A Boring Money series
Bots versus Brokers
More of us are using AI to help with investment and pension decisions. The stakes are high. Mistakes can be expensive, and AI still makes them.
So we put three AI tools to the test with real reader questions, and asked a trusted panel of industry experts to mark their homework.
WHY WE’RE DOING THIS
Learn to ask AI better questions
Not everyone wants full financial advice. Some AI tools are pretty good with clear, technical questions, but they can miss nuance and make mistakes.
If you use AI, these real reader questions show you where it falls short and how to ask more specific questions to get better answers. Every verdict ends with a checklist of what to tell the AI.
The Questions
Real questions from Boring Money readers
Pick a question to see how the AI tools answered, what our experts made of it, and how to ask it better. New verdicts every month.
Retirement planning
I can take 25% of my pension tax-free. Is it better to take it as lump sums, or draw down monthly amounts and pay tax on the other 75%?
I’m five years away from retiring and have a defined contribution (DC) pension. What should I be doing with my pot now to protect it from market ups and downs?
Pensions
My workplace pension matches my contributions up to 7%, and I pay in 12% of my salary. Would I be better off putting the extra 5% into a SIPP instead?
My pension pot has fallen in value. Should I buy an annuity now, or wait until my 70s? And how do I know if an annuity is right for me at all?
ISAs
I have £40,000 in cash that I won’t need for two years. Where should I put it?
I have more than £100,000 in ISAs and SIPPs with one of the newer online platforms. How is my money protected if something goes wrong, and should I spread it across platforms to keep each under £85,000?
The cash ISA limit is being cut. Should I use my full £20,000 cash ISA allowance next year, then switch back to a stocks and shares ISA from 2027?
The Bots
Three AI models. Same question.
Each model gets the reader's question exactly as it was sent to us, with a 250-word limit. We publish what they say, unedited, alongside the expert verdict. See how they are tracking below.
By OpenAI
Running Score: B
By Google
Running Score: C+
Meet the experts marking the homework
Advisers and industry experts across six series. Each one reviews the AI answers and then gives their own take
Investment markets
Tom Stevenson, Investment Director, Personal Investing, Fidelity
Michael Winson, Senior Investment Director, Rathbones
Inheritance Tax
Harry Beddoe, Independent Financial Adviser, Ascot Lloyd
Zoe Dagless, Director and Chartered Financial Planner, Meliora
Esther Clemmey, Chartered Financial Planner, Integrity365
Tax and financial planning
Megan Rimmer, Chartered Financial Planner, Quilter
Nicola Moran, Chartered Financial Planner, St James's Place
Pensions
Alistair McQueen, Head of Savings & Retirement, Aviva
Retirement planning
Charles Riches, Chartered Financial Planner, Capital
Jessica Chantler, Chartered Financial Planner, Quilter
Dennis Hall, Chartered Financial Planner, Yellowtail
ISAs
Charlotte Wheeler, Senior Wealth Manager (Vice President), J.P. Morgan Personal Investing
Richard Caldicott, Financial Advice and Guidance Director, Hargreaves Lansdown
25% tax-free pension cash: is it better to take it as lump sums, or draw down monthly amounts and pay tax on 75%?
Dennis Hall reminded us that how someone feels is not a good proxy for how they should invest. In other words, you might feel nervous, but your circumstances might mean you can afford to ride out ups and downs so go for more volatile investments, not the defensive suggestions from Claude.
Jessica, felt the bots moved too quickly into technical detail that may overload the reader with information and confuse, rather than helping them to make a more informed decision.
I retire in five years. What should I do with my DC pension pot to manage market volatility?
Verdict coming soon
My work pension matches up to 7% and I invest 12% of my salary. Should I put the extra 5% into a SIPP instead?
Verdict coming soon
Should I buy an annuity, and when? My pot has fallen in value. Do I buy now or wait until my 70s?
Verdict coming soon