Mouthy Money: Building wealth with long term investing and saving strategies

Nearly half of people paying into a workplace pension can't say how much their employer puts in, and one in five don't know whether their employer would pay more if they did. Paul Davies, pensions expert at Which?, joins Edmund Greaves and Chris Tuite to work through new Which? research: what the law says your employer must pay, why the percentages are not taken from your whole salary, how matching works and what to check on your own payslip this week. Edmund and Chris test themselves on air first. The episode also covers how often the legal minimum is all an employer pays, how public sector schemes differ and what the Pensions Commission could change when it reports. Paul's Which? guide to public sector pensions: https://www.which.co.uk/money/pensions-and-retirement/saving-for-retirement/what-is-a-public-sector-pension-aobOd3f81QK1 Our earlier episode on the £100,000 pension tipping point: https://youtu.be/bjEh2c-4R9I Get the Mouthy Money newsletter: https://mouthymoney.substack.com Research: Deltapoll surveyed 1,294 UK working adults for Which? between 14 and 17 August 2026. General information rather than financial advice. Pension values can fall as well as rise.

From 6 April 2029 the government will cap the National Insurance saving on salary sacrifice pension contributions. The first £2,000 a year stays free of National Insurance, and everything above that will be taxed like ordinary pay. The CIPP puts 3.3 million workers in scope. Edmund Greaves and Chris Tuite explain what salary sacrifice is, why middle earners gain more from it than high earners do, and what the cap actually changes. National Insurance falls from 8% to 2% above the higher-rate threshold, which is why someone earning £28,000 saves proportionally more than someone on £80,000. They also work through the drawbacks of carrying a lower gross salary, from mortgage affordability and maternity pay to income protection and redundancy, and answer whether any of it affects your state pension. Nothing changes until April 2029. Check your payslip to find out whether you are already on salary sacrifice, and talk to HR or payroll if you are not sure. Chapters 00:00 The perk in your payslip that's about to be taxed 00:48 What we cover in this episode 01:28 The law has already passed 02:33 Why the £100,000 threshold matters so much 04:24 Fiscal drag is pulling more people in 05:26 How salary sacrifice actually works 07:02 Why the highest earners gain the least 08:06 The numbers at £28,000, £50,000 and £80,000 10:14 The catches: mortgages, maternity pay and cover 14:08 What changes in April 2029 15:19 The cliff edges at £60,000 and £100,000 17:15 What to do before 2029 19:44 Chris's verdict and the name problem 20:56 Over to you

Sean Standerwick is a chartered financial planner, and a fair part of his job is talking people out of distrusting their own pension. This episode is what he tells them. You come away with a number to measure your own pot against. The Retirement Living Standards put a single person's minimum retirement at £13,900 a year, a moderate one at £32,700 and a comfortable one at £45,400, against a full state pension of £12,547.60. You also get the tax case in three parts — relief going in, no tax while the money is invested, and 25% available tax free on the way out — along with the three routes to paying in: salary sacrifice through work, your own limited company, or personally. The second half is the more useful part if you are the sceptic yourself. Sean argues that people seldom object to the pension itself and mostly resist being sold to, and he works through two clients who talked themselves round once the conversation changed shape. Figures are current for the 2026/27 tax year. This episode is information rather than financial advice.

From April 2027 the cash ISA allowance for under-65s drops from £20,000 to £12,000. The overall allowance doesn't move, so £8,000 a year has to go somewhere that isn't cash. For a lot of people that turns investing from a someday decision into a this-year one. Edmund Greaves is joined by Andy Prosser, Head of Investments at the ETF platform InvestEngine, on how to pick what you invest in — time horizon, risk tolerance, the difference between an ETF and a traditional fund — and on what InvestEngine's own investors have been buying this year. Ed also explains what he got wrong when he started. InvestEngine investing data: https://blog.investengine.com/most-bought-etfs-july-2026/ https://blog.investengine.com/most-popular-etfs-uk-2026/ Nothing here is financial advice. Investing involves risk and you can lose money. ISA and tax rules can change.

