Informed Decisions Independent Financial Planning & Money Podcast

Jaksot

• 
  Prize Bonds Ireland: What the New 1.5% Rate Actually Pays You 14.09.2026 22min

  The Prize Bond prize fund rate rose from 1.00% to 1.50% this month, the first State Savings increase in about three years. Almost every write-up has described that 1.5% as a return. It is not one. It is the size of the prize pool spread across the whole €4.4 billion in issue, and what an individual holder receives is decided by a draw. In this Episode, Paddy works through the NTMA's own published figures and puts a realistic number on what Prize Bonds are actually worth to a normal holding, then lines them up against what the same State will pay for certainty. What you'll learn: Why the 1.5% prize fund rate is not interest, and what it actually describes What the odds look like in practice: 0.067% per bond, and a 59% chance of a year with nothing on a €5,000 holding The new State Savings rates: 1.96%, 2.29%, 2.33% and 2.66%, all tax-free, and the one product that pays DIRT How to compare any bank rate properly by dividing the gross rate by 0.67 Why the State Savings guarantee has no €100,000 ceiling, and who that actually matters to The trap in locking a 10-year rate, and why "eaten bread is soon forgotten" belongs in this decision  If you are holding Prize Bonds, State Savings or cash on deposit in Ireland and want to know what those balances are really doing, this episode is for you.  🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: https://informeddecisions.ie/prize-bonds-ireland-what-the-rate-means/ 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 10-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-calculator 📅 Find out how we work: https://www.informeddecisions.ie DISCLAIMER This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Everyone's situation is different: always speak to a qualified, independent advisor before making pension or investment decisions. Tax rules and pension regulations change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.
• 
  Inheritance Tax in Ireland: Gift Now or Leave It? - with Mairéad Hennessy from Taxkey.ie 07.09.2026 44min

  Inheritance tax in Ireland is charged at 33% on anything above €400,000 passing from a parent to a child. The question most families never properly work through is whether to move assets during their lifetime or leave them until the end. And that decision changes the bill, the timing, and who ends up paying it. Paddy is joined by Mairéad Hennessy of Taxkey, a firm of independent tax consultants, for a practical conversation about passing wealth on in Ireland. What you'll learn in this episode: • Why the tax question is the wrong place to start, and what to work out first • How the €3,000 small gift exemption works, what makes it fail, and why it is worth far more over time than the figure suggests • How capital gains tax paid by a parent can be credited against a child's inheritance tax bill and the two-year condition attached to it • What a business transfer needs in place in the ten years before it happens, and why the child has to be in the room • Family partnerships: how they work, who they suit, and what they cost you in privacy • The US Federal Estate Tax exposure sitting in Irish households through employer shares, and the $60,000 threshold behind it We recorded this just as the roadmap for the taxation of private investments was published; it therefore also provides an initial outlook on the investment account to be introduced in 2027 and its implications for notional disposals. If you are approaching retirement with a business, property or a portfolio that will have to move at some point, or you are in line to inherit and would rather understand it in advance, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/inheritance-tax-ireland-gift-or-inherit  📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 10-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard: www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-calculator  📅 Find out how we work: www.informeddecisions.ie  🔗 Mairéad Hennessy, Taxkey: www.taxkey.ie  Book mentioned: Self Employed – The Forgotten Community by Dan O'Donoghue: https://buythebook.ie/product/self-employed-the-forgotten-community/  DISCLAIMER This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial or tax advice. Everyone's situation is different: always speak to a qualified, independent advisor before making pension, investment or estate planning decisions. Tax rules and pension regulations change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.
• 
  Should You Retire at a Market All-Time High? Sequence Risk & the Irish ARF 31.08.2026 24min

