Rise Money : Become a Confident Investor

Bagman

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Hi there,

This course keeps coming up on my social media feeds. Run by Kel Galavan / Mrs Smart Money. I like the fact it offers Irish specific advice unlike a lot of UK/US based channels. But it is pricey and may be more tailored to complete beginners. Anyone have any further insights on it?
 
Just looked at her website. Seems to be for absolute beginners. A lot of it is telling people to control their expenses, and the Irish specific advice seems to be to not have everything on deposit. The rest is the usual reddit-esque America approach, even using American terms and encouraging "side hustles" to earn more. No mention of tax that I spotted.

Seems like she makes her money from the seminars and her book.
 
Yes I thought as much. Probably great for someone starting out with little or no knowledge. Could make the money back then with the information gained. 1k is pricey but I remember giving 3 times that to a short lived company called 'learn about shares' in my early 20s. This only bought me a massive folder on technical analysis and access to a very outdated computer program to track share prices. Put me off investing for years, a very expensive lesson for lots of reasons. To be fair this product seems to be quite different but I agree that for regular users of AAM it's likely to be unnecessary.
 
I've been following her for a while, and yes it's for absolute beginners. Spends a lot of time explaining what the S&P500 is and why it's better than putting your money in the credit union. A few podcasts and YouTube videos would give the same info.
 
Spends a lot of time explaining what the S&P500 is
More Americanisms. I wonder if she learned from Reddit or just American financial blogs.

It has crossed my mind that localising finance blogs for Ireland could be successful, but I'm lazy. While this person is obviously less lazy than me, they are clearly still too lazy to properly localise their content. Or should I say localize....
 
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People are frequently unaware that the use of Mom in Munster comes from the Munster Irish pronunciation of ‘Maim’ and is not an import of the American pronunciation

Exactly. I certainly didn’t pick Mom up from TikToks in the mid 80s in Cork.
 
A few podcasts and YouTube videos would give the same info.

Are their any reputable Irish blogs / podcasts or YouTube.

I have seen many very much independent once’s from the UK, US, Canada and Australia but don’t see the same in Ireland. I guess the population is smaller and there are few opportunities.

What I do see are financial advisors who do have a product to sell and while the advice can be tailored to someone with quite a bit of cash.

The alternative is done 19 year old telling me how to buy €5 worth of an EFT who seems to have no understanding of the tax situation.

A lot of info is on here but a lot of good stuff is buried.
 
Hi everyone,

I’ve been reading the conversation here with interest. It’s good to see a healthy level of scepticism—after all, being a confident investor starts with asking the right questions. Since the discussion is based on outside observations of the course, I thought I’d pop in to provide some clarity from the source.

1. On “Americanisms” and “The Zs”: Guilty as charged on the letter “Z.” After a 16-year career with an American multinational, some habits are hard to break. However, you’ll be glad to know. I still pronounce tomato, aluminium, and paracetamol in the proper Northern European way.

Regarding the term “Mom”: Whether I’m calling my mother Mom, Mam, or “Mammy” when I want to wind her up, I focus on the relationship rather than the semantics. The course testimonials are unadulterated; if a student (including the American expats I work with) writes “Mom,” that’s what stays on the site.

2. Why the S&P 500?: The S&P 500 is often the first benchmark people hear about, so it’s a necessary starting point. However, Become a Confident Investor is built specifically for people living in Ireland. We focus on the mechanics of investing through the Irish tax system—building the strategy and systems needed to navigate our specific and often complex landscape.

3. “I can find this for free” & Beginner vs. Intermediate: While the “what” of investing is scattered across the internet, my students pay for the “how.” They pay for curation, a step-by-step system, and 12 months of support from a QFA and 20+ years of investing experience.

The course isn’t just for beginners; it’s for intermediates and anyone who has been “tinkering” for years but lacks a cohesive strategy that lets them sleep at night. I don’t cover day trading, options, or derivatives—the aim is to build solid, long-term investors who can have a life while still investing.

4. The Price Point: Running a tax-compliant business in Ireland involves VAT, insurance, and professional salaries. When you consider the lifetime access and the level of professional support, the value is notable. Many of my students come to my door after trying more expensive, less comprehensive “international” courses that didn’t address the Irish context.

I am incredibly proud of my team and the results my students achieve (their unfiltered thoughts are on our Google Reviews). If you’re serious about your financial freedom and want to see how the system actually works, I’d invite you to watch my masterclass.

If any of you would like to speak to me directly, I’m more than happy to chat individually or as a group. I’m always happy to have a transparent discussion about investing in Ireland.


Best,
Kel
QFA, Investor, and proud Mom/Mam/Mumsy (pick your favourite).
 
Are their any reputable Irish blogs / podcasts or YouTube.
Best of luck to Kel and anybody trying to provide assistance.

There are one or two on youtube but once more most of what they say is here.

I like Informeddecisions.ie on podcast sites, he certainly seems to be fee only in his business so quite independent and a bit of fun. Seems the online is a promo for the business which seems to be the way to go. He's more of a pension specialist.

Given the volume there is some very good stuff from the UK but with the obvious warning of differences in the products, taxes, regulaions etc but where their content is general investing concepts it's worthwhile. After a while you can see where there is agreement and they are all professionals (and of course not proivding actual financial advice just education)

A few I like

https://www.youtube.com/@Pensioncraft

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelityuk

https://www.youtube.com/@WealthofAdvice

 
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