AI stocks retreated through July, and Ed’s portfolio went with them. Chris Tuite's didn't. So does Ed scrap his strategy and copy Chris T’s? That question sits at the centre of this month's Investing Stakes, in partnership with Stratiphy. If you want to explore Stratiphy or build your own rules-based portfolio, you can use our referral link:🔗 https://www.stratiphy.io/referrals?code=INVESTINGSTAKESDisclosure: This is a referral link. We may receive a benefit if you sign up using it. Ed’s tech-heavy Black Elephant strategy peaked in June and has handed back a chunk of it since, with Corning alone falling close to half its value and accounting for roughly half the decline. Chris kept out of the direct AI names and has carried on climbing. He is now behind every strategy and benchmark we track. Chris Ling, Chief Investment Officer at Stratiphy, walks through why AI stocks pulled back, why the drawdown stayed concentrated in that corner of the market, and what happens to your returns when you abandon a strategy mid-run to chase whoever led last month. We put six months of our own numbers into a matrix and follow what would have happened to an investor who switched into the winner every time. The answer is not flattering. We also cover the difference between our two quantitative models, why a faster-trading strategy is not the same thing as a more volatile one, and the case for doing nothing when the market goes against you. Chapters and full data tables are on the Substack, where we publish the monthly performance figures in more detail.👉 Stratiphy: https://www.stratiphy.io/referrals?code=INVESTINGSTAKES 👉 Substack: https://mouthymoney.substack.com👉 Subscribe for a new episode every monthYour capital is at risk. Past performance does not guarantee future returns. Nothing here is personal financial advice.

Ed pays £50 a month into a junior ISA for each of his sons. At 18 it's legally theirs, and he can't do a thing about it. So what happens if he uses a pension instead? Full description Every month he puts £50 into a junior ISA for each of his two sons. On their eighteenth birthdays that money becomes theirs outright — no conditions, no drip-feed, no veto. So Ed modelled the alternative: the same £50 a month into a junior SIPP, a self-invested personal pension. Children get 20% tax relief despite paying no tax, which means £50 goes in as £62.50. Over a lifetime, that relief alone is worth £82,000. The catch is that they can't touch it until 57 at the earliest, and probably 60 by the time his sons get there. Chris and Ed work through the whole model — the tax relief, the charges, the inflation problem — and argue about whether an 18-year-old can be trusted with the money at all. We both end up somewhere we didn't expect. The numbers, at 8% growth and 0.5% annual charges: £10,200 paid in over 17 years becomes £19,930 in a junior ISA at 18, or £24,912 in a junior SIPP. Left alone to 60, that SIPP reaches £511,675. Restart contributions at 22 and it reaches £661,264, against £529,012 for the ISA. Raise charges to 1.2% and £181,915 disappears. Double the contribution to £100 a month and the pot hits £1,322,529 — which 3% inflation reduces to £231,211 in today's money. (00:00) I think I've been doing this wrong(01:12) The junior ISA as it stands(02:32) Chris makes the case for the ISA(05:02) Would an 18-year-old actually blow it?(06:31) The tax relief is worth £82,000(07:20) Junior ISA against junior SIPP at 18(09:01) What happens if they restart at 22(09:40) When can they actually access a pension?(10:30) What charges do to all of this(13:00) Only 23% of UK workers are on track for a moderate retirement(15:43) What £100 a month becomes(17:36) The inflation problem nobody talks about(20:00) Tax on the way out(20:49) What Chris is doing(21:23) What I've decided to do Full tables and charts, at both contribution levels and both charge scenarios, in cash and in today's money: [Substack link] Retirement Living Standards figures from Pensions UK, 2026 update, calculated by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University. Neither of us is a financial adviser and none of this is financial advice. All projections are illustrations based on stated assumptions, not forecasts. Investment returns are not guaranteed and tax rules change.

£50,000 guaranteed, or a 50/50 coin flip for £1 million? YouGov asked 4,600 British adults, and 73% took the safe money. That result set off a fair bit of argument — including between the two of us. Ed and Chris go through what the poll actually found, why the gender and age splits are the most revealing part of it, and how each of us thinks about risk with our own money. Then we both commit to an answer, and we don't land in the same place. Along the way: why the coin flip is worth ten times the guaranteed option on paper, whether Americans really are less risk-averse than Brits, what £50,000 would actually buy you, and the question neither of us had thought to ask until the end. Chapters 00:00 The question 00:58 What the poll found 03:15 Are Americans really bigger risk-takers? 04:30 The gender split 06:42 Why young people flip the coin 09:02 The financial equivalent of watching paint dry 11:04 The risk of not taking enough risk 17:35 What we'd actually do 18:45 Where the money would go 22:06 Wait — who's tossing the coin? So what's your answer? Guaranteed cash or a shot at life-changing money — and what's the number that would make you flip? Tell us in the comments; we read and reply to all of them. New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss one. Everything here is general information about money, not personal financial advice. If you're making a decision about your own finances, speak to a regulated adviser.

