This is Money Podcast

The Bank of England held the base rate again on Thursday but mortgage rates have soared this week.

Major lenders have made a wave of hikes and there are warnings that more are on the way, so what's going on?

Is this just another temporary spike as the mortgage market throws one of the wobblies we've seen a number of times in recent years or serious bad news, with rates set to stick higher?

On this week's podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert discuss interest rates, what this could cost people and what you can do if you need to remortgage.

Plus, what does this all mean for gilts and the Budget and did the Bank of England quietly make a decision that could make things materially better?

With more investors buying gilts direct, should you take advantage of the higher rates on offer and how do you invest in UK government bonds?

Or should you choose a fixed rate savings account at 5.2 per cent instead.

A This is Money reader question highlights the worst inheritance tax trap that lies at £2million.

And finally, would you do a Rokos and move to Greece – and other than the weather what are the attractions?

Helpful links

To check the best mortgage rates you could apply for go to www.thisismoney.co.uk/mortgage-finder

To check the best savings rates go to www.thisismoney.co.uk/save

Read Joanne Hart's guide to investing in gilts

TIME STAMPS

00:00 Welcome to the podcast

00:52 Interest rates held – so why are mortgages getting more expensive?

03:30 Mortgage rates are rising again: how bad could it get?

06:22 From 0.99% to 4.88%: the remortgage shock facing borrowers

10:57 Savings rates are back above 5% – should you lock in?

18:05 Five-year fix or invest instead?

19:43 Gilts 101: what are government bonds and how do they work?

24:24 Why are gilt yields so high – and how do they compare with savings?

27:18 How do you actually buy gilts?

29:59 Inheritance tax: could a £2m estate lose the home allowance?

33:07 Pensions and inheritance tax: what changes from April 2027?

36:02 The inheritance tax trap that could produce eye-watering tax rates

39:48 Why are wealthy Britons moving to Greece?

41:59 Greece's tax breaks – and who can benefit

42:08 Thinking of moving to Greece? What you need to consider

47:20 Seven energy deals that could beat the price cap rise

48:04 That's all for this week

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Retiring early, making your time your own and sticking it to the man is something many of us will have dreamed of.

But what would it take you to get there and how much would you need to start investing now depending on your age and when you want to kick back?

On this episode of the This is Money Podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert look at the early retirement dream. Is it realistic, what do you gain and what do you give up, and why is it vitally important for some to use an Isa as well as a pension?

One thing hampering many of our saving efforts is the cost of living and now inflation warnings are coming thick and fast again. How dire are the predictions, how likely are they to come true, what does it mean for the rest of your finances – and what’s the cost of a weekly shop got to do with things?

Plus, the Renters’ Rights Act is about to deliver a landlord register but is that a good idea or more red tape.

And finally, trading cards are worth big money and catching the attention at the moment, so how did Lee become an accidental collector?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it crunch time on the bond markets or is this just another episode in a long-running soap opera that always leaves us on a cliff hanger?

Turmoil on global bond markets has sent yields soaring on major countries' debt but the UK is suffering more than its rivals.

So, what’s going on with the bond blowout? How bad is it? Why does the UK pay more to borrow than similar countries? And why is it bad news for the Budget and our finances?

On this episode of the This is Money Podcast, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert discuss the bond market, explain what's going on and why it matters to you.

Stoozing is back. Do you stooze, would you stooze, what on earth is stoozing and is it wise?

Plus, could you get duped by the British boutiques that are actually shoddy Chinese shops?

And finally, a property report this week claimed the death of the dining room… but is it time to be contrarian and revive them? Revealing his true identity as a fully paid-up member of the property-owning bourgeoisie, Simon puts up a defence for the dining room - but do Helen and Georgie agree?

00:00 Welcome to the This is Money podcast

00:57 Why are UK government borrowing costs surging – and why should we care?

06:36 Is the world’s debt problem getting out of control?

10:46 What could the bond market turmoil mean for the Budget?

17:35 What does it mean for mortgages, savings and your money?

19:11 Stoozing is back: could you really make £750 from a 0% credit card?

29:46 Fake British boutiques: are you really buying cheap clothes from China?

38:03 Death of the dining room: do we still need one?

45:37 Simon’s stat of the week: more than 1million pensioners paying higher-rate tax

46:37 Podcast close

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From next year, those in receipt of the full state pension will have to start giving some of it back to the government in income tax.

The Treasury has put in place a ‘waiver’ system for less well-off pensioners – but it has been revealed this week that those who chose to defer their state pension could miss out because of the extra income they receive.

On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost is joined by This is Money’s Helen Crane and Tanya Jefferies to discuss whether that is fair, and how Britain’s state pension got so complicated. 

Staying on the subject of retirement, estimates of how much we have to save for old age usually assume we will own our homes and have paid off the mortgage by the time we quit work.

But for a growing number of people, that isn’t the case – and a new study suggests those who rent during retirement could have to save £419,000 extra to afford it.

With today’s youngsters expecting to get on the ladder later, or perhaps not at all, the problem is only set to worsen. The team discuss this shift and what people can do to prepare.

Despite a greater need for rented homes, the property market is awash with landlords trying to offload flats. Who is going to buy them, and is it an opportunity for first-time buyers?

And finally, from Lidl trainers to pizza menus and even Argos catalogues, we reveal the everyday items that could be tomorrow's collectables.

00:00 – Introduction

01:04 – Why some pensioners could face income tax on the State Pension

05:00 – Who could miss out on the Government’s proposed tax waiver?

09:47 – Should you still defer your State Pension?

14:35 – The looming problem of renting in retirement

19:00 – How much more do renters need to save for retirement?

23:36 – Why are so many landlords selling their flats?

27:28 – Are flats still worth buying?

30:58 – Is buy-to-let becoming a professional investors’ game?

36:08 – Could the junk in your house actually be worth money?

39:56 – Why old Argos catalogues and pizza menus could become collectables

41:08 – Crane’s compliment of the week: Sainsbury’s

42:05 – Outro

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NS&I has just boosted the Premium Bonds underlying rate again to its highest level in nearly two years. The odds of winning are better too, with more £50,000 and £100,000 prizes to boot.

More than 22million of us hold Premium Bonds but after years of being beaten by the best savings accounts, are they suddenly looking like a good option again? And why raise the rate at all? Lee Boyce, Georgie Frost and Helen Crane discuss.

11.34: Imagine you bought a house years ago, pay your mortgage every month... only to discover the Land Registry still hasn’t registered it in your name. 

It could mean you can’t remortgage and subsequently out of pocket. We discuss a case where this happened, why and a deluge of cases we are hearing about.

20.54:Inflation is heading the wrong way again - up from 2.6% to 2.9% in July, largely thanks to higher energy costs. What does that mean for base rate?

Energy bills are likely to head higher still, with forecasts of another rise price cap rise in October. Is it time to fix?

29:11: And finally, plug-in solar panels can be legally sold from next week. But before we all rush out to buy them, we explain what you need to know...

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After years of stagnant sales and plummeting prices…is the housing market about to take off again?

Lee Boyce, Helen Crane and Georgie Frost discuss what's going with property values and hunt for green shoots of recovery.

14:46:Some of Britain's biggest banks are offering far better savings rates under different brands. We look at where the deals are hiding and how much more you could earn.

22:47:Crane is back on the case - this time, she resolves a reader problem with an £11,500 heat pump. It left some rooms at just 12°C – and their energy bills went up.

33:07: A-level results day was this week - do the younger generation need to go to university?

We talk about the pressures facing school leavers and why a degree isn't the only route to a successful career, running through best apprenticeships and jobs that don't require a degree.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Has tax just got a little more taxing? Making Tax Digital has come in, meaning hundreds of thousands of people need to make their first quarterly report to HMRC this week - and during the summer holidays to boot.

Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce cover what you need to know about the changes and whether it’s a good move.

How easy is it to find the right software, will it help reduce the ‘tax gap’ and who will need to start using it?

A retirement giant has warned the Government’s inheritance tax raid on pensions next year will undermine faith in saving long-term for later life.

Should people be worried about the changes or keep calm and carry on with their pension contributions?

This week, a Premium Bonds £1million winner scooped the top prize with a bond bought only six months ago.

Is that unusual? Or do many people win the seven-figure sum quickly? Lee reveals all.

Heading off on summer holidays? We give a reminder about the dos and don’ts when it comes to spending overseas… and what does the actor Will Ferrell have to do with it? 

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the can finally going to stop being kicked down the road on social care?

Andy Burnham has promised to correct what he has called a ‘dereliction of duty’ by a generation of politicians.

But how does he plan to succeed where so many before him have failed, can he pull it off and who is going to end up paying?

On this episode of the This is Money Podcast, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert discuss how to solve a problem that has defeated successive governments and created a reverse lottery where the unlucky losers can see their wealth wiped out.

Meanwhile, there was no move for the Bank of England this week, as interest rates were held again, despite fears that the recent spike in energy prices could prompt another inflation shock. What does it all mean for our money?

Plus, would you haggle at a high street store? Our man Toby Walne did, so what happened?

And finally, is Britain’s beach hut boom over?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rise in the state pension age looks likely to speed up again, as it was revealed this week that the Government has already been banking the gains.

It is now almost certain that the state pension age will rise to 68 between 2037 and 2039, seven years earlier than the official timetable.

But will it have to go up again and when? And is a further rise fair when life expectancy has stalled and it's the triple lock that's driving up costs?

On this episode of the This is Money Podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert discuss the state pension, when you might get it and whether it's time for a rethink. Plus, how can you bridge the gap if you want to retire earlier by saving more yourself?

Simon also explains how you can track down any old work pensions and get them working much harder for you.

Lee discusses why it is taking so long to buy and sell homes and what can be done.

And finally, in the week that SpaceX shares slipped below their IPO price, Simon reveals that he did what he said he was going to do and spent his IPO profits on a weekend away - but how much extra did he have to chip in?

Listen to the podcast, tell us your thoughts at podcast@thisismoney.co.uk, and don't forget to subscribe.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twice as many households could be forced to pay a new 'mansion tax' latest speculation suggests - the threshold may fall from £2million to £1.5million.

That rumour comes with Andy Burnham expected to be Prime Minister before the end of the month.

So exactly who will be affected, which regions are most at risk and is the High Value Council Tax Surcharge fair?

Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce discuss as more middle-class homeowners potentially face an annual bill, which won't be ringfenced for local services.

Also, the scourge of cowboy builders - trust in traders falls as millions grappled with shoddy home repairs in the past 18 months. How can you find a good tradesperson and what are your rights if things go wrong?

NS&I is in panic mode as it is far below the amount required to meet its financial targets. As such, it has boosted rates across all products since April.

Which ones should you open and which should you avoid?

And lastly, the tricks to get you into VIP airport lounges for less this summer - even if you've booked economy...

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Goodbye Halifax! It’s being scrapped by Lloyds after 173 years. But why would you kill off one of Britain’s best known and trusted banking brands?

Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert discuss the end of a very familiar name and talk through the history of what started out as a building society... and ask: is another historic name next?

Also, Britons suffer the sharpest drop in wealth of any developed nation - what’s behind it and can we arrest the decline?

The pensions gender pay gap is still big according to a whole raft of data. We share some key ways that women can boost their pensions…

And finally, the secrets to selling on Vinted are revealed by someone who is raking in £12,000 a month selling old clothes.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this bonus episode of the This is Money podcast, Lee Boyce speaks to Bank of England chief cashier Victoria Cleland on her views over the future of cash.

We talk about why preserving choice in payments is important, whether she fears physical money will die out and how we can stop Britain going totally cashless.

How do we encourage retailers to accept cash and why are people turning away from using it? And how do we keep cash relevant.

We also talk about the 'paradox of cash' where cash is used less frequently for transactions, notes in circulation continue to grow and whether it's fair part of our lives have seemingly gone cashless, including car parks.

With the House of Lords recently announcing a National Resilience Committee looking at whether we should hold cash reserves at home - is there any ideal amount we should hold?

