Lifestyle Financial Planners

Lifestyle Financial Planners Providing lifestyle cash flow financial planning, wealth management, pensions and estate planning.

TIP TUESDAYMost Irish families are sitting on an inheritance tax bill they don't know about yet.Many parents assume thei...
10/03/2026

TIP TUESDAY

Most Irish families are sitting on an inheritance tax bill they don't know about yet.

Many parents assume their estate will pass cleanly to their children, but quite often, it won't.

The tax-free threshold for what a child can inherit from a parent without paying Capital Acquisitions Tax is €400,000.
Everything above that is taxed at 33%.

On a typical Irish estate combining a family home, other property, pensions and investments, that liability can be substantial and it lands on your children at the worst possible time.

The good news is there are Revenue-approved structures specifically designed to address this.
Used consistently, even the €3,000 annual small gift exemption, which most families simply ignore can move meaningful amounts tax-free over time.

To reduce or mitigate any inheritance tax liability requires a plan, and the earlier that plan is in place, the greater the options available to you.

Full article here:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/28-Inheritance-Tax-in-Ireland.pdf

Get in touch with us at Lifestyle Financial Planners, where we'll run the numbers and look at solutions for your specific situation.
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/contact/

08/03/2026

You've just come into a significant sum of money.
Be that from a property sale, business exit, inheritance or other, it doesn't matter.
What does matter is what you do next, and one question dominates more than most: do you invest it all now, or spread it over time?

Most people assume the cautious answer is always to drip-feed it in but that's not always true.

S&P 500 data going back to 1926 shows markets were positive over rolling 10-year periods almost 95% of the time.
Caution has a cost and it's one that rarely gets discussed when the default advice is simply "don't rush."

The right answer depends entirely on your time horizon, your income needs, and how you're likely to behave when markets test you, because they will.

I wrote about this recently. Worth five minutes of your time if the question is live for you right now.

Full article here:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/27-The-Assymetry-of-Losses-Gains-when-Investing.pdf

Reserve your complimentary Discovery Meeting here:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/contact/

Did you know that a 50% loss doesn't need 50% to recover, it needs 100%.The numbers are unforgiving and even a 30% fall ...
05/03/2026

Did you know that a 50% loss doesn't need 50% to recover, it needs 100%.

The numbers are unforgiving and even a 30% fall requires 42.9% to get back to where you started.
A 40% fall needs 66.7%.

As you can see, losses and gains are not mirror images of each other, and most investors never fully grasp that until after the event.

This is why avoiding catastrophic drawdowns matters more than chasing maximum returns.

Diversification and sound asset allocation aren't cautious strategies, they're the structural defense that keeps recovery within reach.

I wrote about this in detail because it's something I see cause real financial anxiety, and understanding it properly changes behaviour and reduces stress.

Full article here:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/27-The-Assymetry-of-Losses-Gains-when-Investing.pdf

Reserve your complimentary Discovery Meeting here:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/contact/

The Money Conversation You're Probably Not Having With Your ChildrenIreland has a financial literacy problem, and it sta...
03/03/2026

The Money Conversation You're Probably Not Having With Your Children

Ireland has a financial literacy problem, and it starts at home.

A 2023 Bank of Ireland report found fewer than half of young Irish adults feel in control of their finances. That's not a school failing, it’s a parenting gap.

Children absorb financial habits by age seven.

Every grocery shop, every bill you pay, every "we can't afford that right now" is a lesson and delivered whether you intend it or not.

The good news?

You don't need a finance degree to raise a financially confident child so starting now, consider the following:

• Under 7: Coins, counting, needs vs. wants

• 8–11: Pocket money with simple budgeting goals

• 12+: Banking basics, interest, and digital money literacy

Revolut's Under-18 accounts and the CCPC's Our Money, Our Future programme are practical starting points, but parental engagement is what makes the difference.

Your child's financial future begins with the conversations you start today.

You can read the full blog by following the 'Latest Article' link in our bio!

Title: Teaching Children About Money

Access CCPC's useful resources here:

https://www.ccpc.ie/consumers/about/financial-education/our-money-our-future/about-our-money-our-future/

Reserve your complimentary Discovery meeting by following this link:

https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/contact/

The Money Conversation You're Probably Not Having With Your ChildrenIreland has a financial literacy problem, and it sta...
03/03/2026

The Money Conversation You're Probably Not Having With Your Children

Ireland has a financial literacy problem, and it starts at home.

A 2023 Bank of Ireland report found fewer than half of young Irish adults feel in control of their finances. That's not a school failing, it’s a parenting gap.