  Should you retire with the market at an all-time high? In Ireland, the record level feels dangerous, but it is not the risk that decides your outcome. In this episode, Paddy asks whether retiring at an all-time high is really the risk Irish savers fear, or whether the thing that decides your outcome is something else entirely.   What you'll learn: • Why all-time highs are common, not a warning: global equities sit at or near record highs on roughly a third of trading days • What Japan's lost decades really warn against: concentration in one market, not equities themselves • A sequence-of-returns case study: how two retirees with the same €1.2m and the same average return finished €1.25m apart • The Irish nuance: why Revenue's imputed distribution makes the buffer inside your ARF matter more than any market call   If you're within a couple of years of drawing down, and the timing has you worried, this episode is for you.   🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/should-i-retire-at-all-time-highs-ireland 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 10-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-calculator 📅 Find out how we work: https://www.informeddecisions.ie DISCLAIMER This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Everyone's situation is different. Always speak to a qualified, independent advisor before making pension or investment decisions. Tax rules and pension regulations change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording. #PensionIreland #RetirementPlanningIreland #SequenceOfReturnsRisk #StockMarketAllTimeHigh #ARFIreland
• 
  Planning to 95: Life Expectancy, the Irish ARF and the Real Retirement Lever 24.08.2026 26min

  Your Irish pension plan probably runs to age 95, but you'll likely live to around 83, and the gap changes your pot far less than you'd expect. In this episode, Paddy digs into the retirement life expactancy in Ireland. He checks on the one age assumption buried in almost every Irish retirement plan, where the default of 95 comes from and what the most recent CSO life tables actually say about how long a 65-year-old really lives. It's for you if you're approaching or already in retirement with a meaningful pension or ARF, and you've never been asked (or never questioned) the age your own plan is built to. Using a fictional €1.2m ARF, this piece shows how Revenue's imputed distribution means the closing pot is almost identical whether you plan to 83 or 95 (around €1.25m versus €1.21m). The end age was never really the lever. What is covered in this Episode: Where the default planning age of 95 comes from and the US research (Barron's, TIAA, Stanford) behind "oversaving and underliving" What the most recent Irish CSO life tables really say and why they're a floor, not a forecast How Revenue's imputed distribution (4%, 5%, 6%) shapes drawdown from an ARF Why a €1.2m ARF lands at almost the same value at 83 or 95 and what that means for your estate The real lever: what you do with the income you're forced to draw, including a scenario that leaves roughly €283,000 less to Revenue 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/how-long-should-retirement-plan-last-ireland  📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-calculator  📅 Find out how we work: https://www.informeddecisions.ie  DISCLAIMER This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Everyone's situation is different. Always speak to a qualified, independent advisor before making pension or investment decisions. Tax rules and pension regulations change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.
• 
  72% - One Country: Is Your Irish Pension Actually Diversified? 17.08.2026 31min

  If you hold an Irish pension or an ARF invested in a global equity index fund, you have almost certainly been told you are diversified: Thousands of companies, dozens of countries, one fund, job done. And it is true: your global index fund really does hold well over a thousand companies across more than twenty developed markets. But there is a second truth sitting right beside it. As at the end of June 2026, roughly 72.45% of that same "global" fund is allocated to a single country: The United States. Same fund, same name, same low-cost passive approach and yet quietly a very different animal to the one you bought a decade ago. For anyone drawing an income from an ARF, that second fact matters a great deal more than most people realise. In this episode, Paddy walks through what has actually happened inside these funds while we have been getting on with things: why a cap-weighted index concentrates all on its own, what the published weightings look like right now, and why the very same allocation means something completely different depending on whether you are still contributing or already drawing an income. He uses a worked Irish example (Seamus, 65, with €900,000 in an ARF held in a single global fund) to show what concentration actually looks like under the bonnet, and where Revenue's imputed distribution quietly turns a concentrated investor into a forced seller. What you'll learn: Why a cap-weighted index quietly concentrates over time, and why nobody writes to tell you What a global equity fund actually holds today: 72.45% United States, 26.6% in ten companies, 30.27% in one sector Why concentration is a volatility question at 52 and a sequencing question at 65 What Revenue's imputed distribution does to an investor who is already concentrated Why over-correcting, like running to cash, is usually the more expensive mistake of the two The one variable in this whole picture you actually control None of this is an argument against index investing, and it is not a forecast. It is an argument for being able to describe what you own before you decide how you feel about it. Never mind before you decide what to do about it. If you hold an ARF invested in a single global fund and you haven't seen a factsheet in years, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/market-concentration-irish-pensions  📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-calculator  📅 Find out how we work: https://www.informeddecisions.ie    DISCLAIMER This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Everyone's situation is different. Always speak to a qualified, independent advisor before making pension or investment decisions. Tax rules and pension regulations change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.
• 
  Should You Take Your Pension Lump Sum at 60? A Worked Irish Case Study 10.08.2026 22min

