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Giving Brits professional insights, practical tools, and simple frameworks to help them build wealth and get money smart. Trusted by 150k+ followers. This is education, not financial advice.
Your Next £100: ISA vs Pension
Chris Exley DipFA Creator of MoneyGeek | Financial Coach | Planner MoneyGeek Digest - Issue 17: Where does my next £100 go? ISA vs Pension Dear Reader, Before I kick off this issue of the digest - there are around 500 new subscribers this week - many are asking for my modelling tool. I built this out on Google Sheets - you can check it out here: Financial Forecast Spreadsheet - Add to your drive This year, i've met with well over 200 families all taking the right steps towards financial...
The NEW 67% Pension Tax
Chris Exley DipFA Creator of MoneyGeek MoneyGeek Digest - Issue 16: The NEW 67% Pension Tax (and how to avoid it) Dear Reader, Me again...I hope you've all been making the most of the glorious weather we've had over the last few weeks (32 degrees in Cardiff in May!) - now back to reality with enough rain to make up for it! Positioning yourself financially to squeeze everything out of days like these is what building a financial plan should be all about. But the goalposts are constantly...
120% Capital Gains Trap (and how to avoid it)
Chris Exley DipFA Creator of MoneyGeek | Financial Coach, Planner MoneyGeek Digest - Issue 15: 120% Capital Gains Tax Trap - The Problem With the Current System (and how to avoid it) Dear Reader, I hope you are all enjoying a sunny and relaxed bank holiday. The topic of this weeks newsletter: How can a £10,000 gain attract £12,000 in tax? I was chatting to a friend over a beer last weekend - as often happens - the conversation pivoted to finance. He invested a £100,000 conservatively back in...
2 Layer Investing Strategy (£100k - £2m)
Chris Exley DipFA Creator of MoneyGeek | Financial Coach | Planner MoneyGeek Digest - Issue 14:2 Layer Investing Strategy (£100k - £2m) Dear Reader, 11 separate accounts... A pension here. A pension there. An ISA at one platform another ISA at a different one, 4 different cash accounts, two general investment accounts, premium bonds, a handful of savings accounts. If this sounds like you, you're not alone. Complexity is the silent killer of prudent financial planning and investing. But here's...
Investing is EASY - Planning is NOT
Chris Exley DipFA Creator of MoneyGeek | Financial Coach | Financial Planner MoneyGeek Digest - Issue 13:Investing is easy. Planning isn't. Dear Reader, Yesterday, I watched a short video by a well-known financial creator. She (unknowingly) verbalised what the new era of 'Invest £500/mo in a global ETF, retire at 50' content keeps missing: The thought of spending my money terrifies me. When is the right time to spend it? When is the right time to take the leap. When am I gonna spend this...
6 (Wrong) Reasons You Delay Retirement...
Chris Exley DipFA Creator of MoneyGeek | Financial Coach, Planner MoneyGeek Digest - Issue 12:6 (Wrong) Reasons You Delay Retirement... Dear Reader, I've spoken to 24 people this year who can probably retire, but haven't. They're comfortable financially. They've hit every career goal. They want to stop. But they don't... "Just one more year". But that one more year of work isn't just one more year off retirement - it's one of the golden years - one of only a handful you get before your health...
Higher returns. Lower chance of success...
Chris Exley DipFA Creator of MoneyGeek MoneyGeek Digest - Issue 11: Higher investing returns, lower chance of success... I was sitting with a client last week — we'll call him Bill. Age 55. Decent pot, sensible saver, realistic about what he needs. The conversation about asset allocation came up. Should he hold mainly equities — or mainly bonds? More equities = more volatility.More volatility = higher potential returns.Higher returns = better chance of hitting his goals. Right? Not quite....
They've KILLED Buy to Let:
Chris Exley DipFA Creator of MoneyGeek | Financial Coach | Financial Planner MoneyGeek Digest - Issue 10:7 Reasons Why Buy to Let is Dead Dear Reader, I spoke to a 30-year-old last week - builder by trade, sharp as a tack, and had spent years saving a 25% deposit on a £150,000 buy-to-let. He’d done his homework - scoured Rightmove, lining up some options. Then we ran the numbers for Stamp Duty on a 2nd home purchase... £8,000. On a £150,000 property. That was game over - the numbers just...
The TRUTH about retiring at 50
Chris Exley DipFA Creator of MoneyGeek | Financial Coach | Financial Adviser MoneyGeek Digest - Issue 9: The TRUTH About Retiring at 50 Dear Reader, I hope the Easter bunny treated you well — though between you and me, I'm convinced the eggs get smaller every year. Shrinkflation doesn't even spare mythical creatures, it seems. Anyway, enough about chocolate. This issue, I want to talk about something that I think will genuinely change how you think about financial freedom. If I had a penny...
The #1 Financial Metric you're MISSING:
Chris Exley DipFA Creator of MoneyGeek | Financial Coach | Financial Planner MoneyGeek Digest - Issue 8:The #1 Most Important Metric Dear Reader, I'm writing this edition of the digest from a small village outside of Rio de Janeiro - Brazil - taking a few weeks to wind down. After settling the bill for one of the finest meals I've ever had (£30 for starter, mains, dessert and drinks for two), my wife and I got talking about whether we'd ever move to a country where the cost of living is...
Giving Brits professional insights, practical tools, and simple frameworks to help them build wealth and get money smart. Trusted by 150k+ followers. This is education, not financial advice.