What is the main difference between income and salary protection insurance?

Salary protection insurance often provides coverage only for your basic salary, whereas income protection may cover additional bonuses and benefits.

What factors affect the cost of my income protection policy?

Factors such as age, health, occupation, and the level of coverage chosen can affect the cost of income protection Ireland insurance.

Can I customize my income protection insurance?

Yes, you can offer flexible options in terms of coverage amount, waiting periods, and payout options, at Clever Money, making it easier for you to tailor the insurance to your needs.

About Us

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Getting proper Impartial Financial Advice can be difficult. You may know you need help with one or more elements of your finances, but it can be difficult to share your information with somebody without knowing if they have your best interests at heart.

Looking for help on Social Media or Online can be tricky – some advisers and web pages can blur the lines of Independence and not disclose if they are restricted in which companies they are able to promote, which can mean that you are not getting the MOST suitable advice for your needs.

It is vital that you speak with someone who will listen to you. A quality Financial Adviser will pay attention not only to your words, but will know enough to read between the lines – to pick up on your hopes and plans, while protecting you from your fears. Knowing you are being advised well by a professional will help you sleep better at night, or perhaps give you fewer reasons for lost sleep!

We as Financial Brokers have been regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland since 2006. This means that we are obliged to provide recommendations to you on a “Best Advice” basis. When it comes to recommending Life Insurance or Pension Products, we can offer what we will be confident is the best Independent solution in the market for your needs. In relation to Investments, due to the vast range of products, we will take into account your level of knowledge and appetite for risk, and only then will we recommend a range of suitable Investments for you to choose from.

Our Advisers have many decades of experience, and have been with Clevermoney long enough to share in the combined knowledge of the firm. Due to our shared philosophy, we can ensure that the best knowledge and experience in the industry is used to your benefit. We can explain your options to you in plain English (or certain other languages), and help you understand how to best plan your future.

Our Expert Team

Mattie Holmes QFA

Covering most of Leinster, Mattie has over 30 years’ experience as a Financial Adviser. Having spent time working with the major Life Offices and as a Mortgage Broker,
Mattie has faced and solved numerous challenges for his clients.

Mattie has been with Clevermoney for nearly 15 years and continues to provide a long-term service to his clients, their families and their businesses. He has expert knowledge in all aspects of protecting your family, your home and your income.

Darren Hanlon APA

Darren hails from Dublin, but was blown southwest and landed in Tralee, Co Kerry, where he has been based for some time now. He is not sure how many decades it will be before he is adopted as a Kerryman.

Darren found himself drawn to the Financial element of Problem Solving and advising clients over the last 10 years, having previously worked in the Medical field.
His experiences in the Medical field has given him the customer service skills and empathy that work to his advantage as a Financial Adviser for Small Businesses and generations of families.

He is keenly aware of the difficulties his clients have with sorting out their own financial affairs when they have so many demands on their time with their own businesses or families.

Darren is married to Rita and had three children. He is trying to impart his (questionable) horse-riding skills to the next generation, and also enjoys hiking in the hills of Kerry, one of the things that drew him to the County originally.

Darren looks after clients countrywide, with the majority being in Kerry, Cork and Limerick. He is also available on Zoom for online consultations.

Jijo Joy QFA

Jijo previously worked for two major banks in India (HDFC & Kotak Mahindra), prior to coming to Ireland in 1998 and joining Clevermoney in 2021. He worked with both retail clients and small- to medium-sized businesses as a Relationship Manager, meaning he was the interface between his clients and the Banks. This taught him the importance of dealing with clients in a manner that they would understand and earn their trust.

He has rapidly gained his QFA qualifications in Ireland, but is also working towards having his Post-Graduate Degree in Financial Planning & Wealth Management recognised as a Chartered Financial Planner, which is the most recognised international standard in this industry.

Jijo lives in Naas, while his wife works in the HSE, and enjoys photography during his spare time.

Michael Heaney QFA RPA

Michael has worked in the Financial Services industry for four decades, having previously worked in AIB for many years and subsequently with New Ireland Assurance Company, prior to joining Clevermoney in 2016.

