If you are one of the 800,000 people in Ireland who do not have a workplace pension, your paycheck may be a bit lighter this month. This week, Ireland’s Auto-Enrolment Pension Scheme (a.k.a. MyFutureFund) launched, aiming to address the shortcomings of the State Pension. If you are part of this cohort, 1.5% of your gross salary is now being directed into a retirement account.

Luckily for Stock Club listeners, we’re joined by Ralph Benson from MoneyCube to walk you through all the details.

With an ageing population and inflation on the rise, auto-enrolment is a key way Europeans can help ensure their comfort in retirement — but there’s a lot to unpack.

One especially important point: if you’re in the highest tax bracket in Ireland, you may be leaving money on the table by relying solely on auto-enrolment. Additionally, fund selection is fairly limited, giving you little control over where your money is invested.

Some questions we answer:

• What should I do if I’m an employer?
• Will I be enrolled if I’m self-employed?
• My employer hasn’t spoken to me about auto-enrolment or MyFutureFund — should I ask them about it?
• Should I start my own personal pension or stick with auto-enrolment?
• Can I have both a personal pension and auto-enrolment?
• Is auto-enrolment good for Ireland’s overall pension market?
• Will it have a positive knock-on effect on Ireland’s investing culture?

If you find yourself in auto-enrolment, you won’t want to miss this episode.

For more information head to: MyFutureFund.ie

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00:00 Intro01:42 Details and Impact of Auto-enrolment06:39 Unknowns of the scheme, withdrawals and fees16:16 Auto-enrolment vs Private Pensions (Tax benefits)24:04 What should I do if I’m an employer?

24:58 Will I be enrolled if I’m self-employed?

25:36 My employer hasn’t spoken to me about auto-enrolment , should I ask them about it?

27:12 Should I start my own personal pension or stick to auto-enrolment?

29:00 Can I have both a personal pension and auto-enrolment?

31:02 Is auto-enrolment good for Ireland’s overall pension market?

32:32 Impact on the Irish investing landscape40:43 One thing every Irish investor should know

If you thought last week was a treat, Mike and Emmet are here to double your luck. They bring you six more stocks to fill out your portfolio across different tastes and risk factors. Check in with your needs and add to your shortlists.

We’ll pitch you:

1. A Magnificent Seven member on the up and up in 2026
2. A biotech—reasonable or risky
3. A stock with nothing to do with AI (no bubbles here)

Magnificent Seven

Google (Alphabet) (NASDAQ: GOOG)

He can’t pitch Tesla twice in the same month, so despite trying to avoid the AI bubble, Emmet couldn’t resist pitching Google—especially as Google Gemini appears to be gaining ground on OpenAI. It’s certainly the king of data, and its financial health is leaps and bounds ahead of most AI incumbents.

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN)

Diversification rules the day, and some speculative bets still bake growth into this mega-cap. With chips and automation in the works, Amazon could still manage a second (even a third) act.

Biotech

Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR)

A major player in healthcare, diagnostics (its largest segment by revenue), and life sciences. Mike likes it for its diversification and razor-and-blade model, plus it has seen healthy improvement over the last few quarters. Emmet thinks it might be the best company you’ve never heard of.

Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: RXRX)

An incredibly risky biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing drugs using AI. It targets orphan diseases—those affecting fewer than 250,000 people. Its revenue is lumpy, and it remains unprofitable.

Nothing to Do with AI (Snooze City)

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM)

Trucks, bins, holes in the ground—a perfect Peter Lynch “disgusting” stock. It’s essential and unsexy, but a consistent performer with rock-solid fundamentals and a healthy dividend.

Dutch Bros Inc. (NYSE: BROS)

An easy-to-understand coffee chain in the midst of major expansion. Focused on the drive-thru market, it owns most of its locations (rather than franchising) and has posted solid 6% same-store sales growth.

We wrap with Follow Prophet.

Prophet, MyWallSt's latest investing service, is focused on delivering market-beating in less than 5 minutes a month.

Click here to join now.

Become a successful investor by checking out all the content MyWallSt has to offer:

📩 Email us: pod@mywallst.com

📚 Learn the fundamentals of investing by downloading our free Learn app: https://bit.ly/3DXPOz7

💻 Keep updated on stock market news by visiting our blog: https://mywallst.com/blog/

🎧 Tune in to our podcast Stock Club to stay updated on weekly news: https://mywallst.com/stock-investment-podcast/

🎉 Follow MyWallSt on social:

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00:00 Intro04:23 Magnificent Seven: Google15:29 Amazon21:40 Biotech Stocks: Danaher28:14 Recursion Pharmaceuticals39:25 Not an AI Stock: Waste Management45:23 Dutch Bros55:47 Following Prophet

For investors looking to refresh their portfolios heading into the new year, we’ve got a list of stocks hot off the presses. Mike and Emmet unpack:

1. A stock they love with a market cap under $1 billion
2. A favorite European stock
3. A stock down more than 30% from its all-time highs

Small Caps:

Relais Group (HEL: RELAIS), a Finnish auto aftermarket specialist.

Vertical Aerospace Ltd (NYSE: EVTL), a specialist in eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft).

European Stocks:

Camurus AB (STO: CAMX), a biotechnology company focused on improving treatments for opioid addiction.

Vinci SA (EPA: DG), a French infrastructure giant that operates airports, toll roads, and construction companies worldwide. They also charge Mike tolls every month.

A Fallen Warrior:

Novo Nordisk (CPH: NOVO-B), the owner of Ozempic and Wegovy.

Rivian (NASDAQ: RIVN), the 2021 EV darling that has yet to recapture the market’s love.

Tune in to hear Mike and Emmet’s favorites—and which stocks they’d add to their personal portfolios.

We wrap with a fresh edition of Follow Prophet.

Prophet, MyWallSt's latest investing service, is focused on delivering market-beating in less than 5 minutes a month.

Click here to join now.

Become a successful investor by checking out all the content MyWallSt has to offer:

📩 Email us: pod@mywallst.com

📚 Learn the fundamentals of investing by downloading our free Learn app: https://bit.ly/3DXPOz7

💻 Keep updated on stock market news by visiting our blog: https://mywallst.com/blog/

🎧 Tune in to our podcast Stock Club to stay updated on weekly news: https://mywallst.com/stock-investment-podcast/

🎉 Follow MyWallSt on social:

❌ X: @MyWallStHQ

💃 TikTok: @MyWallSt

📸 Instagram: @MyWallSt

🖥️ Facebook: @MyWallSt

👔 LinkedIn: MyWallSt

00:00 Intro01:40 Stock Picks: Under a Billion Market Cap02:54 Relay Group: European autoparts08:25 Vertical Aerospace: High Risk, High Reward20:00 Camurus AB, a biotech innovator24:50 Vinci SA: The King of French Infrastructure29:26 Stock Downturns and Opportunities30:45 Investment Case for Novo Nordisk35:13 Rivian: The EV Truck Contender44:42 Follow Prophet