  Turning 60 with a significant pension pot and nothing forcing your hand? This episode is a worked case study on the pension lump sum decision at 60 in Ireland: Take the tax-free lump sum now, or leave the fund invested and revisit it at 65. Paddy goes through a study-case: Larry is 60, a senior private-sector executive, with €1.4 million in a defined contribution scheme. He doesn't exist. The numbers do. What you'll learn in this Episode: How the retirement lump sum is actually taxed in Ireland: the first €200,000 tax-free as a lifetime limit across all schemes, the 20% band to €500,000, and the marginal rate above it Why an uncrystallised pension carries no mandatory drawdown, and what imputed distribution at 4% from age 61 means once you have crystallised What five years of 5% to 6% growth is actually worth in net lump sum terms and why the honest answer is a range, not a number Where the Standard Fund Threshold genuinely bites and where it doesn't, including why a threshold rising €200,000 a year to 2029 changes the usual "don't let it grow too big" advice The three mistakes that decide most of these cases in practice If you're approaching retirement with a significant pension pot and you've been assuming 60 or 65 is the moment you have to act, this episode is for you.  🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/tfls-at-60-or-wait-ireland 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-calculator  📅 Find out how we work: https://www.informeddecisions.ie    DISCLAIMER This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Everyone's situation is different — always speak to a qualified, independent advisor before making pension or investment decisions. Tax rules and pension regulations change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.
• 
  Private Credit in Ireland: Can You Actually Get Your Money Out? 03.08.2026 25min

  There is a pitch doing the rounds in Irish advice circles at the moment: private markets have finally been democratised, and private credit and private equity are now open to anyone with a decent pension pot. But is it really like that? In this episode, Paddy looks at what is actually being sold, and at the one feature that matters more than anything else in the brochure, because liquidity here is offered, not guaranteed. Have a listen, if you'd like to get an idea of what these 'zombie funds' in the private markets sector are all about, what your ARF has to do with them, and what considerations there are regarding private loans and equity investments when it comes to your retirement planning.  What you'll learn: What an evergreen or semi-liquid fund actually is, and why a redemption window is nothing like selling a share Why the value on your statement can lag what is really happening in the underlying businesses by months What a zombie fund is, and why roughly 48% of the institutional investors surveyed by Coller Capital already hold one Why illiquid assets collide badly with ARF drawdown, where Revenue requires you to draw at least 4% a year from age 61 The four questions to ask before you sign anything and what a vague answer actually tells you   None of this means private markets are wicked, or that nobody should ever own them. It means a bit of healthy scepticism is no bad thing. If you are approaching or already in retirement and someone has put one of these opportunities in front of you, this episode is for you.   🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/zombie-funds-private-markets-ireland 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-calculator  📅 Find out how we work: https://www.informeddecisions.ie    DISCLAIMER This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Everyone's situation is different — always speak to a qualified, independent advisor before making pension or investment decisions. Tax rules and pension regulations change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.
• 
  Bucket vs. Total Return - Retirement Withdrawal Strategies for Investors in Ireland 27.07.2026 28min

  If you've built a pension pot of €1m or more, you've almost certainly thought about how you'll invest it in retirement. What a bunch of people haven't thought through properly is how they'll actually take the money out: that decision, not the fund selection, is often what determines whether your ARF supports you comfortably for thirty years, or gives you a fright in year eight. After his well deserved holiday, in this episode Paddy talks about retirement withdrawal strategies for an Irish ARF: the bucket strategy versus the total return strategy, and why the choice works differently here than in the US or UK research you'll have read. If you're approaching, or already in, retirement with €1m+ in an ARF, and you're not sure whether you have a withdrawal plan or just a fund value, this one is for you. What you'll learn: • How the bucket strategy and the total return (guardrails) strategy actually work inside an ARF • Why Revenue's imputed distribution welds a hard 4% floor under your withdrawals from age 61 (ARF under €2m) • What a 20% down year does to a €1.2m ARF under each approach and why a hybrid often captures the best of both • The three most common drawdown mistakes and how to avoid them If you're approaching retirement with a significant pension pot and want genuine clarity on turning it into a sustainable, tax-aware income, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/post/retirement-withdrawal-strategies-drawdown-risk  Check out our new category on YouTube: Paddy's Pension Pieces. Smaller, condensed content of our topics, where Paddy condenses longer topics into shorter clips, covers topics that are hot off the press or shares timeless classics that are always relevant to pension planning. 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-calculator  📅 Find out how we work: https://www.informeddecisions.ie  DISCLAIMER This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Everyone's situation is different — always speak to a qualified, independent advisor before making pension or investment decisions. Tax rules and pension regulations change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.
• 
  Strategic Giving - Philanthropy in Ireland: A Conversation With Community Foundation CEO, Denise Charlton 20.07.2026 35min

