Ireland isn’t facing a short-term cost-of-living crisis; it’s a new financial reality. For many households, rising prices are quietly squeezing disposable income, especially for those without assets. The key is to build a plan with three layers: stability for today, resilience for this year, and protection for your future.

Have you seen the headlines about the new savings scheme in Ireland (the proposed Government “middle class” savings/investment scheme) and felt that familiar mix of curiosity + caution? It's being positioned as a way to encourage people to move some of the huge amount of money sitting in Irish bank deposits (roughly €170bn) into investments. Here's my Mrs Smart Money guide on what we know so far.