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Category Archives: Behavioural

Podcast132: The Impact Of Recency Bias In Investing

Podcast132: The Impact Of Recency Bias In Investing

This week I share a short (but hopefully valuable) piece to raise awareness of something that impacts us all and how we make decisions, and often without us even being aware of it! What Are Biases? If you were shown a photo of 2 different people, based on their appearance, dress, facial expression, ethnicity, and any number...
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Blog108: Beware This Killer Bias

Blog108: Beware This Killer Bias

This week I share a short (but hopefully valuable) piece to raise awareness of something that impacts us all and how we make decisions, and often without us even being aware of it! What Are Biases? If you were shown a photo of 2 different people, based on their appearance,...
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Podcast131: Diversify Vs Asset Allocation…The Numbers

Podcast131: Diversify Vs Asset Allocation…The Numbers

This week we are going to explore two concepts, 'Diversification' and 'Asset Allocation' which can have significant impact on investment success over the long term, and which are shrouded in mystery and often misunderstood. We are going to tell it like it is, share some insights which may surprise you, and give you some food...
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Blog 106: The Best Way To Invest €500,000??

Blog 106: The Best Way To Invest €500,000??

If I come across another 'Best Investments For 2019' or 'Best place to invest €100,000' article I will lose the plot. Reason being that, just like the title of this blog, these articles really are just another form of click-bait. As we all will know, even if we didn't, click-bait is merely a hook with...
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Podcast130: Best Way To Invest €500,000….Kinda!

Podcast130: Best Way To Invest €500,000….Kinda!

If I come across another 'Best Investments For 2019' or 'Best place to invest €100,000' article I will lose the plot. Reason being that, just like the title of this blog, these articles really are just another form of click-bait. As we all will know, even if we didn't, click-bait is merely a hook with...
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Podcast129: Why We Are Rubbish At Investing

Podcast129: Why We Are Rubbish At Investing

Investors are said to achieve far less in returns than the markets in which they invest. How is that possible you may ask? Typically it is down to investor behaviour. Investors get blamed for doing silly things when it comes to investing, however my take is that it is the financial professionals who must shoulder...
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Blog105: Why We Are Rubbish At Investing

Blog105: Why We Are Rubbish At Investing

Investors are said to achieve far less in returns than the markets in which they invest. How is that possible you may ask? Typically it is down to investor behaviour. Investors get blamed for doing silly things when it comes to investing, however my take is that it is the financial professionals who must shoulder...
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Blog103: What If My Funds Don’t Perform….?

Blog103: What If My Funds Don’t Perform….?

Hope all is well?! Last week we shared some ideas on the best way to accumulate €1m, and whether a deposit regular savings account or a pension route might be the most effective way of doing it. We analysed these two routes and factored in deposit rates, pension fund returns, fees and charges and various...
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Podcast124: What Should I Do With An Inheritance

Podcast124: What Should I Do With An Inheritance

'What should I do with an inheritance' and 'How should I invest an inheritance' are questions we might never hope to need to consider but many are forced to consider these every year here in Ireland. This week in Ireland's award-winning and unbiased personal finance blog I hope share some insights which might be of value...
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Blog97: Should I Invest Now Or Wait For A Crash?

Blog97: Should I Invest Now Or Wait For A Crash?

Hey there and welcome back to Ireland's #1 personal finance blog. This week we are exploring what is quite a common challenge for people, the decisions about investing a lump sum now or waiting for markets to fall or crash. Funnily this is not usually a challenge for would-be investors when markets are calm and...
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Podcast120: Should I Invest Now Or Wait For A Crash?

Podcast120: Should I Invest Now Or Wait For A Crash?

Hey there and welcome back to Ireland's #1 personal finance blog. This week we are exploring what is quite a common challenge for people, the decisions about investing a lump sum now or waiting for markets to fall or crash. Funnily this is not usually a challenge for would-be investors when markets are calm and...
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Podcast119: Where To Get Financial Advice In Ireland?

Podcast119: Where To Get Financial Advice In Ireland?

