Financial Wellbeing

If your fixed rate is maturing in 2024, now is the time to consider your options and understand how you may need to prepare in order to avail of the best products in the market. 

Current options available in the market include the following:

• €2,000 cashback to cover switching costs
• Reduced documentation requirements
• Low interest rates from 3.65% fixed x 4 years (for properties with a BER rating of A1 to B3)
• Rates from 3.95% fixed x 4, 5, 7, 10 years or for the full term of the mortgage with flexible overpayment options

We provide fees free Mortgage & Protection services to UCD employees so please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your options now or in the future.

As a multiple award winning Brokerage we offer market based advice to all customers based on their unique personal circumstances and requirements.

Learn more about us on YouTube - (opens in a new window)Why Affinity Advisors?

You can contact us on 01 6533120, @ (opens in a new window)info@affinityadv.ie or by emailing (opens in a new window)trevor@affinityadv.ie

We look forward to assisting you obtain the best mortgage terms available based on your personal circumstances and requirements.

Achieving Financial Wellbeing 

Catch up with all of Jim's webinars on our (opens in a new window)Financial Wellbeing playlist on YouTube.

Jim Stapleton

Jim Stapleton, a financial wellbeing professional, established Eolas Money, a financial planning and wellbeing practice in 2009. The company specialises in helping both personal and corporate clients throughout Ireland improve their financial wellbeing and navigate through the myriad of financial decisions that life throws at us.

Find out more on (opens in a new window)Eolasmoney.ie

The University has a legacy salary deduction scheme with VHI which, for many members, is due for renewal on the 1 March each year. 

In support of our financial wellbeing strategy, Culture & Engagement asked independent health insurance expert Dermot Goode in 2021 to undertake a high-level review of this group scheme.  Arising from this review, we understand that there are currently no additional benefits for members through this scheme by way of enhanced cover or premium discounts, which may have been available in the past.  It would also appear that many members may be insured on dated schemes that still provide good cover but are overly expensive compared to many of the new schemes now available (often from the same insurer).

We encourage you to review your needs and ensure you are obtaining the best value health insurance.

About Dermot Goode

Dermot Goode is the leading expert on healthcare benefits in Ireland and has presented to UCD employees on many occasions detailing how to save money on health insurance. He runs the only intermediary in Ireland, Total Health Cover, dealing exclusively in healthcare benefits (health insurance, dental, vision-care, cash plans). Should you wish for a more in depth review, Total Health Cover will review cover to help you source the best products at the lowest cost, covering all 340 plans available across VHI, Laya and Irish Life Health. All services are provided on a fee basis which ensures the best advance.

UCD employees can get a full-market review for €120 (20% discount). Dermot can be contacted at (opens in a new window)Dermot.Goode@lockton.com. Queries are assessed to make sure that the review will be worthwhile for each customer prior to scheduling same.

HSF Health Insurance

Our recent Health Insurance webinars have referenced the options available under health insurance ‘cash’ plans such as those offered by HSF, to help cover the cost of everyday health care expenses. Culture & Engagement have negotiated a UCD employee discount of 10% off HSF plans and the ability to avail of direct salary deductions.

If you have any dental work required, new glasses or contact lenses to purchase, join HSF Health Plan and you will be able to claim money back. HSF also include a phone and virtual GP service along with a prescription service with every plan they offer. What’s more, HSF cover many other every day health expenses that you can claim cash back for.

Learn more about HSF

Watch the new (opens in a new window)HSF videofor further information on the plans available to you. If you would like to receive a booklet or have a chat about the cover that is available to you contact Craig Broome on +353 8767 65171 or(opens in a new window)craig.broome@hsf.ie

Heart Health Tips

Download the latest HSF Heart Health newsletter from which looks at tips for good heart health or watch their (opens in a new window)Heart Health video.

Download the latest HSF Health Matters Newsletter which looks at pollen allergies or watch their (opens in a new window)Heyfever video. 

HSF health plan is an employee health benefits provider. It is the trading company of the charity, The Hospital Saturday Fund.

HSF provide employee cash plans to help cover the cost of everyday health care expenses like GP fees, prescription costs, dental fees and glasses. Benefits include hospital, physiotherapy and complementary treatments, specialist consultations, health screening, personal injury and eye laser surgery. They also provide an Employee Assistance programme, HSF Assist® which includes access to a GP Advice Line, Virtual Doctor and Counselling Service.

Unlike other types of health insurance HSF health plan schemes are not claims or age related. Their plans can be used as a complement to exiting PMI Schemes or as an alternative. HSF health plan is available to UCD Employees at a discounted premium and with their family schemes, spouse/partner and any dependent children under age 21 can be included on cover at no extra cost.

