Better With Money

If you have found yourself at the point at which you're finally ready to invest, but you don't know how to do your research into index and exchange traded funds (ETFs), this is the episode for you.There’s an overwhelming amount of information online about investing, but most of it is aimed an American, and to a lesser extent, a UK audience. In this episode wealth advisor, YouTube content creator and Donegal man, Kevin Elliott, brings his years of experience working for financial institutions in New York, London and Toronto and translates it jargon-free for an Irish audience.Building on earlier episodes* about index funds and ETFs (which tend to be lower risk and more beginner-friendly than buying individual stocks and shares) Kevin explains how to choose an ETF from the tens of thousands out there. He shares the checklist he himself uses when choosing funds in Ireland: use passive index funds, no "star pickers" of stocks, watch for steep fees, choose broad and ideally global indices, trade in euro and make sure the funds are domiciled in Europe for tax purposes. Plus some other tricky jargon worth knowing before putting your money into an ETF.This episode is for for information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.Presented by Aideen Finnegan*You can find previous episodes which examine ETFs in detail with Dan Malone here and here, as well as our complete beginner episode with Kel Galavan here.

Aideen Finnegan speaks to financial influencer Annmarie Gaynor (Irish Budgeting Mammy) and Cian Carolan of DNG Financial Services after they attended a Department of Finance meeting with Simon Harris and junior minister Robert Troy about a proposed state “personal investment account”. It’s not an SSIA savings account that would be topped up by the Government, neither will it be a product “with a portal you log into with a password.” Rather it looks set to be a tax-incentivised “wrapper” applying new rules to existing investment options offered by banks, life insurers and trading platforms. The key aim is to encourage “middle Ireland” to move some savings from deposits into long-term investing, but major details remain unconfirmed, including annual limits, fees, tax treatment and timelines. They describe Ireland’s complex investment taxes (deemed disposal, exit tax and a life-insurance levy) as barriers to getting involved in investing, while stressing the need for a financial literacy campaign to communicate risk, understand inflation and set clear personal goals for the individual.This episode is for information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

In this week’s episode, the font of all motoring knowledge Neil Briscoe is taking us through the government’s new pilot ICE to EV scrappage scheme. For us non petrol heads, those acronyms essentially mean “give up yer aul polluting car for an electric vehicle instead.” It involves trading in your end-of-life petrol or diesel car (at least 13 years) for a new EV, and is weighted 65% towards rural dwellers. Opening tomorrow with just 2000 places, the scheme is already oversubscribed. However Neil is expecting the government will announce a new round. He runs through the best value EVs on the market right now from the cheapest options (like the Hyundai Inster) up to the €50,000 grant cap. He also explains why small EVs are getting cheaper, and why the growing used-EV market shouldn’t be discounted.Presented by Aideen Finnegan

Unless you’re Dermot Bannon, doing up your house must be one of the most expensive and nerve-wracking jobs you can ever take on. In this episode of Better with Money, Quantity Surveyor Shay Lally (aka @houses_to_restore on Instagram) speaks to Aideen Finnegan about how to plan and cost the renovation of an average 3-bed semi-d in Ireland.He explains why the cheapest quote can often end up being the most expensive because of omissions or “front-loading”, where the builder gets the bulk of the payment at the beginning and then ghosts you for the smaller jobs later on.Shay also explains how getting a QS involved from early on can help your budget with estimates, making payment assessments and negotiations during the project and tracking a final tally.And he also outlines common budget risks, the need for a clear brief, and prioritising essentials like insulation, heating and rewiring over finishes. This episode also covers SEAI and Vacant/Derelict Homes grants, staged bank drawdowns, contracts, red flags with tradespeople, and renovation choices that can add or reduce a home’s resale value.This episode is for information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice

From supplements on hotel rooms to needing to save tens of thousands of euro on your own to buy a home, the costs of doing anything in Ireland - as a single adult - are hidden and varied. Irish Times columnist and author, Emer McLysaght, joins Aideen Finnegan and Conor Pope on this episode of Better with Money to discuss the many ways single people are penalised by the so-called "single tax". While Ireland's tax system doesn't explicitly "reward" married or cohabiting couples, it is more favourable for them. And that's before you consider the single person's financial burden of trying to save for a home at a time of record rents, energy prices and grocery bills. Would you go as far as refusing to put cash in an envelope at your friend's wedding in a bid to save money? Emer would. And she has, too.

Can changing your mortgage to a fortnightly payment plan save you money and reduce the overall term? Will striving to get your loan-to-value ratio down unlock the best interest rates? And how can you even go about that anyway? These questions and more are answered by Cian Carolan, MD of DNG Financial Services in this second episode of mortgage strategising. It’s all about finding a way to pay down that mortgage as quickly and painlessly as possible. Cian also explains what to consider if you’re rolling off a fixed-term rate cycle this year, and answers a question about how easy (or not!) it is for separating couples to buy each other out. This episode is for information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. If you missed last week's episode you can listen to it here, or scroll back one episode in the Better with Money feed. Presented by Aideen Finnegan.

What are the fastest and least painful ways of paying off your mortgage? Should you overpay, if you can? Or should you use any extra money to invest instead? What about switching - how much can it save you, really? These are the types of questions we're putting to Cian Carolan, financial planner and managing director of DNG Financial Services. In this episode we discuss affordability and why it's crucial to consider motivations and wider financial planning before calling your lender. Cian also explains fixed and variable mortgage rates, how much they are expected to increase this year and options like split rates where you you fix on a portion of the loan but pay variable on the other. This episode is more relevant to current mortgage-holders. Those looking to get a home loan for the first time should check out this earlier episode of Better with Money.This episode is for information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.Presented by Aideen Finnegan

If you have pension anxiety - either because you don't have one yet or because the one you do have won't cut it - this is the episode for you. Sjoerd Bak, a qualified financial adviser and founder of Become a Millionaire explains why pensions should come before any other investing, especially for those worried their retirement fund won’t be enough. Bak shares how a stroke in 2020 prompted him to reassess his finances, simplify his approach, and retrain as an adviser after running workplace “Become a Millionaire” sessions. He explains Ireland’s pension tax relief and argues the tax benefits can’t be beaten by ETFs or stock picking. He urges listeners to track income and spending, log into their pension portal to review fees and asset allocation (especially equity exposure), and focus on consistent, long-term investing. Plus, find out how Freud's pleasure pain theory can help reframe your money mindset.Presented by Aideen Finnegan.This episode is for information purposes only and doesn't constitute financial advice.Check out our previous episode on pensions with assistant business editor Dominic Coyle can be found here.You can find Sjoerd's guide to pension relief here and his finance tracker here.