Hey there, it's great to be back after a few weeks of rest over the Christmas, it was probably good for all of us to have a break from listening to me! Anyway, very excited about developing what we are doing here, growing the community, and helping more people get the information they need to...
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Blog95: A Wolf In Sheep-Clothing

Blog95: A Wolf In Sheep-Clothing

Welcome back to Ireland's independent & award winning Financial Planning Blog & Podcast. We don't claim to be perfect but we have been creating and sharing ideas here on the podcast for the past 2 years and are on a mission to help people of Ireland (& beyond!) to make decisions which benefit them in...
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Podcast116: What Is Entrepreneur Relief & Is It Any Use To Me??

Podcast116: What Is Entrepreneur Relief & Is It Any Use To Me??

Welcome back to Ireland's award winning & independent financial planning blog & podcast, where we are on a mission to share ideas and information that hopefully helps you make decisions that delivers long term results for you. Thanks for the lovely reaction to last weeks' episode, I certainly enjoyed sharing the story! This weeks' topic...
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Podcast115: Congregation 2018 – Beware The Lizard Brain

Podcast115: Congregation 2018 – Beware The Lizard Brain

Welcome back to Ireland's award-winning Finance Blog where we are on a mission to share ideas that will have a lasting and positive impact for you. This week were are sharing something a little different, and hope that it hits the mark, that it perhaps gets you thinking and perhaps even encourages you to do...
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Blog92: Should I Join My Company’s Pension Scheme?

Blog92: Should I Join My Company’s Pension Scheme?

It was in conversation with a friend recently, who has just started working for a new company, that I was asked if I believed it makes any sense to join a pension scheme offered by an employer. He was told that if he put 4% of gross salary into his pension that the employer would...
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Podcast113: Managing Sequence Risk

Podcast113: Managing Sequence Risk

BlackRock Investment Managers conduct an annual piece of research (in the US) of around 30,000 individuals and get their sentiment and preparation for retirement. Obviously it is heavily slanted to the financial. One of the surprising things, for me at least, was that the #1 concern for the majority of respondents was not health or...
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Podcast111: The Derek Bell Interview – How To Retire Well!

Podcast111: The Derek Bell Interview – How To Retire Well!

Welcome to Ireland's only dedicated and straight-talking Personal Finance & Financial Planning Podcast. Delighted you have decided to have a look at this weeks' episode. Firstly, want to say a heart-felt thank you to all listeners of the Podcast and readers of the Blog for their encouragement and feedback over the past 2 years, we...
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Podcast110: How To Procrastinate Later………

Podcast110: How To Procrastinate Later………

'I'm not a procrastinator, I just prefer doing everything in a dead-line induced panic!'......Honest words shared with me by an acquaintance recently. And to be fair it totally struck a chord with me, as a former repeat procrastinator it sounded so accurate a description of the logic a procrastinator uses to rationalise their behaviour (or...
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Blog89: Procrastinate Later…..

Blog89: Procrastinate Later…..

'I'm not a procrastinator, I just prefer doing everything in a dead-line induced panic!'......Honest words shared with me by an acquaintance recently. And to be fair it totally struck a chord with me, as a former repeat procrastinator it sounded so accurate a description of the logic a procrastinator uses to rationalise their behaviour (or...
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Blog88: ‘Budgety McBudget-Face’ 2019

Blog88: ‘Budgety McBudget-Face’ 2019

In 2016 The Natural Environment Research Council in the UK invited the public to name their latest scientific research vessel, which was costing £200m. This vessel was going to be doing (and currently is doing) really insightful and exploratory work, making new discoveries and so on. Really important, noble and global research for the good...
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Blog87: Why ‘Risk Questionnaires’ Are Dangerous….

Blog87: Why ‘Risk Questionnaires’ Are Dangerous….

If you have ever invested money in a fund or collective fund with a 3rd party, either through a pension or through an investment structure (product or platform) you will most likely have already completed a 'Risk Questionnaire' or 'Risk Survey'. It may have formed part of the bigger conversation about your investment goals, or...
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Blog82: When Simplicity Rewards Investors Handsomely……

Blog82: When Simplicity Rewards Investors Handsomely……

In a meeting last week I was asked why my philosophy toward successful long term investing was so simplistic and boring. I was delighted! For context the people I was working with had understood me to have been in the financial planning profession for 13 years (correct) and that I was a 'finance expert' (marginally...
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Podcast99: When Simplicity Rewards Investors

Podcast99: When Simplicity Rewards Investors

In a meeting last week I was asked why my philosophy toward successful long term investing was so simplistic and boring. I was delighted! For context the people I was working with had understood me to have been in the financial planning profession for 13 years (correct) and that I was a 'finance expert' (marginally...
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Blog80: The Mexican Fisherman…..

