This Is Money Show

This bonus podcast episode is from This is Money's new special series Making the Money Work, in partnership with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Andi Peters and Simon Lambert talk to record-breaking Atlantic solo rower Kiko Matthews. How do you fund a life less ordinary? For most of us financial life means paydays, bills, mortgages and attempts to save or invest, but for others it is very different. If you decide to row the Atlantic, are an Olympic boxer, or have made a career out of having adventures or doing comedy, what on earth do you do with your finances? In our new special podcast series Making the Money Work, in partnership with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, we talk earnings, budgeting and savings with those whose lives and finances roam far from the norm. The five podcasts are hosted by Andi Peters, alongside This is Money’s Simon Lambert, and every fortnight over the next ten weeks you can listen to a new interview with a different special guest about their fi

Does Woodford trump Brexit and the election, were you more concerned about the wealth gap, or do all those pale into insignificance next to the challenges of climate change? On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Tanya Jefferies discuss the money stories that shaped the final year of a tumultuous decade. Fallen star fund manager Neil Woodford dominated the financial headlines after his fund was frozen at the start of June, with investors still waiting to find out how much they will get back as it is wound down. That saga was enough to push Brexit and politics out of the main headlines for a while, but they loomed large over the whole year.  January triggered a period of fretting over no deal, March saw the Brexit deadline come and pass, summer saw Theresa May out the door of Number 10 Downing Street and Boris Johnson in, only for the new Prime Minister to miss his own Brexit deadline and gamble on an election that he won handsomely. Where does that take us next – and will the

The stock market and the pound bounced as Boris Johnson claimed his 80 seat majority in a better-than-expected election win. But will the honeymoon period last into the New Year, beyond Brexit on 31 January, through a Budget in early February and past the negotiations about how exactly our future relationship with the EU will pan out? The Conservative manifesto was thin on detail, but on this podcast we discuss what was in there, what else we know Boris might do and what we think he could do with the big majority this general election delivered him. And we ask whether the man who wants to be a great Prime Minister, can deliver the goods on the NHS, reshape the economy and get stuff done?

The combined wealth of British households is up 13 per cent between 2016 and 2018 - with the average standing at £286,600. But it's not all about house prices. In fact, the bulk of the rise is thanks to private pensions rather than property inflation, according to the Office for National Statistics. And it says that despite plenty of election claims to the contrary the rich aren't getting richer - but does that claim stack up?  On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost delve into the figures and ask: is financial inequality growing? We look at whether a reader can retire at 58 with a £6,000 pension – but £420,000 in a savings account. Meanwhile, as Vanguard reveals details of its new self-invested personal pension is this now the best home for cheap and easy retirement savings outside of the workplace? On the not so bright side for investors, M&G has suspended trading on its commercial property fund as savers dash for their cash. And finally, away from the ser

Will this election really prove to be about Brexit?  That issue was predicted to define the vote, but while each party’s Brexit stance will be at the forefront of people’s minds there are many other factors that now seem to be heavily influencing how the 12 December general election is shaping up. One of the biggest is the battle over the economy and our personal finances. There’s a sizeable difference between Labour’s tax and spending plans and those of the Tories. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats propose their own sizeable tax and spending rises but at less than half the Labour increase. So what do all these promises and plans mean for you? On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce dig into the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat manifestos to find out. The Conservatives have already said they will spend an extra £34billion a year by 2024 and added a further £3billion to that in their manifesto. But Labour plan an extra £82.9billion of spending – with a furth

Labour's election manifesto has been revealed and it involves a huge £82.9billion spending spree – to be funded by a similar tax rise. It outlined a 45p income tax rate above £80,000 and to leave no one in any doubt about its intentions opted to call its new 50p level above £125,000 the Super-Rich Rate. On this podcast, Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce run through the main financial points of Labour's manifesto, with a look at all the parties' plans due at a later date after the Tory manifesto lands. They look at the other Labour moves, including for capital gains will be taxed at the same level as income – with the annual allowance axed - sending the current 10 and 20 per cent CGT rate for investors in shares and funds – and 18 and 28 per cent for property investors - up to 20, 40, 45 or even 50 per cent. Entrepreneurs would lose their special 10 per cent capital gains tax rate that rewards them for building businesses. Dividends would also be taxed the same as income, with the dividend a

It could be you. It probably won't, of course, but maybe, just maybe, it could be.  That's the attraction of Britain's lottery for its millions of players and this week it reached its 25th birthday.  For self-proclaimed Lottery mug, Simon Lambert, that's two-and-a-half decades of spending money on the draw week-in, week-out because foolishly he has six numbers committed to memory. For some lucky people though, it's meant winning a life-changing sum of money, albeit for a handful it probably didn't change life for the better. On this week's podcast, Simon, Georgie Frost and George Nixon look at 25 years of the lottery and the story of a couple, Elaine and Derek, from Newcastle who won £2.7million shortly after the game started. So what did they do with the money - and what would our podcast team do? Also, this week we discuss the 100 per cent mortgages for students who want to try their hand at becoming buy-to-let landlords. Meanwhile, providers that know your new card details before you h