Everyone who joins HSF health plan, just by belonging, are making a contribution to the important work of the charity, as the profits from the health cash plan go to the parent charity. Not something which usually happens when an insurance policy is taken out.

For more information on HSF health plan please contact us on 1890 451 451 or email(opens in a new window)enquires@hsf.ie

University College Dublin have secured a 10% discount on any chosen scheme for all employees. All subscriptions can be paid through internal salary deduction (ISD). Read more about what's covered and how you can sign up in this Laya healthcare discount information flyer.

You will need the scheme number, your personnel number and your Pay Group number (1 for monthly paid employees) to get access to the University College Dublin Affinity Scheme. Laya Healthcare ask that you put your UCD email address as the contact method, as proof of UCD employment. Laya have confirmed (December 23) that Pensioners can also avail of the deal.

The scheme allows for an open renewal so those that are renewing at different months of the year can join the UCD Affinity Scheme as and when their renewal come ups. Those new to private medical insurance can join at any stage throughout the year.

Laya Healthcare can be contacted on 021 2022000 or(opens in a new window)layahealthcare.ie

Cornmarket’s Tax Return Service

Cornmarket’s Tax Return Service specialise in ensuring customers are tax compliant. They aim to save you time, hassle and money when it comes to your taxes.

To contact Cornmarket email (opens in a new window)tax@cornmarket.ie or call on 01-4206780

For more information;

1. (opens in a new window)cornmarket.ie/inheritance-planning/
2. (opens in a new window)cornmarket.ie/tax-return-service/

Cornmarket

Cornmarket are the largest Public Sector financial services broker in Ireland. With nearly 50 years’ experience helping public sector employees with their financial needs. Everything from car, home, travel and health insurance to pensions and retirement planning and family protection.  Cornmarket help public sector employees on their financial journey throughout each of life’s stages. They work with over 40 public sector unions, associations and employers to negotiate excellent value financial products on their behalf. They are passionate about making a positive difference to the wellbeing of the Public Sector community in money, life and family whilst respecting our planet.

Home Insurance - New 2 Year Home Insurance Offer Exclusive to UCD Employees

Affinity Advisors have teamed up with Ireland’s leading home insurer Zurich Insurance, to put together a market leading 2 Year Home Insurance Policy exclusively for UCD employees.

• Policies will run for 2 years
• Underwritten by Zurich Insurance, A+ rated insurer
• Exclusive and discounted rates
• Price guarantee for the 2 years with no loadings or penalties applied in the event that you are unfortunate enough to have a claim
• FREE - €3,000 unspecified all risks
• Award winning customer service
• Fast and efficient claims service
• Specialised rates for first time buyers
• Premiums can be paid over 22 monthly instalments, from as little as €22 per month

For further information please visit (opens in a new window)www.affinityadv.ie/ucdhomecover or email (opens in a new window)homecover@affinityadv.ie

Other home insurance providers are available in the market.

Building on our previous webinar, Achieving Financial Wellbeing, Jim Stapleton of Eolas Money returns with a webinar entitled Financial Planning with Cashflow Modelling. In this webinar Jim will show you the benefits of using cashflow modelling to help you visualise how your financial future will look based on your current spending habits. He will use an example pre-populated spending plan and model some common scenarios to show how cashflow modelling will enable you to make any required changes to your current and future financial planning. Find out more about cashflow modelling on the (opens in a new window)Eolas Money website.

In this webinar, Owen Meade from Cornmarket, will cover the Fair Deal Scheme and other options for funding long term nursing care. Unfortunately, we can’t tell what lies ahead so it’s important to plan when we can. The webinar is designed to give you information and highlight the importance of financial planning. Cornmarket is the largest Public Sector financial services broker in Ireland and should you require individual advice, Cornmarket can be contacted via the (opens in a new window)Cornmarket website.

This session was not recorded.

• Powerpoint presentation about the fair deal scheme from Cornmarket (PowerPoint)

Owen Meade

Owen specialises in Retirement and bringing Financial Wellbeing to our clients. Working with Cornmarket for almost 20 years, he is the Cornmarket Retirement and Investment Manager for Leinster.  Owen has a wealth of knowledge in Financial Planning and he is passionate about ensuring that Cornmarket clients understand their finances as they progress  through each stage of their financial life cycle.

