The Money Gains Podcast I Built A £180,000 Investment Portfolio In 8 Years (And You Can Too!) - Ryan King
Mar 25, 2026
Ryan King, chartered accountant turned personal finance creator and author of Stop Waiting Start Investing, explains how he built a sizable portfolio using simple global index fund strategies. He covers pensions consolidation, switching default workplace funds, why global funds matter, core-satellite approaches, and practical starting steps for beginners.
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Consolidated Pensions Simplified Ryan's Portfolio
- Ryan consolidated multiple pensions across countries to reduce admin and fees and moved his Australian super to Vanguard Australia.
- He reported his portfolio peaked ~£185,000 then dipped to ~£178,000 and said consolidation made managing accounts far easier.
Call Providers Before Moving Workplace Pensions
- Do check workplace pension exit fees, lost perks, and five-year returns before moving any pensions; call the provider to confirm details.
- Ryan warned older schemes can have guarantees or tax-free lump sums, so phone the provider first to avoid losing benefits.
Switch Default Pension Fund If You Have Time
- Do switch a default workplace fund if your horizon is decades and you prefer growth; Ryan moved from a 0.78% life strategy into a low-cost global fund.
- He cut fees by ~0.2% and compared five-year returns: default 11% vs his global 76%, explaining thousands gained.
