Informed Decisions: Ireland's Independent Retirement Planning Podcast

Hosted by Paddy Delaney, QFA RPA APA | Independent Retirement Planner, Ireland

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390

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Informed Decisions is Ireland's award-winning podcast on pensions, retirement planning and financial planning, hosted by Paddy Delaney. Paddy, founder of Informed Decisions, is one of a small number of retirement planners in Ireland who work on a genuinely fee-only basis: no commission from any product provider, no products sold, and nobody but the client paying for the advice. If you are within ten years of retiring and you have built up a substantial pension, the difficult part is no longer saving. It is knowing what to do with what you have. An awful lot of people arrive at that point with a fund value and no strategy, and no clear sense of whose advice is actually on their side. That is what this show is for. Every week, Paddy works through the decisions that really make a difference: current issues in the world of finance that affect your pension in Ireland and fundamental questions that every Irish person should ask themselves when planning their retirement, f.e.: • How much income a pension can realistically sustain in retirement, and for how long • ARF or annuity: what each one actually costs you over twenty years of drawdown • Why the default fund your pension has been sitting in may not be doing what you assume • What Revenue's rules mean in practice: the Standard Fund Threshold, imputed distribution, and the tax on your retirement lump sum • PRSAs, AVCs and company pensions, and which structure suits which situation ABOUT YOUR HOST Paddy Delaney is one of very few independent, fee-only financial planner in Ireland and the voice behind Informed Decisions. He is a Qualified Financial Adviser (QFA) and Retirement Planning Adviser (RPA), also holding the APA designation, and has been publishing this podcast since 2017. His work centres on Irish retirement income planning: ARF drawdown strategy, pension structuring, and tax-efficient income for people approaching or already in retirement. New episode every week and more content on YouTube, too. 📊 Check where you stand with Informed Decisions free 5-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/pension-calculator 📅 See how we work: https://www.informeddecisions.ie WHO THIS PODCAST IS FOR Business owners, senior professionals and executives across Ireland, typically between 45 and 65, with pension and investment assets built over a career. DISCLAIMER This podcast 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.

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August 17, 2026Episode 38331 min

72% - One Country: Is Your Irish Pension Actually Diversified?

If you hold an Irish pension or an ARF invested in a global equity index fund, you have almost certainly been told you are diversified: Thousands of companies, dozens of countries, one fund, job done. And it is true: your global index fund really does hold well over a thousand companies across more than twenty developed markets. But there is a second truth sitting right beside it. As at the end of June 2026, roughly 72.45% of that same "global" fund is allocated to a single country: The United States. Same fund, same name, same low-cost passive approach and yet quietly a very different animal to the one you bought a decade ago. For anyone drawing an income from an ARF, that second fact matters a great deal more than most people realise. In this episode, Paddy walks through what has actually happened inside these funds while we have been getting on with things: why a cap-weighted index concentrates all on its own, what the published weightings look like right now, and why the very same allocation means something completely different depending on whether you are still contributing or already drawing an income. He uses a worked Irish example (Seamus, 65, with €900,000 in an ARF held in a single global fund) to show what concentration actually looks like under the bonnet, and where Revenue's imputed distribution quietly turns a concentrated investor into a forced seller. What you'll learn: Why a cap-weighted index quietly concentrates over time, and why nobody writes to tell you What a global equity fund actually holds today: 72.45% United States, 26.6% in ten companies, 30.27% in one sector Why concentration is a volatility question at 52 and a sequencing question at 65 What Revenue's imputed distribution does to an investor who is already concentrated Why over-correcting, like running to cash, is usually the more expensive mistake of the two The one variable in this whole picture you actually control None of this is an argument against index investing, and it is not a forecast. It is an argument for being able to describe what you own before you decide how you feel about it. Never mind before you decide what to do about it. If you hold an ARF invested in a single global fund and you haven't seen a factsheet in years, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/market-concentration-irish-pensions 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-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.