Children absorb financial habits by age seven.
Every grocery shop, every bill you pay, every "we can't afford that right now" is a lesson and delivered whether you intend it or not.

The good news? You don't need a finance degree to raise a financially confident child so starting now, consider the following:

• Under 7: Coins, counting, needs vs. wants

• 8–11: Pocket money with simple budgeting goals

• 12+: Banking basics, interest, and digital money literacy

Revolut's Under-18 accounts and the CCPC's Our Money, Our Future programme are practical starting points, but parental engagement is what makes the difference.

Your child's financial future begins with the conversations you start today.

Read the full guide here:
https://bit.ly/46QEQvJ

Access CCPC's useful resources here:
https://www.ccpc.ie/consumers/about/financial-education/our-money-our-future/about-our-money-our-future/

Reserve your complimentary Discovery meeting by following this link:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/contact/

26/02/2026

Are You Trading Too Many Good Weeks for "Someday"?

You have roughly 4,000 weeks. If you're 60, you have about 1,000 remaining.

I had a meeting with a successful company director, business going very well, underfunded pension, working 60-hour weeks, hadn't taken proper leave in five years. It wasn’t deliberate but fell into the classic thinking of "I'll relax once I sell the business and retire."

Based on all the financials he gave us, he'd hit 65 with adequate capital but seven years of missed time with his family and grandchildren, stressed to the hilt and deteriorating health.

We restructured his work week, we ran some numbers, implemented tax-efficient strategies to move company wealth into personal wealth, and carved out a fixed annual spending and travel budget.

His life improved immediately.

That's the value of cash-flow modelling in Lifestyle Financial Planning. It shows exactly what you can spend today without compromising tomorrow. Balance isn't about choosing present or future, it's about optimising both.

View the full article here:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/14-4000-weeks-thats-your-lot.pdf

Get in touch to reserve your complimentary Discovery Meeting:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/contact/

Ireland Has a Pensions TimebombIn 2022, Ireland had 781,500 people aged 65+ around 15% of the population.By 2057? That f...
22/02/2026

Ireland Has a Pensions Timebomb

In 2022, Ireland had 781,500 people aged 65+ around 15% of the population.
By 2057? That figure could hit 1.94 million, with 1 in 3 people over 60.

The State Pension runs on a pay-as-you-go basis. Today's pensions are funded by today's workers' PRSI. As that worker-to-retiree ratio shrinks, the numbers are going to get harder to crunch and it's your retirement caught in the crossfire.

Here's what this means in practice:
The pension age was already raised from 65 to 66 in 2014. Plans for 67 and 68 were deferred not abandoned.

The State will be supporting far more retirees, for far longer, on a narrowing tax base. → A 65-year-old today can expect to draw a pension for close to 20 years or more.

The State Pension is valuable. At full rate it's worth over €15,500 a year, indexed and guaranteed for life. But it was never designed to be a complete retirement income on its own.

The question isn't just "will I qualify?" It's "what happens if the rules change between now and when I retire?"

With more than forty years advising Irish families through every market cycle and pension reform has taught me one thing, those who plan for multiple scenarios sleep better than those banking on one outcome.

Your State Pension entitlement comes down to one thing, your PRSI record and that’s outside everyones control once the years have passed. What is within your control is how to structure your broader pension provision, how to maximise tax efficiency on the way in and out, and whether your overall retirement strategy is genuinely joined up.

Get in touch with the Pension experts here at Lifestyle to reserve your complimentary Discovery Meeting today:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/contact/

See full article here:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/26-Irelands-State-Pension-system-explained.pdf

It costs our family over €10,000 a year... 🗞️📉That is the headline in today’s Irish Independent, where our own Paul Cawl...
20/02/2026

It costs our family over €10,000 a year... 🗞️📉

That is the headline in today’s Irish Independent, where our own Paul Cawley shared his insights with Niamh Hennessy to discuss the real cost of insurance in Ireland today.

Between health, home, motor, and life policies, the numbers add up quickly. While market pressures are real, Paul highlighted that many consumers are paying more than they need to simply because of "behavioural inertia"—letting policies auto-renew year after year without checking the market.

Paul’s Top 3 Tips to Stop Overpaying:

1️⃣ Break the Habit: Shopping around at renewal costs zero money and only a little time, but the savings are usually very meaningful.

2️⃣ Check for Overlap: Are you paying for standalone gadget cover or extended warranties? Check your home contents policy first—you might already be covered.

3️⃣ Value Accurately: Insuring a home or its contents at inflated values increases your premium, but it won't increase your claim payout beyond your actual loss.
A well-structured financial plan makes sure your money is funding your lifestyle, not unnecessary premiums.

🔗 Hit the link in our bio to read the full Irish Independent article!

