Nicole Bremner

WEALTH: Gold expert Simon Popple makes a strong case for the inflation protection qualities of investing in gold. Even now when gold is at all time highs. As a former head of investment manager at Strutt and Parker, Simon realised that his personal inflation rate was much higher than the RPI. After much research he decided investment into gold was the answer. In this interview we discuss: - Why gold provides the hedge against inflation that Simon believes we all need as part of a balanced portfolio- How to invest in gold and other commodities directly or via companies exposed to gold- How physical silver can save your skin should an armageddon-like situation unfold- How Simon teaches people to invest in gold and other commodities using his BRIDGE System.ABOUT SIMONFollowing an MBA, Simon's corporate career started in investment banking at Singer and Friedlander and later at ABN AMRO where he became one of the founding members of their financial sponsors team within corporate finance.  Deciding that his f

WISDOM: Jo Tocher's life changed after experiencing the trauma of miscarriage. No longer able to exist in the corporate world she set out not just to heal but to find purpose. Life After Miscarriage, Your Guide to Healing from Pregnancy Loss is the story about Jo's transformational journey from the pain of loss to a place of acceptance and hope. But it goes further to show how any loss - including relationships ending, childhood trauma, a pet dying, kids leaving home, changing job, redundancy or a business failing or moving  house, town or country -  impacts your relationships with your partner, family and friends. As a holistic healer and intuitive coach, Jo guides you to understand how this loss is holding you back in your career, day-to-day life and overall happiness. You’ll recognise and understand your go-to coping strategies and learn how you can begin to support yourself with self-healing strategies so you can move forward and find joy again.In this interview we discuss: - Miscarriage, what i

EP153: "When I became a solicitor I was diagnosed with anxiety and PTSD. So I’d done the classic thing where you go to CBT, you get the medication, you do all the things that you’re told to do."Lawyer and mental health advocate Jodie Hill shares her top strategies for improving mental health. Learn how keeping a gratitude journal, planning social activities around exercise, taking regular breaks, communicating intentionally with your team, and reflecting on your needs can help boost your overall wellbeing.ABOUT JODIEJodie Hill is a neurodivergent solicitor, ED&I consultant, coach and trainer, author and campaigner. She is passionate about employment law, mental health and wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I), and neurodiversity.A qualified barrister initially called to the Bar by The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in 2010, Jodie then cross-qualified to become a solicitor in 2013. Her mental breakdown in 2017, which Jodie now describes as her “mental breakthrough”, led

EP152: "I've been doing purchase lease options since before they were being taught. I would never have said now is a good time to do it because it's always been a good time. But now I'm telling the world that there are so many options out there. And the amazing thing about it is that we get to help people. There are people out there who we need to help. They are literally so stressed, so scared, getting sick because they cannot cope with what they've got. We can go in there and take all that pressure off them. Take their pain. Let them earn income each month without the fear of having to pay a mortgage each month."I met with Gillie Barlow, experienced property investor who has never put down more than a few thousand pounds for any of her property deals. She explains how PLOs are the way to not only build your own portfolio but genuinely help people get out of difficult situations. KEY POINTSWhat are purchase lease options, PLOs? What is now the right time to seek out PLOs and how

EP151: January 2024 has started well in terms of confidence returning to the UK property market. The cost of borrowing has started to decrease as mortgage lenders fight for market share. Santander has launched a 5-year fixed rate at 3.84%, which is very different to the average rate of 6.66% during August 2023. The Bank of England may start to cut interest rates sooner than initially thought. This will be welcome news to homeowners, businesses and the wider economy. The positive indicator of the housing market is that mortgage approval rates are 25.6% higher than 12 months ago, which will filter through to a greater number of property transactions over the next few months. Key Points: Nationwide, Halifax and Rightmove have reported: -0.2%, +3.1% and +0.1% over the last 12 months. Nationwide, Halifax and Rightmove show that prices increased from last month (on a monthly basis). ONS figures show increases of -1.4% nationally and -4.8% in London. Rents have increased by 7.5% nationally and 4.6% in London. The av

