In this week's podcast, Paddy is joined by specialist solicitor Elaine Byrne to demystify trusts and explain why they're one of the most powerful — and underused — tools in Irish estate planning.

From discretionary trusts for young children to protecting a family member with additional needs, Elaine covers the types of trusts, the tax implications, how to update your will, and what it actually costs to get it done right. If you've been putting off your will or wondering whether a trust is relevant to your family — this one's for you.

I hope it helps.

We can spend decades building our wealth, protecting our families, and planning for retirement. But there's one question most people avoid until it's too late: what happens if you can't make decisions for yourself?

In this week's podcast I look at Enduring Power of Attorney.

I hope it helps

In this week's podcast, Paddy sits down with guest Brendan Allen to unpack the rental market right now, and it is messy. They get into why so many landlords feel stuck between shifting government rules and real world supply shortages, and how that tension can push rents higher even when the aim is tenant security. Brendan also breaks down the practical business case for staying invested long term, why commercial property can suit some investors better than residential, and what you need to check before you jump in. If you have ever thought, surely it cannot be this complicated, bad news: it can. Good news: you can still make smart calls if you do the work.

Key talking points
• Why landlord confusion is rising as regulations change and market rent keeps moving
• Supply shortages as the core issue, especially outside big cities, and how that affects rents
• Commercial vs residential property: returns, maintenance, and what type of investor each suits

If you're saving for retirement or nearing the end of your career, or eyeing retirement or a 'handier' role :) a significant change is on the horizon that could meaningfully affect how much tax you'll pay on your pension. From 2026, the Standard Fund Threshold (SFT), the maximum value you can accumulate across all retirement benefits without triggering additional tax charge, will begin to increase for the first time in over a decade.

For many high earners and diligent savers, this represents a genuine opportunity to improve tax efficiency, reduce liabilities, and plan more strategically around when and how to access your retirement benefits. This piece aims to keep it plain English, and I hope you will learn:

‍
• What the Standard Fund Threshold is in 2026 and why it matters
• How your pension is valued for SFT
• What tax applies if you breach it, and differences between Defined Benefit, and the rest!
• Smart planning moves before you retire
• When to get help and stop guessing

If you have an Executive Pension/SSAS or are a member of an Occupational Pension Scheme approaching retirement, you might want to know about these big changes coming your way!

Two major pension updates are colliding;

- One from European regulation relating to 'Exec Pensions' and 'Small Self Administered' schemes (SSAS) which impacts self employed directors
- One from Revenue relating to employees and losing control over their group pension schemes after 'Normal Retirement Age' (NRA)

Both can change where your pension sits, how it is invested, and when you can access it.

And all of it can happen without your say so, if you do nothing.

‍Key points I'll share today;

• What the European IORPS2 deadline really means for Executive and SSAS pensions

• How automatic moves to Master Trusts work

• The big Revenue change limiting pension transfers from Occupational Pension Schemes

• Why early retirement plans are most exposed

• What practical steps make sense now

I hope it helps.

Welcome to the very last, and shortest, Informed Decisions Blog of 2025!

We've had a very interesting investment year so far, and I want to share some brief investment observations and comparisons of the year.

Also, I'll share a few acknowledgements of those that helped me and Informed Decisions during the year.

Thanks,

Paddy.

In this week's podcast -

Your Essential Pre-Retirement Checklist

Retirement starts long before you hand back the laptop or walk out of the office for the last time!
The real work happens in the final decade, when you bring everything together; pensions, savings, tax, debts, lifestyle, and the practical bits that make life run smoothly.

This pre-retirement checklist Ireland will hopefully give you a clear, practical path that helps you can step into the next stage with clarity and confidence (not a big ask is it!?).

What we'll explore in this week:
• How to calculate your retirement number
• How to review pensions and income sources in an Irish context
• How to tidy up investments without derailing long-term returns or compounding
• The key tax and admin tasks to complete before leaving work
• When professional planning adds value

I hope it helps