Ready to get clarity on your financial future? Reserve your complimentary Discovery Meeting at [email protected]

17/02/2026

Did you know that Ireland's State Pension (Contributory) pays €299.30 per week from January 2026, but ONLY if you've built the right record.

Under the Total Contributions Approach (TCA) now rolling out between 2025 and 2034, you'll need 2,080 paid or credited PRSI contributions (roughly 40 years) to claim the full rate. Fall short and your pension is cut, proportionately, permanently, and without further warning.

My Tip Tuesday is you should Log on to MyWelfare.ie and request your free Contribution Statement. Count your credits, homemaking and caring years (up to 20) can count, but you need to apply. If you stopped work early, voluntary contributions may still be open to you, but only if you act within 5 years.

Your State Pension entitlement comes down to one thing, your PRSI record and that’s outside everyones control once the years have passed. What is within your control is how to structure your broader pension provision, how to maximise tax efficiency on the way in and out, and whether your overall retirement strategy is genuinely joined up.

Get in touch with the Pension experts here at Lifestyle to reserve your complimentary Discovery Meeting today:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/contact/

See full article here:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/26-Irelands-State-Pension-system-explained.pdf

14/02/2026

The most romantic thing you can do today?
Protect your future ❤️

Chocolates are sweet, and flowers are beautiful. But real love is ensuring that no matter what happens, the people you love are protected.

Whether it’s having a clear cashflow management, safeguarding your income, or having a clear plan for the future, financial confidence is the ultimate gift of peace of mind.

This Valentine’s Day, look beyond the 14th of February. Let’s build a plan that takes care of "Future Us."

Not sure where to start?
Check out our article on building a structured plan for 2026:https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/19-Building-Financial-Confidence-for-2026-and-Beyond.pdf

Get in touch to reserve your complimentary Discovery Meeting:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/contact/

The Cheapest Car Isn’t the One With the Lowest Monthly PaymentThat €274 a month car payment looks great on paper, but it...
10/02/2026

The Cheapest Car Isn’t the One With the Lowest Monthly Payment

That €274 a month car payment looks great on paper, but it might not be the cheapest car you’ll ever buy.

One of the biggest traps in car finance is focusing on the monthly repayment instead of the total cost.

With a car loan, you repay the full cost over time. Higher monthly repayments, yes, but at the end, the loan is gone and the car is yours.

With a P*P, the monthly number is lower because a large chunk of the cost is pushed to the end as a final balloon payment. If you want to keep the car, you still need to pay it. If you don’t, you hand the car back, subject to mileage and condition rules.

Tip Tuesday takeaway:
Before choosing any car finance, always ask:
“What will this car actually cost me in total, not just per month?”

Because the lowest monthly payment doesn’t always mean the best value.

Click here for our full article on Car Loans v P*P:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/25-Car-loan-vs-P*P-in-Ireland.pdf

Get in touch to reserve your complimentary Discovery Meeting:
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/contact/

Most Company Directors don’t realise their one-member executive pensions are now carrying trustee-level responsibilities...
06/02/2026

Most Company Directors don’t realise their one-member executive pensions are now carrying trustee-level responsibilities.

IORP II legislation has transformed the landscape and the April 2026 deadline to decide which option suits you best and have this dealt with is fast approaching.

For many directors, staying as they are, will mean:
🔷 Appoint qualified Trustees and key function holders
🔷 Implement written policies and risk management/assessment processes
🔷 Produce annual reports and audited accounts
🔷 Submit annual compliance statements to the Pensions Authority
🔷 Provide clear, consistent information to members
🔷 All with higher admin costs and personal responsibility for compliance failures
🔷 And yes, penalties apply for non-compliance.

The good news is there are a number of very viable, and quitter often, more cost efficient & flexible options, but you need to move on this now

Options will include:
✔️ Restructuring to a PRSA
✔️ Restructuring to a Master Trust
✔️ Restructuring to a Buy Out Bond
✔️ Taking retirement benefits, where eligible and suitable

Feel free to read our blog on 'Executive Pension Reform':
https://lifestylefinancialplanners.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/24-IORP-11-Executive-Pension-Reform.pdf

For more details, visit www.pensionsauthority.ie

Or contact us by email: [email protected] to provide guidance, clarity and not only the correct but often improved individual solution.

Address

Tone Street
Ballina
F26PX76

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Monday 9:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 1pm

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353 96 75951

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What we do

Lifestyle Financial Planners helps successful self-employed professionals and company directors to ease the complexity and stress of managing money, set realistic financial goals, and achieve financial peace of mind through the creation of a bespoke, realistic and comprehensive Financial Plan.

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