Victoria's signature is on bank notes from 2014 - 2018, and on notes since last year again too after becoming chief cashier again - how does that feel?

Also, we talk about the bank note consultation currently happening - why replace historical figures with wildlife? And has she been surprised by some of the backlash?

There are 18 choices on the list, and nearly half a million people have cast their vote. Lee's favourite is a kingfisher on a fiver and a brown hare on a twenty... what are your picks?

You can vote until 3 July: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/help-us-design-our-next-series-of-banknotes

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another one bites the dust. Sir Keir Starmer has resigned just two years in to being Prime Minister.

This latest rotation of Britain's PM merry-go-round comes despite Starmer having done nothing particularly wrong. It wasn't scandal that brought down the Prime Minister, dramatic events, a vote of confidence, or a proper leadership challenge, just his party seemingly deciding it ws fed up with the man who won Labour a huge election majority.

Andy Burnham is almost certainly set for a coronation as Prime Minister rather than a leadership contest, so what could that mean for tax, our personal finances and the economy.- and have Starmer and Rachel Reeves left us in a better state than when they took over?

Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert discuss what's happened and what could come next on this episode of the This is Money Podcast.

Plus, tax will be charged on Isas for the first time as Reeves tries to block savers and investors from using a stocks and shares Isa loophole to avoid the new lower cash Isa limit. But is this yet more meddling that just makes things worse?

And Lee talks to the lady who signs some of our bank notes. The Bank of England's chief cashier Victoria Cleland about new banknotes and why cash is still important.

And finally, how much does a full green makeover add to your home's value?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most families don't pay inheritance tax but those that do can get hit with huge bills running into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

With pension pots soon to be included in calculations, this is going to be an issue facing more families in the years ahead.

So if you know your parents or grandparents will get caught in their inheritance tax net, and you also know they don't want to 40 per cent of a chunk of their hard-won wealth going to the government, should you ask for an early inheritance to solve the problem.

On this week's podcast, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert discuss how to tackle the thorny issue of giving money away, without triggering a family fallout.

Plus, will the Bank of England still hike interest rates this year, how did a woman end up with another person's massive energy bill from the other side of the country, and is Labour's new plan to make home buyers' offers binding a good idea?

And finally, Simon talks us through his shortlived SpaceX adventure after he decided to sign up for the latest stock market craze.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The government is planning a major inheritance shake-up for unmarried couples but does it go far enough and will it trigger a wave of disputes?

On this week's podcast Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert discuss the planned rules for co-habiting couples, who it covers, whether it goes too far or not far enough and why they still lose out on tax.

Plus, how much do you need for a comfortable retirement and will you get there... plus what it will take in 25 years' time.

How to invest in index funds and profit the easy way.

And what can you do if someone ditches a car or van on your road?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the sort of theoretical question you might discuss at the pub with your mates. If you won the lottery and had the choice, would you pick a £1million lump sum, or take £1,000 a week for life?  

Pollster YouGov posed the question to 7,000 Britons recently, and it is fair to say opinions are divided. According to two money experts, there is a right answer - so which is the best strategy, and why is likely to make you much richer? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Helen Crane discuss.

Easy access savings rates have barely budged in recent weeks, but fixed-rate deals are becoming much more attractive. We look at some of the best - and Helen explains why a number of HSBC customers are feeling disgruntled after Isa transfers to the bank were hit with a raft of delays.

The team also looks at Volvo's chaotic EV recall, and what drivers who have been told their car is a potential fire risk can do.

It has been confirmed that the energy price cap will rise by 13 per cent in July, with costs for the average household climbing by £221. So is it worth thinking about fixing your tariff?

And in this week's heatwave, we discuss data which reveals exactly how expensive it is to keep cool. Are new-fangled air cooler devices worth it, and is air conditioning as pricey as many assume?

Follow us on Instagram @dmgnewmedia.Follow us on TikTok @dmgnewmediaFollow us on X @dmgnewmedia. Email us hello@dmgmedia.co.uk. Text us 020 7938 6000.Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane. Producer: Georgie Frost. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A week is a long time in politics... and what a week it’s been. But what does all the turmoil mean for our money? And can we blame it all on Labour?

Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce discuss the threat to Keir Starmer's leadership and why it has caused some market panic.

If the Prime Minister is ousted, what could the new man or woman in charge change when it comes to tax and wealth?

Nearly a quarter of retailers now no longer accept cash - but there is a cohort of 'cash preppers' tucking money away at home in case of payment outages. Should we care?

NS&I has bumped up the underlying rate on Premium Bonds and made the odds of winning a prize shorter - are they now a good home for your cash again?

And finally, Lloyds Bank launches a first-time buyer mortgage requiring a £5,000 deposit. Is it a good way to step onto the property ladder?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With millions of seats being cut from flights worldwide, it's safe to say many Britons may be worried about future travel plans - or are being put off booking holidays altogether.

The Middle East conflict has pushed up the price of jet fuel and airlines are having to plan ahead to try and ensure as little disruption as possible.

But what can you do if you end up getting swept up in cancellations or delays? Helen Crane, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce discuss.

Also this week, Helen steps in to help a man finally get a £1,100 refund after his flight was cancelled in the pandemic... SIX years ago.

The high street is in crisis, with TG Jones the next retailer to axe shops and staff. What's gone wrong? And it's no secret banks have closed branches at rapid pace - with banking hubs celebrating their fifth birthday, are they filling the gap well?

More homeowners are selling off chunks of their garden. But what are the dangers and is it a good idea?

And finally, six watches to invest in that experts say will become classics.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a long time in the making and the idea has run through successive governments, but a new law to improve the life of those who rent their home has finally kicked in.

Whether it's much-needed or much-feared depends what side of the landlord fence you are on, but what's not in doubt is that the Renters' Rights Act is a massive shake-up.

The assured shorthold tenancy system that has been the backbone of renting a home for almost 40 years has been torn up and replaced with rolling contracts that tenants can get out of with two months' notice.

Landlords, however, will find it much harder to get their property back, put the rent up, or even turn down pets.

So, is this what the rental market needs, or is it likely to backfire as some property experts warn?

With decades of experience of renting, covering the property market - and even helping with a family business that's involved in it - Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert dig into the Renters' Rights Act.

Plus, on this episode, the Bank of England held rates but could it really need to raise them three times this year and what's behind the rocketing number of 45p taxpayers and why isn't it Rachel Reeves' fault?

And finally, travel experts this week revealed where is still cheap to fly to for summer, so do you fancy a holiday in Cork, Dortmund or that old Wags' favourite Baden-Baden?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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A new campaign has been launched to turn Britain's savers into investors. In this bonus episode, This is Money's Simon Lambert speaks to Karen Northey, of the Investment Association about the Take The Next Step campaign, backed by members of the investment industry and supported by the government and Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

They discuss why investing matters, how it can grow people's wealth and why Britain's savers can seem reluctant to dip their toes into something that has the power to substantially improve their chance of beating inflation and improving their finances.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the younger generation going to end up worse off than their parents?

A new survey shows young people aged 18 to 29 say the events of 2026 have left them feeling particularly pessimistic about the future, and the number who believe they will be worse off than their parents has doubled in the past year.

Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce discuss whether the idea the next generation will have it better than previous ones is now bunkum.

Elsewhere, what do you want to see less of on the high street? And how can they improve?

A student loan interest cap kicks in later in the year... for some. Simon explains what it means.

And do you use a dodgy fire stick for watching TV, films or football? We discuss whether the net is closing in on their illegal use.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new government-backed campaign to get Britain to become a nation of investors is about to kick off.

The message that you can be making more of your money will be spread in adverts that we know will feature a squirrel... but not much more about.

It's a campaign being led by the Investment Association, the fund management industry body, and backed by 20 financial firms, ranging from investing platforms to wealth managers.

So, will it make a difference - and why are we being told to invest?

On the This is Money Podcast, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert dive into the reasons for investing, the easy ways to do it and why it doesn't have to be an all or nothing affair.

Also in this episode, will the Bank of England really raise interest rates, Crane on the Case tackles a terrible tale of a holiday refund that should have been made, we look at the supermarket tactics to ge you to spend more... and Helen takes us down memory lane to a Midlands supermarket in the 1990s.

And finally, how much would an A4 sheet of paper worth of a new home cost you - and why on earth would you want to know?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Many younger adults think they are substantially less well-off than their parents.

But while there are inequalities, new research suggests the wealth gap may be far narrower than previously reported - and it is largely down to the cash those in their twenties and thirties have stashed in their pensions. 

On this week's episode of the This is Money podcast Lee Boyce, Helen Crane and Georgie Frost discuss why official figures got it wrong, and whether property versus pension is a pointless comparison. 

The team also ask what will happen to interest rates and mortgages due to the fact that - for now at least - a ceasefire in Iran appears to be holding. 

Elsewhere, Lee reports on a ferocious best buy battle at the top of the fixed cash Isa tables, where even the high street banks are getting involved. 

And finally, another Chinese pretender to Amazon's retail throne has entered the UK. 

Is Joybuy any good, how did it fare when our reporter put its delivery service to the test - and do we really need another place to buy bargain toilet rolls online? 

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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A solar revolution is on its way to Britain and can help save us from volatile and high energy bills, if you believe Ed Miliband.

Plug-in solar panels are popular across Europe but currently rules in the UK mean that we can’t buy them and, as it says on the tin, simply plug them into our home’s electricity supply.

But changes are afoot that will mean we could soon be buying individual panels that cost £400 and simply plugging them into a three-pin wall socket, where thanks to the magic of an inverter they would put power into your home.

And we might even be able to nip down to the middle of Lidl to buy them, with the discount supermarket among those talking about offering them – in its famous middle aisle.

In Germany, Ikea sells panels and there and in other European countries they are popular, so could they transform our homes? How long would it take to get your money back – and what’s the prepper angle on the interest in all this?

Georgie Frost and Simon Lamber talk plug-in solar panels and energy bills on this episode of the This is Money podcast.

They also discuss summer holiday flights and what the massive disruption triggered by the Iran war will do to prices and demand – and how to target a cheaper break.

Plus, with the government announcing its new town locations, where do property experts think the best one will be.

And, there are rumblings in the finance world over private credit, with the Bank of England among those warning about what’s been dubbed shadow banking. What’s going on, could it trigger a financial crisis and should you be worried?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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There's just a week to go until the end of the tax year and if you haven't sorted your Isa, pension or the rest of your finances it's time to get your skates on.

On this episode, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert discuss the important things you need to think about before 5 April... and ideally right now.

From how your Isa allowance works, to parking cash and drip-feeding it, and why a pension can not only boost your retirement savings but also cut your tax bill, they explain what you need to know.

And Simon has some extra tips on how to use as much of your Isa or pension allowance as possible, even if you don't have the ready cash.

Also on this week's episode, what on earth is going on at NS&I and will it have to pay millions on compensation, how to become a tradesperson on a six figure salary, will interest rates really rise four times this year, and finally, what are the food items that have rocketed the most in price.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Isa season is in full swing as savers and investors race to beat the clock to fill up their allowance - but where are people putting their money?

Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost take a look and reveal stocks and shares Isa bestsellers of 2026. And even before the current markets turmoil caused by the Iran conflict, Lee reveals just how much is pouring into cash.

There are fresh warnings sounded over Britain's midlife pensions crisis - but it's not too late to build a healthy retirement pot. We reveal how and some of the rules of thumb it is worth remembering when it comes to building your nest egg.

McDonald's launches trading cards with selected meals - and some of the rarest are already listed on eBay for HUGE sums. Lee does a live opening of three packs... can he bag a £10,000 gold Ronald card?

And just what is the fastest way to make £10,000? Five experts - including Simon - have been given £500 each to put into betting, crypto, stocks, furniture and Vinted, alongside a share-picking monkey with a pin. Who will come out on top?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Mortgage rates have shot up this week as the impact of the conflict with Iran for inflation and interest rates sinks in.

Banks and building societies have been racing to raise their fixed rates - with some even pushing them up twice in the space of a few days.

It comes in response to a sudden switch around in expectations for the Bank of England base rate, but will this flurry of hikes continue or are the concerns overdone.

