The Money Marketing Podcast

In this episode of Money Talks, brought to you in association with Royal London, Kimberley Dondo sits down with Shelley Read to explore the practical power of menu plans in modern protection advice. Moving away from traditional single-product approaches, they discuss how multi-benefit plans empower advisers to build truly bespoke, budget-friendly portfolios that adapt as a client's life evolves.
The conversation unpacks the clear advantages for customers, from simplifying complex choices to prioritising essential covers like income protection and critical illness within a realistic budget. For advisers, Shelley outlines how a well-designed menu plan supports Consumer Duty responsibilities through the four Rs of risk, revenue, retention, and reputation. Tune in to learn how to move conversations away from individual products towards customer-led solutions, and discover the practical risk report tools available from Royal London to support these vital client discussions.
For further resources, visit Royal London.
Making the most out of trusts – Royal London for advisers
Money Talks Podcast Series

The Money Marketing team and Dynamic Planner’s Chris Jones break down the government’s new budget, highlighting its populist tone, the high‑profile cash ISA reversal, and the balancing act between calming markets and appealing to voters.
The discussion covers implications for pensions, savings (including new starter ISAs), small business relief, data centers and AI strategy, and what advisors should watch next.

In this episode of Money Talks with Rural London, Gregor Sked from Royal London explains how trusts are shifting from an administrative chore into a vital part of financial planning. They discuss the impact of blended families, trustee selection, beneficiary nominations, and the importance of planning for what happens after a claim is paid.Advisors are encouraged to use trusts and nominations to improve client outcomes, revisit existing arrangements, and engage in broader, outcomes-driven conversations to ensure proceeds reach the intended beneficiaries quickly and effectively.

In this episode of Money Talks, brought to you in association with Royal London, guest Colin Mitchell, Customer Life Stage Director at Royal London, breaks down the key findings from their recent research, Meaningful Value in an Artificial World.
The conversation focuses on the role of artificial intelligence across financial services, looking closely at how automation can handle administration while safeguarding the human judgement, trust, and reassurance clients rely on. The discussion addresses the emotional side of financial planning, the mindset shift from saving to spending in retirement, and practical ways advice firms can adopt AI safely to support better client outcomes.
For further resources, visit Royal London.

In this episode of MM Talks, Money Marketing’s Kimberley Dondo and Tom Browne sit down with Jenny Davidson, intermediary wealth director at Scottish Widows.
Drawing on more than 30 years in the sector, Jenny discusses the evolution of adviser platforms, Scottish Widows’ intermediary strategy, and why heritage brands must balance scale with tech agility.
The conversation also explores the critical links between ill health and retirement security, the case for integrating protection into accumulation plans, and how the advice profession must adapt to support women ahead of the multi-trillion-pound intergenerational wealth transfer.
MM Talks

The State Pension is often treated as a simple guaranteed income, but client questions frequently hide intricate technical planning issues. In this episode of Money Talks, host Kimberley Dondo is joined by Royal London’s Craig Muir and Justin Corliss to explore the reality behind five of the most common client queries.
They break down why annual forecast figures vary between government departments, the hidden impact of pre-2016 contracting out, and how to navigate changing State Pension ages. The conversation also covers the arithmetic behind voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions versus free credits, the nuances of pension deferral, tax friction in year one of retirement, and how to safeguard survivor income against the loss of individual entitlement on first death.
Tune in to hear how to move beyond basic forecasts and turn everyday State Pension enquiries into robust, value-adding retirement strategies.

Retirement risks do not exist in isolation; market volatility, legislative changes, and behavioural blockers compound one another over a 30-year retirement, with longevity acting as the ultimate wildcard multiplier. In this final episode of the series, Kimberley Dondo talks to Andy Fear from M&G to discuss the dangerous cost of adviser inaction and out-of-date planning assumptions. Discover how to build an evolving, joined-up retirement structure that values flexibility over rigid forecasting to secure optimal client outcomes.
Listeners will learn why inaction has a hidden cost, how longevity amplifies other risks, and how advisors can act as coaches to keep plans adaptable and aligned to real client needs.

In this episode of MM Talks, Kimberley Dondo, Tom Browne, and Dan Cooper are joined by Rory McLaren, Chief Technology Officer at Dynamic Planner, to explore the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence in financial services.
They discuss practical uses like hyper-personalised reviews, the importance of prompts and clean data, governance and evaluation standards, regulatory concerns, and the need to keep humans in the loop to maintain expertise and avoid unintended risks.

After decades of focusing entirely on accumulation, moving into the decumulation phase triggers major psychological friction for retirees. Kimberley Dondo talks to Ed Green, Investment Specialist at M&G, to explore why clients default to extreme caution and rigid mental accounting. Learn how market volatility distorts rational spending plans and discover how the adviser’s role must evolve from running mathematical cash-flow models to coaching clients to enjoy their wealth intentionally.
Retirement Evolution Series

This episode explains how recent legislative changes have brought pensions into the inheritance tax (IHT) spotlight and why estate planning must be treated as active financial decisions made during life rather than a morbid conversation about death.
Les Cameron and Kimberley Dondo cover immediate red flags for advisers, core IHT planning options (spend, insure, reliefs, gifting and trusts), practical steps for pension-driven liabilities, and the risks of delaying planning—emphasising early action, control, and tailored solutions.