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Have you ever wondered how to go about tackling the tricky subject of getting older with loved ones who are doing just that?  How to start those taboo conversations about whether dad should hang up his driving gloves, or what happens when an elderly friend or relative become incapable of living alone?  Then this episode is for you. My guest, geriatrician Dr Lucy Pollock’s speciality and passion is the care of older people, and she has written a wonderful book – The Book About Getting Older.  A book which gives its readers the power to have these difficult conversations. We explore the important topics of movement, frailty, the ethics of getting older and how to ensure people retain their sense of personal power as they age. Part of that is recognising that older people are really repositories of history that we can all learn a huge amount from. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Lucy.

How, in today’s world, where staying in touch with friends and family is easier than ever, are there STILL over 3 million chronically lonely people in the UK?  In my latest podcast I speak to Robin Hewings, Programme Director of The Campaign to End Loneliness.  He sheds some light on why it is a serious and growing issue and what is being done to help re-connect individuals and communities. You know, you could help lift someone out of loneliness with a simple wave or a quick hello, a more important gesture than you might think.  If you, or someone you know is impacted by loneliness then listen to discover the things you can do to help.

Cameron Passmore has been a leading advocate for evidence-based, systemic investing for over 20 years. He is Executive Chairman and Portfolio Manager at Canadian wealth management firm, PWL Capital and co-host of The Rational Reminder Podcast. Cameron’s hugely successful podcast has featured some incredible guests from the world of investing and behavioural finance and aims to help make listeners better, more rational investors. His guests include investing research gurus Professor Ken French and Nobel Prize winning Eugene Fama. I loved my conversation with Cameron. Unsurprisingly, we focused on the power of the stock markets, the timeless wisdom of investing in the great companies of the world, and how the  ‘wisdom of crowds’ applies to investing behaviour. Cameron shares his definition of evidence-based, systemic investing and some fascinating stories and insights from his many conversations with experts in this field. He also points us towards episodes of his podcast that offer real depth of insight into what makes for a successful investment strategy for your retirement.

If you’ve followed the podcast for some time, you’ll know that I’ve spoken with a couple of people from retirement villages about what they offer residents and why people should consider moving in. This week we will hear what it’s like from the inside.   I am really pleased to share with you a conversation I had with clients of mine, Nick & Jane Crowhurst.  In 2022, Nick and Jane moved from their home in Highcliffe to live in a retirement village in Hampshire. Nick is now 73 & Jane 62. They made the move quite early in their retirement because they wanted to move somewhere future proof that also allowed them to have a nice lifestyle with a ready-made community.  After looking at a few options, they found Bishopstoke Park in Eastleigh.  In our conversation we talk about the many advantages living in a retirement village has for them including new friendships, and more activities available than they have the time to do, as well as the buying process and ongoing costs.  They share the good and the bad, warts and all, of life in a retirement community.

This week’s interview is with three guests from the retirement home specialists, Inspired Villages. Lawrence Cramer is the People and Culture Director and was involved recently in setting up an initiative called Pensioner Personal Trainers with none other than the UK’s most famous ski jumper, Eddie the Eagle. Eddie is famed for his can-do spirit in the face of hopeless adversity, so was the perfect person to front the initiative aimed at inspiring residents to keep moving and keep fit. A recent study showed the importance of mature personal trainers, as 37% of Brits are more likely to frequent the gym if there are trainers and customers of a similar age group. With nearly 39% agreeing that their communities don’t have enough wellbeing and fitness facilities for the older generation (aged 65+), Eddie the Eagle came to the rescue to challenge this narrative and led a fitness session at Ledian Gardens, Inspired Village’s scheme in Kent along with fellow PPTs Lynne Thompson (75), and Instepp’s Julie Ford (68). Julie and Lynne join our conversation and explain how older personal trainers can help make exercise more accessible for us as we get older.

Happy New year to you and thank you for joining me in 2023. Let’s start the New Year on a high note, by dispelling some of the more common held beliefs about how awful it is getting older. I feel that many people make assumptions about ageing and what it’s like to grow “old”, or how older age will affect them. The reality is that we won’t know until it happens to us, but some of our assumptions are probably true. But so many of our beliefs come from socially accepted myths, and if you take the time to challenge them, you’ll realise that, for the most part, they’re simply not true. There’s no evidence. It’s all too easy to pass by the positive aspects of ageing – of which I understand there are many. In this New Year episode Kathy will help me to bust 10 common misconceptions or beliefs related to ageing and older people.

As Christmas approached, I started to think about how Christmas changes as we get older so typed ‘Christmas and ageing’ into Google. I was bombarded with results about loneliness and isolation and how Christmas can exacerbate these very real problems. It’s true that a lot of older people do say that their feelings of loneliness increase during the holidays, which is why campaigns from charities such as Age UK encouraging us to look out for elderly neighbours and helplines like Esther Rantzen’s Silverline are so important. Whilst I appreciate that Christmas can be a very difficult time, I would like to offer a different perspective. If you're not completely looking forward to this Christmas, I hope to help you to see the silver lining in this festive cloud. Could it be that Christmas actually gets better as you get older? I think so. So here are five ways that Christmas improves with age.