On this episode of the This is Money Podcast, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert look at what's going on in the mortgage market - and what you can do about it if you are buying a home or need to remortgage.

Plus, Simon has broken with the habit of a lifetime and actually fixed his energy bills for once. He explains why you should too - and how there are still potentially price cap-beating or matching deals out there.

Helen outlines the nine biggest mistakes you can make with your pension - and what they could cost you.

And finally, if you have a Nationwide current account and are hopefully in line for some free money from Fairer Share, this is what you must do in the next two weeks.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the past week, news headlines have been dominated by the conflict in the Middle East. It has pushed up oil and gas prices, and as such, concerns over our household finances in Britain.

Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Helen Crane discuss what the conflict means for investors, mortgage rates, price at the petrol pumps and energy bills - is there anything you can realistically do to keep a lid on the potential for runaway inflation?

With the potential for inflation to spike, does that spell the end of a 'nailed on' base rate cut and what are your rights if you have a holiday or flight booked which is hit by the disruption?

We also saw the Chancellor deliver the Spring Statement on Tuesday - growth downgraded, unemployment up and predictions house prices will rise by more than £40,000 between now and 2031. But with events in the Middle East, are the OBR predictions wildly out-of-date already?

There is now more than £1trillion held in tax-free Isas. With a month to go until the end of the tax-year, thee has been a number of top deals launched - but are they worth opening?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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What a mess we’re in. Without too much effort this week, we spotted 10 messes.

It was made pretty easy with the fallout from Chancellor Philip Hammond’s first go at a Budget making news all week. His attack on small business was up there with some of the made-up-as-you-go-along nonsense from his predecessor. Hammond learned well from George Osborne.

Mess 1

The Budget. Last week we wondered if the whole thing was a joke? It was. The main thrust, a rise in National Insurance contributions for people who don’t have a staff job, is in the bin. This leaves a big gap in the Government finances. They tried austerity, cut taxes for the richest, tried taking it out on small business. None of it has worked. What next? Tax needs to rise somewhere.

Mess 2

Ill-thought-out tax tweaks from the past come back to haunt policymakers. A change to flat-rate VAT announced in the last Autumn Statement is about to come into force and will be a further blow to small business. Listen for the great VAT explainer on how it works and who’ll be hit.

Mess 3

A man who installed mouth-shaped urinals at work is named Britain’s best boss.

Mess 4

New complicated emissions-based taxes on cars are coming in. Few motorists know what’s happening or why or how. Here’s an example: an emission-free electric car costing over £40,000 will be due more emissions tax than proud polluter the Ford Mustang V8. Plan for a bigger tax bill. Maybe. It’s a mess.

Mess 5

It emerged while we were on air that the Chancellor responsible for some of the above messes – and still a sitting MP - is to become a newspaper editor. Politicians running the Press – and the one responsible for the short-lived sausage roll tax. Brilliant.

Mess 6

The latest job figures are out and look really good! This would be great news except too many of the jobs are zero hours contracts and wage growth and productivity are rubbish. When inflation caused by the devalued pound starts to bite, it’s likely to ravage spending power and could create a downward spiral of job insecurity and financial misery.

Mess 7

Interest rates need to go up but the Bank of England won’t do it. It kind of can’t. Low rates are causing more harm than good, especially keeping wages down. See above.

Mess 8

Mortgage rates, however, will go up. The way mortgages are calculated isn’t based on the Bank Rate. Learn how they work and impress your friends with your new knowledge.

Mess 9

People aren’t saving enough. There are easy ways to save and invest but people see investing as gambling and won’t do that either.

Mess 10

It’s Isa season – but cash Isas have been killed off. Who did that, George? Your entire £15,240 limit might earn you about one pound fifty a year in interest in the worst accounts. There are alternatives, This is Money editor Simon Lambert picks five ‘dividend heroes’ – but are you brave enough?

Also with Georgie Frost and Rachel Rickard Straus.

Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It felt like there was something fishy going on during the Budget speech this week.

Chancellor Philip Hammond peppered the few official announcements he made with low-rent panto gags and political jibes. Were these a distraction technique?

With the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear that trying to be funny was silly Philly’s way of glossing over one of the more ‘spectacularly dumb’ decisions in modern politics.

Big banks brought the economy to its knees in the late noughties, why now go after the self-employed and small businesses to shore up the country’s finances with a National Insurance hike?

It was a short, sweet kamikaze mission, especially given the manifesto pledge of no increase in VAT, National Insurance or income tax. A U-turn beckons.

As ever, This is Money editor Simon Lambert explains exactly what it all means and how National insurance works for the self-employed. Is it time to merge it with income tax?

Also, on the show with Georgie Frost and Lee ‘spreadsheet’ Boyce…

A pointless, below-inflation government-backed savings bond was also announced in the Budget. You can get better elsewhere.

Diesel cars confusion – we need answers on where exactly the pollution problem lies and who is likely to be penalised and when

Savings deal of the week – Atom bank has an attractive account but it’s only available on a phone app

Rip-off insurance cover – IPT, the insurance tax, has doubled in two years. Expect to pay hundreds of pounds more to cover your car and home.

Can you afford to ever retire? Listen to Simon’s advice and you can save without realising.

How should couples manage their joint finances – and what if one has secret debts?

And finally, who should pay for dinner if you dine with someone who earns less than you?

Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A speech this week from President Donald Trump sent the US stock market soaring to a record high.

And where the US goes, the rest of the world follows. The FTSE 100 is also impressing investors.

Trump stood at the podium, behaved like an adult and explained a little more about some of his less crazy policies, including the fiscal ones.

Cash held offshore could start washing back into America and wind up in the pockets of shareholders, who clearly want a piece of that pie.

There’s more to it than that. This is Money’s Simon Lambert explains how it all might work as other pundits ponder whether it’s the euphoria before the fall.

A ‘bull run’ is when markets rise. ‘Bears’ usually spoil the party. The gloves are off.

Also on the show, featuring Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost:

Two more years of miserable savings rates

Lifetime Isas – a totally flawed Government plot

A new Range Rover ‘for women’

Car insurance premiums are likely to rise because, oh do they really need an excuse?

Hateful parking fines

Hateful probate fees

A chance to win a radio

Warm bath of homicide

Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are a lot of laughs this week as Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost take a sideways look at some of the week’s potty money stories.

Banks are in the spotlight because it’s reporting season and there was a mix of good news, shock news and fraud news from Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and the rest.

But the pathetic attempts by RBS to lure customers to its headline 0.05% interest-paying cash Isa get taken to pieces by the This is Money team.

Also on the show…

A trendy new bank backed by the tech entrepreneur, haircut wearer and singing coach on TV’s The Voice, Will. i.am, is paying 2% to its savers.

It’s a suspiciously high a rate say our judges.

To open the account you have to take a selfie. How many moneyed 60-year-olds will take that seriously?

Football. Bloody hell! It’s the metaphor for anything. Could the rise and fall of Leicester City be clever economic forecasting at play?

A conversation about the state of our banking sector ensues: Tale of two bail outs – RBS v Lloyds

British Airways vs all the other airlines it used to be better than until it got into bed with Marks & Spencer’s sandwich department.

Divorce vs capital gains tax

Scammers vs printer owners

The new Ferrari vs critics of its odd new name

And finally,

How much is a coin worth when the Queen’s face has a goatee beard?

Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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It’s the Holy Trinity of money-geddon (to mess up a couple of Biblical metaphors). But this could be big.

We’re less well off than in 2008, prices are going up and wages aren’t.

This adds up to trouble.

The British economy is based on us all spending money on services but it’s increasingly money we haven't got.

Join Georgie Frost, Rachel Rickard Straus and Simon Lambert for a cheery look at what lies ahead now that the impact of austerity, inflation and the devalued pound is becoming clear.

Also, on the show…

SAVE GOODBYE: The only place to get a savings account remotely worth saving money into is likely to be with a bank you’ve never heard of.

STOPPING SHOPPING: The Government has mucked up business rates so seismically that many shops are likely to shut down. Surely a u-turn is the only hope.

POUND ROUND-UP: Round pound coins are being killed off. If you’ve got a jar full at home you need to spend them now.

DEAD MEAN: First they made disabled people pay for tax cuts of the rich and the crimes of the bankers, now the Government is hacking away at a financial lifeline for bereaved parents. It’s not civilised.

Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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The property market is broken.

Years of cheap money have allowed lenders to lend more and more to people earning less and less and we’re at crisis point.

The politics of trying to boost the housing market to win votes has left us on the brink of potential disaster.

Rents are likely to soar too, removing even that alternative to having a roof over our heads, and while all the economic focus rests on London there’s little incentive to move to Stoke-on-Trent.

It was with this mess in mind that we’d been looking forward to the latest Government white paper that promised to outline plans for the ultimate rescue package for housing.

It might as well have been 104 blank pages for all the piffle it contained. There is no plan. They don’t know what to do.

The question is, can Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost come up with any better ideas?

Also on the show…

Could another idiotic car scrappage deal be on the cards? This time for our once eco-friendly diesels.

Our failed energy regulator is allowing the big suppliers to get away with the heating equivalent of murder as nPower claims its seventh most disgraceful company of year award in a row.

Aldi opens its door to This is Money as its assault on the Home Counties continues with old-school Tesco-like zeal. Where will it end?

Car wars – there’s some prices in the showrooms definitely worth a look

And Rachel reveals the best school trip stories you’re ever likely to hear.

Enjoy

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We haven’t left the world’s biggest trading block yet so measuring the success of Brexit is tricky. It hasn’t happened. There’s still no plan.

But what we do know is this.

The inequality gap between rich and poor in Britain is growing.

More than 14million have not been able to save a penny in the last 12 months.

And HALF of earners of £25,000 or less haven’t put cash aside for the rainy days ahead.

But why would you save when the interest rates available are lower than inflation? It means saving is a way of losing money.

Unlike Brexit, there is a plan and it’s possibly an investment plan. And what if there was a timeframe over which you definitely don't lose out?

Join Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce for a round-up of how to save and invest, why and where, the pitfalls and the safety nets.

Also on the show:

Simon goes botty potty after an a artificially intelligent computer programme (bot) has beaten a team of leading human poker players. The ramifications for financial tools is colossal.

Mini bonds look too good to be true. They probably are.

How does pay-as-you go car insurance work and why does car finance fill us with dread?

And finally,

Lee, our coin correspondent, visited the Royal Mint coin making factory and is won over by the clinking of new pound coins.

Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We tried hard this week not to talk too much about Britain's exit from the European economic bedrock as it jumps headfirst into bed with Donald Trump’s protectionist America.

Instead, and in related news, Georgie Frost, Adrian Lowery and Simon Lambert take a look at the exodus of banks from the UK.

Not just those planning on moving to continental Europe post-Brexit, but the latest wave of branch closures announced by HSBC and Yorkshire Bank.

But do we really need them? Simon, This is Money’s editor, would happily never set foot in one again.

Also on the show.

Can you beat inflation with savings?

Probably not – so listen to our easy-to-follow look at how anyone can to get into investing

Email hacking sees no sign of relenting - and now there’s a scam based on Amazon to watch out for

And finally…

Tacky bespoke Rolls-Royces are all the rage among the stupid rich. Why?

Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week will go down in history for a couple of major events.

A new US president being sworn in is always big news but that happens every four years. OK, Donald Trump might shake things up a bit if he's able to get his way.

Most noteworthy in Britain was the revelation that 'Brexit’ means the total withdrawal from the EU, customs union and single market as a way of controlling immigration.

Prime Minister Theresa May laid out her 'plan' for the future of Britain outside the world's largest trading block.

How that stacks up economically remains to be seen.

This is Money’s Simon Lambert has a pretty good stab at explaining, along with colleague Rachel Rickard Straus and Share Radio’s Georgie Frost.

Some say Britain cannot afford to go it alone because of the unsustainable level of Government and industry debt.

However, one commentator told This is Money this week that household debt is now a far greater worry than anything the Government can muddle along with.

And now prices are starting to rise significantly.