Most parents want to give their kids a financial head start — few realise how much a Junior ISA can do it. Chris Tuite is joined by Stephen McGee, CEO of Scottish Friendly, to explain how JISAs work and why starting early matters so much. They cover the £9,000 annual allowance, why cash isn't the safe option it feels like, and what £1,000 actually becomes over 18 years. Stephen also makes the case for a small rule change that would let grandparents open a Junior ISA for their grandchildren — something they currently can't do. Whether you're a new parent, a grandparent, or just starting to think about saving for the family, this one's for you. Got a question about Junior ISAs? Get in touch — we'll put it to a future guest. This podcast is for information only and is not financial advice. Investing carries risk and your capital is at risk. Past performance is not a guide to future returns.

£500 a month has just freed up. Do you kill the mortgage — or supercharge the pension? When childcare costs drop, most households would love the problem Chris is facing: a few hundred pounds a month to redirect, and one big decision to make. Overpay the mortgage and be debt-free years early, or pour it into the pension and let compounding do the work? So Ed and Chris ran the real numbers on Chris's own finances — a £453k mortgage on a 29-year term, 27 years to retirement — and modelled both paths. The gap is bigger than you'd think: roughly £750k in the pension one way, around £1.3m the other. But as they get into tax relief, the spread between market returns and mortgage rates, what each route means for retirement income, and a smart way to clear the mortgage with tax-free cash, it becomes clear the spreadsheet answer isn't always the one you'd choose. In this episode: - How £500 a month becomes a six-figure difference over 27 years - Why a guaranteed 4.5% saved isn't the same as a hoped-for 7% earned - Where both options land against the "comfortable retirement" benchmark - Using your 25% tax-free lump sum to clear the mortgage — and the trap of doing it the wrong way - Why pensions and property are now taxed very differently when you pass them on Team mortgage or team pension? We'd love to hear how you'd play it. We don't give financial advice — we're talking through our own situations. Everything here rests on assumptions that will change, so if you're weighing this up yourself, speak to an FCA-regulated financial adviser. (0:00) The £500 question (1:39) Chris's 29-year mortgage problem (2:27) The reveal: £750k vs £1.3m (4:42) Why the real number could be higher (6:54) Shorting inflation & the 2.5% spread (8:48) Clearing the mortgage a decade early (9:30) What it means in retirement (11:09) Finishing the mortgage with tax-free cash (12:18) The inheritance tax trap: home vs pension (15:27) A two-pronged plan (17:39) The discipline problem (18:51) Inflation, rates & staying ahead (20:51) So, what did Chris decide? The Mouthy Money podcast — how we actually think about pensions, ISAs, mortgages, tax and the economy. New episodes every week.🔔 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@mouthymoneypodcast📰 Mouthy Money News (short explainers, twice a week): https://www.youtube.com/@MouthyMoneyNews📲 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mouthy.money📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mouthymoney/✍️ Substack: https://mouthymoney.substack.com/📩 Get in touch: editors@mouthymoney.co.ukListen anywhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/72bQEJnPAWJprmy0B9Yy4uApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mouthy-money/id1712308475 Full disclaimer: Produced for general information only. Not investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other financial advice. If in doubt, consult a regulated professional about your own situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you put in. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. More at https://www.fca.org.uk/investsmart. Captions are auto-generated and may not be fully accurate.