Jennifer is a US lawyer specialising in estates and trusts but what makes her unique is that over the years she has become an expert in Digital Asset Planning. As an expert in this rapidly growing and increasingly complex area, Jennifer is a sought after speaker on digital assets and blockchain technology.  She spends her time advising clients on how to build digital asset planning into their estate plan. In our conversation Jennifer shares steps you can consider when reviewing your own digital assets, starting with explaining what digital assets are, as it includes everything from emails, texts, photos and videos…to cryptocurrency, Gaming tokens, YouTube royalties & social media accounts.  We also discuss what you can do today to get on the right path of digital asset planning and where to look for guidance. This is an exploding area without a one size fits all approach but I hope that listening to this podcast will get you thinking.

As the 4 year anniversary of the podcast’s launch was approaching I got to thinking about what I’ve learnt from the dozens of wonderful guests I’ve had the pleasure to chat with, and decided to collate a summary of what - to me - seem to be the things that make for a successful retirement. Looking back over the conversations I’ve had there are some clear themes that come up time and again, which I summarise in this episode. I also reference specific episodes where these themes are discussed the most. The themes can be split into three groups: purpose, planning and looking after yourself and I talk through them in what feels like a chronological order. They are: Redefining retirement, Having a purpose, It’s never too late, The brain and understanding how it ages, Taking control of your health and well-being, The Big D, Planning for a 30-year retirement, Investing, and Navigating the care system & the end of life.

Ben is a neuroscientist, psychology lecturer, speaker and author specialising in how the brain works. In fact, he’s spent 20 years researching the brain and has a special interest is how the brain changes during the perimenopause and menopause stages of life. Until fairly recently, the menopause has not been discussed widely, but that’s certainly changing, thanks to some high-profile celebrities like Davina McCall campaigning for better education and access to HRT. So my conversation with Ben feels quite timely. Ben explains how – contrary to popular belief - the menopause is a neurological process and how the hormonal changes have a tangible effect on a woman’s brain. He also explains why some of the common symptoms occur, the latest thinking on HRT, and why the timing of the menopause seems to be a design fault for women.

Laura Page is an artist, photographer, photojournalist and socially engaged practitioner. That means she uses art and photography as a way to help people to express themselves, have their own voice and share their views within their community. Liverpudlian Laura’s focus is on society and politics, aiming to produce work that leads to positive social change. She has a particular interest in the older age group and has recently completed an important project called ‘Hidden Depths’, funded by winning the Rebecca Vassie Memorial Award. Hidden Depths involved Laura photographing and gathering the stories of 31 over-80-year-olds, to show the rich lives many older people live. She wanted to challenge the ageist stereotypes we see too often. Laura saw first-hand how these 80 and 90 year olds were living a third or fourth new lease of life. Hidden Depths led to further film projects and Laura’s beautiful, inspiring photos being used in projects such as the Stop Ageing campaign.

This week we return to our series on the 9 Accelerators for a Successful Retirement for the final time – to discuss the really important topic of Staying on Track. Scroll down to find links to all previous episodes in this series. I spend a lot of time with clients helping them work out what they want their retirement to look like, building a financial plan to support that life, then structuring their assets to be as tax efficient as possible. I also work with them to create a legacy plan, combat IHT, plan how to fund care that might be needed in later life, and implement an investment strategy that will give them the best chance of success. But what then? To some degree, the most important work starts - helping my clients stay on track for a successful retirement. The plan is in place, but goals move, circumstances change, markets rise and fall (sometimes abruptly), and all the assumptions in our financial plan may have shifted. So Staying on Track means reviewing and updating the plans to reflect what’s new. It also means helping clients to be disciplined and stick with their investment strategy, in spite of the market noise and what’s going on around them.

Hello and welcome to this week’s episode, where I am excited to be joined by Dr Ben Webb. Ben is a neuroscientist, psychology lecturer, speaker and author specialising in how the brain works. Ben has spent 20 years researching how the brain works – so he knows his stuff - and now shares this knowledge via his podcast and courses to help us deepen our understanding of how the brain ages. His aim is to allow us to take control of our own brain health. And there’s an amazing amount within our control. In our conversation Ben shares the 6 pillars of a healthy brain in detail, including some interesting statistics about how the food we eat can reduce our mental decline by up to 30%. It’s similar when it comes to the impact exercise can have, as well as how we manage stress, the critical role of good sleep and how to build up cognitive reserves. I’ve chatted with many guests about what we can do physically to stay healthy into later life, but much less about what we can do to keep our brains healthy. This is a really rich conversation with so much insight.