Will it all reach a tipping point this year?

Also on the show:

How will Donald Trump’s presidency affect global business?

Why is car tax so complicated? Why don’t we just scrap it?

Why do people like Amazon so much and hate Npower?

Why are people still Npower customers when they’ve topped the worst customer services league for the 7th year running?

Why does Rachel like John Lewis and loath Tastecard in equal measure?

How do the train companies get away with it?

Are the RAC really that good?

% credit cards are just a trap – aren’t they?

Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Investors have been cheered by a stunning start to 2017 for the FTSE 100, which racked up a record-breaking run of closing highs.

But does that mean we should be confident or worried?

The FTSE 100 is made up of international companies with foreign earnings, booming on the back of the devalued pound.

On this week’s This is Money podcast, Simon Lambert and Rachel Rickard Straus join Georgie Frost in the Share Radio studios to explore why shares have soared and discuss whether this is a good, indifferent or the absolute worst time to invest. Investors love to invest at the wrong time.

Inevitably, also on the agenda this week are the two words on everyone’s lips, Trump and Brexit.

We take a quick look at the devastating influence an angry tweet from the US President-elect can have on the pharmaceutical, car, defence and airline industries and the ongoing vagueness of Britain's relationship with Europe before swiftly moving on to more pressing matters.

Among them are a look at how rich you are, the best paying jobs and the overheated property market.

Median wealth is £35,000, a top 5th slot in wealth league costs £85,000. Farmers got the biggest pay rises last year and the average deposit for a first-time buyer is now £24,300 (61% of earnings) - 20 years ago it was £2,095 (12% of earnings).

If you’re feeling flush from any of this, we reveal the UK’s most desired used cars too.

Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The glass is half full and we’re on the hunt for a silver lining as we look forward to what's in store for our finances in 2017.

We also cast a quick glance back at the most entertaining money stories of 2016, which were about... well, money.

We go behind the scenes with the man we hold responsible for the phenomenon that was stories about new fivers worth a more than £5 and coins worth a small fortune, consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce.

Readers loved his stories about coins and notes last year, and they set a trend for stories about money worth more than face value across Britain's media and viral internet.

Where did the ideas come from? Why are some of these coins and notes worth more? Is the round pound next?

Lee gives us the lowdown in the studio with Share Radio's Georgie Frost and This is Money editor Simon Lambert.

Also on this week's show, we look at whether 2017 will be a good year for investors as the FTSE 100 hits a run of record highs, or whether the view that the only way is up spells trouble.

We also hunt for some decent savings rates, highlight why dividends from an income investment trust might be an alternative and discuss the stories we'd really like to see in 2017.

And to round off the show, Simon and Lee take the This is Money podcast quiz of 2016. Do they remember the details about the stories we covered, or are their memories alarming short. Find out who wins the gold coin and who takes home the wooden spoon (which is actually a free rubber spatula Georgie got with a magazine).

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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The phenomenal successes of British athletes at the Rio Olympics were quickly forgotten in 2016 as a confusing, unpredictable mix of politics and economics took over.

The peculiarities began before Brazil, however, when Leicester City won the Premiership title at odds of 5,000 to 1.

Then the British public were granted a vote on the country’s role in the European Union, which few appeared to understand. Markets crashed and recovered, the pound tanked and people got rather angry – but mostly about attempts to increase the price of the popular yeast spread, Marmite.

Finally, a reality TV star with the language of a child and behaviour of a child became leader of the free world.

Join Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce of This is Money and Share Radio luminary Georgie Frost for a look behind the sound bites and the hubris as they try to work out happened and why.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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It might be the only time in history that four five-course supermarket Christmas dinners are taste-tested on live radio over a discussion about the state of the economy.

There’s really not much more one can say.

Other than will it be Lidl, Waitrose, Tesco or ‘the wildcard’ that proves more popular this year in the turkey, cheese, Prosecco, sprouts and cranberry sauce league?

The result, as a clickbaiter might say, may surprise you. The journey might amuse you.

Inflation hit 1.2% and the US Federal Reserve raised its main interest rate. Merry Christmas.From this week’s crew: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Rich Browning and Tom the producer.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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It’s amazing isn’t it? We’re a service economy with a heavy reliance on financial services but when it comes to customer services and financial services, we’re useless.

Our email inbox is permanently full of complaints about companies that refuse to help their customers – as is our old-fashioned post bag.

For the ninth year running the Wooden Spoon awards are upon us, where we highlight the most complained about companies and organisations of the year and ask readers, listeners and viewers to vote for the absolute worst. Last year the BT chief executive collected the award.

This year, the execrable Southern Rail makes the shortlist as it enters the festive period without a timetable and none of the bosses in jail.

Who gets your vote?

Join Rachel Rickard Straus (British Gas), Lee Boyce (Banks – all of them) and Georgie Frost (Southern Rail) for a fabulously entertaining look at some of things we hate with a passion.

Also on the show…

We look at how mortgage lending works. Did you know they have lending quotas and when the cash runs low, the rates go up and vice versa. Nowt, necessarily, to do with any outside economic pressures. Hopefully, the withdrawal this week of the cheapest ever deal is not the start of a trend.

Stupid house price surveys and their contradictory view of the state of the market

Spread betting is suddenly in the spotlight as people wake up to the fact that it’s gambling, not investing.

And finally, the game’s over, according to the author of a new book about financial Armageddon. We’re heading for the biggest financial crash in history and the chances of recovery from this one are smaller than the interest you can get on savings account.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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An energy firm collapsed this week, but even if you were one of GB Energy's customers you might not have even realised.If you've ever wondered where all those strangely named energy firms have come from, listen to this week's This is Money Podcast to find out.Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce, of This is Money, join Georgie Frost in the Share Radio studios to discuss why our energy firms are feeling stressed.They also look at why our banks are being stress tested, with the majority state-owned RBS setting an example by failing.But how do you get from that to Guns N' Roses and OPEC? Listen to this week's podcast to find out.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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The new Chancellor delivered his first Autumn Statement this week with the aim of distancing himself from his predecessor - but what will it mean for you?

Philip Hammond grabbed the headlines with a ban on fees for tenants, a 2.2% savings bond, a minor splurge on infrastructure and an awful lot of debt.

Will tenants bear the brunt of landlords hiking rents after being hit by crafty letting agents?

Is a three-year bond paying 2.2% the answer to the savings crisis?

What’s the key to productivity other than spending less time on Facebook?

Are we really poorer than seven years ago and counting?

How on earth will we ever pay off £2trillion of debt?

Simon Lambert and Rebecca Rutt, of This is Money, join Georgie Frost, of Share Radio, in the studio for the This is Money Show podcast to try and answer all these questions and more.

And if you’re all Autumn Statemented-out, there’s also some existential questions about Black Friday, a look at whether airport parking spaces really make good investments, and a Formula 1 car for the road that you can buy.

It’s a fun show. Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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After the Brexit vote rolled in, a tax giveaway and spending splurge was considered a nailed on certainty.Five months down the line, Britain's economy has surprised many with its resilience and it's not so clear cut.So what will Philip Hammond do in the Autumn Statement. Will the public get infrastructure bonds to invest in, will stamp duty see a cut to get people moving, and will anyone ever commit to properly fixing Britain's roads.Next Wednesday's Autumn Statement holds the key and Simon Lambert and Rachel Rickard Straus, of This is Money, discuss the outlook with Georgie Frost, of Share Radio, on this week's This is Money Show podcast.Also under the microscope is Trumpflation. What on earth is it, why are investors chasing this trade and will a big infrastructure spend and tax cut in the US help its economy?Simon has read Donald Trump's economic plan and takes us through what the President-Elect says he will do (unless of course he changes his mind).Also up for discussion is the white Ferrari 458 Speciale and McLaren 675LT that can only be bought as a £700,000 pair from an Essex car dealer. Is that the kind of thing you'd treat yourself too.Listen to the show and leave us a comment.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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The Simpsons predicted it but did you? Donald Trump will be the next president of the US after his election win this week - something many thought was impossible.But just how much of a part did economic dissatisfaction among those who feel left behind by a wealthy elite play in this? Did that wealthy elite spend too long ignoring ordinary hard-working families concerns and telling them they knew what was best? Why didn't the other side realise and do something that would have stopped the White House keys going to the most controversial president-elect ever?And what on earth does President Trump mean for the US economy and for the finances of us Britons on the other side of the Atlantic? Simon Lambert and Sarah Davidson, of This is Money, join Georgie Frost in the Share Radio studio for the weekly This is Money podcast to answer these questions and more.And it's not all Trump. We also get an update on Simon's will-writing adventure - where he promised to finally sort one out and explain what you need to think about, and talk about why mess can make you a success, what next for Tesco Bank and customers after its 21st century bank robbery and check up on some high street shopping giants.And finally, you know all that Toblerone fuss: want to know if it really does look that silly, or whether it tastes or feels different? We've got a new wide-valleyed bar in the studio, ready to test.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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The Bank of England updated us on post-Brexit vote Britain this week and managed to admit it was wrong while telling us it was right. Simon Lambert, Adrian Lowery and Georgie Frost rake through the inflation report and outlook for interest rates and the economy on the This is Money podcast with Share Radio.They also look at what that High Court victory means for Brexit, business and our money.While this rumbles on, savers are being stung by terrible rates and inflation rising. So what should you do with your spare cash and what even counts as spare? We look at whether you should switch banks, invest it, buy premium bonds, or perhaps just go on holiday (be warned this is now more expensive).Watch out though if you do go away, you might find a robot has nabbed your job by the time you get back. We also take a look at what the rise of the robots means – and the jobs we’d rather they had taken of us.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Cleared for take-off? Heathrow is given the green light for a third runway, but what does it mean for the economy, residents, house prices and the future of air travel from Britain?

Some under 30s ARE saving enough for retirement while we explain why turning back the clocks this weekend makes our roads more dangerous.

Has buy-to-let gone cold? Or should landlords look north to student towns such as Leeds for better yields? Buy-to-let and LS6 postcode expert Simon Lambert runs the rule.

And PPI. It has been plague to banks for years – but one, NatWest, has been pulling sneaky tricks on some who were due fair redress…

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Enough already!

Can’t everything just be simpler?

‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’, said Leonardo da Vinci, whose basic thinking gave us art and helicopters to chat about and wonder over for centuries.

It hardly goes without saying that top of the week’s meddles is from Ryanair, the low-cost airline MOST famous for concocting increasingly bizarre, arbitrary ways of charging people more.

Now it’s levying a fee for checking yourself in at home on your computer and printing the boarding cards – but only if you do so four days before you fly. Stop it!

George Osborne, remember him? Also known as Gideon U-turn, the Chancellor who used to think up stuff in bed then announce it as Government policy the next day without the slightest idea of whether it would work. Pasty tax was one meddle you may recall.

This week, plans to create a secondhand market for annuities was scrapped – because no one wants to buy duff annuities from people who don’t want them for very that reason. Stop it.

Also on the show.

The complexities around the wobbly pound, the dangerous, complex ramifications of the latest inflation figures, the banks that aren’t great at looking after your money, more complicated tax ideas and the five pounds worth more than five pounds because people are… oh, you know?

On a simple note, you can now buy things for a million pounds with a swipe of your iPhone – oh, but only if you’ve got a million pounds.

There’s always a catch.

Join Georgie Frost, Rachel Rickard Straus and Simon Lambert for this fun look at the week’s events in the world of money.

Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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The country appeared to take leave of its senses this week.

As the pound continues to take a steady route south through the Channel tunnel down to the capital of Armageddon, the effects are being felt by businesses across Britain. And bit-by-bit consumers are starting to notice. They’re not happy.

News of the famous savoury black paste, Marmite, being taken off the shelves at Tesco spread across the internet like a yeast infection.

People became hysterical - and not in a funny way.

You don’t mess with people’s brands as Unilever found out when it stopped supplying the supermarket many of its famous-name products because of the rising cost of foreign-sourced ingredients.

Join Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Lee ‘Bovril’ Boyce for an entertaining look at what it all means for the pound in your pocket.

