It’s rude to talk about money, right? Wrong. Money really matters.
From knowing your worth to understanding the gender investment gap and how to close it, we’re here to help women have more open conversations about money and investing.
Because the truth, is women in the UK have less than half the levels of savings and investments as men*. At AJ Bell we’re passionate about helping people invest – so that statistic really bothers us.
Money Matters is our programme to put this right, through a range of educational material to help women get to grips with investing. As well as this website, that includes a regular newsletter, a podcast, and webinars all designed with female investors in mind.
So what are you waiting for? Join the conversation today.
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On this episode of the pod, Danni and Laura discuss trends from the latest Unemployment Index curated by our charity partner Smart Works. We also speak to Georgina Taylor from Invesco who walks us through the key things to consider for those preparing to take pension payments, as well as top retirement tips for all ages. Georgina also explains what 'lifestyling' is, and talks about buying an annuity vs taking money in drawdown (and if you can use them together). Plus how she nearly turned down b...
Danni and Laura dive into the Money Matters team's financial successes of the past year, celebrating achievements like building emergency funds, organizing paperwork, and fixing energy tariffs. They also explore practical financial resolutions for 2025, discussing strategies for increasing pension contributions, managing spending, and fostering good saving habits from a young age, offering listeners ideas to improve their own finances.
Hosts Laura and Danni recap their holidays and tackle the pressing January self-assessment tax deadline, including who needs to file and potential penalties. The main segment features Jacinth Bassett, founder of Ageism Is Never In Style, exploring the campaign's mission to challenge ageist stereotypes and encourage financial preparedness across all life stages. Jacinth shares her personal journey and insights into why an intergenerational approach to finance and society is vital for a secure future, emphasizing the need to proactively plan and embrace aging.
This episode explores 2024 investing trends, revealing fascinating differences and similarities between male and female AJ Bell customers, from logging frequency to preferred investments and tax-efficient wrappers. The hosts also delve into major global events like the AI boom and elections, alongside UK policy changes affecting personal finance, national insurance, and mortgage rates. They conclude with practical advice on electric vehicles and childcare, offering insights for all investors.
Laura and Danni delve into imposter syndrome, a significant barrier for women in seeking promotions, pay rises, and investment opportunities. They also discuss current financial news, explaining why mortgage rates are rising despite interest rate cuts and forecasting higher inflation. Featuring Zoe Hayden Jones of Jobs for Women, the episode offers insights into the platform's mission to empower women and provides practical tips to combat self-doubt and foster confidence in career and financial journeys.
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast, Laura and Danni discuss “Equal Pay Day” - the point in the year that women stop earning relative to men because of the gender pay gap. They speak to Alesha De Freitas from The Fawcett Society, which is a charity that has been campaigning for years to reach a point when the day no longer exists because pay parity has finally been reached. They also discuss the US election which has put women and women’s issues front and centre. Whether the nex...
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast, we hear from Susannah De Jager and Patsy Day who set up The Wobbly Middle. Navigating change in work/life balances can be stressful but also reinvigorating, and when Susannah and Patsy found themselves on the same journey, they teamed up to share their stories and top tips. Danni and guest host Jenny also discuss Labour's employment rights bill and which changes could affect the Money Matters community including sick pay, parental leave and m...
On this week's episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast, we speak to our Founding Ambassador, Baroness Helena Morrissey, about how she manages her family finances with nine children. With tips for people with or without children, Helena shares her biggest learnings and how she has balanced a career and family life. Danni and Laura also flag up an important date for women who have taken time out of the work place and might have gaps in their national insurance contributions - something which ...
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast, Laura and Danni dip into the murky world of scams. They break down jargon like “push payments” and highlight some of the ways people are being taken in, as well as how the regulator is planning to trip up scammers and reimburse victims. Danni also chats to The Sun newspaper’s “Consumer Champion” Laura Purkess about the art of complaining, and why more people should follow through with enquiries. From incorrect goods being delivered, to lack o...
