The Pension Confident Podcast

An estimated 7 million people aged over 50 in the UK have no private pension savings at all. Here's the reality: if you're one of them, it can feel too late to start. It isn't. Whether it's career breaks, the cost of living, a divorce, or simply never getting round to it - millions of people reach 50 with little or nothing put away. So how do you go from £0 to a pot that actually makes a difference?
Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and our expert panel as they discuss starting a pension from scratch at aged 50:
Founder of Rich Retiree, Hannah Martin;
Founder of Wise Monkey Financial Coaching, Simonne Gnessen; and
VP Customer Success at PensionBee; Sarah Durber.
 
Episode breakdown
01:41 When did our panellists start saving?
03:31 Why so many people reach 50 with no pension
06:56 The real cost of opting out
11:16 Pension Sharing Orders and divorce
13:11 How to start from £0 at 50 years old
17:27 Making the most of your workplace pension
19:26 How contributing just a little more adds up
26:26 Property, side hustles, and creative retirement strategies
 
Further reading, listening and watching:
To learn more about building your pension later in life, check out these articles and podcasts from PensionBee:
E37: The easiest way to retire with more money (Podcast)
How much should I pay into my pension? (Article)
Pension Sharing Order (Article)
What is compound interest? (Blog)
Six ways to put together your emergency fund (Blog)
I'm 40, is it too late to start a pension? (Blog)
How to grow your pension in your 40s and 50s (Blog)
The power of 1%: how small pension increases can make a big difference (Blog)
What is compound interest? (Video)
What happens to my pension during a divorce? (Video)
Increasing your pension contributions (Video)
 
Other useful resources
The Cost of Disengagement (PensionBee)
The Carer's Pension Gap (PensionBee
Pension Calculator (PensionBee)
Almost 7 million over-50s have no private pension (Pensions Age)
The Retirement Living Standards (Pensions UK)
Pension sharing orders slump despite growing number of divorces (Pensions Age)
Four out of five Brits plan to downsize to fund retirement (MoneyWeek)
Rent a room in your home: the Rent a Room Scheme (GOV.UK)
Proposed benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027 (GOV.UK)
Compound Interest Calculator (The Calculator Site)
 
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 Rich Retiree (@rich.retiree) on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Pinterest.
Follow Wise Monkey Financial Coaching (@simonnegnessen) on YouTube, 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: [email protected].

On this bonus episode, we hear from PensionBee customer Becca. Auto-enrolled into her first workplace pension without a second thought, she assumed retirement saving would always just happen in the background. Then she went self-employed, and for eight years, it didn't happen at all.
We explore the self-employed pension gap with the help of pensions expert Dani Skerrett, Head of Content Marketing at PensionBee, covering everything from why Auto-Enrolment leaves millions of freelancers and sole traders behind, to the surprising cost of those years of disengagement. We also share how contributing just £30 a month can make a difference of thousands of pounds by retirement.
 
Episode breakdown
00:34 Meet Becca
03:30 The self-employed pension gap
06:19 What stops self-employed people saving?
09:43 The cost of disengagement
14:26 Becca's belief in 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:
E8: How to teach kids about money (Podcast)
E37: The easiest way to retire with more money (Podcast)
E40: The ADHD tax - how much is it costing you? (Podcast)
6 pension tips for sole traders (Blog)
How to manage pension contributions from multiple incomes (Blog)
Private pensions for the self-employed (Article)
What is Making Tax Digital and how can sole traders prepare? (Blog)
What pension can I get if I'm self-employed? (Article)
 
Other useful resources
Pension Calculator (PensionBee)
Retirement Living Standards (Pensions UK)
Working for yourself (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: [email protected].

In this bonus episode of The Pension Confident Podcast, we cover the key pension contribution rules and limits for the new 2026/27 tax year, and what they could mean for your retirement savings.
Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and VP Personal Finance at PensionBee, Maike Currie, as they break down everything you need to know about:
how much you're allowed to pay into your pension this tax year;
the contribution limits that apply based on your annual income;
making the most of government top-ups; and
what the updated rules could mean for your long-term finances.
 