Also in the podcast:

Former Bank of England governor Mervyn King believes the weak pound is a good thing for Britain.

Don’t wait until to get to the airport to change your money – you’ll be in for a nasty shock

There are transfer services for larger amounts of foreign currency – particularly useful if you want to BUY pounds

Are banks are a spent force? Lloyds seems to think so as it slashes rates on it accounts and slashes staff from its head count.

Rant of the week: the best savings account now pays a pointless 1% interest and that is affecting the whole economy.

How to spot a fund manager who talks sense and invests sensibly. There must be one or two.

It’s not just the exchange rate that's back in the 1970s, brown cars are popular again.

House prices might also get a mentions.

Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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It’s the best money show on the radio. Of that we are in no doubt.

What is in doubt, though, is what’s behind our ‘economic recovery’ and the small matter of the future of Britain.

Georgie and Simon are joined by ace This is Money investment and business reporter Ellie Lawrie to pore over the week’s strange events.

To the soundtrack of the Prime Minister’s pro-Brexit speech at the Conservative Party conference, the FTSE 100 was hitting near record highs.

Behind the headlines, the story was somewhat different.

The FTSE 100 index of leading shares is mostly made up of foreign companies so when their earnings are converted into pounds, they’re suddenly worth a lot more. That’s why the market is rising.

But some clever maths shows that in real-terms the market is in fact down.

Confused? Listen now.

Also in the show

A flash crash smashed sterling, Are we being controlled by algorithms and should we be worried?

Among the platitudes aimed at loyal voters, PM Theresa May’s speech also included a promise to end corporate greed and corrupt banks. That would be a good thing but how would she pull it off?

Wills – two in three of us haven’t got one and that’s an unnecessary problem.

What would you do with £50,000? With rates so low, the traditional ‘overpay your mortgage’ answer is outdated.

Fivers – should we keep them as collectors’ items or spend them? It’s a cashless society. Could they become valuable.

As Christmas toys hit the shops, we ask what was your favourite toy? Did you kill Tamagotchis or make things with Lego?

Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Here’s our latest joyous look at the week’s events.

Join Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce for money mirth with a few nervous laughs on top.

We’re possibly staring global financial Armageddon in the face again as Germany’s biggest bank owes more money in fines than it’s worth while it sits on TRILLIONS of pounds of complex debt that no one appears to understand.

UK banks were bailed out to the tune of around £500bn after the 2008 crisis, paid for by cutting Government spending and disability allowances and the like.

But Germany is refusing to consider any such aid and austerity.

The second biggest bank in Germany is also now in deep trouble as it announced 10,000 job cuts.

The knock on effects are starting to resonate around the world.

What happens next is worth a ringside seat.

Also on the show:

Help to buy is to die – it was a policy dreamt up by our already forgotten former PM David Cameron and sidekick George Osborne to increase house prices

Aldi takes on Waitrose – the supermarket (German) too popular for its own car parks is set to expand

Unusual money-saving tips – avoiding amazon, hiding money and more

BHS is back - but with 99.5% fewer employees

Long-term investing – it works

How to choose a mortgage – as a lifestyle choice not a panic purchase

And finally

This week’s two-minute rant – why 2-year fixed mortgages are so popular probably has more to do with bankers’ commission than decent deals

Reading list: Other People's Money: Masters of the Universe or Servants of the People? By John Kay

Watch list: The Big Short movie is now on Netflix

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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It’s a really fun show this week and a fantastic antidote to the Bake Off and Brangelina hysteria.

For the initiated, two well-known Hollywood actors announced their divorce this week and the makers of televised cake-making competition revealed they were moving it to Channel 4 from the BBC.

And we don’t care.

Not that making cakes doesn’t get a look in. It does but with the usual financial twist.

How to save money baking is one of the more popular stories of the week. Have you any idea just how cheap it is to make a scone?

Rachel Rickard Straus, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost also find time to be utterly horrified about the cost of a wedding.

Tip: Get married abroad, says Lee.

Also discussed are:

Retweaked economic forecasts from the Office for National Statistics (ONS)

The idiocy of the lifetime Isa – another ill-conceived, complicated tax change from the previous Chancellor

House prices

Fluffy surveys from banks

Shrinking products – that get smaller and smaller to keep the price the same

And are we losing control of our money?

Enjoy.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Now that cash machines hardly ever distribute five pound notes, the Bank of England decided it was time to issue a new, modern plastic one - to great fanfare.

But the question on everyone's lips is why was it Winston Churchill and not Keith Richards on the note.

This is just one of the conundrums in this week's round-up of the best of the week's money news.

Also on the show...

Banks under investigation for using interest rate cuts to punish customers

Pensions are just too confusing aren't they?

Why do we spend so much extra while on holiday?

All that data you've handed over may come back to haunt you in a big way

And more...

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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This week the team from This is Money join Share Radio’s Georgie Frost for an entertaining look back at the week’s big stories from the disgusting tricks hidden in cancer insurance small print to the birth of a new money superhero, Scam Man.

Also on the show:

Why banks are refusing to grant overdrafts to youngsters. Are they overeducated and misunderstood or just living in the wrong part of town? Did baby boomers really steal all the money and run away?

Did Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney cut interest rates too soon?

Or was he misled by bankers who promised to pass on the cut to saving AND mortgage customers but didn’t.

Editor Simon Lambert explains his new investing technique: Doing Nothing.

Consumer Affairs Editor Lee Boyce lifts the mask to reveal himself as the face of a new Beat the scammers campaign. Everyone needs to know these terrifying tricks of the tricksters.

Do you have too many legs to claim on your critical illness insurance?

Banks insult their customers yet again – this time with another round of ‘We’ve cut your savings rate’ hate mail. ‘Just kill the account!’ says Simon.

It’s a brilliant time to fix your mortgage – surely these rates won’t last for very long.

Why are rare 2p coins so popular?

Would you take a pay cut for an extra day off a week?

And a bit more.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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We take a look back at some of the recent major financial events that have affected us all. It's been a bumpy ride and it's time to take stock.

The team from This is Money with Georgie Frost of Share Radio explain the fallout of the EU referendum, the collapsing pound and interest rates, Santander 123, complicated Bank of England decisions, inheritance tax and loads more.

As ever, they explain what it all means and what it means for the pounds, the euros and dollars in our pockets.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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This week, as the country was feeling good about its record medal haul in the Rio Olympics, suddenly consumer confidence appeared to be looking healthy too.

But behind the rose-tinted sunglasses, a bubble of household debt was competing in a new kind of race with rival, the house price bubble, to see which will burst first.

It’s neck and neck.

Household debt is at terrifying levels. If consumer spending is on the rise, it’s likely that credit cards are a driving force.

More than one in 10 households (1.6m) are in extreme debt, where 25% of monthly spending is servicing cards, loans and other debts - not including mortgages.

Wages are stagnant yet house prices appear to keep on rising. That cannot last.

We’re here to help. But the conclusion from This is Money’s consumer affairs gurus Rachel Rickard Straus and Lee Boyce is there’s not a lot individuals can do.

Best thing, at the very least, is to try to avoid the increasingly clever scams and rip-offs. There’s some horrific tricks and it's almost impossible to tell a deal from a con. We offer some tips on what to look out for.

Also, further proof emerges that George Osborne’s legacy as Chancellor is peppered with the wacky and unworkable, as his help-to-buy Isas are shown to be largely useless.

Mobile phone companies, energy companies and travel companies are as sneaky as ever.

First Utility charges one of its customers to STAY with First Utility.

Strange times.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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This week This is Money editor Simon Lambert and consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce explain the peculiarities of inheritance tax - and then ask why on earth it has to be so complicated. The team also discuss the watering down of the once quite fantastic 123 account from Santander - and whether it's still a good deal. Lee has a moan about train fares and they ask whether Essex really is the happiest place to live in the UK.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Yes, it's just what we've all been waiting for - another report on the banks.This week, the CMA delivered its recommendations to shake up the current account market. Were they any good? And should we even bother trying?After all, the banks themselves already offer us free money, savings account-smashing interest rates and lots of other goodies.Simon Lambert and Rachel Rickard Straus, join Georgie Frost in the Share radio studio for the This is Money Show to talk banks and much more.Also on today's show, we ask if now is the time to buy a bargain property as Brexit worries deliver price cuts, whether Help to Buy needs to be axed and if a fixed rate mortgage still beats a tracker.Simon also has an idea for a new Office of Budget Simplicity designed to cut through daft ideas like the family home inheritance tax break.Listen to the show, leave us a comment or rate it and subscribe to the podcast.Thanks This is Money

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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The whole financial system has failed us.

Bankers not content with stealing £500bn in the financial crisis have just been handed billions more by their boss at the Bank of England in a desperate attempt to prop up the economy.

We have the lowest level of home ownership for 30 years – to the point of ‘national emergency’.

The economy is regressing.

House prices are falling.

The pound is collapsing.

Foreign companies are queuing up to grab our cut-price industrial crown jewels.

As well as printing more money to hand to bankers this week, the head of the BoE Mark Carney also announced a cut in interest rates from 0.5% to 0.25% - tantalisingly close to zero.

People will borrow more and spend more, is the idea.

This time the bankers won’t keep the money for themselves. This time it’ll be different.

The economy will be saved!

Listen to Simon Lambert and Rachel Rickard Straus pull this argument to pieces as they explain the corruption and the social and financial divides that now define Britain.

Of course, there are other winners from the Bank Rate cut.

A few borrowers with tracker mortgages will pay less.

Also under the microscope:

Banks’ complaints procedures are still useless – don’t they just fob you off to the ombudsman at the first opportunity?

PPI refunds are still on the agenda – some people seem to have forgotten that banks just added it to loans without asking.

And cars. Thank heavens for classics and even the duff ones. They’ll always be there for a little light relief. Unless you’re not interested.

With Georgie Frost.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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It’s a well-known fact that everyone who works for a bank is a sociopath and thief who doesn’t sleep at night, not because they have a conscience, but because they’re vampires (ugly ones) feeding off the goodwill of the living.

Ok, it’s not a fact. But the way some of them behave it’s not difficult to think bad things.

This week, we expose Lloyds Bank as liars, look at just how sneaky NatWest has become with its charges and how Santander lured in millions of savers with a deal that’s suddenly proving that it was too good to be true after all.

If you’ve had a letter from Lloyds bank apologising for having to drop its interest rates because of market pressures, this is not true. Simon Lambert has checked the company accounts.

Lloyds has also this week announced the closure of branches and thousands of job losses. It blames Brexit. Really? Might it not be the rise of digital banking and the pointlessness of branches that are either shut when you need them or full of angry customers in long queues waiting to discuss the rubbish service, terrible accounts or the bank’s long history of mis-selling?

NatWest charges business customers 66p for every £100 they deposit in their accounts IN CASH, (see paragraph one), along with other sneak-based atrocities. The bankers at this one might go down in history as being first to introduce negative interest rates to the UK.

And the big one…

Santander looks set to diddle its 123 account holders out of much-needed cash by slashing the interest rate on balances up to £20,000 – shortly after increasing the monthly fee by a blood curdling 150%. Is this true and if it is what’s the best way to deal with it if you’re a customer?

Elsewhere, savings rates are now so low that an account offering an execrable 1.3% was closed after four days because it was so popular.

This might be the end of banking as we know it.

It’s certainly the end of saving.

In other news, credit card debt is a massive problem. Around five million cardholders will need more than 10 years to clear their debts. More than a million will never clear it. This affects the whole economy.

Also starring Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost, it’s actually a fun show. Listen now.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Exploited! Barmy Army!’

‘Exploited! Barmy Army!’

Come on? Who still remembers the early 80s war cry from post-punk nihilists, The Exploited?

And who else thinks it could equally now apply to first of the big post-Brexit foreign business invasions – the Japanese takeover of British chip-making legend, Arm?

With the pound down 20% against the yen since the referendum, heavily indebted Japenese company Softbank has made a massively overvalued offer to buy the crown jewels of mobile phone components. It’s apparently banking on Arm’s future role in the ‘internet of the things’.