What’s the best new or used electric car on the market, would buying your insurance on the day you need it drive up the price, and does London’s diesel-crunching ULEZ make sense? Those are the questions and more on this motoring special edition of the This is Money Podcast. On it, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert are joined by deputy motoring editor Rob Hull to talk cars and money. First up, is our exclusive on how insurers are sneakily pushing up prices for those who buy cover close to when they need it - bad news if you want to choose and buy a car and then drive it away. The team also look at attempts to crack down on older petrol and diesel cars, such as London’s ULEZ – soon to be extended all the way out to the North and South Circular – and ask whether the crop of electric car alternatives available now are enough to tempt people en-masse. Simon argues that one of the key problems is not how good new electric cars are (albeit they are now pretty good) but the issue of buying second hand and t

Insurance claims for burglary rise by a third in the winter months and sometimes it can be down to households not doing basic checks.  This week, editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost take a look what you can do to protect your home. Elsewhere, can you use Section 75 when booking a holiday on a credit through a third party? We take a look at what common myths many have when it comes to consumer rights, including: if a shop prices an item up wrong, is it obliged to sell it for the lower amount? We tackle a question that could be on the minds of parents – should you pay off your child's student loan, or help them buy a home? And just how bonkers is the current student finance system? Savers aged over 50 are being sent newly-revamped and shortened 'wake-up packs' about their pensions – a good idea? And finally, could you have an old comic book gathering dust worth a pretty penny?

What's the difference between loyalty and inertia? Do we get too little reward for the former and show too much of the latter when it comes to shopping and banking? That's the question Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost tackle in the podcast this week. It comes as Tesco – one of the original loyalty scheme pioneers – revealed its new paid-for Clubcard Plus, costing £7.99 per month. Meanwhile, Nationwide Building Society has also announced it is scrapping its hugely popular loyalty savings accounts held by 1.6million people. Which are the firms and organisations the team feel some loyalty too - and what are the ones they stick with out of sheer laziness?  And with another small energy firm going bust, should we in fact be staying 'loyal' to some of the established giants for peace of mind? Elsewhere, we look at a study comparing the costs of buying and renting a home claiming the former could leave you £350,000 better off: do we finally have conclusive evidence? Also, when you

Neil Woodford's Equity Income Fund, which has locked in investors' money since June, will never reopen – the star fund manager has seen his empire toppled. Editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost, ask: what is next for investors and what lessons will be learnt? We also talk about where it went wrong and what it could mean for the investment industry. Elsewhere, we reveal what makes a 'comfortable' retirement – and what changes you can make to ensure that you are doing enough to secure one. We reveal whether you can find rare quarters from the US in your change while visiting. Meanwhile, a reader asks whether they need to come clean to their car insurer as they're about to tick over the mileage they quoted when they started their annual policy.

If you want a good deal, an undervalued gem, or a fixer-upper to make money on - buy a home at auction. That's the common theory, but does it actually work in practice? There's a chance you might find an underrated home, but there's also the risk that you may get caught up in competition with another buyer and overpay - as many who end up in a bidding war do. On this week's podcast, we switch off Homes Under the Hammer and go watch some real life homes go under the hammer at a property auction. Reporter Grace Gausden tells us about the auction room atmosphere, and Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and George Nixon discuss tips to make sure you stay on the right side of a bargain hunt. Also on this week's podcast, the team discuss whether those owed money from before Thomas Cook went bust can get flight compensation and why Barclays is stopping customers taking out cash at the post office. Plus, Simon explains the circular economy and why it's important to get capitalism on side to stop trashing the

It’s crunch time for Brexit and things could go one of three ways. Theoretically, a no-deal Brexit shouldn’t be able to happen and the Prime Minister has to ask for an extension instead, but we are faced with the bizarre prospect of the Government saying it might be able to dodge the law… and so maybe no-deal could still happen. And then, of course, there is the possibility that instead of no-deal or an extension, we actually get a deal. Amid all this, we’ve had news that the UK economy slowed earlier this year and fresh fears over recession, global trade war worries have stepped up a bit, an election’s on the cards, the stock market’s been tumbling and interest rates are going to head down not up. So, is it time to batten down the hatches, or should you be optimistic and aim to be greedy while others are fearful? On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Tanya Jefferies and Georgie Frost look at what the latest episode in the Brexit soap opera means for our money, from savings and investments, to m