Blog80: The Mexican Fisherman…..

Welcome to Ireland's only dedicated Financial Planning & Personal Finance Blog & Podcast. Last year we won the award of 'Ireland's Best Finance Blog'......we have re-entered that same competition again this year, and will hear how we get on over the coming couple of months.....this might just be akin to the 'difficult second...

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Podcast97: The Mexican Fisherman……..

Podcast97: The Mexican Fisherman……..

Welcome to Ireland's only dedicated Financial Planning & Personal Finance Blog & Podcast. Last year we won the award of 'Ireland's Best Finance Blog'......we have re-entered that same competition again this year, and will hear how we get on over the coming couple of months.....this might just be akin to the 'difficult second album'!! As...
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Blog76: A Bid That Could Change Your Life…..!

Blog76: A Bid That Could Change Your Life…..!

Nobody likes to be suffering from something that they aren't aware of, particularly if it is a nasty and invasive something that has a long term impact on their well-being, & that could do so in a pretty significant way.......so this week we are going to explore and try to diagnose if anyone here is...
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Podcast91: The Emmet Savage Conversation…..

Podcast91: The Emmet Savage Conversation…..

Welcome to Ireland's dedicated investing and Financial Planning Podcast & Blog. We are on a mission to enable our listeners to help themselves to a better financial life. Thanks for checking us out! It is not every week we get to chat to one of the most successful investors of recent times, who has also founded...
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Podcast90: Should I Own Bonds? A 3-Portfolio Study

Podcast90: Should I Own Bonds? A 3-Portfolio Study

For decades Bonds have been touted as the elixir to an investors' nervous tendencies when investments hit volatility. If you look hard enough it will become clear that the only rationale for having Bonds in your investment portfolio is to help you cope when the market tanks again. Whether it is an existing pension fund...
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Blog75: Should I Own Bonds Now?

Blog75: Should I Own Bonds Now?

For decades Bonds have been touted as the elixir to an investors' nervous tendencies when investments hit volatility. If you look hard enough it will become clear that the only rationale for having Bonds in your investment portfolio is to help you cope when the market tanks again. Whether it is an existing pension fund...
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Blog74: Beginning With The End In Mind……

Blog74: Beginning With The End In Mind……

If we were to take a close and honest look at it very many of us, I'm guessing, would admit that we have not given much if any consideration to where our journey in life might take us, or indeed where we WANT it to take us. For some reason we don't accept the fact...
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Blog73: My Biggest Investment Lesson, So Far!

Blog73: My Biggest Investment Lesson, So Far!

It is Blog 73, and it is my very first Blog as a self employed individual! In the 2 years that I have been writing and creating this content, this is the fist one that I am actually doing during the day on a Monday to Friday. It is the first time not writing either...
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Blog71: Just Start…..Please!

Blog71: Just Start…..Please!

This week we are trying to share a simple message, an appeal to you, one which we hope will help move things forward for you in a positive direction. When we procrastinate about or delay committing to positive action we will always manage to rationalise it in our own heads, always! We are masters at...
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Podcast87: Just Start……

Podcast87: Just Start……

This week we are trying to share a simple message, an appeal to you, one which we hope will help move things forward for you in a positive direction. When we procrastinate about or delay committing to positive action we will always manage to rationalise it in our own heads, always! We are masters at...
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Blog 70: Small Cap Investing…….When Small Is Big!

Blog 70: Small Cap Investing…….When Small Is Big!

