Clevermoney

Clevermoney We share insights on how we advise our clients and help them learn about their finances

Looks like borrowed Lamborghini Tractor and has a gig in Tullamore, Ireland. At least she can connect the equipment to...
24/05/2026

Looks like borrowed Lamborghini Tractor and has a gig in Tullamore, Ireland. At least she can connect the equipment to the tractor 🙄

"I don't want to retire. I just want to be able to choose."Today was the first time someone said it to me. Usually I am ...
24/05/2026

"I don't want to retire. I just want to be able to choose."

Today was the first time someone said it to me. Usually I am the one who puts that frame on a client's thoughts.

Nobody in tech wants to stop working at 55 and do nothing. They want to:

• Work 3 days instead of 5
• Take a contract role with no politics
• Start something of their own
• Spend a year figuring out what they actually want

Financial independence isn't about stopping.

It's about removing the pressure that comes from having to work.

And the difference between "I have to" and "I choose to" is usually smaller than people think.

For most of the tech professionals I work with, getting to that point is a 5-10 year project — not a pipe dream.

The first step is always the same: know your number.

Once you know what "enough" looks like, every decision gets clearer.

I just had my second call this month from a US national working in Ireland. She’s working with one of the Big Tech compa...
23/05/2026

I just had my second call this month from a US national working in Ireland. She’s working with one of the Big Tech companies, but feeling pressured into doing an IRA rollover from her 401k.

This is basically rolling her old US occupational pension into an account in her own name. In many cases it makes sense, but not always.

She asked me if it was possible to transfer it to Ireland. I said no – transfers from USA to Ireland are mostly uneconomic and can create unnecessary tax and compliance complications.

I also asked her to put a hold on her IRA rollover – she was being asked to move from a low fee 401k plan to one with 1% higher annual fees – I could not see the benefit of the change right now. She’s still young enough and there’s a limited but decent fund choice in her 401k to mix it with her Irish Pension to get a decent future.

At Clevermoney, we increasingly help professionals in tech, pharma, and multinational firms incorporate US retirement assets into their broader Irish financial plan — even where no transfer is required.

That usually means:
• reviewing investment suitability
• assessing currency exposure
• considering retirement income strategy
• coordinating with tax advisers
• ensuring the asset isn’t ignored

Cross-border planning matters more than ever for internationally mobile professionals.

Most people in tech think they need €1 million to retire.Some do. Most don't.Your "retirement number" depends on 4 thing...
23/05/2026

Most people in tech think they need €1 million to retire.

Some do. Most don't.

Your "retirement number" depends on 4 things:
• When you want to stop (or slow down)
• What your life costs — not now, but then
• Whether you'll have a State pension
• How much is already working for you in pensions you've forgotten about

I sat with a client last month who was convinced he was years behind.

Turns out he had 3 pensions from previous jobs, all quietly growing.

When we pulled them together and ran the numbers, he was 18 months away from having enough to drop to 3 days a week.

His reaction: "Why didn't I look at this sooner?"

Because nobody told him to. And it felt too complicated to start.

It usually isn't. It just needs someone to sit down and do the maths with you.

If you've been putting off looking at your pensions — even gathering the statements is a solid first step.

We changed direction.Today, Mark works on film sets in Wicklow, helping design costumes for historical productions.He sa...
09/05/2026

We changed direction.

Today, Mark works on film sets in Wicklow, helping design costumes for historical productions.

He said to me recently:
“I’d do this for free.”

He’s earning less — but gaining far more:
âś” Purpose
âś” Enjoyment
âś” Better health

The lesson?

You don’t just need a retirement plan.

You need:

A backup plan
And sometimes, a completely different version of what “work” looks like

Because the goal isn’t just to retire.

It’s to build a life you actually want to live.

Last year, Mark had a mild heart attack.He recovered — but everything changed:His role was filled while he was outHe rec...
09/05/2026

Last year, Mark had a mild heart attack.

He recovered — but everything changed:

His role was filled while he was out
He received a settlement
At 63, he was back on the job market

The roles available?
High pressure. International travel. Long hours.

The same type of work — just not at a pace his health could support anymore.

And something else crept in:
Boredom. Isolation. Loss of routine.

This is the part of retirement planning we don’t talk about enough.

Most people I meet don’t want to “stop” working overnight.A client I met last week (let’s call him Mark) had a solid pla...
07/05/2026

Most people I meet don’t want to “stop” working overnight.

A client I met last week (let’s call him Mark) had a solid plan:
âś” Retire in 2024
âś” Move to 2.5 days per week
âś” Ease into retirement gradually

His employer supported it. It made sense financially and personally.

But here’s the reality:

Retirement plans look neat on paper.
Life rarely follows the paper.

“I’m being made redundant.”Not a message anyone expects to be saying — especially when things seem to be going well.A cl...
05/05/2026

“I’m being made redundant.”

Not a message anyone expects to be saying — especially when things seem to be going well.

A client of mine reached out last week for an unscheduled call. We’d been working on getting his long-term plan back on track after a career change into tech. Things were positive. He was performing well, expecting a pay rise, and had plans for that money — helping fund his son’s college fees and topping up his pension.

Then everything changed.

His company was restructuring. Despite strong performance, his role was being made redundant.

You could see the shock. The uncertainty. The weight of trying to figure out what this meant for his finances, his family, and his future — all at once.

So we slowed things down and worked through it together.

First, we looked at the redundancy package. It seemed generous — but that’s often where people can make costly decisions, particularly around pensions and long-term benefits.

Then we built a plan:
• A clear timeframe to secure a new role
• A structured approach to using the redundancy payment
• Continued funding for his son’s education
• Maintaining progress on his pension

But something else happened along the way.

With a bit of space to think, he realised the role he was in hadn’t been right for him. The environment had taken its toll — something he hadn’t fully acknowledged until now.

By the end of the call, nothing had changed externally… but everything had changed internally.

He had a plan.
He had options.
He had time.

And most importantly, he had a sense of control again.

That’s often the difference.

In situations like redundancy, it’s not just about the numbers (though they matter). It’s about helping people understand their options and realise they’re not as stuck as they might feel in the moment.

If you ever find yourself facing something similar — don’t sit on it.

There are usually more options available than you think. Sometimes it just takes a conversation to uncover them.

Credit: Billy Connolly for the quote below. I fully agree with him.

05/05/2026

Getting yourself financially and emotionally ready to fund your child through college need not be too draining. You just need to grip that thorny briar and plan early. At Clevermoney, we can build a plan to suit everyone's situation, but the sooner you raise the subject with us, the better. Book a call via our website https://clevermney.ie/contact

25/04/2026

Do you know your "Retirement Number"? I am constantly surprised by the change in people when they learn they hit that number. I'm available for consultations if you need help figuring out your number.

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