  Most people spend decades building wealth and never quite get to the second question: not how do I protect this, but what do I actually want it to do? On this episode, Paddy Delaney talks to Denise Charlton, CEO of Community Foundation Ireland, about strategic philanthropy in Ireland. How it actually works, and where to start. What you'll learn: How a Donor Advised Fund works in Ireland, and why the entry point is lower than most assume (€25,000–€50,000) The difference between ad-hoc giving and strategic philanthropy How tax relief and Capital Acquisitions Tax exemptions apply to charitable giving in Ireland How families bring the next generation into a giving conversation, and how endowments work in perpetuity If you've built significant wealth and you're starting to ask what it's actually for, this conversation is worth your time. About the Guest Denise Charlton is Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland, the country's leading philanthropic foundation. Her career spans senior leadership at the Immigrant Council of Ireland and Women's Aid; she was a founder of Marriage Equality, and she currently sits on the board of Cuan, the State's statutory agency for sexual and gender-based violence. You can find Community Foundation Ireland at communityfoundation.ie. 🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog:  www.informeddecisions.ie/post/strategic-philanthropy-ireland 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-calculator  📅 Find out how we work: https://www.informeddecisions.ie  DISCLAIMER This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Everyone's situation is different — always speak to a qualified, independent advisor before making pension or investment decisions. Tax rules and pension regulations change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.
• 
  Simplicity Is The Ultimate Sophistication (Replay) 13.07.2026 14min

  This one was recorded a while back (in 2024), but the argument hasn't dated a day, if anything, it holds up better now than when we first put it out. A of complexity in Irish pension and investment advice isn't there to help you. It's there to help the person selling it. In this episode, Paddy explains why simplicity almost always beats sophistication when it comes to your pension and investment planning, and what a genuinely simple structure actually looks like. What you'll learn: ● Why financial firms are often incentivised to make your pension and investments more complicated than they need to be ● The real-world cost of sophisticated, structured investment products that underperform ● What a simple, transparent pension and investment structure actually looks like in practice ● The questions worth asking any advisor before trusting them with your retirement assets If you've ever had a feeling that your own pension or investment structure is more complicated than it needs to be, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/simplicity-over-sophistication-pension-planning And a quick word on something new: alongside the podcast, I've started putting together shorter pieces for YouTube: Paddy's Pension Pieces. Each one built around a single question from a fuller episode or a specific topic I'd like to discuss in shorter time . The first is up now, on what a €1 million pension pot in Ireland actually leaves you with after tax: check out our YT Channel to discover :) More to follow. 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-calculator 📅 Find out how we work: https://www.informeddecisions.ie DISCLAIMER This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Everyone's situation is different — always speak to a qualified, independent advisor before making pension or investment decisions. Tax rules and pension regulations change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.
• 
  Sequence of Returns Risk: Same ARF. Same Return. Totally Different Outcome 06.07.2026 32min