August 10, 2026Episode 38422 min

Should You Take Your Pension Lump Sum at 60? A Worked Irish Case Study

Turning 60 with a significant pension pot and nothing forcing your hand? This episode is a worked case study on the pension lump sum decision at 60 in Ireland: Take the tax-free lump sum now, or leave the fund invested and revisit it at 65. Paddy goes through a study-case: Larry is 60, a senior private-sector executive, with €1.4 million in a defined contribution scheme. He doesn't exist. The numbers do. What you'll learn in this Episode: How the retirement lump sum is actually taxed in Ireland: the first €200,000 tax-free as a lifetime limit across all schemes, the 20% band to €500,000, and the marginal rate above it Why an uncrystallised pension carries no mandatory drawdown, and what imputed distribution at 4% from age 61 means once you have crystallised What five years of 5% to 6% growth is actually worth in net lump sum terms and why the honest answer is a range, not a number Where the Standard Fund Threshold genuinely bites and where it doesn't, including why a threshold rising €200,000 a year to 2029 changes the usual "don't let it grow too big" advice The three mistakes that decide most of these cases in practice If you're approaching retirement with a significant pension pot and you've been assuming 60 or 65 is the moment you have to act, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/tfls-at-60-or-wait-ireland 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-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.

August 3, 2026Episode 38125 min

Private Credit in Ireland: Can You Actually Get Your Money Out?

There is a pitch doing the rounds in Irish advice circles at the moment: private markets have finally been democratised, and private credit and private equity are now open to anyone with a decent pension pot. But is it really like that? In this episode, Paddy looks at what is actually being sold, and at the one feature that matters more than anything else in the brochure, because liquidity here is offered, not guaranteed . Have a listen, if you'd like to get an idea of what these 'zombie funds' in the private markets sector are all about, what your ARF has to do with them, and what considerations there are regarding private loans and equity investments when it comes to your retirement planning. What you'll learn: What an evergreen or semi-liquid fund actually is, and why a redemption window is nothing like selling a share Why the value on your statement can lag what is really happening in the underlying businesses by months What a zombie fund is, and why roughly 48% of the institutional investors surveyed by Coller Capital already hold one Why illiquid assets collide badly with ARF drawdown, where Revenue requires you to draw at least 4% a year from age 61 The four questions to ask before you sign anything and what a vague answer actually tells you None of this means private markets are wicked, or that nobody should ever own them. It means a bit of healthy scepticism is no bad thing. If you are approaching or already in retirement and someone has put one of these opportunities in front of you, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/zombie-funds-private-markets-ireland 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-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.

July 27, 2026Episode 38028 min

Bucket vs. Total Return - Retirement Withdrawal Strategies for Investors in Ireland

If you've built a pension pot of €1m or more, you've almost certainly thought about how you'll invest it in retirement. What a bunch of people haven't thought through properly is how they'll actually take the money out: that decision, not the fund selection, is often what determines whether your ARF supports you comfortably for thirty years, or gives you a fright in year eight. After his well deserved holiday, in this episode Paddy talks about retirement withdrawal strategies for an Irish ARF: the bucket strategy versus the total return strategy, and why the choice works differently here than in the US or UK research you'll have read. If you're approaching, or already in, retirement with €1m+ in an ARF, and you're not sure whether you have a withdrawal plan or just a fund value, this one is for you. What you'll learn: • How the bucket strategy and the total return (guardrails) strategy actually work inside an ARF • Why Revenue's imputed distribution welds a hard 4% floor under your withdrawals from age 61 (ARF under €2m) • What a 20% down year does to a €1.2m ARF under each approach and why a hybrid often captures the best of both • The three most common drawdown mistakes and how to avoid them If you're approaching retirement with a significant pension pot and want genuine clarity on turning it into a sustainable, tax-aware income, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/post/retirement-withdrawal-strategies-drawdown-risk Check out our new category on YouTube: Paddy's Pension Pieces . Smaller, condensed content of our topics, where Paddy condenses longer topics into shorter clips, covers topics that are hot off the press or shares timeless classics that are always relevant to pension planning. 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-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.

