Episode 26: Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Early… or Is That Exactly What Stops You Becoming Financially Free?

Episode 26: Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Early… or Is That Exactly What Stops You Becoming Financially Free?

Most people are told to pay off the mortgage, get out of debt, and save cash. But is that always the smartest move? In this episode of Taxed & Taken: The Podcast They Don’t Want You To Hear, we question whether rushing to become mortgage-free could actually cost you long-term wealth. We compare two people with the same mortgage: one invests £300 per month from the start, while the other overpays the mortgage first and invests later. The result is surprising: the person who invested less ended up with more — because they started earlier. This episode covers: * Why mortgage overpayments give certainty * Why investing rewards time * How compounding changes the outcome * Why inflation can punish cash savers * Why being mortgage-free is not always the same as being financially free * When overpaying makes sense * When investing may make more sense The real question is not simply: “Should I pay off the mortgage or invest?” The real question is: “Am I using my money to feel safe today, or to become financially freer tomorrow?” Listen to Episode 26 of Taxed & Taken: The Podcast They Don’t Want You To Hear. Get full access to Taxed & Taken: Money, Power & Freedom from the State at patelankeet.substack.com/subscribe [https://patelankeet.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 25: The Laffer Curve: How Government Made Work Pay Less — And Dependence Pay More & How We Fix It

In this episode, I break down the Laffer Curve and why it matters today. The basic idea is simple: if government taxes work too heavily, people work, invest, build, and take risks less. And if the welfare system makes dependence more rewarding than independence, dependency grows. This episode looks at how government policy has made work pay less, why Britain’s tax system punishes productivity, and why high taxes eventually weaken the very economy the state depends on. I also explain how we fix it: lower taxes on work, lower taxes on investment, lower taxes on business, a simpler tax system, welfare reform, and — most importantly — a much smaller state. Because you cannot have independent citizens and an ever-expanding government at the same time. At some point, it is one or the other. Listen now — and ask yourself: how different would your life be if you were allowed to keep more of your own money? Get full access to Taxed & Taken: Money, Power & Freedom from the State at patelankeet.substack.com/subscribe [https://patelankeet.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 24: How Ordinary People Can Profit From the Business Cycle

Most people experience the business cycle as victims. They buy late in the boom.They borrow when money feels cheap.They trust the experts.They panic in the crash.And then they watch the wealthy buy the assets they were forced to sell. But the business cycle doesn’t just destroy wealth. It redistributes it. In this episode of Taxed & Taken — the podcast they don’t want you to hear, we look at how ordinary people can understand the boom-bust cycle, avoid the traps set by cheap credit and fake prosperity, and position themselves for the moments when fear creates opportunity. If you haven’t listened to Episode 6 yet, start there first — because that episode explains what the business cycle is, why it happens, and why it keeps punishing ordinary people. This episode takes the next step:how to stop being crushed by the cycle — and start using it to your advantage. Get full access to Taxed & Taken: Money, Power & Freedom from the State at patelankeet.substack.com/subscribe [https://patelankeet.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 23: The Biggest Lie Middle-Class Parents Are Told

What if middle-class parents are sacrificing everything… for the wrong future? In Episode 23 of Taxed & Taken: The Podcast They Don’t Want You To Hear, we explore one of the biggest assumptions in modern Britain: Is private school really the ultimate investment in your child’s future? Or has society confused educational prestige with financial freedom? This episode explores: The true £500,000+ cost of private education Why high salaries no longer guarantee freedom The debt conveyor belt trapping modern families The difference between raising workers vs raising owners How £9,000 invested yearly from birth could potentially become £1.5 million by age 34 Why ownership increasingly matters more than credentials This is not an attack on education. It’s a deeper conversation about: freedom, debt, ownership, modern parenting, and what a true “head start” in life really looks like. Because maybe the greatest inheritance is not status… but freedom. Get full access to Taxed & Taken: Money, Power & Freedom from the State at patelankeet.substack.com/subscribe [https://patelankeet.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 22: The State Pension — The Lie, The Cost, and The Alternative That Politicians Fear

What if your state pension isn’t what you think it is? Not a pot.Not savings.Not something building up in your name. Just a system where your money is used immediately… and your future depends on the next generation doing the same. In this episode of Taxed & Taken — The Podcast They Don’t Want You To Hear, we break down the reality of the UK state pension system: * How the pay-as-you-go system actually works * Why there is no “pot” with your name on it * The growing pressure from ageing populations and rising costs * Why meaningful reform is so difficult politically And most importantly: 👉 What a funded alternative could look like👉 How small monthly contributions could compound into real wealth over a lifetime👉 Why ownership and control may matter more than promises This episode isn’t just about pensions. It’s about a deeper question: Do you want your future dependent on policy…or built on assets you actually own? If this episode made you think: 👉 Follow / Subscribe so you don’t miss the next one👉 Like & Share to help more people understand how this system really works Because the more people understand this…the harder it becomes to ignore. Get full access to Taxed & Taken: Money, Power & Freedom from the State at patelankeet.substack.com/subscribe [https://patelankeet.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]