  Two people can retire with the same ARF, the same average return, and the same withdrawal rate and still end up in completely different places. One leaves over €1m to his family. The other runs out of money before he turns 88. The only difference is the order in which the returns arrived. In this episode, Paddy breaks down sequence of returns risk in Ireland. The risk that gets far less attention than fund performance or pot size, but can matter more than either. What you'll learn: • Why sequence of returns doesn't matter at all while you're still accumulating • Why the first ten years of drawdown can account for roughly 77% of your final outcome • How Revenue's 4%/5%/6% imputed distribution rules interact with this risk in an Irish ARF • Four practical ways to protect your ARF: cash buffers, dynamic withdrawal, portfolio   construction, and timing flexibility If you're within a decade of retirement, or already drawing an income from your ARF, this is worth half an hour of your time. Enjoy! 🎙️ Find all the full podcast episode and 📖 Blog here: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/sequence-of-returns-risk-ireland  📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard: www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-calculator  📅 Find out how we work: www.informeddecisions.ie  DISCLAIMER This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Everyone's situation is different. Always speak to a qualified, independent advisor before making pension or investment decisions. Tax rules and pension regulations change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.
• 
  Enduring Power of Attorney in Ireland With Áine Flynn: Who Can Act If You Can't? 29.06.2026 31min

  An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) is the planning step most Irish adults never get to. Only around 8% have one, against roughly a third who've made a will. Yet if you lost capacity tomorrow, it's the document that decides whether the people you trust can actually act for you, or whether your family ends up in front of the Circuit Court. Paddy Delaney is joined by Áine Flynn, Director of Ireland's Decision Support Service, for a clear, practical conversation about planning ahead. If you're approaching retirement with assets to protect, this one matters. For more information about Áine Flynn and the work of Ireland's Decision Support Service: https://www.decisionsupportservice.ie In this episode: Why your next of kin can't automatically step in. And what an EPA changes The joint-account trap most couples assume protects them What it costs (€30 to register, €90 to activate) and how the DSS process works The "holy trinity": Will, EPA and Advance Healthcare Directive, and what each one covers If you want genuine clarity on protecting yourself and the people you love, whatever happens, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Full episode (video) and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/enduring-power-of-attorney-ireland 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-calculator 📅 Find out how we work: https://www.informeddecisions.ie DISCLAIMER This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial or legal advice. Everyone's situation is different — always speak to a qualified, independent advisor (and a solicitor for legal documents) before making pension, investment or estate-planning decisions. Rules and figures change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.
• 
  Should You Reduce Investment Risk Before Retirement? 22.06.2026 32min

  As you get closer to retirement, move your money to safer investments. It sounds reasonable. But what if that one piece of conventional wisdom could cost you €80,000 or more? In this episode, Paddy unpacks one of the most consequential (and most overlooked) investment decisions you'll make: whether to reduce investment risk before you retire. For a lot of Irish pension holders, this decision has already been made for them automatically, through something called lifestyling often without their knowledge or consent. Paddy works through the two opposing risks at the heart of the decision: de-risking too early and leaving significant growth on the table in your final accumulation years and sequence-of-returns risk, the single most underappreciated danger in early retirement. Using two scenarios he shows how a default setting can quietly create an €85,000–€100,000 gap, and why the order in which your returns arrive matters more than the average. You'll come away with a simple three-question framework to bring deliberate, personalised thinking to your own pension, instead of leaving it to a system designed for an average that doesn't exist. What this Episode covers: •  The two real risks and why most people only know one •  Lifestyling: what your provider may be doing without telling you •  The €85k–€100k cost of de-risking too early •  Sequence-of-returns risk and the retirement 'red zone' •  The bucket strategy as a simple income buffer •  A three-question framework for the ten years before retirement And if you like to read this episode again, read the full blog post here: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/reduce-investment-risk-before-retirement-ireland  Chapters: 00:00 - The €80,000 question 01:30 - The two real risks 04:00 - Lifestyling explained 07:00 - The real numbers 12:00 - Sequence-of-returns risk 17:00 - The decision framework 21:00 - Mistakes to avoid + ARF considerations 24:30 - Summary & key takeaways   📊 Check out our new Retirement Readiness Scorecard: www.informeddecisions.ie/retirement-readiness-scorecard 📖 Find out how we work at www.informeddecisions.ie    ABOUT THE SHOW The Informed Decisions podcast is hosted by Paddy Delaney, QFA RPA APA, independent, fee-only retirement planner in Ireland. The podcast and the blog at informeddecisions.ie are educational resources for Irish professionals, business owners, and high-net-worth individuals navigating retirement, tax efficiency, and investment strategy. DISCLAIMER This podcast is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute personalised financial advice. Figures and rules referenced reflect the position as at May 2026 and are subject to change. Always speak to a qualified, independent financial advisor about your specific situation.
• 
  Pension Drawdown Above €2M: The €243,000 Timing Decision (SFT Ireland) 15.06.2026 41min