Every month, Ed and Chris put real money into their own strategies, run them live on Stratiphy and compare results with an expert on hand to explain the damage. If you want to explore Stratiphy or build your own rules-based portfolio, you can use our referral link: 🔗 https://www.stratiphy.io/referrals?code=INVESTINGSTAKES Disclosure : This is a referral link. We may receive a benefit if you sign up using it. This episode: Alphabet is in everyone's portfolio, but is there a smarter way to back the same story? Enter Corning — the 1851 glassmaker quietly building the fibre optics that AI data centres can't run without. Plus, Ed's portfolio flashes its first sell signal, and the gap between the two strategies starts to open up. Picks and shovels, bubble talk, and a lesson in why one day's performance tells you nothing. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:48 Stratify update: concentration limits and rebalancing 02:42 Why Alphabet is in every portfolio — except Chris T's 03:57 The tech-sceptic case: waiting for the correction 06:01 Is Alphabet diversified enough to survive? 08:15 The fundamental view: valuations, CapEx and the cloud backlog 11:53 Corning: the picks-and-shovels alternative 14:12 Why a monopoly on the infrastructure beats picking winners 16:37 The strategies: scores on the doors 18:01 What's driving the gap — and the risk-adjusted picture 20:16 Ed's first sell signal 22:04 The one-day drop that means nothing 23:26 Final thoughts Capital at risk. This episode was made in partnership with Stratiphy. The Mouthy Money podcast — how we actually think about pensions, ISAs, mortgages, tax and the economy. New episodes every week. 🔔 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@mouthymoneypodcast 📰 Mouthy Money News (short explainers, twice a week): https://www.youtube.com/@MouthyMoneyNews 📲 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mouthy.money 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mouthymoney/ ✍️ Substack: https://mouthymoney.substack.com/ 📩 Get in touch: editors@mouthymoney.co.uk Listen anywhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/72bQEJnPAWJprmy0B9Yy4u Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mouthy-money/id1712308475 Important : This content is for information and discussion only and is not financial advice. Capital is at risk and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Full disclaimer : Produced for general information only. Not investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other financial advice. If in doubt, consult a regulated professional about your own situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you put in. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. More at https://www.fca.org.uk/investsmart. Captions are auto-generated and may not be fully accurate.

Somewhere in Britain, someone has £40,000 in a savings account and can't tell you why. It crept up a pound at a time, each one buying a little more peace of mind. And most of it is now going backwards. We're taught that saving is the safe choice. But past a point, cash stops protecting you and starts costing you — and almost nobody can tell you where that point sits. This week, Ed and Chris Tuite work out how much cash you should actually keep. Three things that move your number: how safe your job is, what fallback options you have, and how well you sleep at night. Then the part most people skip — what to do once you hit your number, why you flip your saving ratio, and the £19,000 difference it makes over 20 years. Got a rainy day fund? Tell us your number in the comments. The Mouthy Money podcast — how we actually think about pensions, ISAs, mortgages, tax and the economy. New episodes every week. 🔔 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@mouthymoneypodcast 📰 Mouthy Money News (short explainers, weekly): https://www.youtube.com/@MouthyMoneyNews 📲 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mouthy.money.news 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mouthymoney/ ✍️ Substack: https://mouthymoney.substack.com/ 📩 Get in touch: editors@mouthymoney.co.uk Important: This content is for information and discussion only and is not financial advice. Capital is at risk and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Produced for general information only. Not investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other financial advice. If in doubt, consult a regulated professional about your own situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you put in. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. More at https://www.fca.org.uk/investsmart. Captions are auto-generated and may not be fully accurate.

Most of us treat our monthly budget like a fixed thing: money comes in, bills go out, and whatever's left is what's left. But that's rarely the whole story. In this episode, Edmund and Chris dig into how to sweat every pound in your budget — the five rules they actually use themselves, where they're getting it right, and where they're (cheerfully) getting it wrong. No "skip your morning coffee" clichés. Just honest, practical budgeting from two people who track this stuff to the penny — including the real numbers from Chris's own household and the framework Ed has used for a decade. What we cover: -Why you should always pay yourself first -The 50/20/30 rule — and when to ignore it -How to split bills fairly when you and your partner earn different amounts -Working out your "why" before you worry about the how -Good debt vs bad debt, and how to dig your way out The Mouthy Money podcast — how we actually think about pensions, ISAs, mortgages, tax and the economy. New episodes every week. 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mouthymoneypodcast 📰 Mouthy Money News (short explainers, twice a week): https://www.youtube.com/@MouthyMoneyNews 📲 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mouthy.money 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mouthymoney/ ✍️ Substack: https://mouthymoney.substack.com/ 📩 Get in touch: editors@mouthymoney.co.uk Important: This content is for information and discussion only and is not financial advice. Capital is at risk and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Full disclaimer: Produced for general information only. Not investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other financial advice. If in doubt, consult a regulated professional about your own situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you put in. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. More at https://www.fca.org.uk/investsmart. Captions are auto-generated and may not be fully accurate.