As requested on our Instagram page, on this AJ Bell Money Matters pod, Laura and Danni share little financial wins. From switching current accounts and energy providers, to cashback deals, combining pensions and budgeting, the Money Matters team explain how small changes to your personal finance habits can make a big difference. Our guest this week is Joy Foster, founder of TechPixies, who tells us how investing in yourself and learning new skills shouldn't stop after school. Career breaks, whic...
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast, Laura and Danni walk through a beginner’s guide to mortgages. From the differences between fixed rates and trackers, to how the Bank of England’s interest rate decision plays into what you pay, the pair discuss how rates have changed over the years and what might happen next. Plus, we’ve drafted in Kalpana Fitzpatrick, financial journalist and author of “Get to Know Money”, to breakdown the best ways to talk to children about managing money. ...
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast, Laura and Danni discuss why the UK economy couldn’t shake off the Taylor Swift effect. Spending by fans on hotels, travel and tickets to the singer’s Eras tour helped UK inflation hold steady in June, although the impact is expected to be short lived. We also hear from Mind, Money and Soul’s Laura Ann Moore about why language plays a huge part in women’s attitude to risk. With almost half of all women telling us they aren’t comfortable with a...
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast, Danni and Laura chat to two mums who launched a biscuit bakery that allowed them to work around their children’s lives. Saskia Roskam and Lisa Shepherd started “The Biskery” during the pandemic with the aim of creating a business that worked around school hours for them and their employees. Plus, as a new government gets its feet under the table, we dig into what a Labour landslide might mean for your finances and the workplace with plans for...
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast Laura and Danni deep dive into student finances. How much debt are you likely to rack up during your time at university, when do you start paying it back, and how do you apply for loans to cover costs like accommodation and food? Laura Brown from Save The Student gives her tips for managing budgets for the first time and we assess how much parents can expect to pay depending on their household budgets. Plus, with inflation falling, when can we...
Whether you know Dame Arlene Phillips' work from Hot Gossip, Strictly Come Dancing, her legendary music videos, film work or the West End and Broadway shows she has choreographed, her ability to turn her hand to any brief and keep moving forward is unmatched. On this episode, we learn about how Arlene grew up with grit and determination to earn her own money and ultimately gain independence, taking every opportunity in her stride. As often the only woman in the room, Arlene shares her advice for...
A decade on from an historic speech she delivered on misogyny, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard tells Danni and Laura there has been progress but there’s still a lot more to be done. Now chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, she’s passionate about closing the gender pay gap and believes we’ll only see real change if more women take on leadership roles. With elections being held around the world, she urges women to get out and vote on issues like childcare and educat...
On this episode of the Money Matters podcast we hear from Debbie Wosskow, the serial entrepreneur who’s been appointed to the government’s Invest in Women taskforce. With just 2p of every £1 of business funding going to female-founded companies in the UK, Debbie’s on a mission to raise a £250 million pot to create “once in a generation change”. Best known for selling her multi-million-pound home swap business inspired by Hollywood movie The Holiday, Debbie is hoping more women will become invest...
On this episode of the pod, Danni and Laura speak to campaigner Joeli Brearley from motherhood campaigning group Pregnant then Screwed about why politicians have finally woken up to the economic value of getting mums back into work and what more needs to be done to end the motherhood penalty. Also on the episode, Danni and Laura break down the four simple steps to start your investing journey. They give a basic checklist of the different platforms, accounts and investments available and explain ...
On this episode Danni and Laura dig into the findings of a survey that reveals that more than 7 million households are still struggling to make ends meet despite falling inflation. And as Barbie celebrates her 65thbirthday we’ll be chatting to one woman who made her living playing the role. Charlotte Clemie was employed by Mattel to be their official Barbie in the UK before she became a mum of three boys and moved to the other side of the camera, launching her own businesses as a photographer. S...
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura chat to AJ Bell’s Head of Public Policy and pension guru, Rachel Vahey. They discuss the increasingly important issue of lost pension pots and how to find them. Rachel also talks through how consolidating your pensions into one pot could make life simpler and help you plan for retirement. She explains the pots you should leave alone and how some part-time workers, who miss out on auto-enrolment, can get in on the workplace pens...