  If your pension is approaching or has passed €2 million, the question is no longer just how to grow it, it's how to generate income without handing a significant portion to Revenue unnecessarily. The Standard Fund Threshold in Ireland rose to €2.2 million in January 2026, and the decisions you make in the next few years will determine how much of that headroom you actually use. In this episode, Paddy covers the income strategies that matter most at the SFT level. If your pension is approaching €1.5 million or more, this episode is for you. • Why timing your Benefit Crystallisation Events can shelter up to €500,000 from Chargeable Excess Tax • How the lump sum offset mechanism reduces your CET exposure — and what the effective SFT really is in 2026 • What the imputed distribution rules mean when your ARF exceeds €2 million • How to manage income through the standard rate tax band efficiently • Why spousal pension planning is one of the most underused strategies at this level   📊 Find out how we work and have a look at our Retirement Readiness Scorecard: https://www.informeddecisions.ie 📖 Read the full blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/generating-income-standard-fund-threshold-ireland ABOUT THE SHOW The Informed Decisions podcast is hosted by Paddy Delaney QFA RPA APA — independent, fee-only retirement planner in Ireland. The podcast and the blog at informeddecisions.ie are educational resources for Irish professionals, business owners, and high-net-worth individuals navigating retirement, tax efficiency, and investment strategy. DISCLAIMER This podcast is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute personalised financial advice. Figures and rules referenced reflect the position as at May 2026 and are subject to change. Always speak to a qualified, independent financial advisor about your specific situation.
• 
  Bonds Aren't Broken. What the 1970s Tell Irish Retirees About Bonds Today 08.06.2026 27min

  A lot of investors have written off bonds after 2022. In this episode, Paddy Delaney explains why that conclusion is based on a misreading of how bonds work — and what the historical data actually shows. The 10-year US Treasury yield went from under 6% to over 11% during the 1970s. Bonds still returned 5.4% per year. The worst single year was a loss of less than 1%. If bonds survived that rate environment, what does it mean for the environment we are in today? In this episode: - How bond returns are calculated (starting yield and duration) - Why rising interest rates improve your future bond returns, not reduce them - What the 1970s data shows, using Damodaran historical records - What this means practically for anyone with bonds in an ARF or occupational pension - A short note on lifestyling: being moved into bonds automatically is very different from choosing to hold them This episode is relevant if you are approaching retirement, already in retirement, or reviewing an ARF or pension that includes a bond allocation. If you would like to talk through your own situation, book a Clarity Call at www.informeddecisions.ie Full blog post: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/bonds-arf-retirement-ireland  • All Informed Decisions podcast episodes: www.informeddecisions.ie/podcast/   ABOUT THE SHOW The Informed Decisions podcast is hosted by Paddy Delaney QFA RPA APA — independent, fee-only retirement planner in Ireland. The podcast and the blog at informeddecisions.ie are educational resources for Irish professionals, business owners, and high-net-worth individuals navigating retirement, tax efficiency, and investment strategy. Find Paddy at www.informeddecisions.ie   TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Bonds and Market Perceptions 02:43 Understanding Bonds: Their Role and Functionality 05:20 The Impact of Interest Rates on Bond Investments 08:20 Predictability of Bond Returns and Historical Context 11:11 The Mechanics of Bond Funds and Their Advantages 14:01 Current Bond Market Landscape and Future Outlook 17:03 Strategic Considerations for Investors and Pension Holders 19:46 Common Misconceptions and Mistakes in Bond Investing 22:25 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts   DISCLAIMER This podcast is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute personalised financial advice. Figures and rules referenced reflect the position as at May 2026 and are subject to change. Always speak to a qualified, independent financial advisor about your specific situation.
• 
  Pension When You Change Jobs in Ireland: The 4 Most Important Decisions for Professionals 01.06.2026 36min