Mortgage rates were supposed to be climbing — Middle East tensions, inflation creeping back, every reason for lenders to get nervous. So how has Chris just secured a deal cheaper than the one he's on? In this episode he walks through exactly how he did it: the rate he's reserved, why he hasn't signed yet, the fix-vs-tracker decision we couldn't quite agree on, and how long he's got before the September deadline. If you've got a remortgage coming up, this is the one that could save you money.⚠️ We're not financial advisers and this isn't financial advice. Everything here is illustrative — we're sharing how we think about our own situations. Figures and projections are assumptions, and past performance is no guide to the future. Do your own research or consider speaking to a regulated adviser before making decisions.👍 Like and subscribe for new episodes every week.🎙️ Weekly podcast on Spotify, Apple & Amazon ✍️ In-depth writing at https://mouthymoney.substack.co.uk *MOUTHY MONEY**Our substack* https://mouthymoney.substack.co.uk *Get in touch* ⁠⁠editors@mouthymoney.co.uk ⁠⁠ *DISCLAIMER*_This video is produced for general informational purposes only. It should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other forms of financial advice. If in any doubt about the themes expressed, consider consulting with a regulated financial professional for your own personal situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you started with. Investments are speculative and can be affected by volatility. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠www.fca.org.uk/investsmart⁠. Please note, video captions are auto-generated and may not be 100% accurate._

Chris has just passed £100,000 in his pensions — the "tipping point" where, in theory, your investment growth starts doing more work than your own contributions. In our last episode we explained what the tipping point is. This time it's personal: Chris has hit it, and the question is what comes next. Ed and Chris talk through the three big questions that follow the milestone. How did Chris get here, and what role did discipline, regular contributing and employer matching play? What should his portfolio look like now — and why is he rebalancing away from a heavy UK "home bias" toward a more global spread? And the one that quietly matters more as your pot grows: charges. Once you're into six figures, even a small percentage fee starts costing real money, and Chris walks through why drifting from a low blended cost to a higher one could cost him a six-figure sum over 25 years. Along the way: Charlie Munger's "first £100k is the hardest" idea, the rule of thumb that a pot can double every decade, why a million pounds in 25 years won't be worth a million in today's money, and when it's worth looking at a fixed-fee platform instead of a percentage-based one. ⚠️ We're not financial advisers and this isn't financial advice. Everything here is illustrative — we're sharing how we think about our own situations. Figures and projections are assumptions, and past performance is no guide to the future. Do your own research or consider speaking to a regulated adviser before making decisions. If you've got your own tipping point in mind — whether you're miles off it or already past it — tell us in the comments. We also collect listener questions to put to experts in the field, so drop yours below. 👍 Like and subscribe for new episodes every week. 🎙️ Weekly podcast on Spotify, Apple & Amazon ✍️ In-depth writing at mouthymoney.substack.com *MOUTHY MONEY* *Our substack* https:// mouthymoney.substack.co.uk *Get in touch* ⁠⁠ editors@mouthymoney.co.uk ⁠⁠ DISCLAIMER This video is produced for general informational purposes only. It should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other forms of financial advice. If in any doubt about the themes expressed, consider consulting with a regulated financial professional for your own personal situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you started with. Investments are speculative and can be affected by volatility. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠ www.fca.org.uk/investsmart⁠ . Please note, video captions are auto-generated and may not be 100% accurate.

