Financial De-Risking, Free Advice Isn’t Free and What Expats Should Watch Out For with Paddy Delaney

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You may think that seeking investments as an Expat in Ireland is as simple as finding the right advice. In practice, though, the conventional wisdom doesn’t always mean the best results for you.

In Part 2 of my conversation with Paddy Delaney of Informed Decisions, we get into some of the assumptions many people hold about investing as they move closer to retirement, particularly the idea that “de-risking” automatically means safety. Paddy explains why that conventional wisdom doesn’t always stack up in practice, and why understanding volatility, time horizons, and having a proper plan matters far more than simply defaulting into a middle-of-the-road fund.

We also spend time on something that comes up constantly in my work with expats: fees, transparency, and how to tell whether you’re getting advice or being sold a product. We talk about commission, “free” financial plans, what questions you should be asking before you sign anything, and how easily costs can stay hidden in the background for years if you don’t know where to look. This is particularly relevant if you’ve brought pensions or investments with you from another country and are trying to make sense of how everything fits together in Ireland.

If you haven’t yet, make sure you listen to Part 1 of my conversation with Paddy for all of his advice about financial planning, and to prepare you for this episode.

Main Topics Discussed in this Episode:
💶 Challenging the “De-Risking” Myth Near Retirement: We unpack why automatically moving into lower-risk, middle-of-the-road funds as retirement approaches can actually reduce long-term outcomes, and why volatility isn’t necessarily the enemy if you’ve planned properly.
💶 The Importance of Planning Beyond the Investment Product: This is one of those areas where having a real plan matters — we talk about thinking through “what could go wrong,” having other assets to draw on, and avoiding forced decisions at the worst possible time.
💶 Advice vs Product Sales: How to Tell the Difference: We explore the key signals that distinguish genuine financial planning from a transactional product sale, including how advisors are paid and why “free” plans are rarely free.
💶 Fees, Transparency, and Asking the Right Questions: From hidden charges to headline Annual Management Charges that don’t tell the full story, we explain where fees really sit, why expats can get a nasty surprise, and the direct questions you should feel comfortable asking upfront.
💶 What Value for Money Actually Looks Like in Financial Advice: We discuss the wide spectrum of service levels in the market, what ongoing advice should include, and why paying more only makes sense if you’re genuinely getting engagement, insight, and support in return.

Get in touch with Paddy Delaney:
Website: InformedDecisions.ie
LinkedIn:   / paddy-delaney-qfa-rpa-apa-73778969  
Podcast: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/podc...

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Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Taxbytes For Expats
01:20 Volatility, Market Drops, and Long-Term Returns Explained
03:29 Planning for the “What If” Moments Before They Happen
05:18 Buying an Outcome vs Having a Bespoke Financial Plan
05:57 Advice or Product Sale? How to Tell the Difference
07:13 Why “Free” Financial Advice Usually Isn’t Free
09:21 Asking Direct Questions About Fees and Commissions
10:35 What Value for Money Really Looks Like in Financial Advice
12:21 Transactional Investing vs Ongoing Advisory Support
15:06 Where Fees Are Hidden and How to Find Them
18:43 When Commission Works and When It Doesn’t
20:07 Final Thoughts, Exit Tax, and Key Takeaways for Expats