  "There's a pension somewhere in your name that you haven't looked at in five years." That's a sentence Paddy finds himself saying in client meetings more often than you'd expect. Across a 25-year career, the typical Irish professional works for three or four different employers — and the result, by the time someone reaches their mid-fifties, is often €100,000 to €500,000 spread across multiple dormant pensions that haven't been reviewed in years. In this episode, Paddy walks through what he calls the forgotten pension problem: the structural feature of Irish pension administration that means employer-funded pensions don't follow you when you change jobs. He explains the 2-year vesting rule, what it means to be a "deferred member" of a scheme, and the four decisions every senior professional faces when leaving a role with a pension: leave it where it is, transfer to your new employer's scheme, transfer to a Personal Retirement Bond, or transfer to a PRSA. He also covers two structural changes that took effect at the start of 2026. The first is auto-enrolment "My Future Fund", which launched on 1 January 2026 and now automatically enrols workers earning over €20,000 who aren't already in a workplace pension. The second is a new restriction: transfers from group occupational schemes to personal pension structures (PRSA or PRB) are now only permitted before Normal Retirement Age — a planning point for anyone approaching a late-career exit. The episode closes with the annual pension audit — three questions Paddy walks through with clients each year to address the forgotten pension problem deliberately rather than letting inertia decide. TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction to Forgotten Pensions (01:53) Understanding the Forgotten Pension Problem (07:32) Options for Managing Your Pension (18:26) Recent Changes in Pension Regulations (27:12) Key Considerations for Senior Professionals (31:15) Strategies to Address the Forgotten Pension Problem RESOURCES MENTIONED •  Full blog post (with the four-options framework, 2026 rule changes, and audit checklist):     https://www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-when-you-change-jobs-ireland/ •  Companion episode — PRSA vs Company Pension / Master Trust:     https://www.informeddecisions.ie/prsa-vs-company-pension-ireland/ •  All Informed Decisions podcast episodes:     https://www.informeddecisions.ie/podcast/ ABOUT THE SHOW The Informed Decisions podcast is hosted by Paddy Delaney QFA RPA APA — independent, fee-only retirement planner in Ireland. The podcast and the blog at informeddecisions.ie are educational resources for Irish professionals, business owners, and high-net-worth individuals navigating retirement, tax efficiency, and investment strategy. Find Paddy at https://informeddecisions.ie DISCLAIMER This podcast is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute personalised financial advice. Figures and rules referenced reflect the position as at May 2026 and are subject to change. Always speak to a qualified, independent financial advisor about your specific situation.
• 
  PRSA vs Company Pension in Ireland: Which Is Right for You? 25.05.2026 26min

  After the 22 April IORP II deadline, thousands of Irish directors are now in a pension structure they didn't deliberately choose. Most transitioned from an executive pension to a Master Trust or a PRSA under time pressure. Few sat down to ask whether the resulting structure is actually the one that serves them best. In this episode, Paddy walks through the PRSA versus Executive Pension / Master Trust decision in detail: Funding mechanics, lump sum comparison, death benefit treatment, and the second decision most people never review: the investment mandate inside the structure. The episode is anchored to an anonymised client story: a company director in his mid-60s who came to Informed Decisions in early 2023 with a €1.4m pension and one question. Less than three years later, with a different structure and a different investment mandate, that pension is worth over €2m. The estimated cost of taking the "safe" advice he was offered elsewhere: approximately €500,000 of growth.   WHAT'S COVERED Why the IORP II deadline forced a structural decision under time pressure How PRSA contribution rules changed in 2023 and 2025 When the Master Trust's salary-and-service formula beats the PRSA's 100 % cap How the 1.5× salary lump sum compares to the PRSA's 25 % rule Why the PRSA's uncapped death benefit can change estate planning How the Standard Fund Threshold (€2.2m → €2.8m by 2029) affects strategy Why de-risking at 65 doesn't fit modern Irish retirement timelines Full written breakdown with comparison table, IORP II timeline, and FAQs: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/prsa-vs-company-pension-ireland If this episode raised questions about your current contribution strategy is going to get you where you want to go, that's exactly what we work through with clients. Find out more at https://www.informeddecisions.ie    ABOUT Informed Decisions is an independent, fee-only financial advisory firm in Ireland. Paddy Delaney works with a small number of clients each year, typically business owners and senior professionals approaching retirement, to plan and protect retirement decisions in coordinated, tax-efficient ways. If today's episode raised questions about your own pension: whether the structure is right, whether the investment mandate has been reviewed, or how to think about both together: visit https://www.informeddecisions.ie to see how we work. DISCLAIMER This podcast is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Everyone's situation is different. Always speak to a qualified, independent advisor before making pension or investment decisions. Tax rules and pension regulations change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.
• 
  Risk and Reward in Retirement: What Ben Carlson's Research Means for Irish Investors - Interview 18.05.2026 43min