EP150: "Why do you feel like you need to seek outside validation? Why is your sense of self linked to certain metrics? When we understand that, it always goes back...to our childhood self where we formed a belief of ourselves that we're not good enough unless other people told us we were. So when you look back on this as an adult...you can see a totally good enough me...[clients] can see that they were good enough. Then you get into affirmations...that will really start to change the subconscious mind...It all goes back to doing the inner work that most people will never do because it's scary, it's uncomfortable." Lucy is hugely insightful and an intelligent communicator and I could have conversed with Lucy for hours on topics such as: Why women can have it allHow the corporate world was created by men for men and doesn't suit the modern day life of women, or men for that matterWhat it means to have 360 degree successLucy's story from how she turned her back on a successful

EP149: CASE STUDY - Property investment is often touted as the holy grail toward financial freedom. Courses are sold and many are living this perceived glitzy lifestyle thanks to their "passive income" from property. But what about if it is your property portfolio that's holding you back from living your best life or even worse, is pushing you toward financial ruin? Here I  share with you a case study of my client Barbara, name and details changed of course. What I suggested might shock you. It shocked her. I was surprised too. Ultimately the numbers don't lie. We're looking for more case studies. If you would like a complimentary review of your portfolio, anonymously or live, get in touch at nicolebremner.com/discovery. HOSTED BY: Nicole Bremner is an investor, certified financial coach, nutritionist, author and mum-of-three. In 2009, having had a successful career in financial services, like many women who take a ‘career break’ to have children, she found herself at a crossroads, no

EP148: We've been selected as one of 2,500 guinea pigs for the BP5000 programme. What is Blueprint and what is the BP5000 programme? You might have heard of Bryan Johnson, a tech multimillionaire who sold a company to Paypal for gazillions. Over the last couple of years he has spent over $2m a year testing everything there is to test with a team of medical professionals. His goal is to try to slow the aging process with a range of medical and dietary interventions which cost millions and take up, it seems, most of his time. Some of it is quite controversial but when I'm trying to make sense of the science I do find myself asking, what would Bryan do. The logic is that Bryan and his team will have looked into every option and optimised his diet, supplements and lifestyle to achieve this goal of slowing down the aging process.Here I go through what it is and what testing I've had so far. I'll be keeping you up to date of the progress of being a human guinea pig on the BP5000 and the outcomes

EP147:  2024 has started well for the UK property market, as there is definitely an appetite for property. House price forecasts for 2024 remain relatively positive, with most institutions believing that prices will remain flat. In December, Knight Frank had initially forecast a decrease of -4% for 2024, but have revised this forecast to +3% growth for the year.House prices: Nationwide, Halifax and Rightmove have reported: -1.8%, +1.7% and -0.7% over the last 12 months. What is interesting is that Halifax and Rightmove show that prices increased from last month (on a monthly basis). Halifax reported increases over 3 consecutive months. ONS figures show increases of -2.1% nationally and -6% in London. Rental market: Rents have increased by 8% nationally and 6% in London. They are predicted to increase by 25% over the next 2 years, as more people will be renting due to the higher cost of borrowing. Interest rates: The Bank of England rates have remained on hold at 5.25% for the fourth consecutive month, and is

EP146: "It’s too early to say the market is turning but all signs are very positive. One week of good results are great. Two weeks is a coincidence, three weeks a trend. So we’re waiting to see what the next few weeks brings. Right now the market is thriving." "If you’re going to sell typically people wait till spring. It’s pretty miserable this time of year. If you wait for spring there's more competition...so that could impact your price. There are buyers who are keen now who perhaps paused for thought last year and now they’re ready and you really can make the most of them. I think later in the year, as with every election year, you get closer and it's people start to think I’ll just wait till the election decision into early 2025."There are many gems in this conversation with industry veteran and MD of John D Wood & Co., Polly Ogden Duffy. She talks about: Becoming the first female MD of John D Wood & Co. in the company's 150 year history. How good mentors helped

