# QA43 - Listener Questions, Episode 43

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-meaningful-money-personal-finance-podcast-1082980/qa43-listener-questions-episode-43
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-meaningful-money-personal-finance-podcast-1082980/qa43-listener-questions-episode-43.md
Podcast: [The Meaningful Money Personal Finance Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-meaningful-money-personal-finance-podcast-1082980)
Published: 2026-03-25T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA43
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/meaningfulmoney/MMP614.mp3?dest-id=119595
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-meaningful-money-personal-finance-podcast-1082980/episodes/qa43-listener-questions-episode-43
Duration seconds: 1942

## Resource

If you're a UK beginner and you're not sure where to start investing in 2026, Pete and Roger talk you through a calm, step-by-step investing order to follow. They cover when to build a buffer, tackle expensive debt and use employer pension matching, plus how to choose between a Stocks and Shares ISA and a pension. You'll also hear the key beginner mistakes to avoid so you can invest with confidence and stay the course. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA43 02:00 Question 1 Hi Pete and Roger I'm late to investing but thanks to your informative and entertaining podcasts and books - I feel on track to at least a decent retirement. I'm on a £60K salary and currently manage to contribute around £25K annually via salary sacrifice - which keeps me happily and comfortably within the 20% Income Tax bracket. However, with the Salary Sacrifice Cap coming in April 2029, I will end up in the higher-rate tax bracket. I was thinking about using my employer's Car Benefit Salary Sacrifice Scheme to help bring down my taxable income – whilst still maintaining the maximum salary sacrifice and utilising Relief at Source my AVC. I'm fully aware of the saying "don't let the tax tail wag the investment dog" but I was planning on getting a car in 2029 – when my mortgage is completed – so this might be a good alignment. My question's are: Can you confirm whether the Salary Sacrifice Cap applies to pensions only — and does using the car salary sacrifice scheme seem like a sensible idea in this context? Is there anyway that paying into my AVC via Relief at Source and claiming the higher-rate relief via Self-Assessment would result in HMRC issuing me a new tax code for the following tax year. Keep up the good work – and all the best to you and your families for the festive season. Thanks, Cr…

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## Transcript

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