  Most people approaching retirement believe their job is to reduce risk. Get out of equities. Move into something safe. Ben Carlson disagrees — and he has the research to back it up. Ben is Director at Ritholtz Wealth Management in the US, author of Risk and Reward (Harriman House, May 2026), and one of the most widely read financial writers working today. He's spent his career studying every major market crash in modern history: the Great Depression, Japan's lost decades, the dot-com bust, 2008 and what they actually mean for long-term investors. In this episode, Paddy and Ben talk about Ben's new Book: They cover the yin and yang of Risk and Reward Why globally diversified investors still came out ahead from financial crises The three dimensions of risk tolerance (willingness, need, and ability) How to think about drawdown and bucketing, inflation psychology, and the only benchmark that actually matters for someone approaching retirement. Ben's new book Risk and Reward is available now in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook (read by Ben himself) from Harriman House. There's a full written article about this Interview with Ben on the blog at http://www.informeddecisions.ie/post/retirement-risk-and-reward-ireland  If this episode raised questions about where you sit on the age-related table or whether your current contribution strategy is going to get you where you want to go, that's exactly what we work through with clients. Find out more at https://www.informeddecisions.ie  DISCLAIMER: This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Always speak to a qualified, independent advisor about your own situation.
• 
  The Most Consistently Underclaimed Tax Break for Irish High Earners - Pension Tax Relief Explained 11.05.2026 31min

  Most Irish high earners are claiming roughly half the pension tax relief available to them. Not because the rules are complicated, but because the contribution percentage set years ago has simply never been revised. In this episode, Paddy walks through the age-related contribution limits (15% to 40%) the €115,000 earnings cap and what it actually means in practice and a real worked example of a director, age 56, on €180k — who could be claiming €16,100 in tax relief every year but isn't. He also covers the year-end October timing window (you can still reduce last year's tax bill with one decision), five common mistakes that quietly cost high earners thousands, and why the personal contribution question and the structural question, PRSA versus company pension, really need to be looked at together. There's a full written article with the age-related table, the worked example, and year-end timing details on the blog at www.informeddecisions.ie/post/pension-tax-relief-ireland-explained Free Webinar: Should You Sell Your RSUs? - A Practical Guide for Tech Employees in Ireland, 20th May 2026: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/webinar/webinar-should-you-sell-your-rsus If this episode raised questions about where you sit on the age-related table or whether your current contribution strategy is going to get you where you want to go, that's exactly what we work through with clients. Find out more at https://www.informeddecisions.ie  DISCLAIMER: This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Always speak to a qualified, independent advisor about your own situation.
• 
  Is your ARF built to last? - Safe Withdrawal Strategies 04.05.2026 23min

  Most ARF holders know their fund value. Most know Revenue requires a minimum annual drawdown. Very few have stopped to ask whether meeting that minimum is actually a strategy, or simply the path of least resistance. In this episode, Paddy explores safe withdrawal rates in an Irish context: the research on real retiree behaviour, why the 4% rule is both useful and misunderstood, and why the sequence of returns in the first five years of retirement carries disproportionate weight on long-term outcomes. He walks through a concrete sequence-of-return scenario: same starting fund, same average annual return, same withdrawal rate, completely different outcomes and shares a real-life case study of a retired solicitor whose conservative ARF mandate was quietly eroding her fund at a 7% real rate of depletion annually. Covered in this episode: The US Health and Retirement Study findings on actual retiree withdrawals Bill Bengen's 4% rule and its Irish limitations Sequence of return risk and how a cash buffer changes the equation Three common ARF drawdown mistakes and three concrete takeaways. The imputed distribution sets the floor. It doesn't set the strategy. Read the full blog post at www.informeddecisions.ie/post/safe-withdrawal-strategy-arf-ireland DISCLAIMER: This content is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Always speak to a qualified, independent advisor about your own situation.