July 20, 2026Episode 37935 min

Strategic Giving - Philanthropy in Ireland: A Conversation With Community Foundation CEO, Denise Charlton

Most people spend decades building wealth and never quite get to the second question: not how do I protect this, but what do I actually want it to do? On this episode, Paddy Delaney talks to Denise Charlton, CEO of Community Foundation Ireland, about strategic philanthropy in Ireland. How it actually works, and where to start. What you'll learn: How a Donor Advised Fund works in Ireland, and why the entry point is lower than most assume (€25,000–€50,000) The difference between ad-hoc giving and strategic philanthropy How tax relief and Capital Acquisitions Tax exemptions apply to charitable giving in Ireland How families bring the next generation into a giving conversation, and how endowments work in perpetuity If you've built significant wealth and you're starting to ask what it's actually for, this conversation is worth your time. About the Guest Denise Charlton is Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland, the country's leading philanthropic foundation. Her career spans senior leadership at the Immigrant Council of Ireland and Women's Aid; she was a founder of Marriage Equality, and she currently sits on the board of Cuan, the State's statutory agency for sexual and gender-based violence. You can find Community Foundation Ireland at communityfoundation.ie . 🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/strategic-philanthropy-ireland 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-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.

July 13, 2026Episode 37814 min

Simplicity Is The Ultimate Sophistication (Replay)

This one was recorded a while back (in 2024), but the argument hasn't dated a day, if anything, it holds up better now than when we first put it out. A of complexity in Irish pension and investment advice isn't there to help you. It's there to help the person selling it. In this episode, Paddy explains why simplicity almost always beats sophistication when it comes to your pension and investment planning, and what a genuinely simple structure actually looks like. What you'll learn: ● Why financial firms are often incentivised to make your pension and investments more complicated than they need to be ● The real-world cost of sophisticated, structured investment products that underperform ● What a simple, transparent pension and investment structure actually looks like in practice ● The questions worth asking any advisor before trusting them with your retirement assets If you've ever had a feeling that your own pension or investment structure is more complicated than it needs to be, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/simplicity-over-sophistication-pension-planning And a quick word on something new: alongside the podcast, I've started putting together shorter pieces for YouTube: Paddy's Pension Pieces . Each one built around a single question from a fuller episode or a specific topic I'd like to discuss in shorter time . The first is up now, on what a €1 million pension pot in Ireland actually leaves you with after tax: check out our YT Channel to discover :) More to follow. 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-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.

July 6, 2026Episode 37732 min

Sequence of Returns Risk: Same ARF. Same Return. Totally Different Outcome

Two people can retire with the same ARF, the same average return, and the same withdrawal rate and still end up in completely different places. One leaves over €1m to his family. The other runs out of money before he turns 88. The only difference is the order in which the returns arrived. In this episode, Paddy breaks down sequence of returns risk in Ireland. The risk that gets far less attention than fund performance or pot size, but can matter more than either. What you'll learn: • Why sequence of returns doesn't matter at all while you're still accumulating • Why the first ten years of drawdown can account for roughly 77% of your final outcome • How Revenue's 4%/5%/6% imputed distribution rules interact with this risk in an Irish ARF • Four practical ways to protect your ARF: cash buffers, dynamic withdrawal, portfolio construction, and timing flexibility If you're within a decade of retirement, or already drawing an income from your ARF, this is worth half an hour of your time. Enjoy! 🎙️ Find all the full podcast episode and 📖 Blog here: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/sequence-of-returns-risk-ireland 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-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.

June 29, 2026Episode 37631 min

Enduring Power of Attorney in Ireland With Áine Flynn: Who Can Act If You Can't?

An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) is the planning step most Irish adults never get to. Only around 8% have one, against roughly a third who've made a will. Yet if you lost capacity tomorrow, it's the document that decides whether the people you trust can actually act for you, or whether your family ends up in front of the Circuit Court. Paddy Delaney is joined by Áine Flynn, Director of Ireland's Decision Support Service, for a clear, practical conversation about planning ahead. If you're approaching retirement with assets to protect, this one matters. For more information about Áine Flynn and the work of Ireland's Decision Support Service: https://www.decisionsupportservice.ie In this episode: Why your next of kin can't automatically step in. And what an EPA changes The joint-account trap most couples assume protects them What it costs (€30 to register, €90 to activate) and how the DSS process works The "holy trinity": Will, EPA and Advance Healthcare Directive, and what each one covers If you want genuine clarity on protecting yourself and the people you love, whatever happens, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Full episode (video) and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/enduring-power-of-attorney-ireland 📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 5-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 or legal advice. Everyone's situation is different — always speak to a qualified, independent advisor (and a solicitor for legal documents) before making pension, investment or estate-planning decisions. Rules and figures change; figures quoted are accurate at time of recording.