EP145:  With over 25 years experience in property sales and development, Jerome Roith started in estate agency in a central London eventually founding his own agency. In this discussion Jerome shares his expertise on why he believes the best strategy in property development doesn't even involve breaking ground. Known as planning gain, this is the process of identifying and acquiring prime properties, and managing the planning permission process. He also talks about the importance of maintaining time efficiency and assessing the viability of pursuing certain developments. KEY POINTS:Jerome takes as through his six step planning gain process from identifying opportunities, gaining exclusivity, legal conditional deals, sub-sale transactions, marketing protocols, and finding buyers.The importance of systemisation in the property development business. Jerome stresses the need to track processes, maintain fair timelines, and highlights the crucial role of communication in closing deals.How the complexities of

EP144: New year, new name, new focus.  I launched my podcast nearly seven years ago. It has kept me sane and connected during some tough times. Thankfully I’m in a much better place and have loyal listeners, thank you. But as my career has evolved I’ve struggled to find the right name and focus. Finally I’ve come up with a name which is the perfect intersection of my interests and, I hope, that of my listeners. Over the coming days my podcast will be relaunched as Health, Wealth & Wisdom. Why?

EP143:  We ended 2023 on more positive news that inflation has fallen again to 3.9% from 4.7% in October, which will ease the pressure on the Bank of England to raise rates further. Welcome news to those 2 million people due to remortgage over the next 12 months.House price forecasts at the beginning of 2023 were mostly incorrect. Knight Frank and Savills were forecasting decreases of 10%, and Capital Economics forecast an even more gloomy 15% decrease. Unfortunately, the mainstream media picked up on these negative predictions and scared us into paralysis. The good news is that prices in the UK were much more resilient and only decreased by 1.2% overall.KEY POINTSHouse prices: Nationwide, Halifax and Rightmove have reported: -2.0%, -0.6% and -1.1% over the last 12 months. What is interesting is that monthly figures actually show that prices increased from last month. Nationwide and Halifax reported increases over 3 consecutive months. ONS figures show increases of -1.2% nationally and -3.6% in London. This O

EP142: While many find their future life partner online, amidst the virtual roses hides a sneaky villain - the online romance scammer. These tricksters play with emotions, taking advantage of those just looking for a much desired connection. In this episode, Becky Holmes, the hilarious writer behind the @deathtospinach X/Twitter account talks about how she exposes fraudsters in (hopefully) funny ways.  What started as a lockdown boredom buster turned serious when she discovered the heartbreaking stories of scam victims. We talk about her X adventures, dealing with the scammers and explicit photos, and the bizarre world of script-bound scammers. Keanu Reeves pops up as the most impersonated celebrity and we explore the dark side of romance scans, funding other shady dealings.Becky spills on the toxicity of X, the safer but not-so-safe LinkedIn, and how her experiences result in her first book 'Keanu Reeves is not in love with you' coming out in January 2024. We dive into the challenges of writing, fr

EP141: At the risk of being a broken record once again the two biggest stories from the recent data is that some price data is actually showing a small increase in house prices. Second, rents continue to increase."There is positive news with the rate of inflation in the UK dropping to 4.6% from 6.7% last month. The Bank of England is under less pressure to increase interest rates, and there may be rate cuts during the first half of 2024. House prices remain resilient, defying the forecasters such as Knight Frank, Savills and Capital Economics who all predicted decreases of 10-15% during 2023." Eyeedul HaqueKey points: 1. Nationwide, Halifax and Rightmove have reported: -3.3%, -3.2% and -1.3% over the last 12 months. What is interesting is that monthly figures actually show that prices increased from last month. Nationwide and Halifax reported increases of 0.6% and 1.2% respectively. 2. ONS figures show increases of -0.1% nationally and -1.1% in London. This ONS data has a 3-month lag time, as it rec

