The Real Cost & Value of Financial Advice in Ireland

Should you buy bonds now? If you are an Irish investor and the bond part of your pension or ARF has disappointed for a few years, the 5% yields in the headlines may sound like good news. They are a dollar number. This episode looks at what bond yields actually mean for someone investing in euro in Ireland.

US estate tax is not only an American problem. If you are an Irish resident holding shares in US companies, whether through vested RSUs or your own investment account, the IRS can charge estate tax on anything above $60,000 when you die. A US citizen gets $15m. Paddy tries to shed a bit of light on the matter and goes through it here: Why shares in US-incorporated companies count as US assets, even on an Irish platform What US estate tax looks like on $750,000 of employer shares in Ireland: a bill of $235,300 Why "everything to my spouse" can be the expensive route under the Ireland-US estate tax convention The two options, reducing your US exposure or planning your estate around it, and what each one costs If a big part of your wealth is sitting in RSUs or US shares in Ireland, this episode is for you. The figures are as at the time the records were made. 🎙️ Full YT episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/us-estate-tax-ireland-rsus-us-shares 📊 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 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.

Budget 2027 in Ireland came with the usual noise about tax bands and credits. If you are within 5 to 10 years of retiring, or already retired, those are rarely the lines that matter. In this Budget special, Paddy Delaney goes through what actually changed for Irish pensions, investments and retirement income. The new Investment Account in Ireland: €12,000 a year, the first €50,000 tax-free, 1% a year above that, from 1 July 2027 Exit tax down from 38% to 35%, capital gains tax down to 31%, and why deemed disposal is still with us What the Budget did and did not touch on pensions, including new valuation factors for defined benefit schemes under the Standard Fund Threshold And a practical example: €1,000 a month for 8 years, and the difference between €15,400 of exit tax and roughly €2,000 of account charge If the Budget has you wondering where you actually stand, this episode is for you.

It's good to know which decisions can never be undone, before you retire in Ireland. Most of a pre-retirement checklist can be changed next year. Four or five items cannot. In this episode Paddy Delaney, independent retirement and investment planner, takes them door by door: the €200,000 lifetime limit on tax-free lump sums, the annuity decision, the tax year you crystallise near the Standard Fund Threshold, the pension tax relief that stops with your last payslip, and the order you do it all in. This episode is for anyone a year or two from retirement who wants to know which doors close for good. What you'll learn: Why the €200,000 tax-free retirement lump sum in Ireland is a lifetime limit across all your pensions, not per pension Why an ARF can become an annuity later, but an annuity can never go back How the Standard Fund Threshold rising from €2.2m to €2.8m makes the tax year you crystallise matter, and why growth can erase the saving (fictional case study: Maggie, 61, €2.6m) How much pension tax relief you can still use at 55 to 59 and at 60 and over, before your last payslip If you're approaching retirement with a significant pension and want clarity on which decisions to slow down on, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Access all our podcast episodes and our blog 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 10-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard 📅 Find out how we work 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.

Trust in financial services in Ireland sits at 49%, against a global average of 63%. Paddy Delaney goes through the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer research on financial services, where Ireland ranks, and what sits behind the number. Edelman surveyed almost 34,000 people across 28 countries and publishes a separate report on financial services. Ireland comes in 23rd of 28, inside the distrust band, below the developed-economy average of 53% and well below the global figure. In this episode, Paddy goes through the following: Where Ireland ranks for trust in financial services, and which countries sit above and below Why trust in financial services runs at 73% in developing economies and 53% in developed ones Which sub-sectors are trusted least, and why banks score higher than financial advisers What the tracker mortgage scandal actually cost, and why it is far more recent than most people remember The one question to ask any adviser about how they are paid, and what the answer tells you If you are weighing up financial advice in Ireland, particularly with significant pension or investment assets behind you, this episode is about how to judge who is worth listening to. 🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/trust-financial-advice-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.