Anthropic — the company behind Claude — has filed confidentially for an IPO, with OpenAI and SpaceX circling public markets too. The valuations are staggering. But when expectations run this high, the debut itself becomes a test: is this a once-in-a-generation boom, or are the warning signs already flashing? If you want to explore Stratiphy or build your own rules-based portfolio, you can use our referral link: 🔗 https://www.stratiphy.io/referrals?code=INVESTINGSTAKES Disclosure: This is a referral link. We may receive a benefit if you sign up using it. In this episode of Investing Stakes, Edmund Greaves is joined by Chris Ling, Chief Investment Officer at Stratiphy, and Chris Tuite of MRM, to dig into what the Anthropic listing means for ordinary investors. We ask whether AI stocks are overvalued, why huge CapEx spending isn't yet matched by revenue, and what the recent pullback from firms like Uber, Duolingo and Microsoft tells us about the road ahead. We also look at the "picks and shovels" approach — backing the infrastructure around AI rather than betting the house on a single stock — and check in on how our own Stratiphy portfolios are performing. Catch earlier episodes in the Investing Stakes series to see how we got started with our £500 portfolios. Stratiphy uses systematic investment strategies based on momentum and moving averages to remove guesswork from portfolio management. Edmund and Chris are investing real money and tracking performance over time. Subscribe to follow the full series as the portfolios evolve. This series is produced in partnership with Stratiphy. Chapters 0:00 The AI IPO race: Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceX 1:50 What is Stratiphy? 3:25 Why Anthropic is going public 4:55 Does the AI trade ring alarm bells? 6:05 The bubble case: when CapEx outruns revenue 9:55 How index funds force you into AI stocks 10:50 Can you stay cautious without sitting it out? 13:40 The semiconductor surge and calling the top 15:55 Portfolio check-in: how the strategies are doing 17:40 Picks and shovels: investing around AI 21:45 Is the hype being manufactured for the IPOs? 24:05 Wrap-up About Stratiphy Stratiphy is an investing app that helps everyday investors build and track systematic strategies using algorithmic investing and backtesting. Learn more about Stratiphy here: https://www.stratiphy.io/referrals?code=INVESTINGSTAKES Important: This content is for information and discussion only and is not financial advice. Capital is at risk and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. MOUTHY MONEY *Our substack* https://mouthymoney.substack.com/ *Get in touch* ⁠⁠ editors@mouthymoney.co.uk ⁠⁠ DISCLAIMER This video is produced for general informational purposes only. It should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other forms of financial advice. If in any doubt about the themes expressed, consider consulting with a regulated financial professional for your own personal situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you started with. Investments are speculative and can be affected by volatility. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠ www.fca.org.uk/investsmart⁠ . Please note, video captions are auto-generated and may not be 100% accurate.

Politicians keep saying they don't want to be "in hock to the bond market" — but what does that actually mean, and who is the bond market anyway? In this episode of the Mouthy Money podcast, Edmund Greaves and Chris Tuite (MRM) pull back the curtain on UK gilts: what government bonds are, how they work, who really owns Britain's £2.9 trillion national debt, and why all of it matters for normal people saving for the long term. Ed and Chris break down how gilts function, why yields rise and fall, and how the bond market can quietly "discipline" an elected government's spending plans — the heart of the left-wing complaint about being beholden to faceless investors. But as they discover, the bond market isn't a shadowy cabal of top-hatted financiers. A huge chunk of it is pension funds, insurers and ordinary savers — quite possibly including you. They also dig into why this isn't abstract: gilt yields set the "risk-free rate" that prices everything from mortgages and annuities to savings rates and the value of the stock market. The 2022 mini-budget showed exactly how political choices ripple straight into your finances. 📊 KEY STATS COVERED: - UK national debt: ~£2.91 trillion (about 94% of GDP — highest since the 1960s) - Annual government borrowing: ~£132 billion - Overseas investors hold ~32% of UK gilts - The Bank of England holds roughly 19–24% - Banks & financial institutions hold ~23% - UK pension funds & insurers hold ~21% — and own nearly half the index-linked gilt market - Less than 1% of gilts are held directly by households 💬 What do you think — is the bond market a healthy check on government spending, or an undemocratic constraint? Let us know in the comments. We try to reply to everyone. 👍 Like, subscribe and hit the bell for weekly personal finance that puts the personal back into your money. MOUTHY MONEY Our substack mouthymoney.substack.co.uk Get in touch ⁠⁠ editors@mouthymoney.co.uk ⁠⁠ DISCLAIMER This video is produced for general informational purposes only. It should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other forms of financial advice. If in any doubt about the themes expressed, consider consulting with a regulated financial professional for your own personal situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you started with. Investments are speculative and can be affected by volatility. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠ www.fca.org.uk/investsmart⁠ . Please note, video captions are auto-generated and may not be 100% accurate.

