Financial Planning

Your 40s are a strange decade financially. You’re probably earning more than ever — CSO data shows the 40–49 age group has the highest earnings of any bracket in Ireland, with mean weekly earnings of €1,151. But somehow, there never seems to be enough. The mortgage is bigger, the kids are more expensive, your parents…

Every investment carries risk. That’s not a warning — it’s a fundamental truth that sits at the heart of how investing works. The reason your pension fund can grow faster than a deposit account is precisely that you’re accepting a degree of uncertainty. Higher potential returns come with higher volatility. That’s the trade-off. The mistake…

The terms "financial planner" and "financial advisor" are often used interchangeably in Ireland. Walk into most offices offering financial services and you'll hear both titles thrown around freely. But they're not the same thing — and the difference between a financial planner and a financial advisor matters more than you might think when it comes…

Ever sat in a meeting with a financial advisor, nodded along, and privately thought: “I have absolutely no idea what that means”? You’re not alone. Investment jargon can feel like a foreign language — one designed to make you feel like you’re on the outside looking in. It doesn’t have to be that way. You…

Markets are uncertain. That's not a warning — it's a permanent feature. There's always something to worry about. Trade wars, interest rate shifts, geopolitical crises, elections, inflation surprises, recessions that might or might not happen. The headlines change; the feeling of uncertainty doesn't. And yet, markets have delivered positive long-term returns through every crisis, every…

Money touches everything. Where you live, how you retire, whether your children get the education you want for them, how well you sleep at night. And yet most people navigate their financial life without a clear strategy — reacting to events rather than planning for them. At Opes Financial Planning, we help clients across Ireland…

Not even slightly. In fact, thinking about retirement in your 30s might be the sanest financial decision you ever make. It just doesn’t feel like it, not when you’re juggling rent or a mortgage, childcare costs, career uncertainty, and the general expense of being alive in Ireland right now. But here’s what nobody tells you…

A decade in investing is a long time. Long enough for a pandemic to crash and then revive markets in the space of five months. Long enough for passive funds to overtake active ones for the first time in history. Long enough for inflation to go from very low levels to the highest levels in…

Here’s something that might surprise you: the most important part of a financial plan has nothing to do with pensions, investments, or insurance policies. It starts with a conversation. What do you actually want your life to look like? What keeps you up at night? What would change everything if you could get it right?…

If you were unable to work tomorrow, not just for a week, but for six months or even a year, would your household cope financially? Most people insure their car, their home, and even their phone. Yet the very thing that pays for all of these, your ability to earn an income, is often left…

When people hear “financial planning,” they think pensions and spreadsheets, but that’s not really what it’s about. It’s about the life you want to live, and making sure your money actually supports it. Less stress about bills. More confidence in the future. The freedom to make choices because you want to, not because you have…

Divorce is never easy. The emotional weight of a relationship ending is enormous, and on top of that comes a tangle of financial decisions that will shape the rest of your life. Who keeps the family home? How are pensions divided? What about maintenance, debts, and joint accounts? Can you actually afford to live independently?…

The way Irish professionals manage money has shifted. Properly shifted. Getting sound advice no longer means blocking out half a day, battling traffic into the city centre, and sitting across a desk from someone you’ve never met. Today, you can work with a financial advisor in Ireland via video call from your kitchen table, your…

Estate planning is often misunderstood. Many people assume it is simply about writing a will or something only the ultra-wealthy need to worry about. In reality, estate planning is the comprehensive process of managing and structuring your assets during your lifetime and ensuring they are distributed efficiently after your death. It is about answering the…

Let’s be honest—you have worked incredibly hard to build your assets. Whether it’s a family business you’ve nurtured for decades, a property portfolio, or simply a nest egg for a rainy day, the goal has likely always been the same: to provide security for yourself and, eventually, to pass on your wealth to the people…

Close your eyes for a moment and picture your life in five years. Ten years. Twenty. What does a typical Tuesday look like? Where are you living? Who are you spending time with? Are you still working — and if so, because you want to or because you have to? This isn't an abstract exercise.…

Explore vital financial considerations when moving from the UK to Ireland, from tax and pensions to banking, currency, and dual taxation planning.