Michael is a very knowledgeable Retirement Planning Adviser and, with the profile of employment changing to multiple jobs and part-time Retirement, can safely steer you through the maze of planning your retirement and protecting your income so you can plan for and enjoy your retirement in peace.

Michael also has for many years been offering superior Investment and Pension advice, having prided himself on carefully protecting the wealth of his clients during the downturn and during numerous blips in the markets.

He lives in North County Dublin, but is very much a committed Meath man. He lists golf among his many sports interests and plays regularly at Donabate and County Meath Golf Clubs.

Yiqiu (Emily) Chen APA

Emily has been with Clevermoney since the beginning of 2017, having worked in a client relationship and Wealth Management role with HSBC.

She has been immersed in Ireland since 2009 and has gained an exceptional knowledge of Financial Planning for people for whom Ireland is their new home. She understands the insecurity of learning new regulations, and can help steer you through the pitfalls of saving and investing in Ireland.

Emily continues to extend her Financial expertise, but is more than capable of looking after your Protection, Insurance, Savings and Pension needs.

Guojun (Jum) Qin MSc QFA

Jum has over 10 years’ experience working with both families and business owners as a Senior Financial Advisor. Having joined Clevermoney in early 2013, he is a member of the LIA and Qualified Financial Advisor. Jum understands that clients sometimes have language barriers to fully understand financial products, so he has carefully serviced Chinese speaking communities with their native language in the past 8 years and delivered the best financial advice to clients.

Jum can help you with Pensions, Investments (including Capital Protected Bonds for the risk-averse), Life Cover and Tax Planning for businesses.

If you ever have questions about your plan or about specific financial products, contact Jum. He will set up a time to meet to review your needs and address any questions you may have.

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Liam Brennan QFA

Liam comes from a farming background. He along with his Father and Sister continue to milk 120 Holstein cows in Daingean, Co Offaly. It was on the farm that Liam gained an interest in Finance through the observation of farm commodity prices such as milk, fertilizer, and feed stuffs, and realising the challenges that farmers face in Ireland. Liam has a management degree from Limerick Institute of Technology. Studied Accounting & Finance at Griffith College Dublin, and achieved his QFA with the Institute of Banking.

Liam continues to work with our farming and small business clients where he has a deep interest in the workings of their business along with making sure they build a secure and sustainable future. He enjoys working on complicated financial problems and is currently taking a keen interest in how the drive to Net Zero emissions will affect each of us.

With a young family of 4 children Liam likes to spend his spare time with his family on days out. He also has a keen interest in the GAA.

Cindy White

Cindy is Administration and Claims Support Manager. She is responsible to the efficient processing of all New Business and Claims. You may frequently find yourself speaking with her if you have any queries on your existing policies.

Cindy has been working with Clevermoney for the last 10 years, having spent nearly 10 years in a similar position with Acorn Life.

Cindy would continue to urge clients with a claim to let us know at the earliest opportunity. Although we are the broker and your contract is with the Insurance Company, we have the experience to hold your hand through the claims process and make it less painful.

Rebecca Carroll

Rebecca works with our Will and Trusts department and is responsible for the legal drafting of the documents. A self-confessed grammar and spelling nerd, she makes sure that all wording is correct and readable.

Rebecca is currently studying Forensics and Legal Science to expand her knowledge to the point where she will probably be overqualified for the position and may need her own department in the future!

Rebecca is a strong supporter of Human Rights, and is also eager to see us and our clients move our Investments and Pensions more into ESG (Environmental and Social Governance), to help leave a better future to the next generation.

Joe Carroll

Joe was one of the founders of Clevermoney in 2006, having served in various roles with local and international banks, along with having worked as an Independent Financial Adviser in the UK.

He has vast experience in looking after the Pension and Investment needs of personal and business clients, from regular families to High Net Worth individuals. This includes Tax and Succession Planning, plus Financial Planning on a multi-national basis for returning Ex-pats.

Joe has Postgraduate qualifications in the Accountancy and Actuarial fields, along with a career of success in Corporate Finance from his banking roles. He is available in certain circumstances for consultancy.