Episode breakdown
01:00 What's the annual allowance?
04:55 Pension Lifetime Allowance scrapped
05:42 Exceeding your annual allowance
06:46 Using your carry forward allowance
 
Further reading and listening
To learn more about pension contributions, check out these articles and podcasts from PensionBee:
Bonus episode: "I stopped paying into my pension for 20 years" (Podcast)
Bonus episode: What does the 2026/27 tax year mean for your finances? (Podcast)
E43: Who wants to be a pension millionaire? (Podcast)
How to check your pension contributions (Article)
How to use carry forward to make big pension payments (Blog)
Making pension contributions (Article)
Pension carry forward rule (Article)
What tax changes are coming in April 2026? (Blog)
 
Other useful resources
Abolition of the Lifetime Allowance (LTA) (GOV.UK)
Carry forward: increase your annual allowance for pension savings (MoneyHelper)
The annual allowance for tax relief on pension savings (MoneyHelper)
The Retirement Living Standards (Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association)
 
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: [email protected].

Becoming a landlord with Buy-to-Let properties has often been seen as a way to build long-term wealth. But with brand new rules, higher taxes and more paperwork, it's becoming harder to turn a profit.
Did you know that since 2022, the rental sector is the only area of the housing market to have lost value? So, are Buy-to-Lets still a good bet? And where does this leave existing landlords trying to make sense of a changing market?
Today, we're breaking down the real story behind Buy-to-Lets and what you need to know before you think about jumping in.
Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and our expert panel as they discuss Buy-to-Lets:
Buy-to-Let Landlord and Content Creator "Property Empress", Anna Pearce; and
Mortgage Adviser, Michael Annis.
 
Episode breakdown
01:23 What's happening to the property market?
04:56 The Renters' Rights Act explained
09:06 Are landlords really leaving the market?
11:35 Understanding rental yields
16:28 Eligibility rules for Buy-to-Let mortgages
20:22 Stamp Duty on second properties
22:36 Building a property portfolio
25:44 The risk and reward of buying at auction
 
Further reading and listening
To learn more about property, check out these articles, podcasts and videos from PensionBee:
E4: Should you pay more into your mortgage or pension? (Podcast)
E22: Why is renting so expensive? (Podcast)
Buying a property: the basics (Video)
Buying a property with someone (Video)
How to downsize for retirement (Blog)
How to use your property to fund your retirement (Blog)
Property inheritance (Video)
Renting a property: the basics (Video)
Renting in retirement: 3 things to consider for a secure future when you don't own your home (Blog)
 
Other useful resources
Do I need a Buy-to-Let mortgage? (MoneyHelper)
Guide to the Renters' Rights Act (GOV.UK)
Leasehold vs freehold: what's the difference? (MoneyHelper)
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (GOV.UK)
Mortgage fees and costs when buying or selling a home (MoneyHelper)
Private rent and house prices, UK: March 2026 (ONS)
Renting out your property: guidance for landlords and letting agents (GOV.UK)
Stamp Duty calculator (MoneyHelper)
Stamp Duty - everything you need to know (MoneyHelper)
Tenants' rights and responsibilities explained (MoneyHelper)
What is the landlord licensing scheme? (UK Landlord Tax)
 
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 Anna Pearce (@propertyempress) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Follow Michael Annis on LinkedIn.
 
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: [email protected].

On this bonus episode, we hear from PensionBee customer, David. He spent years quietly accumulating pension pots across various employers without paying them much attention. That all changed when an unexpected cancer diagnosis forced him to confront his finances head-on, and think hard about what would happen to the people he loves if he wasn't around.
We unpack the decisions David has navigated, from consolidating old pots and rethinking his investment risk to naming beneficiaries and having long-overdue conversations with his family, with the help of pensions expert Dani Skerrett, Head of Content Marketing at PensionBee. Plus, we share how increasing your contributions by even 1% or 2% can make a staggering difference to your retirement pot.
 
Episode breakdown
00:43 Meet David
04:19 Assessing his investments and consolidating
09:38 Hindsight on workplace pension contributions
14:41 The diagnosis that changed everything
17:02 Preparing his family for the worst
18:54 David's dream retirement
 
Further reading, listening and watching
To learn more about the topics discussed in this bonus episode, check out these articles, podcasts and videos from PensionBee:
Episode transcript (Blog)
E37: The easiest way to retire with more money (Podcast)
Estate planning - PensionBee's Milestone Moments (YouTube)
Pension beneficiaries (Article)
Pension rules after death (Article)
Six money conversations you need to have with your family (Blog)
Writing a will (Article)
 
Other useful resources
Financial Lives 2024 (Financial Conduct Authority)
How do I write a will and how much does it cost? (MoneyHelper)
Combine your pensions (PensionBee)
Pension Calculator (PensionBee)
The £500,000 cost of neglecting your pension (PensionBee)
Retirement Living Standards (Pensions UK)
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: [email protected].