Principles Personal Finance

What's the right balance between saving for tomorrow and actually living today?
It's one of the questions I think about constantly in my work. We spend decades learning how to accumulate wealth—but spending it down wisely?

That's a different skill entirely. William Sharpe, the Nobel Prize-winning economist, called the decumulation phase "the nastiest, hardest problem in finance." And honestly, he's not wrong.

I had the huge privilege of joining Merryn Somerset Webb on the Merryn Talks Money podcast to dig into exactly this. We talked about the challenges—and yes, the opportunities—that come with making sure your spending stage goes just as well as your saving stage.

Because what's the point of financial security if you're too afraid to enjoy it? 👇

1 week ago | [YT] | 4

Principles Personal Finance

🚨 IMPORTANT CASH ISA POINT: It seems that as part of the new Cash ISA rules there will be 'tests to determine whether an investment is eligible to be held in a stocks and shares ISA or is ‘cash like’. This indicates that money market funds will not be able to be used as a get around. Please see below for more detail:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/tax-free-saving…

(This is a crazy level faff and admin for providers and individuals for no real benefit...🙄)

1 month ago | [YT] | 17

Principles Personal Finance

🚨 NEW PODCAST: It was great to be on the ‪@themoneygainspodcast‬ discussing... "Will You Have Enough for Retirement?"

Why you should watch

💸 Find out if auto-enrolment is actually enough (spoiler: it's not)

📊 Learn why the "comfortable retirement" standard might be impossible for most people

🏠 Discover why our generation needs to completely rethink what retirement looks like

💡 Get the simple tweaks that can add YEARS to your financial freedom

⚖️ Understand the looming state pension crisis and what it means for you

📚 Why financial education in schools is failing (and what you can do about it)

The brutal reality: If you're earning average salary and doing minimum pension contributions, your money runs out in your early 70s.

The good news: Small changes compound into massive differences over time.

This isn't doom and gloom - it's a wake-up call with actual solutions.

Perfect watch for anyone wondering, "Am I saving enough?" or "What does retirement actually look like for my generation?"

5 months ago | [YT] | 4

Principles Personal Finance

Hi everyone! 👋

I’ve noticed lots of questions about defined benefit pension schemes on my last video. Since this is actually my specialist area (I used to work with these schemes daily), I’m planning a dedicated Q&A video to cover them properly.

Drop your defined benefit scheme questions below and I’ll answer them in the upcoming video!

Thanks 🙏

George

7 months ago | [YT] | 42

Principles Personal Finance

I had an absolute blast being back on the ‪@MakingMoneyPodcast‬ talking retirement planning with Damo and T!

We covered some critical topics that anyone thinking about their financial future needs to understand:

✅ The 4% and 3.75% rules for retirement planning and why they're just guidelines, not hard rules

✅ How to manage sequence of returns risk - what happens if you retire right before a market crash?

✅ Why cash buffers, bond ladders and adapting your spending may be crucial tools

✅ The harsh reality I found when stress-testing retirement strategies against some brutal market conditions

✅ Why most people need to start serious retirement planning 5-10 years before they actually want to stop working

For anyone wondering "will I have enough?" or "could I run out of money?", this episode dives deep into the practical side of retirement planning. It was genuinely an honour to be invited back as a friend of the podcast. 🙌

8 months ago | [YT] | 7

Principles Personal Finance

🚨 Your parents' retirement plan won't work for you. Here's what will. 📈

It was an absolute pleasure to be on the Making Money Podcast! One of my favourite podcasts, and humbled to share the guestlist with, esteemed authors and business legends like Deborah Meaden

In the episode, we discuss Millennial and Gen Z finances, retirement, and how this differs in structure and opportunity from older generations.

💡 In the episode we discuss:

- Why auto-enrolment alone will likely leave you short
- Your human capital (ability to earn) is your most valuable asset early on
- The traditional "golden years" retirement may be dead - but that may be a good thing
- Why most people focus on returns but neglect that there are 9 different levers you can pull to build wealth

📈 We also discussed practical strategies for building wealth through a mixture of assets, income and focusing on lifestyle.

1 year ago | [YT] | 6

Principles Personal Finance

📣 Podcast Launch Day! 📣

I know this may not have much crossover with my Principles audience, but just in case anyone is interested. I'm thrilled to announce the launch of "Creator Finance" - a podcast exploring how creators can achieve financial independence. Interviewing the very best in the space and the experts who support them. 🤝

Creators are a new breed of entrepreneurs. The more I speak with those in the space, the more I've noticed how creators have an incredible opportunity, but a tough journey in building a sustainable business and life.

For the 1st episode, we have none other than Damien Talks Money, one of the UK's top finance creators with over 1,000,000 monthly views on YouTube.

From the brink of bankruptcy to building a media empire spanning YouTube, podcasts, email lists, and B2B sales, Damien's journey is nothing short of inspiring.

In this candid conversation, he'll share:

✅ Strategies and tactics to scale a creator business
✅ The "Martin Lewis Model" for long-term creator success
✅ Invaluable advice for creators starting their journey
✅ Insights on when to walk away from lucrative deals

1 year ago | [YT] | 3

Principles Personal Finance

I've realised I don't do as much on the community thread as I should! 🤦‍♂️

To put that right, if anyone in my audience would like to see a video on a certain topic. Please comment below on what you'd like to see and I promise I'll make a video on one of the topics!

(No Boaty McBoatface suggestions please 😉)

1 year ago | [YT] | 5

Principles Personal Finance

🚨 TOMORROW MONDAY 11TH MARCH - 6PM

Hey, just a quick message to say that tomorrow I'm hosting a webinar on the changes that are coming into play from 6th April this year following the abolition of the Lifetime Allowance. It's free for those who watch my channel and clients and you can sign up below if you're interested. 👇👇

events.teams.microsoft.com/event/2a5480a4-7560-434…

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1 year ago | [YT] | 6

Principles Personal Finance

I'm incredibly grateful to each and every one of you who watches my content. 🙌

I want to make sure it's as helpful to you as possible. Would be great to hear what type of video you'd get the most value from. Input your vote on the below topics and I'll make a video about it... 👇👇

2 years ago | [YT] | 14