June 22, 2026Episode 37532 min

Should You Reduce Investment Risk Before Retirement?

As you get closer to retirement, move your money to safer investments. It sounds reasonable. But what if that one piece of conventional wisdom could cost you €80,000 or more? In this episode, Paddy unpacks one of the most consequential (and most overlooked) investment decisions you'll make: whether to reduce investment risk before you retire . For a lot of Irish pension holders, this decision has already been made for them automatically, through something called lifestyling often without their knowledge or consent. Paddy works through the two opposing risks at the heart of the decision: de-risking too early and leaving significant growth on the table in your final accumulation years and sequence-of-returns risk , the single most underappreciated danger in early retirement. Using two scenarios he shows how a default setting can quietly create an €85,000–€100,000 gap, and why the order in which your returns arrive matters more than the average. You'll come away with a simple three-question framework to bring deliberate, personalised thinking to your own pension, instead of leaving it to a system designed for an average that doesn't exist. What this Episode covers: • The two real risks and why most people only know one • Lifestyling: what your provider may be doing without telling you • The €85k–€100k cost of de-risking too early • Sequence-of-returns risk and the retirement 'red zone' • The bucket strategy as a simple income buffer • A three-question framework for the ten years before retirement And if you like to read this episode again, read the full blog post here: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/reduce-investment-risk-before-retirement-ireland Chapters: 00:00 - The €80,000 question 01:30 - The two real risks 04:00 - Lifestyling explained 07:00 - The real numbers 12:00 - Sequence-of-returns risk 17:00 - The decision framework 21:00 - Mistakes to avoid + ARF considerations 24:30 - Summary & key takeaways 📊 Check out our new Retirement Readiness Scorecard: www.informeddecisions.ie/retirement-readiness-scorecard 📖 Find out how we work at www.informeddecisions.ie ABOUT THE SHOW The Informed Decisions podcast is hosted by Paddy Delaney, QFA RPA APA, independent, fee-only retirement planner in Ireland. The podcast and the blog at informeddecisions.ie are educational resources for Irish professionals, business owners, and high-net-worth individuals navigating retirement, tax efficiency, and investment strategy. DISCLAIMER This podcast is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute personalised financial advice. Figures and rules referenced reflect the position as at May 2026 and are subject to change. Always speak to a qualified, independent financial advisor about your specific situation.

June 15, 2026Episode 37441 min

Pension Drawdown Above €2M: The €243,000 Timing Decision (SFT Ireland)

If your pension is approaching or has passed €2 million, the question is no longer just how to grow it, it's how to generate income without handing a significant portion to Revenue unnecessarily. The Standard Fund Threshold in Ireland rose to €2.2 million in January 2026, and the decisions you make in the next few years will determine how much of that headroom you actually use. In this episode, Paddy covers the income strategies that matter most at the SFT level. If your pension is approaching €1.5 million or more, this episode is for you. • Why timing your Benefit Crystallisation Events can shelter up to €500,000 from Chargeable Excess Tax • How the lump sum offset mechanism reduces your CET exposure — and what the effective SFT really is in 2026 • What the imputed distribution rules mean when your ARF exceeds €2 million • How to manage income through the standard rate tax band efficiently • Why spousal pension planning is one of the most underused strategies at this level 📊 Find out how we work and have a look at our Retirement Readiness Scorecard: https://www.informeddecisions.ie 📖 Read the full blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/generating-income-standard-fund-threshold-ireland ABOUT THE SHOW The Informed Decisions podcast is hosted by Paddy Delaney QFA RPA APA — independent, fee-only retirement planner in Ireland. The podcast and the blog at informeddecisions.ie are educational resources for Irish professionals, business owners, and high-net-worth individuals navigating retirement, tax efficiency, and investment strategy. DISCLAIMER This podcast is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute personalised financial advice. Figures and rules referenced reflect the position as at May 2026 and are subject to change. Always speak to a qualified, independent financial advisor about your specific situation.