Inflation is falling in the UK, at least, according to the official numbers. But for a lot of people, the cost of living still feels painfully high. Petrol prices are rising again, energy bills could jump later this year, and households are still feeling the aftershocks of the inflation spike that followed the Ukraine war.In this episode of the Mouthy Money Podcast, Ed and Chris dig into the latest UK inflation figures and ask why the story feels so disconnected from everyday life. They look at energy prices, fuel duty cuts, VAT changes and the government’s latest cost of living measures, along with the role the Bank of England plays in controlling inflation and interest rates.The conversation also explores what higher inflation means for mortgages, savings accounts, investing and long-term financial planning. Are markets really prepared for another inflation shock? Could government support measures make things worse again? And why do inflation statistics often feel so different from people’s real-world experience? MOUTHY MONEY Our substack mouthymoney.substack.co.uk Get in touch ⁠⁠ editors@mouthymoney.co.uk ⁠⁠ DISCLAIMER This video is produced for general informational purposes only. It should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other forms of financial advice. If in any doubt about the themes expressed, consider consulting with a regulated financial professional for your own personal situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you started with. Investments are speculative and can be affected by volatility. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠ www.fca.org.uk/investsmart⁠ . Please note, video captions are auto-generated and may not be 100% accurate.

Are you staring down the barrel of a remortgage? You aren't alone. In this episode, Ed and Chris tackle the ultimate UK homeowner’s dilemma: do you lock in the safety of a fixed-rate mortgage, or roll the dice on a tracker in a completely unpredictable market? With his own remortgage deadline looming, Chris pulls back the curtain on his options, the maths behind his strict new household budget, and the agonising psychological battle of trying to time the market. Meanwhile, Ed delivers some hard truths on why waiting to “get lucky” with interest rates is a dangerous game to play. The guys also break down exactly how global tensions, inflation expectations and looming UK political chaos are feeding directly into swap rates and what that means for your monthly repayments. In this episode, we cover: The Fixed vs. Tracker Debate: Which makes more sense right now? The Macro Effect: How the Middle East crisis and UK political uncertainty are actively shaping mortgage rates. The "Luck" Fallacy: Why you should stop waiting for a lucky break and take control of your debt. Practical Defense Strategies: The power of overpaying, managing your Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio, and bulletproofing your rainy day fund. The Safety Net: How to lock in a baseline rate today while keeping your options open for tomorrow. 04:09 – Rolling the Dice: The Gamble of the Tracker 05:47 – Ed’s Take: Why Certainty Wins 08:28 – The Hidden Factor: UK Political Uncertainty 10:42 – The Psychology of Debt & Chasing "Luck" 13:36 – Forcing Your Own Fortune: The LTV Strategy 16:15 – The Budget Bulletproof Test: Protecting the Rainy Day Fund 18:33 – The Power of Overpaying & Overcoming Behavioral Anchoring 21:09 – Outro: Let Us Know Your Strategy *MOUTHY MONEY* *Our substack* mouthymoney.substack.co.uk *Get in touch* ⁠⁠ editors@mouthymoney.co.uk ⁠⁠ DISCLAIMER This video is produced for general informational purposes only. It should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other forms of financial advice. If in any doubt about the themes expressed, consider consulting with a regulated financial professional for your own personal situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you started with. Investments are speculative and can be affected by volatility. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠ www.fca.org.uk/investsmart⁠ . Please note, video captions are auto-generated and may not be 100% accurate.