Welcome back to Informed Decisions, Ireland's only dedicated Financial Planning Blog & Podcast. Hope you are winning! When it comes to investing there are many folks that have no interest in what they are investing in, provided it makes them a decent return and it doesn't disappear over-night! Others like to take a closer look at...
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Buying Your First Home……The Pitfalls

Buying Your First Home……The Pitfalls

We don't ever go out of our way to be pessimistic on this blog, in fact we tend to be quite the opposite, having a firm belief that optimism is the only valid way when it comes to investing. However, when it comes to borrowing, which as we all know is essentially the reverse...
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Blog68- A Last Resort……Section 72 Plans

Blog68- A Last Resort……Section 72 Plans

In Blog 61 we mentioned Section 72 plans and said the following....These are creations of the Financial Services industry endorsed by the Revenue and are sold to people as a means to reduce or indeed eliminate a potential Inheritance or Gift Tax Bill down the road. They cost money and I am told are not...
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Podcast81: Optimism Is The Way…….Sunday Times Article

Podcast81: Optimism Is The Way…….Sunday Times Article

Optimism is the madness of insisting all is well when we are miserable. These words are reported to have come from Voltaire, the acclaimed French writer and philosopher. I am neither a Frenchman or a philosopher but I would like to put forward the suggestion that Optimism is actually the only way! When backed by concrete...
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Podcast80: Humans Under Management…..with Andy Hart

Podcast80: Humans Under Management…..with Andy Hart

Andy Hart is one of the UK's highest profile Financial Planners. He hosts his own Podcast, runs a successful Financial Planning firm, and is the organiser of the what is rapidly becoming UK's premier Financial Advisor & Planner Conference (Humans Under Management). And to top it all off he has invited me to share some...
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Blog65- Feedback & Presents!

Blog65- Feedback & Presents!

Hope you are all safe and well after Storm Emma. As a result of my own gallivanting in the snow I was struck-down by the dreaded man-flu.......but fear not I have survived! I was heartened and was sure to point out profusely to my wife that a British Medical Journal found last year that man-flu...
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Podcast77: Losing Power With Deposit Accounts

Podcast77: Losing Power With Deposit Accounts

It is fierce common lately to hear the financial industry give out about the rates of interest available through bank deposit accounts and to recommend that you should invest your money into XYZ Fund (which just so happens to generate a nice chunky commission for whoever is doing the recommending!). It's funny, they weren't saying...
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Blog64- The Risk Of Deposit Accounts….Losing Power

Blog64- The Risk Of Deposit Accounts….Losing Power

It is fierce common lately to hear the financial industry give out about the rates of interest available through bank deposit accounts and to recommend that you should invest your money into XYZ Fund (which just so happens to generate a nice chunky commission for whoever is doing the recommending!). It's funny, they weren't saying...
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Podcast76: Evidence Based Investing…..with Robin Powell

Podcast76: Evidence Based Investing…..with Robin Powell

This week we get to chat with a guy who is making quite a name for himself. He is advocating for greater investor education, in particular with regards to the long-running debate on the value of Active Fund Management versus Passive or Index investing. This is the latest episode in Ireland's only dedicated Financial Planning &...
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Blog62- What Should I Do With A Salary Raise?!

Blog62- What Should I Do With A Salary Raise?!

According to Central Statistics Office the average salary in Ireland (2016) of a full-time employee was a 'grocery-shop' more than €45,000. Knowing that figure might make you feel that you're doing well or it might make you feel like making progress on the income you are bringing in. In reality this is the main thing...
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Podcast73: What Should I Do With A Raise?

Podcast73: What Should I Do With A Raise?

According to Central Statistics Office the average salary in Ireland (2016) of a full-time employee was a 'grocery-shop' more than €45,000. Knowing that figure might make you feel that you're doing well or it might make you feel like making progress on the income you are bringing in. In reality this is the main thing...
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Blog61- They Died With Too Much Money………..So They Did

Blog61- They Died With Too Much Money………..So They Did

Welcome back to another edition of the Informed Decisions Blog, Ireland's #1 Financial Planning Blog & Podcast! This week we will take on an obscure topic, a topic which is often left till the bitter end before we give it consideration! When it comes to focusing on your Financial Planning, Financial Independence or 'building wealth'...
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Blog57- Don’t Bother With New Year Resolutions……

Blog57- Don’t Bother With New Year Resolutions……

We kick of 2018 full of optimism, gratitude and excitement for the year ahead. After what was hopefully a nice Christmas break we all are raring to go, and apparently as many as 50% of us (myself included!) feel that customary urge to set some resolutions for the year ahead. The top resolutions that we make...
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Podcast #66: Financial Well-Being with Jason Butler…

Podcast #66: Financial Well-Being with Jason Butler…

Welcome to another episode of Ireland's #1 Financial Planning Blog & Podcast. This week we have a cracking interview with UK's Jason Butler, where we discover some tips and guidance on achieving financial well-being, getting our lives the way we want them to be. Jason has super insight on this aspect of life, and is now living...
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Blog #54- The 5 Simple Things…..(I Promise!)

