AJ Bell Money Matters

Scummy Mummies and money worries

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni chats to podcast sensations the Scummy Mummies about why money is still a massive taboo.  Comedy duo Ellie Gibson and Helen Thorn are currently on a UK tour and while their audience is happy to share stories about parenting failure, sexual misadventures and hangover woes, they very rarely mention money.

Both mums have had their own financial trials over the years and share their thoughts on the current cost of living crisis. And with high prices making it hard to budget this Christmas, Laura talks about how to both avoid and manage debt so it doesn’t clobber you in the New Year.

Budgets and bargains - how to navigate tax changes and survive Black Friday

The recent Budget will have a big impact on all our pockets. But fear not, Danni and Laura are here to tell you what all of the economic jargon and boring tax changes mean for your money. And Black Friday is looming, which can be a time to grab a great bargain – but also a tricky time to avoid overspending. To help you navigate (and survive) the big shopping day we’ve enlisted Karen Hasid, the mum behind the brilliant Instagram account @kakasheadoverdeals to talk us through the best ways to maximise your savings. She also has a cracking (but very relatable) entry for Laura’s Confessional.

Slashing the cost of Christmas

Laura and Danni are back with a slightly new feel Money Matters podcast and on this episode, they’ve drafted in the big guns, Instagram sensation Heidi Ondrak. The “Duchess of Thrift” shares her secrets for cutting the cost of Christmas this year.  She’s got loads of money saving tips and tricks which can help you cope with the perils of pester power and enjoy the festive season without the debt hangover that no one can afford.

Danni and Laura also take you through everything you need to know about interest rates, why they’re going up, how that might impact your life and where you can get help.  They also introduce “Laura’s Confessional” a safe space where you can share your financial mistakes and this week Heidi kicks us off with details of her lockdown shopping splurge.

Menopause and Money

On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura talk about another life event that can have a huge impact on a woman’s working life. Menopause typically affects women between the ages of 45 and 55 and one in four women surveyed said it had impacted their working life. Confidence takes the biggest knock and 6% of women going through the menopause said they’d had to reduce their hours and 4% said they’d either changed jobs or quit work entirely.

Danni shares her own experiences of working through the menopause and she talks to Sarah Coulson from Halcyon Therapies which has helped hundreds of women deal with their symptoms, about how different women are affected.

With one in ten women saying menopause had a financial impact on their lives, Laura talks to AJ Bell’s head of HR Jo James about how she helped create the company’s menopause policy and talks through what support women can ask of their employers.

Everything you need to know about the (not so) mini-Budget

On this special episode of the Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura pick apart the new Chancellor’s Budget and explain how the new measures might affect you. From tax cuts and stamp duty being slashed, to help with energy bills and changes to universal credit. They also talk about what the downbeat market reaction has done to the value of the pound and why that really matters – as well as looking at why it might bring on quicker and bigger interest rate hikes.

House buying hacks (or first-time-buyers handbook)

This episode of the Money Matters podcast is your download-and-keep guide to buying a house. Danni and Laura have enlisted a couple of fantastic guests to talk through the ins and outs of every stage of getting on, or stepping up, the housing ladder.

You’ll get tips on how to position yourself as the perfect buyer, the lowdown on all those tricky mortgage terms, and crucially, hear how much everything is going to cost. This episode is aimed at first-time buyers, but there’s also plenty of information for second (or third) home movers on what changes to interest rates could mean for you, and details about changes to affordability criteria.

Danni picks the brains of Emma Kingham from estate agent Knight Frank, who has some fantastic advice on choosing your perfect property, and why it’s important to be able act fast if you don’t want to be disappointed. And with interest rates marching up, Laura chats to Gemma Bennett, a mortgage broker with Mortgage Mum, about what that might mean. She also breaks down all the jargon to help you on your house-buying journey.

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

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.