EP140: I was seeing the other brokers in the industry presenting businesses for sale.  As a broker, we value on turnover, but as a buyer, you value on profits because you want to see what profit you can generate from that business.If you're interested in buying or selling a lettings or estate agency Lucy Noonan is the expert with over 20 years of experience in the industry, having worked with big names like Belleville, LSL, Hunters, and the Lomond Group. Having left corporate life, Lucy founded Atomic Consultancy, specialising in the sale of lettings and estate agency businesses nationally.In this episode, Lucy shares insights into the acquisition process, emphasising the importance of understanding numbers, preparing for due diligence, and the value of goodwill in transactions. She reflects on her journey in the estate agency industry, from starting as a negotiator to working on large-scale acquisitions. Lucy also discusses the growth of Atomic Consultancy, revealing the challenges and experiences.For t

EP139: Two biggest stories from the recent data is that some price data is actually showing a small increase in house prices. Second, rents just continue to increase. We dig into why. Key points: Prices starting to level off. Rightmove is showing prices are actually increasing on a month on month basis. How much of this is lack of supply?HMRC transaction levels are 20% lower than a year ago. Most of this is down to a lack of availability of credit due to interest rates being so high. Sellers are also sitting out with only those who desperately need to sell selling.Interest rates remained at 5.25% for the second month in a row. While inflation still not at the 2% target, 6 out of the 9 Bank of England members decided to keep rates on hold. Commentary from the BoE show that they believe the interest rates have topped out. Mortgage rates have come down about a percent since June. Rents increased 12% nationally y/y and are forecast to increase another 25% over the next two years*. People are unable to afford mort

EP138: What struck me this month in my discussion with Eyeedul is the continued strength of the rental market. Nationally rents increased 10.3% y/y while in London it's 13%.  “It isn’t just tenants who are feeling the financial strains of increasing rental prices. The exacerbating economic issues around rental prices are also leaving landlords with increasing rent arrears, resulting in struggles to make mortgage payments and other expenses. It really is a vicious circle, with very few winners. We see no end to the madness, with rental supply coming under more pressure as Landlords try and exit the market.” Andy Halstead, CEO HomeLet & Let AllianceI asked Eyeedul: "We are seeing again, the number of renters increasing dramatically. In August alone, there were 50,000 new tenancies added to the market. The number of renters chasing each home has jumped from 20 to 25 in the last five months according to Rightmove. In 2019 there were six phone calls or email requests per property and that rose to 20

"I was a little bit surprised to be diagnosed. It became quite a difficult journey for a period of time. My response on the January 19th 2021 was naïve. They asked me to go in to get results and I didn't realise that meant bad news. My response was 'this had better not kill me' and it had a 40% chance of killing me...better odds than some are facing." EP137: It was lovely to have Susannah back on the pod. When asked why she has been so quiet of late she revealed that she’d had not just one, but 3 1/2 cancer diagnoses. Since then she has been going through the slow process of rebuilding her body, mind and business. What got Susannah through this difficult time, financially at least, was her property portfolio which we discussed at length. Particularly how she managed a rapid restructuring following the first diagnosis and whether she in-sourced or out-sourced and her learnings from that time. I also asked Susannah how she got through the awful criticism she received at the hand of a we

EP136 : Once again I'm joined by property expert Eyeedul Haque to discuss the recent data on the UK property market, with a focus on recent developments related to mortgage rates, inflation and property prices.We discuss: - Mortgage payments are set to increase by £500 for approximately 1m households.- The Bank of England's interest rate has reached a 15-year high at 5.25%.- Inflation stands at 8.7%, and the government aims to reach a 2% target.- Effectiveness of the monetary policy in dampening inflation, noting that it might be causing inflationary pressures.- Rental market is seeing significant rent increases due to rising costs in the economy.- Prediction that interest rates will likely hit 6% by the end of the year, with some sources suggesting rates may reach 6.5%.- Housing market is not experiencing a hard landing or freefall but rather a levelling off.-  Continued shortage of new homes.- New 100% mortgages aimed at first-time buyers suggest confidence.Key moments: 1:37- Nicole asks about the