Blog #54- The 5 Simple Things…..(I Promise!)

Welcome to Ireland's #1 Finance Blog & Podcast. Our purpose is to help you make informed decisions with your money, and importantly to avoid some costly mistakes that they rest of us have made! We are aiming to make this THE home of Financial Planning information and insight for normal people here in Ireland! This...
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Podcast #46: Why Most Financial Plans Are Absolute Faff!

Podcast #46: Why Most Financial Plans Are Absolute Faff!

The noun Faff has been defined by the Oxford Dictionary as 'A great deal of ineffectual activity'.......most financial plans are absolute faff! So there, I said it! I said it, and the fact of the matter is that it is pretty true. Any plan worth it's salt with regards to pretty much anything will be mostly...
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Blog #37- PCP….A Drug or A Lease Agreement?!

Blog #37- PCP….A Drug or A Lease Agreement?!

PCP ('Phencyclidine' - not sure how that is pronounced!) was introduced in the 1950's as an anesthetic but was shelved in the 60's due to it's potentially lethal hallucinogenic effects. It was this hallucinogenic effect that made it so popular with recreational drug users and they have been producing it under the title of 'Angel...
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Podcast #42: PCP Finance…A Drug or A Car Finance Product?!

Podcast #42: PCP Finance…A Drug or A Car Finance Product?!

PCP ('Phencyclidine' - not sure how that is pronounced!) was introduced in the 1950's as an anesthetic but was shelved in the 60's due to it's potentially lethal hallucinogenic effects. It was this hallucinogenic effect that made it so popular with recreational drug users and they have been producing it under the title of 'Angel...
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Podcast #39: The Crash is Coming……..What Will You Do!?

Podcast #39: The Crash is Coming……..What Will You Do!?

Regular readers & listeners will by now know that Informed Decisions isn't in the space of trying to predict the markets, we leave that to the fortune-tellers of this world! We don't see any benefit in dissecting the daily news-feed and trying to interpret what that means for our investments, pensions, property prices etc. Nobody can...
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Blog #35- The Crash is Coming……Run For Your Lives!

Blog #35- The Crash is Coming……Run For Your Lives!

Regular readers & listeners will by now know that Informed Decisions isn't in the space of trying to predict the markets, we leave that to the fortune-tellers of this world! We don't see any benefit in dissecting the daily news-feed and trying to interpret what that means for our investments, pensions, property prices etc. Nobody can...
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Podcast #35: Teaching Our ‘Kids’ About Money

Podcast #35: Teaching Our ‘Kids’ About Money

We all know that money is not the be all and end all.....most of us appreciate that there is more to life and more to being a decent human. We might also recognise that living a fulfilled life is not about having full bank accounts, but it sure does help to have sufficient money to...
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Blog #32- Teaching Our Kids About Money

Blog #32- Teaching Our Kids About Money

Money is not the be all and end all.....most of us appreciate that there is more to life and more to being a decent human. We might also recognise that living a fulfilled life is not about having full bank accounts, but it sure does help to have sufficient money to make your own decisions...
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Podcast #9: Our First Guest Episode! Physical Health Expert Andrew Hageman- Are Physical & Financial Health Linked?

Podcast #9: Our First Guest Episode! Physical Health Expert Andrew Hageman- Are Physical & Financial Health Linked?

Episode 9 of the Informed Decisions Podcast introduces Physical Health expert Andrew Hageman of Meath-based A&S Fitness. We discuss links between Financial & Physical health, reasons to pursue both and some really useful tips to get on the path to physical (and subsequently financial) wellbeing. Andrew shares his personal story, his vision for giving ourselves the...
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