The Pension Confident Podcast

In this bonus episode, we hear from PensionBee customer Jonathan as he shares his pension story. From the trusty spreadsheet he started with his wife 24 years ago, to now being on track to be mortgage-free in two years - before they hit age 50.
We unpack Jonathan's financial journey with pensions expert Dan Stean from PensionBee, covering:
what overpaying a mortgage means and why you should check for Early Repayment Charges (ERCs) first;
how to weigh mortgage overpayments against pension contributions and how calculators can help; and
why planning your finances together as a couple can help, married or not.
 
Episode breakdown
00:39 Meet Jonathan
04:15 Budgeting as a couple
06:24 Teaching kids about money
 
Further reading and listening
To learn more about the topics discussed in this bonus episode, check out these articles and podcasts from PensionBee:
Episode transcript (Blog)
8 easy steps to build an effective budget (Blog)
Bonus episode: Should you overpay your mortgage or top up your pension? (Podcast)
How to teach kids about money (Blog)
Money management tips for couples (Blog)
What is an emergency fund? (Article)
 
Other useful resources
Habit Formation and Learning in Young Children 2013 PDF (Money and Pensions Service)
Mortgage early repayment charges explained (MoneySupermarket)
Mortgage Overpayment Calculator (MoneySavingExpert)
Pension Calculator (PensionBee)
Pension vs Mortgage Calculator (Personal Finance Calculator)
Should you pay off your mortgage early? (MoneyHelper)

 
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.

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.