ISA? (Article)
What is a personal pension? (Article)
How does market volatility share your pension pot? (Podcast)
What SpaceX's public listing could mean for your pension (Blog)
What is socially responsible investing? (Podcast)
 
Other useful resources
Financial Lives 2024 (Financial Conduct Authority)
How many people invest in the stock market? (Finder)
Bitcoin vs. Ethereum (Just EFT)
Is Day Trading Profitable? (Investopedia)
Cash is Queen (rainchq)
Inflation Calculator (PensionBee)
Flight to Quality: Investor strategies explained (Investopedia)
 
Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:
The Pension Confident Podcast
The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube
 
Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.
Follow Gabriel (@ThatMoneyGuy) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.
Follow rainchq (@rainchq) on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and X.
 
Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: podcast@pensionbee.com.

In this bonus episode, we hear from PensionBee customer Joumana as she shares her pension story. From moving to the UK from Lebanon 13 years ago with no idea a personal pension was even an option, to buying back missing National Insurance years and picking an investment plan that matches her appetite for risk as a freelancer.
We unpack Joumana's pension journey with pensions expert Dani Skerrett from PensionBee, covering:
why the self-employed pension gap exists, and how flexible contributions can help;
how to check and fill gaps in your National Insurance record;
how your pension is protected by the FSCS; and
the Retirement Living Standards, and what they mean for your own retirement goal.
 
Episode breakdown
01:04 Meet Joumana
08:58 How your pension is protected
13:03 Self-employed pension contributions
17:24 The Retirement Living Standards
 
Further reading
To learn more about the topics discussed in this bonus episode, check out these articles from PensionBee:
Episode transcript (Blog)
How much should I have in my pension? (Blog)
How to check your State Pension forecast (Blog)
Is my pension protected by the FSCS? (Article)
Pension contribution limits (Article)
SIPP vs. defined contribution pension: which is the best for self-employed? (Article)
What is the State Pension? (Article)
 
Other useful resources
Check your National Insurance record (GOV.UK)
Pension Calculator (PensionBee)
Retirement Living Standards (Pensions UK)
 
Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:
The Pension Confident Podcast
The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube
Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.
 
Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: podcast@pensionbee.com.

With the kids back at school, is now the time to start saving or investing for their future? Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and Maike Currie, VP Personal Finance at PensionBee, as they break down the key differences between a Junior ISA and a Junior SIPP, how each is taxed, and which one might be right for your family.
 
Episode breakdown
00:51 Junior ISAs and Junior SIPPs at a glance
02:29 How Junior ISAs and Junior SIPPs are taxed
06:07 Cash Junior ISA versus Stocks and Shares Junior ISA
08:04 How to decide between a Junior ISA or Junior SIPP
 
Further reading, listening, and watching
To learn more about saving for children, check out these articles, podcasts and videos from PensionBee:
Episode transcript (Blog)
E8: How to teach kids about money (Podcast)
E28: The Bank of Mum and Dad - what's the impact on your pension? (Podcast)
E42: Should you pay for your kids to go to university? (Podcast)
5 tax allowances to make your savings and investments more tax-efficient in 2026/27 (Blog)
7 of the best ways of giving money to grandchildren (Blog)
Buying a property: the basics - PensionBee's Milestone Moments (Video)
How to diversify your pension investments (Blog)
How to make your child a millionaire (Blog)
What is a Junior ISA? (Article)
What is compounding? (Article)
Should I pay into a pension or an ISA? (Article)
 
Other useful resources
Junior Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) (GOV.UK)
Junior pensions: what is a junior SIPP and how does it work? (Unbiased)
 
Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:
The Pension Confident Podcast
The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube
Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.
 
Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: podcast@pensionbee.com.

We're over halfway through Series 5, and it's already covered a lot of ground: whether marriage makes financial sense, what to do if you're 50 years old with nothing saved for retirement, how to stop lifestyle creep swallowing your pay rise, and plenty more.
So our Host, Philippa Lamb, pulled Series Producer, Lucy Greenwell, out from behind the glass to argue over their favourite moments from the 33 guests who've joined the podcast so far this year.
 
Episode breakdown
01:42 Best episode for first-time listeners
04:20 Most surprising number
08:16 Funniest episode
10:40 Best money tip
13:44 Most shocking moment
 
Catch up on all of Series 5 of The Pension Confident Podcast today!
 
Explainer Episodes
Bonus episode: What does the 2026/27 tax year mean for your finances? With Maike Currie
Bonus episode: How much can you contribute into your pension each year? With Maike Currie
Bonus episode: Should you buy Premium Bonds or save into a Cash ISA? With Maike Currie
Bonus episode: How does market volatility shape your pension pot? With Maike Currie
 
Customer Episodes
Bonus episode: "I stopped paying into my pension for 20 years" With Rachael Oku and PensionBee customer, Tara-Jane
Bonus episode: "I work as a handyman to top up my pension income" With Rachael Oku and PensionBee customer, Tony
Bonus episode: "I switched my pension so it complies with my faith" With Rachael Oku and PensionBee customer, Sanna
Bonus episode: "A life-changing diagnosis refocused me on my beneficiaries" With Dani Skerrett and PensionBee customer, David
Bonus episode: "As soon as I left that job, the pension stopped" With Dani Skerrett and PensionBee customer, Becca
Bonus episode: "I've often said that I retired when nobody wanted me anymore" With Dani Skerrett and PensionBee customer, Nigel
Bonus episode: "I put my money where my mouth is" With Veronica Morozova and PensionBee customer, Sally
Bonus episode: "There's no point being the richest person in the graveyard" With Veronica Morozova and PensionBee customer, Andy
 
Full Episodes
E46: How to bounce back from redundancy with Jimmy McLoughlin OBE, Eleanor Mills, and Emma Ferenc-Bachelor
E47: The 'Singles Tax' - how much is it costing you? With Bobby Seagull MBE, Emma Barnes, and Valentina Adaldo
E48: Are you ready for the 'great wealth transfer'? With Niaz Azad, Annaliese Barber, and Dan Stean
E49: Can you still make money as a Buy-to-Let landlord? With Anna Pearce and Michael Annis
E50: Starting a pension from £0 at 50 years old with Hannah Martin, Simonne Gnessen and Sarah Durber
E51: How to resist lifestyle creep with Clare Seal, Edoardo Moreni, and Alex Langley
E52: Is it worth getting married? With Mike Donkor, Philippa Dolan, and Jasper Martens
 
And there's plenty more where that came from. We'll be back in September with three new episodes:
7 September - Bonus episode: Should you save into a Junior ISA or a Junior SIPP? With Maike Currie

17 September - Bonus episode: "Discussing money is a taboo subject" With Dani Skerrett and PensionBee customer, Joumana

27 September - E53: What might be missing from your investment portfolio? With Gabriel Nussbaum, Davinia Tomlinson, and Matt Batsman

You don't want to miss it! So make sure you're subscribed to The Pension Confident Podcast today and catch every episode as soon as it airs.
 
Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:
The Pension Confident Podcast
The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube
Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.
 
Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: podcast@pensionbee.com.