In this episode of Mouthy Money, Ed is joined by Sahar Nazir to tackle the ultimate financial dilemma: should you spend your hard-earned cash on an annual holiday, or invest it for your future? With the average Brit planning to drop over £5,500 on holidays this year, we break down the staggering maths of compounding interest. Could that week in the sun actually be stealing half a million pounds from your retirement? We share our biggest vacation spending regrets (including missed flights across the Andes!), debate the "buy it twice" luxury rule, and reveal our top strategies for balancing immediate gratification with long-term wealth building. Whether you're a hardcore saver or a massive spender, this episode is packed with hacks to help you pay yourself first, travel without guilt, and rethink your out-of-office plans. Don't forget to let us know in the comments: Are holidays an essential part of your year, or a luxury you’re willing to sacrifice for financial freedom? 00:00:00 – Intro: The £500,000 Holiday Dilemma 00:01:30 – Welcome Sahar & The £5.5k Holiday Stat 00:02:40 – Ed's Expensive £2,500 Crete Getaway 00:03:40 – Sahar’s Japan Trip & The Weak Yen Hack 00:05:10 – Ed's Worst Holiday Mistake (Stranded in Chile!) 00:07:20 – The Hidden Cost of £5k+ Annual Holidays 00:09:10 – The Math: Turning Holiday Budgets into £519,000 00:10:40 – The "Buy It Twice" Luxury Rule 00:12:30 – Spender vs. Saver Mindsets & Money Regrets 00:14:40 – Striking a Balance: Cheaper Trips & Camping 00:16:30 – Holiday Sinking Funds & Bank Card Mistakes 00:18:10 – The Ultimate Money Hack: Pay Yourself First 00:19:20 – Final Thoughts & Community Question *MOUTHY MONEY* *Our substack* mouthymoney.substack.co.uk *Get in touch* ⁠⁠ editors@mouthymoney.co.uk ⁠⁠ DISCLAIMER This video is produced for general informational purposes only. It should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other forms of financial advice. If in any doubt about the themes expressed, consider consulting with a regulated financial professional for your own personal situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you started with. Investments are speculative and can be affected by volatility. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠ www.fca.org.uk/investsmart⁠ . Please note, video captions are auto-generated and may not be 100% accurate.

The stock market just keeps going up, but with ongoing global uncertainty and volatility, why ? In this episode of Investing Stakes, in partnership with Stratiphy, Ed, Chris T, and Chief Investment Officer Chris Ling. consider the psychology of market reversals and why earnings are currently outshining geopolitical tensions. If you want to explore Stratiphy or build your own rules-based portfolio, you can use our referral link: 🔗 https://www.stratiphy.io/referrals?code=INVESTINGSTAKES Disclosure: This is a referral link. We may receive a benefit if you sign up using it. We also reveal a massive update from Stratiphy: the launch of the UK’s first IF ISA for Crypto ETNs alongside 21Shares! Plus, it is time for a portfolio review. We compare our Stratiphy strategies: Ed’s tech-heavy "Black Elephant" vs. Chris T's infrastructure-focused "Beige Fox" and debate the big question: Is the AI infrastructure cycle an overvalued bubble, or the ultimate productivity booster? Catch episodes one and two here to see how we got started with our £500 portfolios: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtc6AcTXUfDxsP1ayPKR_abBFtYzb2Ax8 Stratiphy uses systematic investment strategies based on momentum and moving averages to remove guesswork from portfolio management. Edmund and Chris are investing real money and tracking performance over time. Subscribe to follow the full series as the portfolios evolve. This series is produced in partnership with Stratiphy. 00:00 - Intro: Why is the Stock Market Defying Gravity? 01:35 - Stratiphy Update: UK's First IF ISA for Crypto ETNs 03:40 - Why Markets Ignore Geopolitical Uncertainty 06:15 - The Psychology of Market Reversals & Downturns 08:50 - Portfolio Reveal: Ed vs. Chris vs. Stratiphy 10:30 - Momentum Trading vs. Long-Term Trends 13:00 - The AI Debate: Overvalued Bubble or Future Growth? 16:20 - Future Outlook & Final Thoughts About Stratiphy Stratiphy is an investing app that helps everyday investors build and track systematic strategies using algorithmic investing and backtesting. Learn more about Stratiphy here: https://www.stratiphy.io/referrals?code=INVESTINGSTAKES Important: This content is for information and discussion only and is not financial advice. Capital is at risk and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. MOUTHY MONEY *Our substack* https://mouthymoney.substack.com/ *Get in touch* ⁠⁠ editors@mouthymoney.co.uk ⁠⁠ DISCLAIMER This video is produced for general informational purposes only. It should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, mortgage or other forms of financial advice. If in any doubt about the themes expressed, consider consulting with a regulated financial professional for your own personal situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you started with. Investments are speculative and can be affected by volatility. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠ www.fca.org.uk/investsmart⁠ . Please note, video captions are auto-generated and may not be 100% accurate.