The Pension Confident Podcast

In this bonus episode, we hear from PensionBee customer Andy as he shares his pension story. From two decades living and working abroad and untangling the dormant pensions he left behind, to returning to the UK and working out what "enough" really means when you're planning around a Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosis.
We unpack Andy's pension journey with pensions expert Veronica Morozova from PensionBee, covering:
why finding and consolidating old pensions matters, especially after working overseas;
what 'QROPS' is, and how time spent abroad affects your State Pension;
the tax benefits of paying into a pension through your own limited company; and
how to plan for a range of retirement scenarios, including future care costs.
 
Episode breakdown
00:51 Meet Andy
04:12 Consolidating pensions and working abroad
08:13 Tax relief and self-employment
11:31 Planning for an uncertain future
 
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)
E15: How can we achieve financial inclusion? (Podcast)
How to transfer an overseas pension to the UK (Article)
Markets and tariffs: what's going on and what it means (Blog)
Overseas pension transfers (Article)
Pension tax relief and the tapered annual allowance for high earners (Article)
The lump sum allowance, lump sum death benefit allowance, and overseas transfer allowance (Article)
What happens to my pension if I move abroad? (Article)
What is the State Pension? (Article)
 
Other useful resources
Check the recognised overseas pension schemes notification list (GOV.UK)
Check your State Pension forecast (GOV.UK)
Pension Tracing Service (GOV.UK)
When the council might pay for your care (NHS)
 
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.

It's time for your Series Five rewind and sneak peek at what's coming up on The Pension Confident Podcast.
If you missed an episode, don't worry, you can catch up on every single episode so far wherever you get your podcasts:
E46: How to bounce back from redundancy
E47: The 'Singles Tax' - how much is it costing you?
E48: Are you ready for the 'great wealth transfer'?
E49: Can you still make money as a Buy-to-Let landlord?
E50: Starting a pension from £0 at 50 years old
E51: How to resist lifestyle creep
E52: Is it worth getting married?
And there's plenty more where that came from. Later this month, Series Producer Lucy Greenwell joins our Host Philippa Lamb to pick out the best bits from our Series 5 guests (so far).
Then, coming up in September: What might be missing from your investment portfolio? We'll be joined by:
Content Creator 'That Money Guy', Gabriel Nussbaum;
Founder and CEO of rainchq, Davinia Tomlinson; and
Senior Investment Content Manager at PensionBee, Matt Batsman.
You can read the episode transcript here. 
 
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.

For the first time ever, fewer than half of UK adults are married or in a civil partnership, yet the law hasn't caught up with how many of us now live together instead. So, legally and financially, is it still worth getting married?
Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and our expert panel as they discuss whether marriage still pays off financially and legally, and what unmarried couples need to put in place instead:
Financial Planner, Mike Donkor;
Solicitor and Partner at Collyer Bristow, Philippa Dolan; and
Chief Marketing Officer at PensionBee, Jasper Martens.
 
Episode breakdown
01:18 Why marriage rates are falling
05:44 The financial perks of marriage
09:04 When unmarried couples split
12:41 Avoiding the money conversation
16:20 How are pensions shared
19:28 Who gets the pets?
21:15 Protecting your partner with a will
24:22 Cohabitation Agreements and annual reviews
28:48 A fairer end to relationships
 
Further reading and listening
To learn more about managing money in a couple, check out these articles and podcasts from PensionBee:
Episode transcript (Blog)
E14: What's the impact of your relationship status on your finances? (Podcast)
E35: The cost of divorce (Podcast)
How does divorce or remarrying affect your pension? (Article)
Pension beneficiaries (Article)
Six money conversations you need to have with your family (Blog)
Why pensions deserve your attention during divorce (Blog)
Writing a will (Article)

 
Other useful resources
A fairer end to relationships: consultation (GOV.UK)
Capital Gains Tax allowances (GOV.UK)
Cohabitation Agreement guidance (The Law Society)
Families and households in the UK (Office for National Statistics)
Inheritance Tax (GOV.UK)
Marriage Allowance (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.
Follow Collyer Bristow (@Collyer_Bristow) on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and X.
Follow Mike Donkor (@michaelgdonkor) on TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.
 
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 Sally as she shares her pension story. From decades of putting money into living over saving, and losing her husband suddenly in his 40s, to retirement in her 60s and choosing a pension plan that truly reflects her values.
We unpack Sally's pension journey with pensions expert Veronica Morozova from PensionBee, covering:
why financially literate people still don't save;
how emotional barriers can be a bigger obstacle than lack of information;
the tax benefits of saving into a pension; and
what values-based investing actually means in practice.
 
Episode breakdown
00:39 Meet Sally
02:48 'Present bias' and money
06:10 Tax efficiency in retirement
10:11 Values-based investing
 
Further reading
To learn more about the topics discussed in this bonus episode, check out these articles from PensionBee:
Climate Plan (Web)
What do heatwaves have to do with your pension? (Blog)
What is a crystallised pension? (Article)
What is flexi-access drawdown? (Article)
Why reaching net zero is cheaper than doing nothing and what it could mean for your pension (Blog)
 
Other useful resources
Pension Calculator (PensionBee)
Retirement Living Standards (Pensions UK)
Taking money from your pension just got simpler with Automatic withdrawals (PensionBee)
The new State Pension (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.

Market volatility is back in the headlines, and if you've noticed your pension balance moving up and down, you're not alone. From tariffs to geopolitical tensions, there's no shortage of reasons to feel uneasy. But before you rush to make any changes, it's worth understanding how volatility actually works and why, more often than not, staying put is the smartest move.
Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and VP Personal Finance at PensionBee, Maike Currie as they discuss:
what market volatility is and what drives it;
why pension pots are more resilient than you might think, and how quickly markets have historically recovered;
why keeping up contributions during a downturn can actually work in your favour; and
how to check whether you're in the right plan for your life stage.
 
Episode breakdown
00:49 What's market volatility?
03:21 How far can a pension balance fall?
05:25 The investor upside of a market downturn
08:32 How quickly can markets recover?
09:55 Pension plans for different life stages
 
Further reading and listening
To learn more about investing and stock markets, check out these articles and podcasts from PensionBee:
Bonus episode: How much can you contribute into your pension each year? (Podcast)
E39: Trump, tariffs and what it all means for your pension (Podcast)
Markets and tariffs: what's going on and what it means (Blog)
Switching plans in volatile markets: what to know (Blog)
The power of regular contributions in volatile markets (Blog)
Understanding market volatility and pensions (Blog)
What is the stock market? (Article)
 
Other useful resources
Bull and bear markets explained (Investopedia)
Fed History Overview (Federal Reserve History)
Our pension plans (PensionBee)
 
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.