Barmy Arm-y!

Is Britain about to be exploited by the suddenly wealthier rest of the world?

What on earth is the internet of things?

If none of this makes any sense, relax, Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Rich Browning are on hand to explain it all in this week’s fun look at week’s events.

Also on the turntable…

What should our new Government ministers tackle first? Pensions, Housing, Transport? Simon has a plan.

Who is the greediest of them all? The Post Office is paying NOTHING to savers and tops the latest League of Shame.

Why’s the country now obsessed with the idea of becoming a millionaire? Be prepared for a shock when you work out how many lifetimes it might take to achieve it.

And finally…

What would be your first job if you were Prime Minister? An extra holiday anyone?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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This week we meet Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones to talk about his guitar collection and... oh, sorry, that's not true.

However we dress this up, the truth is that this week's show and probably next week and the week after features more Brexit.

Not too much though. Saved by of all things, Milton Keynes and more specifically its car parks.

To kick off, Simon Lambert, Rebecca Rutt and George Frost take a reflective look over the week's events and wonder in the wake of Brexit...

What's the point of interest rates, and interest rates meetings and Bank of England musings on interest rates if they never change?

What's the point of quantitative easing if all it does is stoke house prices?

What was the point of George Osborne? Remember him? The Chancellor who gambled it all on house prices and fear... and lost.

What's the point of estate agents now buyer demand for homes has fallen at the sharpest rate on record?

What's the point of new Chancellor Phillip Hammond when we have no economic plan? At least this one's got a degree in economics and industry experience.

What's the point of the new Cabinet? The government one, not a sideboard - or maybe there's not a lot of difference.

What was the point of austerity when all it did was make the poorest pay for riches' mistakes.

It's a great show.

There's some stuff on pensions and when they're next going to be mucked about with and parking rage and portal juggling.

And finally, the economy may be heading back to the dark ages but the future has arrived in Milton Keynes.

It's been named the second best place to work in the country and it's going to get better with free parking for electric cars.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

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It’s started.

You can’t decide to leave the world’s biggest trading block and not expect some serious financial consequences.

Especially when the boys responsible for it ran away.

The economics of Brexit are suddenly looking dark.

We could be living under the cloud for many years.

Already, just two weeks on from the referendum, we are beginning to see the prospect of falling investment, falling house prices and job insecurity.

Householders, especially those in debt, need to prepare.

Investors in commercial property funds are also suffering.

It was always, says one commentator, a ‘disaster waiting to happen’. You invest in a shopping centre but when you want to take your money out you realise the secondhand market for shopping centres has collapsed.

Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost discuss the week’s events over a soundtrack of music and news clips from 1985, which is where, statistically, we’re back to.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

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In the run up to the ‘greatest constitutional crisis of modern times’ it was said that no one knew what would happen if we voted ourselves out of the EU.

But like so much of the twaddle peddled by both campaigns’ liars-in-chief, this was also not the case.

We did kind of know if only we had listened.

The cool head at the Bank of England, Mark Carney, laid out the prospects in pretty clear and certain terms. And it is coming to pass.

The majority of people, it seems, only listened to the lies.

You must listen to this week’s podcast though.

You won’t get a more entertaining overview of the fallout from the EU-out until the dusty hysteria settles in about 2025.

Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce take a look at…

Whether an interest rate CUT is imminent – and just how badly savers will be affected

What we know for sure already about the economics of Brexit

Airfares are definitely going up

Banks are in trouble

Annuity rates are trashed

Savings rates look set to plummet

Tax credit and cash machines are safe

Also…

What kinds of trading deals are on the table for little Britain outside the European Union?

Tips for 20-somethings who’ll have to foot the bill for their debt-loving forefathers

How the flimsy looking pound is already affecting prices and jobs

Is it all Richard III’s fault?

And…

How to spot a scams

How to buy a second hand car

And what was your first car – and, honestly, how rubbish was it?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Britain has voted to leave the EU in a historic referendum but what will Brexit mean for your money?

As the world digested the 52-48 Leave vote, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce, of This is Money, join Georgie Frost of Share Radio to discuss what next.

The UK woke up a to a new era in its politics and markets have been see-sawing but beyond the short-term volatility, how will Brexit affect our finances?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

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Around the same time that once-loved High Street retailer BHS was tumbling into administration, the journalist Roberto Saviano, who spent more 10 years exposing the criminal workings of the Mafia, announced to the Hay Literary Festival that Britain was the most corrupt country on the planet.

Our financial affairs, it seems are being eyed with interest and suspicion around the world.

What better way to celebrate then, than to have another high-profile inquiry into the shenanigans behind the BHS collapse in front of Parliament and the world media?

Last week we heard of death threats in the boardroom. This week was the turn of BHS’s previous owner Sir Philip Green to face the panel of MPs, who asked some pointed questions about the company’s demise.

Why had he sold it for a quid?

Had he taken millions of pounds out of the company knowing that the British Government would be liable for its multi-million pound pensions hole?

Or did he really believe the company would be better off in the hands of a new, twice-bankrupt owner?

Green wasn’t happy. He’s made some promises but they lacked detail and conviction. The saga is far from over. His wife, the beneficiary of much of the tax-free BHS millions, is likely to be next in the ‘dock’.

Also this week, we have another look at the childlike lies peddled by EU referendum campaigners.

It’s an important debate, this EU thing. Britain might be about to commit economic suicide but the campaigns have been, frankly, pathetic.

Meanwhile…

Inflation is flat lining – are we about to face a cut in interest rates?

Investors are pulling money out of UK – but where are they finding opportunities?

And finally…

Nine years on from the financial crisis, around 100,000 people who bought off-plan properties that never got built in Spain have a chance of getting their money back.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

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It's not been a great week for big business? Sir Philip Green and the bosses at BHS have seen even greater criticism and Sports Direct's Mike Ashley was hauled in front of MPs.

So is our modern of big business capitalism going badly wrong?

Have we built an economy where it's low pay and bad conditions for the workers but huge rewards for the bosses?

Do we need to worry about inequality?

Simon Lambert and Rachel Rickard Straus, of This is Money, join Georgie Frost, of Share Radio, in the studio to tackle those thorny questions - and try to find some good news and put a smile on your face along the way.

In that good news corner comes a victory for borrowers over a bank that ripped up the tracker mortgage rule book and a reader who wants to know if they've struck it lucky with a rare 50p.

Listen to the show, leave us a comment and please rate it and share it if you like it.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Walk around town centres in Britain and what do you see?A few chain stores, a Poundland or two, betting shops, charity shops, lots of empty shops, Amazon delivery vans, tumbleweed?

We don't shop in the High Street like we used to. Even Poundland has a website with free delivery for orders over £50 (OK, that's a lot of sweets).

The High Street has just got a little bit deader with BHS and Austin Reed the latest casualties.

What went so wrong?

Is it sad, simply inevitable or perhaps good news that empty shops might be converted into homes?

Join the mighty money triumvirate, broadcaster of the year Georgie Frost, This is Money editor Simon Lambert and consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce as they take us on an aural tour of the death of our towns.

Also on the show

The made-up claims of EU referendum campaigners.

Is it time to offload your buy-to-let?

What's going on in the property market?

There's a couple of great questions about pensions...

Were you 'contracted out' without realising and likely to lose a ton of cash as a result?

Is it worth saving for a pension at all if you only earn £15,000 a year? In other words do you want to retire on an income of £8,000 a year - or do you fancy a bit more?

And finally

The question everyone is asking: How do you get two whales in an electric car?

#tesla #eu #bhs #shopping #pensions #money #buytolet

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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This week on the show you’ve all been waiting for, broadcasting legend Georgie Frost, This is Money editor Simon Lambert and personal finance editor Rachel Rickard-Straus take a peak under the coffin lid of inheritance.

It can get nasty when grief and greed meet in the financial graveyard.

So what can you do if you feel you’re being ripped off by siblings and long-lost lovers?

And what’s the best way to make a clear will of your own intentions when you step off planet Earth for the last time?

Also on the show…

How to make loads more money by using Einstein’s theory. No not that one. Well, yes that Einsten but this time it’s his theory ‘the 8th wonder of the world’ – or compound interest.

And…

Trouble brewing for property sellers

Paying off your mortgage quickly for dummies – is it for dummies?

The latest ruse to get your kids on property ladder

The pitfalls of renting out your spare room to someone who burns it down

Angry parking fees and fines

When, where and how much to tip abroad

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Have banks been let off the hook again? That's been the reaction to the CMA report into retail banking.

In this week's This is Money podcast with Share Radio, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost look at whether we should be doing more to break-up the big banks and why many years on from the rip-off bank charges battle, they've just been told to clean up their act.

Also on this week's show we discuss the dark art of mortgage affordability calculators - and why some lenders seem to offer the same test couple £200,000 more than others.

We also ask what next for the property market and buy-to-let? The landlord stamp duty stampede sent buy-to-let purchases rocketing - and many investors may have been involved in a bit of false economy - but will the market stall now?

And Andy Haldane, of the Bank of England, listen up, we've explained how pensions work to help you understand them after you said you couldn't.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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If Britain were to leave the EU, it MIGHT prove to be an economic disaster for us.

The Bank of England governor Mark Carney, whose job it is to point things like this out, and other commentators, have said so. And the leavers don't like it.

Interest rates, house prices and all the other things that make Britain's dinner parties great might be affected.

Is this just politics dressed up as economics? Or should we be worried?

Simon Lambert and Rachel Rickard-Straus of This is Money and newly crowned financial broadcaster of the year, Share Radio's Georgie Frost discuss this and...

The fact that, Europe vote aside, UK growth is looking like a problem.

Whether the middle class dream is over for young people who need to earn more than £100,000 a year to even hope of buying a property in London.

Are these fancy new 'challenger banks' up to same sneaky old tricks as the established ones?

Minor investor is back with a few new ideas.

Why bother with 4 quid insurance for a theatre ticket and other possibly completely pointless things we're urged to insure?

And finally...

'Mustang Sally... I bought you a brand new Mustang 'bout nineteen sixty five.' Well, 51 years later you can buy a right-hand drive one. What's it like?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

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We’re not building enough homes – about 100,000 too few every year. It makes housing unaffordable.

To ‘help’, Barclays bank has decided to step in and offer 100% mortgages to first-time buyers. How quaintly 2007 is that?

The other catch is that parents have to stump up some of their nest egg as part of the deal.

Is this a good thing? Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce of This is Money and Share Radio’s Georgie Frost investigate.

Also on the show:

Just how big is the business of being a parent with children who can’t leave home without a bailout?

Buy-to-let landlords are piling more financial misery on to tenants.

Good news though for broadband customers – providers can’t lie about much it costs any more

We take a look under the roof of the supermarket business and ask whether their loyalty cards are a spent entity

Oh and our take on Leicester City, the football team that came from nowhere to win the Premiership: why the hell did bookies offer odds of 5,000 to 1 against that happening when there are only 20 teams in the league?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The This is Money team along with Share Radio talk about BHS , and its future, what's happening in Brazil and 12 financial lessons you should teach an 18 year-old.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

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A buy-to-let boom in the run-up to the stamp duty hike for landlords and second homeowners triggered the biggest distortion of the market recorded, says the Council of Mortgage Lenders. So, with one tax hike now in and another on the way in the form of cuts to mortgage interest relief against income tax on rent, has buy-to-let peaked?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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This episode is dedicated to Prince.

We were already planning a bit of a musical theme after a reader emailed This is Money to ask if she was entitled to a refund for an AC/DC concert.

She no longer wanted to attend because the lead singer Brian Johnson has been replaced with the infamously unreliable Axl Rose.

But Prince’s death was a shock. We’re all fans. Our website is purple! RIP.

It’s also been, we think, a bad week for buy-to-let.

Following a record splurge on buy-to-let mortgages we discuss whether investors have now spent all they can and what effect that will have on the property market.

While we’re on the subject, property reporter Myra Butterworth has unearthed three dream homes for sale that featured in the popular TV show Grand Designs.

