AJ Bell Money Matters

The ultimate guide to saving for a house deposit

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura tell you everything you need to know about saving for a deposit to buy a home. They chat to two women who took very different paths on the way to fulfilling their house buying dreams. A house is normally the biggest purchase you’ll ever make and one that requires some serious saving in order to cobble together the deposit required.

There are government programmes to help, and we talk through whether things like the Lifetime ISA and, the now retired, Help to Buy ISA are right for you. Danni chats to Emma Keywood from AJ Bell’s Dodl platform who recently moved into her first home and was ridiculously organised from a very young age. Laura catches up with the inspirational Clare Seal, who started the Instagram account MyFrugalYear to anonymously document her journey out of debt. She’s since revealed her identity and, along with writing three books, she and her partner have just bought a house – so we spoke to her about how you can go from debt to deposit.

This podcast was recorded before the recent changes to stamp duty announced by the Government in the mini-Budget.

How to start saving for kids

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura are talking kids and money. Many people want to give their children a savings cushion, to help them with everything from education costs to buying a car or house. Laura catches up with Charlene Young, AJ Bell’s pensions and savings expert, about how to navigate all the options from ISAs to pensions, and how investing little and often can really add up by their 18th birthday.

They also talk about how to help children develop a healthy relationship with money whatever their age and Danni chats to Orla McKeating, who is a single mum, podcaster and co-founder of Still I Rise - a programme to celebrate diversity in storytelling for kids. She’s got great tips about giving pocket money, getting kids to save up for things they really want and getting them comfortable with finance.

The spiraling cost of childcare

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura discuss the issue of childcare costs. With inflation shooting up and options hard to come by after lockdowns pushed a number of providers to quit or close, prices are at an all-time high.

We hear from a number of mums about how they’re coping by using family to fill in or by quitting work altogether.

We talk through the help that’s available and discuss why many parents aren’t accessing what they’re entitled to, particularly when it comes to tax-free childcare. The issue has become a political hot-potato and the government says it’s looking at ways to bring down costs, but providers aren’t convinced some of the plans are feasible. Danni chats to Purnima Tunuku, chief executive of the National Day Nursery Association, about what her members think about the current state of the system in the UK, what parents are paying for and why it’s so expensive.

The student finance journey

This episode of the Money Matters podcast digs into student finances, how much debt will you end up with, when do you start to pay it back and how do you support yourself whilst you’re studying? The latest figures from the Student Loans Company show the total national student debt is valued at £161 billion.

Danni talks to two graduates from the University of Leeds, Bronwen Jones and Connie Steen, who are just setting out on what they hope will be successful careers, but they talk about how they feel being saddled with such high debt and their tips for budgeting whilst studying. 

Laura gets the lowdown from Ola Majekodunmi from All Things Money, an online community which helps younger people navigate their finances, about how student finance actually works, why it might involve tricky conversations with your parents and what happens when you start to repay it.

School’s out – what next?

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast, Danni and Laura talk about the big choices being faced by millions of school leavers. Whilst many will choose to stay in full-time education, others will be thinking about applying for their first job or considering an apprenticeship.

They discuss the financial implications of those decisions and Laura catches up with Paula Wharrier, AJ Bell’s recruitment manager and asks what makes someone stand out in a job interview and how a tight labour market has changed things. 

Danni also talks to global communications specialist Heather Hansen about her new book “Unmuted” and asks how young people can make an impact in their workplace from day one to set them up for future success

Working smart with Smart Works

In this episode, Laura chats to Kate Stephens, the CEO of Smart Works, which has helped over 20,000 women return to work. That includes Sam Gilbert, who tells Danni how the charity helped her start a new job this spring.

The Money Matters team also discuss the barriers of getting back into the workplace, particularly if you’ve been out of work for a long time – whether that’s because of studying or travel, or childcare issues or other caring responsibilities.

With a tight labour market and the cost of living skyrocketing, women are returning to the workplace. But just because there are lots of jobs out there doesn’t mean it’s straightforward to walk into one. Laura explains the financial things you need to think about if you’re about to start a new full or part time job.

How to negotiate a pay rise

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast, Danni and Laura tackle an issue on a lot of listeners minds right now – how do you go about asking for and getting a pay rise? With the labour market so tight, it might seem like the perfect time to push your employer for more money. And as inflation soars, a bit of extra cash in pay packets would certainly help.

Laura chats to one Money Matters listener, Zoe Warren, who has first-hand experience of asking the question and getting the answer she wanted. And Danni picks the brains of Alice Draper, founder of ‘In a Pickle Careers’, who helps women find their confidence to get back into the workplace, move jobs, start businesses, and – yes – ask for pay rises.

Taking investing back to basics

On this episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast, Laura and Danni strip investing back to its bare bones with the help of two fantastic guests. Prerna Khemlani, founder of This Girl Invests, breaks down investing jargon with Laura, and Danni chats to Abby Glennie, fund manager at Abrdn, about how she builds and runs a fund.

Why the biggest investing mistake is not getting started

This episode of the Money Matters podcast tackles the thorny issue of investing mistakes. Danni Hewson and Laura Suter share their regrets about their money journeys and hear from members of the AJ Bell team about things they wish they’d done differently.

But perhaps the most common investing mistake is not getting started soon enough – or not investing at all. To learn more, Danni chats with co-founder of Female Invest, Anna-Sophie Hartvigsen, who says women can’t just sit on the sidelines if the gender investment gap is ever going to narrow.

Everything you need to know about financial advice

In this week’s AJ Bell Money Matters podcast, Laura chats with Chanelle Pattinson, a financial planner, about the differences between financial planning, coaching and advice. And Danni catches up with Charlene Young, an AJ Bell pensions expert, who delves into all the other options and resources out there to help you get in control of your finances.