The UCD AVC (Additional Voluntary Contribution) Scheme complements the benefits of UCD main pension scheme and allows members regardless of age or service to supplement their retirement benefit within Revenue Limits. The UCD AVC Scheme Consultants are Cornmarket Group Financial Services Ltd. and Irish Life are the AVC Investment Managers and Administrators.

About the Presenter

Ian O'Shea has worked with Cornmarket for 14 years, he specialises in pensions and retirement and is one of our resident experts in Public Sector Pensions.  He is the UCD AVC consultant and dealing with your colleagues on a daily basis and helping them with their pension planning and retirement.

More information on AVCs and contact details for Cornmarket can be found on the UCD HR website.

Responsible investment is becoming more mainstream and this webinar with Vincent McCarthy aims to explain what it involves, and the various terms and concepts used. He will address ESG - environmental, social and governance factors and their integration into responsible investment.

Vincent McCarthy, CFA

Vincent started his career as a stockbroker in San Diego in 2005 and has over 15 years of experience advising high net worth individuals and institutions, working for companies in the United States, Ireland, and Guatemala.

Inspired by his time working in impact investing in Latin America in 2017, Vincent set up CoTerra Impact to be a catalyst for change in how we think about business and investments. He founded ESG Ireland®, an independent platform focused on closing the knowledge gap around the broad theme of ESG and responsible investing. Committed to education, he also established the Responsible Investment Institute®, which offers a range of responsible investment courses.

Vincent is a CFA Charterholder and a Qualified Financial Advisor.

Financial wellbeing consultant Jim Stapleton will host a webinar on financial wellbeing and provide practical steps how you, your family & household can achieve this. This  webinar will cover: Key financial planning techniques to improve your current and long-term financial planning; details on how your PAYE income tax is calculated, a reminder on what tax credits are available to claim, how to construct a robust and evidence based household spending plan, debt reduction, mortgage planning, long and short term savings, and the importance of retirement planning, amongst others.

Jim Stapleton is a financial wellbeing professional, who established Eolas Money, a financial planning and wellbeing practice in 2009. The company specialises in helping both personal and corporate clients throughout Ireland improve their financial wellbeing and navigate through the myriad of financial decisions that life throws at us.

Find out more on (opens in a new window)Eolasmoney.ie and talk to Jim about the 20% discount for UCD employees.

This webinar, with Brendan De La Harpe from Cornmarket, will look at making a Will and estate planning. We spend our lives planning and saving for the next big step, a home, children, college fees etc., but unfortunately many people don’t plan for what to do with everything they’ve achieved when they’ve completed the ‘big stuff’. Passing on your assets to family members and loved ones is a big deal that deserves a proper plan.

Brendan De La Harpe is Head of the Tax Return Service & Mortgages at Cornmarket and has over 30 years’ experience ensuring clients understand tax and the benefits of planning appropriately. Cornmarket is the largest Public Sector financial services broker in Ireland. Cornmarket’s Tax Return Service specialise in ensuring customers are tax compliant. They aim to save you time, hassle and money when it comes to your taxes.

To contact Cornmarket email (opens in a new window)tax@cornmarket.ie or call on 01-4206780

For more information;

• (opens in a new window)cornmarket.ie/inheritance-planning/
• (opens in a new window)cornmarket.ie/tax-return-service/

UCD Pensions Manager Fiona Byrne in this webinar, will cover off the options for employees who joined the UCD Single Public Service Pension Scheme (post 2013) and may be able to transfer benefits arising from pension entitlements in certain other Revenue approved retirement schemes and PRSAs to the Single Scheme. As UCD operates a number of different pension schemes please ensure you are attending the correct webinar. The pension scheme applicable to you will depend upon your date of joining the Public Sector and date of joining UCD. If you are unsure which pension scheme you belong to please visit the UCD Pension Service webpage.

Fiona is UCD Pension Manager and leads the Pension Services team. You will find detailed information on all aspects of the UCD Pension Service on their webpage.

In this webinar, UCD Pensions Manager Fiona Byrne, will cover off the options for employees who joined the public sector prior to 1st January 2013 and who may be able to transfer their pensionable service from their old employer to UCD. UCD participates in the Irish Public Sector Transfer Network which allows employees who transfer from one area of the Public Sector to another, to transfer their pensionable service and receive full credit for pension purposes. As UCD operates a number of different pension schemes please ensure you are attending the correct webinar. The pension scheme applicable to you will depend upon your date of joining the Public Sector and date of joining UCD. If you are unsure which pension scheme you belong to please visit the UCD Pension Service webpage.

Fiona is UCD Pension Manager and leads the Pension Services team. You will find detailed information on all aspects of the UCD Pension Service, including contact details on their webpage.