New-build homes are in the spotlight after a poll found that nearly three-quarters of buyers would avoid them – and yet another story emerges of extreme shoddy workmanship on a new house.

We even ask whether the European in-out referendum is affecting house prices?

Also on the show we look at…

Fraud and how to spot if a cash machine has been tampered with – it’s not easy

The latest sexed-up car emissions scandal

Have we found the hottest hatch ever? Classic cars are fetching silly money again.

And will our reader be able to get that rock n roll refund?

What do you think?

#prince #acdc #houseprices #buytolet

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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…everything to do with finance is beset with problems.

From insurance companies that spew policy small print at terminally patients to avoid paying out, through mobile phone companies with the customer services skills of a three-minute-old turtle scuttling away from the first sign of a phone call, to the tax that few understand, even fewer pay but everyone seems to hate - inheritance tax.

This week we’re looking at the problem of inheritance tax.

We’re looking at some others as well but because of Prime Minister David Cameron’s relationship with his generous parents – IHT is in the news.

His dad ran an offshore fund. His mum gave him a couple of hundred grand towards a new suit. He may not pay tax on this gift.

Is that a problem? Is inheritance tax a problem?

Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost investigate.

It’s a proper fascinating slippers on, kettle on, headphones on episode that’s worth an hour of anyone’s time.

Also on the show – other problems include:

Bank fraud – as the crooks get better at it, the banks care even less

Brexit could be an almighty problem. It could destroy the world economy – but then plenty of other things could do that too

House prices are even more ridiculous than they were last week – causing a wave of migrating out of London and beyond

Are degrees all they’re cracked up to be?

And finally…

The range of free goodies it’s worth getting old for.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Tax is suddenly exciting news.

For normal people, it’s the start of a new tax year with another dump of - some ill-conceived - changes from Chancellor George Osborne to deal with.

For the disgustingly rich and famous, thanks to a leaky law firm, details have been emerging of their attempts at avoiding paying into state coffers around the world.

Even David Cameron is implicated. And after some blithering attempts to divert attention from his involvement there are calls for him to resign.

Theoretically, the new tax year could see a new Prime Minister.

But could it see a new you – maybe as an investor for the first time?

Join This is Money’s Rachel Rickard Straus and Lee Boyce and Share Radio’s Georgie Frost for a leisurely audio stroll around this new world of rubbish cash Isas, complicated new other Isas and the lure of unknown returns from the stock market.

Also in the spotlight…

There’s a new bank only available on the iPhone. Should you trust it?

The young people, property ladder Venn diagram is becoming more and more like two separate circles

Do you use the internet to spy on your friends’ house price?

There’s the latest instalment of Under Fire Buy-to-let – a divisive love-hate story of money and housing

A fascinating look into how easy it is to trick the gullible with a pretty obvious fraud

Plus a few pensions mentions – because that mess will be going on for years to come.

It’s a fun one.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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In the way that worried nuclear bunker owners are probably stock-piling food as the reality of a President Trump dawns on them, so the Bank of England is preparing for the financial equivalent.

The bank that has its finger on the financial pulse of the nation is worried.

Worried enough to create a ‘what if…’ model that incorporates total financial meltdown, a collapse in the value of housing and the end of banking as we know it.

It maybe the stuff of nightmares but it’s also what This is Money editor Simon Lambert, personal finance editor Rachel Rickard Straus and Share Radio presenter George Frost tackle on in this week’s light entertainment look at the week’s money events.

How will we cope if oil becomes so cheap there’s no point extracting it, if savings rates are so low they’re negative or if a lack of growth turns to depression?

Are we really on the brink of another financial crisis?

In other news…

There’s tough new checks on buy-to-let – the clampdown continues (the Bank of England is worried about that too)

Buy-to-let has caused a big fall in house prices – but only in Bolton

People who trusted a unauthorised online bank that issued fake cheques may lose their homes

You’ll learn how to use your body to make money (no, not like that)

And…

What’s the weirdest job you’ve ever had?

Bog standard like Georgie or bog standards like Rachel?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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This week might go down as the one Chancellor George Osborne got found out.

It’s not the first time one of his Budgets turned into a fiasco, but this time his U-turn – on slashing payments to disabled people - is going to cost £4bn.

When Parliament convened to discuss how on earth this was going to be paid for, he didn’t show up.

And we’re still without an explanation.

We pay our taxes to enjoy a better life in a civilised society – not to allow politicians to play games of political manoeuvring. George forgot that. Taxes should be simple. George forgot that.

There were other unfunded tax giveaways in the 2016 Budget all of which appear to rely on tax receipts from a booming economy.

But our economy isn’t booming. The latest round of economic data shows that.

Growth forecasts are down, Government borrowing is soaring, homes are unaffordable.

Luckily This is Money editor Simon Lambert, product and knowledge editor Laura Whitcombe and Share Radio’s money wizard Georgie Frost are on hand to explain the economics in an entertaining way.

Also on the show…

Capital gains tax just got more complicated.

The ‘living’ wage – more complicated

And finally…

Do not miss the craziest item on financial radio: the famous Easter taste test.

Live on air we try to work out which own-brand supermarket hot cross buns and Easter eggs are worth a piece of your disposable income.

Will Tesco triumph and Waitrose end up in the bin again?

Not a lot of people do this.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Tax cuts and the Lifetime Isa were the giveways in George Osborne's Budget, but will they help you?

Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce, of This is Money, join Georgie Frost, of Share Radio, to take the Chancellor's plans apart in this week’s This is Money Show and try to work out whether it was a good, bad or indifferent Budget.

The outlook for the economy, the Budget winners and losers and the thorny question of whether a Lifetime Isa beats a pension are all up for debate. (Along with a look at some of the Chancellor's ulterior motives).

Whether you are a saver, spender, young professional, pensioner, or buy-to-let landlord, the team explain what the Budget means for you. (A warning for buy-to-letters, it’s not that pretty).

Also on today's show, we look at how to get more if you trade in at a car dealership, how social media-driven entrepreneurs are carving out new careers and businesses from their passions, and why Britain has been dubbed a nation of coffee-swigging, legging wearing, microwave rice-eaters, who don't like to dance.

Listen to the show and please leave us a comment or review and subscribe if you like it.

Thanks

This is Money team

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chancellor, George Osborne, has earned a reputation for leaks, U-Turns and unworkable tweaks to our taxes.

A captain of chaos, some might say.

His recent achievement, killing the cash Isa and replacing it with a tax-free limit on ALL savings accounts, will be a particularly memorable mess if anyone ever works out how it’s going to work.

He’s got another Budget speech planned for Wednesday 16 March.

For once, we don’t know much about what’s going to be in it. This is a bad sign.

There’s no general election any time soon so we can forget about bribes on that front.

He’s given himself the seemingly impossible task of balancing the nation’s books by 2020.

How on earth is he going to do that?

This is Money editor Simon Lambert, consumer affairs editor Rachel Rickard Straus and Share Radio’s Ed Bowsher have a pretty good stab at coming up with a hit list.

It’s not looking great.

George is desperate to get his hands on the £21bn tax-free benefits of pensions. But we’re fairly sure, thanks to the one leak, his plans to rob us of that have been postponed.

He’s already hit buy-to-let landlords – he could have another go at them without too much public anger.

Fuel duty seems an easy target – and no one will mind if petrol suddenly shoots back over £1 a litre on Thursday morning. Will they?

Maybe the disabled and other people on benefits could cope with further austerity measures?

National Insurance is good one –it mainly affects the lower paid; possibly attractive to Osborne the political animal

He’s already fiddled with stamp duty on house purchases – could he have another fiddle (on the roof) with that?

A change to salary sacrifice could tackle the problem of people who get tax-free iPhones from their employers

Whatever happens, we’re in for a fascinating ride and thankfully, HMRC is incredibly helpful and easy to deal with. The more complicated the tax reform the better.

Also this week, and back in the real world, we’re not saving enough, some investments make money and the Ford Capri makes a surprising comeback.

Georgie Frost is away.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Everything you thought you knew about life, the Isa and everything is wrong.

Modern life is amazing; we’ve never had it so good.

We have technology and prosperity above anything anyone a few decades ago could have possibly imagined.

And we have a welfare state to look after those who inevitably fall off the merry-go-round of progress.

These are the conclusions of the arguably the world’s greatest businessman, Warren Buffett.

So why are our politicians, bankers and bonkers billionaires so hell-bent on spewing such negativity?

And why has George Osborne just about destroyed the fabulously popular British savings tool, the Cash Isa? It’s been a way of life since the 1990s.

This is Money editor Simon Lambert, consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce and Share Radio consumer commander in chief Georgie Frost are here to explain and entertain.

You’ll learn…

How technology has improved our lives – and why

If there’s any point to saving cash in a tax-free Isa following the Chancellor’s meddling

Whether you’re sitting on a tax-free windfall as one of the winners of the £51m in unclaimed Premium Bonds

That if f you’re listening to this in America because that’s where you’re from, Premium Bonds really IS a lottery where you kind of never lose your stake money

What’s going on with house prices and the prospect of home ownership

Which car manufacturer is shouting loudest this week about whether Britain should stay in Europe

And

Donald Trump, a future president or the voice of supermarket talking till machines?

#isas #money #houseprices #trump #buffett #happiness #technology

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Britain still holds a stake in two of its biggest banks, Lloyds and RBS, but how bad are they?We take a look at whether the banks' results, whether they are cleaning up their act and whether they are worth investing in.

Meanwhile,...It was the best of times… it is now the most uncertain of times.

With four months to go to before the people of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the 2 million expats living in continental Europe vote whether to stay in or out of the European single market, the country’s finances are starting to react to the inevitable uncertainty.

One thing is for sure, the pound in our pockets is worth less than it was a week ago.

A weak pound is not the end of the world – or Europe – but it’s enough already to make people think twice about booking a summer holiday abroad.

Could Spain really become a luxury holiday destination reserved for the rich?

It’s been a rocky week too for banks, with profits, bonuses and bailouts colluding to make even less sense than usual.

Luckily This is Money editor Simon Lambert, personal finance editor Rachel Rickard Straus and Share Radio money expert Georgie Frost take listeners on an enlightening ride around the rollercoaster of riches.

Also on the agenda…

Will Chancellor George Osborne steal what’s left of your pension in next month’s Budget?

House prices – what the hell?

Are you a voucher victim?

And…

Loads of ways (14) to get your hands on FREE MONEY.

Plus loads more.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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What would Brexit mean for the UK economy?

It is said Great Britain used to rule the world.

Today we’re just a small part - albeit an important one - of Europe, with a few remaining outposts - most notably a couple of bailiwicks in France, an island in Argentina and a rock in Spain.

And now our role in Europe is under threat. Or is it?

Do we accept what some vocal business leaders have said this week and remain a loyal insider of this massive single-market economy?

Or do we vote with our old-fashioned angry hearts and try to recreate life in the 1970s?

The debate has started and is getting raucous.

Thankfully in this week’s brilliant podcast This is Money editor Simon Lambert, ace investing and pensions reporter Tanya Jefferies and Share Radio money supremo Georgie Frost manage to take a rational look at the issues in hand.

On the subject of loyalty…

Big business is not always our friend.

Take insurers. Did you know our readers and listeners are saving up to £500 a year by refusing to pay ridiculous premium hikes on their home and car insurance?

It doesn’t pay to be loyal.

Loyalty credit cards, where you earn points for getting into debt, are on their way out and companies are rolling back the benefits of loyalty schemes.

Also this week:

Work until you diePensions nonsenseRobots at work Scam of the week

And

More.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Share prices around the world this week have been falling like dominoes in a record-breaking dominoes falling over attempt.

London loses 2% in a day, New York opens and falls 2% then in Asia the sell-off continues, slashing 2% off its market value. London opens again and mirrors the previous losing sessions in Asia and the USA and so it goes on. And on.

The FTSE 100 index of leading UK shares found itself at a three and a half year low.

But why?

Central bankers whose job is supposed to be to prevent this kind of mess know how to talk the talk but there is growing evidence that they don’t really know how to work the bank.