On this episode of the Money Matters podcast, we put all your burning money questions to Financial Adviser Jane Gow, who is founder of Clear Cut Chartered Financial Planners. You asked about a wide range of issues from when you should lock in interest rates on cash savings, to how to start a pension and whether to prioritise saving for a house or retirement in your 30s. Danni and Laura also take you through their tax-year-end checklist, so you don’t pay too much tax or miss out on valuable allow...
In this special bonus episode of the podcast for International Women’s Day, Danni and Laura discuss this year’s theme, Inspire Inclusion, and how in particular women in mid-life have been pushing boundaries over the past few years to become more visible and included. They’re joined by former editor of The Sunday Times magazine Eleanor Mills, who started the “Noon” community to help these women (who she calls “Queenagers”) take control of this chapter of their lives, including their finances....
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast Laura and Danni ask what the UK officially being in recession means for your finances – and run through some practical measures you can put in place. They also hear from Lorraine Candy – former editor-in-chief of Elle and Cosmopolitan magazines, author of a book on raising teenage daughters and co-host of the excellent podcast “Postcards from Midlife”. She shares her struggle of striving to find work-life balance, her surprise that most of the...
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast Danni and Laura pore over the latest pension headlines that suggest we’ll all have to save more and might have to work for longer. The pair consider that all this bad news might be just the thing many women need to get them motivated to think about the kind of retirement they want and start planning how they can afford it. (Spoiler alert: just engaging with your finances is a great start.) They also take you on the second part of our investing...
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money Matters podcast Laura and Danni revel in the new social media trend that is “loud budgeting”. The phrase has become popular on TikTok and the pair celebrate that talking about money is becoming less taboo. Also on the show, they sum up where we are in the “cost of living crisis”, including the crucial question of when interest rates are likely to fall. And they talk to Trish Houston who shares her truly inspirational investing story. She used saving and inves...
On this episode we are going back to basics on investing. Lots of women say they don’t how to invest, there’s too much jargon or they are embarrassed to ask questions – but we’re aiming to solve that. In this episode Laura and Danni talk through some of the types of investments you can put in your portfolio: from stocks and shares to funds and bonds or cash. You may find you already have more in your portfolio than you thought. They also talk to Caroline Shaw who is a professional investor, in c...
On the first episode of 2024 Danni and Laura hear confessions from the rest of the Money Matters team about financial mistakes they made in 2023 and the goals they’re setting themselves this year. Their errors vary from overindulging in online shopping to not following through on carefully laid investing plans, while their good intentions include upping pensions contributions and creating a savings cushion for when things go wrong. They’ve got plenty of tips that could inspire you to make your o...
On this episode Danni and Laura are getting into the Christmas spirit, but after a year of soaring food prices we’re thinking hard about budgeting for the big day. The Christmas food shop is a big one – and it’s likely to be a whopper this year. Danni catches up with Mimi Harrison, blogger, author and the Instagram legend known as “Beat the Budget”, who has tips to make your food shop stretch really far. Plus, Laura chats to Catherine Shuttleworth from Savvy Marketing – to learn how to avoid the...
On this episode of the Money Matters podcast Laura and Danni discuss the art of the side hustle. Taking extra work on the side is something people have always done, but social media promoting it and the cost of living crisis eating into our cash means so many more people now have side hustles. But how do you navigate the side hustle world – and also make sure you don’t fall foul of the taxman? Laura talks us through the financial pitfalls you need to be aware of and Danni chats to Francesca Henr...
It’s the 50th episode of the Money Matters podcast and Laura and Danni step back in time to celebrate some of the brilliant guests and topics they’ve discussed over the past couple of years. From the Scummy Mummies on why money is still a taboo, to TikTok’s “Legal Queen” busting the myth of common law marriage, and Stacey Lowman from Claro Wellbeing on the financial perils of “lifestyle creep”. And with LBC radio also celebrating its 50th, Danni talks to presenter Natasha Devon about her work as...