We are regularly told that we aren’t saving enough into a pension, but how much is enough?    A recent report suggested that while auto enrolment has dragged more people into saving for retirement, it has also lulled them into a false sense of security.   Currently, the system means 8 per cent of a worker’s salary must be going into a pension – unless they opt out – but that includes their contribution, basic rate tax relief and what their employer puts in.   Experts suggest that depending on when you start that number needs to be more like a minimum of 12 per cent or even 15 per cent. So how can you make sure you are salting away enough to live in the style you’d like in retirement?   On this week’s podcast Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost dive into the world of pension saving and the tricks you can use to get more going into your retirement pot.   Also this week, they talk Brexit-proofing your pension, wills – and how to get one if you don’t have one, and what you need to think about if you are moving house

The best time to get a good deal on buying something is when other people don’t want to. That should theoretically make now a decent time to try to buy a property, but will that work in practice? The property market has run out of steam and house prices are rising at a far more moderate rate than in recent years  While the headline figures mask regional differences – London and the South East have seen prices fall, while cheaper areas are still seeing gains – even drilling down into the numbers shows most places are slowing. Rightmove reported this week that the traditional back to school bounce was cancelled, as asking prices failed to rise for the first time in September since 2010 this month. Meanwhile, the ONS, Nationwide and Halifax reports have all pointed to a period of much slower house price inflation. The problem is that often to buy a house you need to sell one and-  even if you can do that - estate agents and analysts point to a distinct lack of properties being put up for sale. On thi

Entrepreneurs and investors pay less tax on their profits to reflect the risk they take.    That’s the principle that lies behind capital gains tax being lower than the rates charged on employment income.   But the influential think-tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research, wants to rip up that system and charge the same rate on gains from selling shares or property as income tax – and hack back the annual capital gains tax allowance to just £1,000.   It even wants to remove the special low entrepreneur rate given to those who have sold a business that they built up.   Is this the kind of For the many not the few move that Britain needs to level the playing field between those with plenty of capital and the ability to make investments and those who don’t?   Or is it just another planned tax raid on those putting their money to productive use and growing our collective wealth?   On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost dig into the IPPR’s proposals and look at whether this is the kind of t

Savers have been dealt a series of blows over the summer and the latest came this week with an NS&I cut, so was that as good as it gets this time round?   On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Sarah Davidson and Georgie Frost look at why savings rates have started to slip again, and how the mortgage price war, stuttering UK property market and even Donald Trump’s trade spat with China fit in with that.   Meanwhile, after one of the most tumultuous weeks in British politics in a decade – at the end of which we are still unsure whether a no-deal Brexit or General Election are on the cards or out of the question – the team look at how to protect yourself against the fallout.   Should you act to bolster your savings, mortgage, pension and investments against potential risks?    Is that just good financial planning anyway?    Does stock piling food ever make sense?   The trio look at the expert advice and share their opinions on those topics.   Away from the Brexit row, a domestic political hot potato was bei

This week, This is Money takes a look at a raft of inter-generation financial divide stories that have popped up in August. This includes why those born in the 1980s have less disposable income than those born in the 1970s according to the Office for National Statistics and why the Bank of Mum and Dad is creaking. Assistant editor Lee Boyce, reporter George Nixon and host Georgie Frost run the rule over these statistics, along with proposals to raise the state pension age to 75. This was from a right-wing think tank The Centre for Social Justice and has left many industry experts irate. We also discuss data showing that two thirds of older people say they feel hurt by the inter-generational financial criticism that they are lording it up at the expense of younger generations. Elsewhere, why easy-access savings account rates could be a better bet than fixed-rate offers and why you should act if you have a Marcus Bank savings account. We also talk metal bank cards – why on earth would you want

It's fair to say environmental issues have moved to the forefront of the agenda in recent times – a large chunk of households in Britain are becoming more eco-conscious. This week, editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost take a look at potential changes you can make to help the pound in your pocket turn a little greener. Simon explains his rallying cry for us to be his acronym 'Layby' rather than being labelled 'Nimbys'. Layby – or look after your back yard – is a movement to look after the country we live in. When it comes to investing, there is a growing movement where savers who want to combat climate change invest a small amount of money in the very companies eco-activists traditionally rally against, such as fossil fuel giants Shell and BP – so why? You don't have to do a Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish activist, and sail for two weeks to your holiday destination to lower your travel carbon footprint... what can you do to be a more eco-friendly tourist? An

The pound has been battered and bruised of late and it took another blow last week with gloomy news about the UK economy. With a no-deal potentially in the offing, how much more of a pounding will sterling take? Editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost look at what lies behind the decline, why it's fallen so much when jobs, wages and inflation aren't doing badly and what it could mean for interest rates. We also ask: is a recession coming? And as the cost of living nudged higher, with inflation recorded at 2.1 per cent, what was behind the surprise increase? Elsewhere, should you fix your mortgage for 10 years? Banks and building societies are increasingly catering to the rising demand. One of the biggest last minute holiday hassles is sorting out money and something we often leave to the last minute. But you could avoid all that and sign up for a credit or debit card that comes with no extra fees spending abroad and doesn't load currency conversions in the ban