Their policies of handing taxpayer money to bankers - rather than prison sentences - and of cutting interest rates to less than nothing have left them stuck in a hole without room to manoeuvre.

Jobbing bankers lost any credibility in the last crisis. But without punishment or a conscience could they be to blame again this time?

Or is it simply that traders aren’t human any more but mere automated algorithms that react to preprogramed instructions? Computer says sell.

This is Money editor Simon Lambert, consumer affairs editor Rachel Rickard Straus and Share Radio money guru Georgie Frost try to work out where the blame lies.

Also in the show.

Apart from the free money and long-term benefits, what’s the point of a pension?

Why do our privatised, apparently competitive energy companies raise and drop their prices by pretty much exactly the same amount?

Why won’t idiot bankers lend to safe-as-houses people with secure incomes just because of their age?

What’s so great about Hatton Garden – the jewellery capital in the capital?

And what if…

Crumbling share prices are nothing to worry about at all – just a great excuse to start investing?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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It’s been a couple of years since Tesco got found out.

The store that thought it could get away with whatever it wanted because customers, it said, ‘wanted its cheap prices’ was embroiled in an accounting scandal in 1994. And the problems continue.

Were Tesco’s prices really cheaper? You can ask the customers it has lost to low-cost rivals Lidl and Aldi about that.

It’s also losing customers to online rivals as the internet provides what the High Street can’t – 24 hour opening, among other things.

Tesco is back in the news:

For a report that showed it deliberately and systematically mis-treated suppliers by delaying payments and manipulating the terms of its deals.

Perhaps bizarrely because it’s going to scrap 24 hour opening in more than 70 of its stores.

It’s also about to slash the pay of staff who work unsociable hours.

It’s not alone. Wilko (aka Wilkinson) is also cutting double time for unsociable hours – effectively a 25% pay cut.

Shops face a tough time. Jobs are at risk across the retails sector.

They are at banks too.

Join This is Money Editor Simon Lambert, Consumer Affairs Editor Rachel Rickard Straus and Share Radio’s Georgie Frost for an enlightening look at the future of shopping and banking.

Also on the show:

Interest rates remain unchanged again – but because of a quirk of the calendar it’s ‘mildly thrilling’ this time even if the policy is ultimately counterproductive

Hacking is now so easy a three-year-old can do it. Is your internet security toddler and mafia proof?

The Royal Mint has royally ripped off customers by refusing to honour ‘legal tender’ – or money to use its common name

It wouldn’t be a This is Money podcast without a controversial buy-to-let story. This one involves lawyer and former ‘first lady’ Cherie Blair and unhappy taxable landlords

In happy news…

Simon has a piece of the Berlin Wall.

But lost it.

#berlinwall

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This message was left on a householder's voice mail - is it a genuine message from the bank or a scammer?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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After a seven-year investigation into Google’s UK tax affairs, the company agreed to pay £130m to us.

Chancellor George Osborne hailed it a huge success.

No one else agreed.

Especially not the Shadow Chancellor, anyone with a calculator, or even the French, who a few days later announced they were negotiating a much bigger windfall on a far smaller business than Google UK.

It amounted to a tax rate of about 3% on its multi-billion-pound earnings in this country.

And all this at the time average Jo and Joe Bloggs are filing their tax returns before the end of January deadline.

People pay tax at 30% to 40 to nearly 50% on earnings of a few tens of thousands of pounds. You can see why these people are angry.

Luckily, there’s no anger in the Share Radio studio as presenter Georgie Frost, This is Money Editor Simon Lambert and Consumer Affairs Editor tackle the big tax and pensions scandals of the week with a sharp insight and warm wit.

It’s been a bad week for Osborne. Having announced a ban on raising taxes, the smart money’s on him stealing it from our pensions.

Also on the agenda,

Have you any idea how much VAT rich people pay when they buy a Rolls Royce car that costs more than a house?

And what’s it’s like to drive and park one?

Can it really be as tatty as it sounds or is it a must-have motor for the discerning Google executive?

Buy-to-let is back in the news, so is gold, which provides another excuse to play Spandau Ballet songs, and finally it’s been a bumper year for British cinema.

What’s your favourite film?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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Banks, the City, Wall Street, call them what you will – they use jargon to steal your money.

It’s what caused the walloping financial crash in 2008.

And it’s possibly what’s going to cause another one eight years later – that’s right, in 2016; this year!

We’re in a bear market.

What even is a bear market? The opposite of bull, of course. See how easy it is?

This week, This is Money editor Simon Lambert and personal finance editor Rachel Rickard Straus join Share Radio’s Georgie Frost to help listeners understand some of this nonsense.

There’s even a Hollywood movie just out about financial jargon, The Big Short, the story of how collateralized debt obligations brought down the world economy because no one knew what they were. It’s nominated for five Oscars, including best picture.

A bear market is a bad one. Bear = bad. It’s when share prices fall. Bull = good. That’s it really. Listen to Rachel and Simon for more detail.

Also in the podcast:

Davos – why the hell do our financial leaders go to Davos to discuss the global economy? It’s a ski resort in Switzerland - the most expensive place they could choose. What do they do when they get there? Do they even go skiing?

Why does a low oil price affect everything else so much? It’s not what you think. It’s what oil producers do with all that income and what they can’t do with it now that’s the problem.

Why are broadband companies allowed to mislead customers with their advertising? Surely it’s not because of a supine advertising regulator?

In ‘good on the face of it’ news of the week E.on customers are going to have their energy bills CUT by 5%. But the wholesale price of oil and gas has fallen 20% since its peak. E.on gets points for being first but that’s not enough E.on! Will the others follow suit?

If you’re worried about the markets this year - keep worrying.

If you’re thinking of ever retiring or voting Tory – you probably ought to understand what Chancellor George Osborne is planning to do with your pension.

If you’ve ever had a job or fancy a change you must listen to the bit at the end about CVs.

If you thought you knew what to put in your CV, such as volunteering experience and keeping it to two pages. You’ve been doing it it all wrong.

Listen and learn.

And then you might get a new job.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The four horsemen of apocalypse trotted into the money markets last week each brandishing a tool of financial destruction.

Plummeting oil pricesGlobal uncertaintyTrouble in the Middle EastCrisis in China

Luckily, this week everything is ahhh… sorry it’s not looking good.

According to a statement from RBS, the bank, this year is going to be cataclysmic.

But hey. Financial apocalypse makes for entertaining listening thanks to Share Radio’s Georgie Frost, This is Money editor Simon Lambert and consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce.

Also on the agenda…

Britain v Germany – who’s winning the supermarket wars?

Not Germany?

Buy to let landlords fight back

Can you fiddle the credit card points system to make a mint?

No

Is it possible to name an example of good customer service?

No

And in hopeful news, a young lad is on a mission to provide free legal advice for everyone.

Could it work?

D’yer know, it might just. Thank the Lord for young people.

Apologies for the sound quality this week, building work was taking place in the street outside the studio. Building work is taking place all over London but that’s another story.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2016 is going well - but only if you live in Leicester.

One week in, and the new year money news seems to be competing with the weather in terms of gloominess.

Luckily we have the most upbeat and entertaining trio in financial broadcasting, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost, taking a fun look at what's been happening over the last seven days – however grim it is.

China is panicking. And when China panics, the Chinese government shuts its markets. That makes Chinese investors panic even more and then the whole world joins in. Share prices have been plummeting.

As big British chain stores start to reveal their Christmas trading figures, Marks & Spencer, which for some people IS Christmas, reveals it had a less than festive time of it.

A couple who saved really hard for a deposit, stamp duty and fees for their dream home transferred the £45,000 to the solicitor days before the move – but the transfer was intercepted by crooks and they lost it.

This is Money Editor Simon Lambert bravely outs himself as a recidivist Lotto loser dumping cash for decades into an investment that has less chance of coming good than he has of watching the opening night of Elvis Presley’s tour of the Moon.

There was some upbeat news. It has emerged that not all banks are bad all of the time – at least in terms of current accounts. You would do well to listen to the segment on the best banks for your day-to-day money affairs.

And two people won £1million each on the Premium Bonds. They both live in Leicester. It’s a fix! Or is it?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After last year's Christmas show went viral thanks to turkey ham, an improbable Christmas dinner product included in the taste test, the 2015 edition had a lot to live up to.

This week, three wise men from This is Money - Simon, Lee and Rich - join even wiser Georgie Frost at Share Radio HQ to taste test THREE, three-course Christmas 'dinners' from Lidl, Waitrose and Tesco - live on air!

Can cheaper really be better?

Meanwhile, thanks to the US Federal Reserve raising American interests rates earlier in the week, the show also features a lot of valuable truths and myths about interest rates and inflation.

The world was expecting the Fed to raise rates in 2015 and this was the last chance to do it. So it did. What does that mean for you and me?

Also on the agenda...

How to buy a home when your mortgage lender insists you insure it through a company that doesn't exist.

Plus best Christmas adverts, pensioner bonds, the second hand annuity market.

And

Bread pudding.

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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It’s not often that a watchdog not only watches but also bites.

But that’s what the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has done to our shameful banks.

Sorry listeners, it’s bad bankers again!

This time it’s the ‘pathetic’ interest rates paid to loyal savers, some as low as 0.01%.

Share Radio’s money guru Georgie Frost is joined by editor Simon Lambert and consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce, who name and shame the banks named and shamed by the FCA.

And it’s all thanks to a campaign This is Money launched in 2011 to make banks tell their customers what rate of interest they are being paid.

Also, on the show…

The price of oil is coming down again – they could start giving it away soon, well almost.

The main Bank of England interest rate is kept on hold for the 81st month in a row, provoking more debate on the threat of it going up soon

Could young people’s dream of owning a home come true thanks to a massive building programme – on the Green Belt?

Guess what? We’re overpaying for our gas and electricity bills. Someone has totted up the pennies and it adds up to billions of pounds.

Investing in whisky

Best and worst fund managers

Stupidly expensive food and drink

Does filling your freezer with newspaper help to cut your electricity bill?

And finally…

No, it doesn’t. But it’s fun to find out why.

#money #saving #interestrates #moneysaving #whisky #newspaper #banks #badbanks #greenbelt #houseprices #bills

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is this the best financial product ever? From a saver's point of view the Help to Buy Isa may just be that.

Much of the work at This is Money involves uncovering bad behaviour at banks and other providers of financial products.

Anyone would think bankers had no morals.

Of course, we also work hard to praise the good stuff.

One banker this week, claims a product has been launched that has no downside. Really?

Is there finally something too good to be true that is actually true?

Editor Simon Lambert and This is Money’s money product expert Laura Whitcombe pore over the new help-to-buy Isa that hands free money to first time buyers.

But what’s the catch?

Also on the show…

It’s going to get tough for home owners for all sorts of reasons.

It’s already getting tough for buy-to-letters – but is that such a bad thing?

What’s the matter with people and their unhealthy relationship with credit cards?

Does anyone care about climate change when you can save a few quid on your ‘lectric?

Are you earning less than a tractor driver?

Help small shops and small businesses. They’re lovely.

And cake.

#cake #credit #helptobuy #climatechange #shopping #homes #banks #money #spending

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

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As shoppers plotted a course this week through the complicated array of bargains spewed into stores for Black Friday, the Chancellor was hatching a plot of his own to keep news of a £91bn tax raid out of his Autumn Statement.

Editor Simon Lambert and consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce join Share Radio presenter Georgie Frost for a fun look at this mini-Budget - and shopping.

As with all of these things, the devil’s in the retail.

Are graduates really going to foot the bill for increased pensions?

Are the buy-to-let tax changes going to kill off buy-to-let?

What are these help-to-buy Isas?

The Chancellor may have announced that he’s going to build 400,000 new homes – but where on Earth is he going to put them?
‘I want to see a map, George Osborne!’ demands Lee.

Simon admits to getting very excited about negative interest rates, where banks charge customers to look after their savings.
Also being discussed:

The latest news on Isa rates

When phishing scams arrive by SMS and become smishing

And shopping. Does anyone actually like the Black Friday shopping event?

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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

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