Now, as you know, in my day job I help people retire successfully, so a major part of the work that I do is helping people to have a successful retirement experience. To that end I have spent many hours researching and developing an investment philosophy that I believe gives my clients the best chance of achieving their financial goals. A few individuals and companies have had a significant influence on my thinking over the years and few more so, perhaps, than Jack Bogle and the investment giant Vanguard. So I am delighted to have had the opportunity to chat recently with the author of a new book about the history of Jack Bogle, Eric Balchunas. Eric is an author and a Senior ETF Analyst and Funds Product Specialist with Bloomberg, the global leader in business and financial data, news and insight. In our conversation he explains what his role involves and why he became so fascinated with Jack Bogle. We chat about Eric’s latest book ‘ The Bogle Effect’, and why Bogle’s radical idea to turn Vanguard into an investment company for the people, by the people has had such a wide-reaching impact not only upon the investor community, but upon other completely unrelated industries.

Duncan is an author, speaker and self-confessed Morris dancer. Having spent more than 20 years of his life over-doing it, he now spends his time helping people push over-indulgence out of their lives. In our conversation Duncan confesses how strictly speaking he’s drunk more than his fair share of wine and eaten more than his fair share of cake. He shares his formula for overcoming indulgence and how he has created a programme to help others do the same. We also chat about his new book, ‘Get Over Indulgence: Take control, find your stress-free life’, which is a humorous, yet equally serious, depiction of his daily battles with junk food and alcohol, and how he found a way through.

Renowned public health pioneer, Professor Sir Muir Gray, returned to the podcast to discuss his latest book - Increase your Brainability and reduce your risk of dementia. The evidence is mounting and momentum is building behind the idea that we have a significant amount of control over our risk factors for developing dementia, from protecting our brain tissue to keeping the blood flowing, and Sir Muir shares the latest research with me. He believes the prevention revolution is finally happening and explains how his new educational programme will be rolled out via the NHS encouraging people to ask for new trainers instead of chocolates on those milestone 60th, 70th or 80th birthdays. There are a host more golden nuggets about his Optimal Ageing and Living Better Longer initiatives contained in this episode, so I hope you feel inspired and enjoy my conversation with Professor Sir Muir Gray.

David Adams is a filmmaker (https://davidadamsfilms.com.au/) and photojournalist with a string of incredible documentaries under his belt. He specialises in expeditions to remote regions. He has a passion for archaeology, anthropology and history, which has taken him to exotic locations worldwide including Iran, Siberia, the Pacific Rim, Northern and Central Africa in search of indigenous peoples and their disappearing cultures. David even served as a war correspondent in Afghanistan and Georgia for a period. Alongside travel industry expert David Mannix, David founded Arcadia Expeditions to create truly immersive and authentic travel experiences. In our conversation David shares his passion for adventure and investigating the world around us, he explains Arcadia Expeditions’ mission and the types of trips they organise, and why he believes meaningful and purposeful travel experiences can act as a catalyst for a more fulfilling life. So if you are seeking more adventure in your life, I’m sure you’ll enjoy my conversation with David Adams.

Sign up for my weekly newsletter and receive a FREE copy of My Care Consultant’s comprehensive guide to NHS Continuing Healthcare. Click here to register. This is Jacqueline’s second time on the podcast – she appeared in episode 40 back in the summer of 2019. She is the founding director of My Care Consultant, a market-leader in helping people navigate the care system, and she is a fountain of knowledge in all things care related. I was delighted when Jaqueline agreed to come back and talk to me about NHS Continuing Healthcare. It’s a complex and often controversial topic because it’s a benefit that seems to be so hard to secure. Currently only around 53,000 people in England are receiving NHS Continuing Healthcare funding, which perhaps reinforces its reputation as one of the most difficult benefits to claim successfully. Well Jacqueline hopes to help change that. In our conversation she explains exactly what NHS Continuing Healthcare is and what the eligibility criteria are. She explains how to apply, what you can expect from the application process and, crucially, how to prepare to have the best chance of success. We also chat about some of the challenges you are likely to face during the application process and how to overcome them.

This week we return to our series on the 9 Accelerators for a Successful Retirement – this is the 8th out of 9 episodes and we’re talking about legacy planning. Scroll down to find links to all previous episodes in this series. The terms estate planning and legacy planning are often used interchangeably, and there is some cross-over. In my view, the aim of estate planning is to reduce the burden on your loved ones at the end of your life and after you’re gone. So that ensures making sure your will, expression of wish, powers of attorney and any trusts are up to date. This should allow you to die organised. (Listen to my episode on estate planning here). Legacy planning, however, is about leaving behind a legacy that makes a difference where it matters most to you. In this episode Kathy and I chat about what to consider when deciding what you want your legacy to be, including charitable giving, passing on values and beliefs, and why we shouldn’t wait until death to define our legacy.

Anthony Delauney is a Certified Financial Planner based in the USA and author of three financial education books, based on the ides of ‘Owning the Dash’. He was inspired to create the concept by his late cousin. In his work Anthony applies the concept of a fitness master to the art of family financial planning. He believes we need to develop a mindset necessary to own the dash between our start and end dates in life - to take control of our futures. And getting a grip of our finances is an important part of the philosophy. So Anthony helps families to make sense of and manage their money. He tackles the topic of retirement planning in his book ‘The No-Regrets Retirement Roadmap’ and how to teach children important money lessons to children with his ‘Dash and Nikki’ and ‘Lily and May’ children’s books.