Supporting advisers

Engaging clients through podcasts

Jayne Wilde, Brand and Communications Manager, discusses how Standard Life is engaging with advisers and their clients through valuable and insightful podcasts.

Jayne Wilde

June 13, 2025

5 minutes

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Retirement planning is rarely at the top of people’s priority lists. In fact, 2 in 5 say they have no plan in place for their retirement, according to Bringing Retirement into Focus 2024, Standard Life’s annual Voice of the Retiree report. The research highlights, several factors influencing this, including competing financial priorities, gender, generation, and even where one lives in the country.

As a life savings company specialising in retirement, we strongly believe in trying to address this reluctance to engage. While initiatives like auto-enrolment will get more people saving, the real challenge - and - opportunity lies in driving meaningful engagement with planning and advice. How can we help more individuals understand what adequate funding looks like for their personal circumstances and empower them to take informed action? Our industry has faced this challenge for a long time, and it remains complex to solve.

At Standard Life, we’ve created a unique way of looking at the journey to and through retirement. We call this Second Life – a holistic approach to helping people ensure they’re not just financially ready, but also socially connected, and ready to thrive in retirement. To help bring this to life for advisers and clients, we have created a suite of practical tools: tailored content, campaigns, client evenings, and access to Second Life mentors and experts - all with the aim of supporting more meaningful conversations around retirement. Most recently we have created a series of podcasts hosted by Sonya Lennon, Second Life mentor generating conversation around the topic.

The unique position of podcasts

Podcasts occupy a unique and powerful space in modern media consumption. They're not just about providing information; they also blend entertainment, education, and personal development in a way that is appealing and accessible. People typically listen to podcasts during everyday activities—commuting, exercising, or while doing chores at home. This "in-between" time allows individuals to absorb content in a more relaxed state, often without the pressures of work or immediate financial concerns. Podcasts allow listeners to learn about personal finance when they’re in the mindset to be entertained, not necessarily when they’re focused on managing their money.

Podcast listenership is growing rapidly in Ireland:

Over 1.2 million people in Ireland now listen to podcasts regularly, and the number continues to rise
Podcasts are particularly popular with people aged between 35-54, with over 40% listening weekly
The average podcast listener in Ireland listens to 7.4 hours of podcasts per week, showcasing the medium's ability to captivate and maintain an audience

Source: Audio-Visual Media Commission report, 2023.

Standard Life podcasts

In 2024, we launched our podcast series The ultimate guide for Women and Pensions, hosted by Sonya Lennon, our Second Life mentor. The first series saw Sonya in conversation with guests including Loretta Dignam of the Menopause hub and financial advisers, discussing topics including money stories, the money confidence gender gap, understanding what holds women back in retirement savings, and the importance of having a financial adviser.

In the latest series of podcasts Sonya hosts insightful and thought-provoking conversations with a range of guests from industry to everyday changemakers. This season includes interviews with Mary Kennedy, entrepreneur Aisling Hassell, psychotherapist Richard Hogan and Standard Life’s Head of Retirement Solutions, Sinead McEvoy.

Our aim is to highlight the need for more everyday conversations around pension savings for women from an understanding and empathetic point of view. Each episode offers authentic stories, moments of laughter, and powerful conversations that will leave listeners inspired and informed.

As well as recording our own podcasts, this year, we partnered with Newstalk’s Life and Leadership with Bobby Kerr, to support a series that strongly aligns with our philosophy and how we support advisers and customers. Through Life & Leadership, Bobby has built a reputation for sharing authentic perspectives on purpose, leadership and advice in life and business. We share this vision as firm believers in the value of good financial advice.

Our focus is to help people feel confident in the choices they make on their personal journey to and through their second life. The series helps inspire meaningful conversations for those planning for retirement as well as providing leadership advice for advisers. From conversations that explored the impact of story-telling, to the power of writing one’s own life script, to embracing innovation and navigating the unexpected. The authenticity of real leaders telling their stories had us hooked and inspired in equal measure.

How advisers can get involved

We are living in a time of surplus content – books, TV, streaming, and podcasts, the choice is endless, but we all appreciate a good recommendation. Similarly, the volume of advice you may have to impart to clients may feel overwhelming to them. Encouraging your clients to listen to an easily digestible podcast will help make them feel empowered to think about retirement.

The format of podcasts allows listeners to engage with topics in an accessible way, and the right episode should entertain and inspire deeper thinking about the topic. Simply sharing or signposting your clients towards certain podcasts you’ve found useful, could have a real impact on their mindset to financially planning.

Visit the Second Life platform and access a series of podcasts, which are available for sharing with your clients.

The information on this site is for qualified financial advisers and must not be relied on by anyone else. If you are not an adviser please go to our customer website for more information about our products and services.