This Is Money Show

If you are selling your home you need to make it look as good as possible. And that starts before you welcome any potential buyers through the door, as to even get them to consider visiting it needs to look great in estate agent's photos. In a world where people go online to hunt for properties, how can you do that? In this excerpt from the This is Money podcast we give sellers some tips to make their home shine.

The National Health Service is 70 years old this year and most of us are proud of the British institution, leaning on it in our times of need. However, we’re living longer with more complex problems and the service keeps crying out that it needs more money. Where does it come from? Do we make cost-cuttings or plough lots of money in, do we increase income tax, make the rich pay, or introduce a new special ring-fenced tax? Theresa May announced plans for £20.5billion-a-year cash boost – but was a little short on the detail. She hinted at tax rises and mentioned a ‘Brexit dividend’. This is Money editor Simon Lambert, along with consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce and presenter Georgie Frost look at ways to fix the NHS in the latest podcast.

What's the most important thing when you want to move home? Should you worry more about getting the best price or simply about getting your home sold? On this week's podcast we delve into the art of home selling, looking at how to make sure the price is right, whether to do work before you sell, or just a quick spruce up and why what's happening in the property market near you should be a deciding factor. Another month and another set of mixed messages about the state of the housing market is revealed. First-time buyers who have a deposit and home movers in the North are doing fine. But London is on the ropes and second and third movers are staying put, bringing the market to a standstill. According the Halifax, prices nevertheless managed to rise £3,000 last month in this ‘subdued’ market. Editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Rachel Rickard Straus and money broadcaster Georgie Frost get into the aural attic to unbox the facts. The villain of the piece, they agree, is stamp duty. It use

Whatever happened to bitcoin? After the mania at the end of last year when the price spiked to almost $20,000, the cryptocurrency took a tumble but more noticeably attention has drained away. You need no greater sign of that than figures showing bitcoin Google searches are down 90 per cent. That adds weight to the argument that much of the late 2017 big leg-up was driven by mainstream punters jumping on the cryptocurrency bandwagon. So with bitcoin largely out of the headlines, is that it for the cryptocurrency or is it time to buy for the long-term when things are quiet. On this week’s podcast we take a look at who’s buying, who’s holding and who might be waiting for the price to rise again and greater fool theory to deliver someone who will take their bitcoin off their hands. Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost also take a look at gold – and why people aren’t buying this traditional form of investment portfolio insurance – and the most consistent investment trusts of the past decade. And finall

Global financial markets have been flying up and down and all over the place this week and it’s all got to do with one boot-shaped country in the Mediterranean. Italy has found itself embroiled in a power struggle between Eurosceptic populists – winners of the March general election – and the pro-EU establishment. The ramifications have spread across the globe and will affect Britons from big-time investors to anyone building up a pension pot. As we write this a coalition deal has been reached in Italy, likely to avert a proposed snap election. But this story is moving so quickly that just hours ago when we recorded the podcast there was no deal on the table. Even more reason as things helter-skelter forward to step back and work out what is going on and how on earth we got here – as This is Money editor Simon Lambert offers in his back-to-basics explainer. Also in this episode, Simon, presenter Georgie Frost and personal finance editor Rachel Rickard Straus talk about what you can do to stop your

Ever heard of money flipping? It’s a new scheme doing the rounds on Facebook and social media that promises to turn your £50 into potentially thousands. So how do you do that? Simple really, you pay others to get onto the bottom rung of a pyramid and then recruit more people to move you up a level and get paid yourself. What makes it so dumb is that it doesn’t even try to have the legitimate veneer of famous pyramid schemes of the past. It’s a Ponzi scheme, plain and simple, but what is one of those and who was Charles Ponzi, the man the scams are named after. On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost step back to America in 1920 to find out how Ponzi soared and then crashed – and look at the new money flipping scheme that has brought a trick as old as time to today’s digital age. Also on this week’s podcast, we look at TSB customers who are unfortunate enough to get scammed themselves after the bank’s meltdown and how it is failing them. And we take a look at whether the FTSE 10

High house prices mean that the biggest barrier to buying a home in Britain is raising a deposit. With mortgage interest rates at near record low levels, many would-be homeowners could afford monthly payments - but saving the average £30,000 deposit would take years.  For a lot of first-time buyers that means a trip to the Bank of Mum and Dad, but what if that's not an option? It is possible to buy a home without raising tens of thousands of pounds, if you take a 95% mortgage. With one of these deals, a first-time buyer able to pass mortgage affordability tests could put down a 5% deposit of £10,000 and buy a £200,000 home. But is that a good idea? Didn't small deposit mortgages crash the economy a decade ago? Are they not leaving themselves heavily overexposed to falling house prices? In this week's podcast, Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost dig into the world of buying a home with a small deposit mortgage, busting the myths and considering the benefits and the risks.  They also look at whether giving

You don’t need to spend long reading the news to find a warning that Britain isn’t saving enough for retirement. But with a little bit of effort it is possible to get saving so that you can enjoy a richer retirement. On this week’s podcast Simon Lambert, Tanya Jefferies and Georgie Frost discuss how to start a pension, how to improve on the one you’ve got and how to work out if you are investing enough for retirement. They also take a look at how, if you are approaching retirement, you can check up on your state pension – and what to do if you think it's wrong. Enjoy.

A top bank has formed a 'money mule hunting squad' and is planning to share its secrets with rivals. How does this scam work and what is being done to fight it? Should banks, universities and schools take more action to prevent young people getting sucked into helping hardened criminals hide their cash?  And as Nationwide starts turning away grandparents trying to deposit cash for their grandkids, what is behind this new curb on everyday cash transactions? The interest-only mortgage timebomb is a hot topic again after we featured the story of Len and Val, who never missed a mortgage payment but still face losing their home. This is Money Editor Simon Lambert and journalist Tanya Jefferies joined Georgie Frost to debate these issues. Plus, Simon has an impassioned rant about potholes... Hear it all on this week’s podcast.

Should you cash in on your home to help yourself or your kids? As a generation retires with more money in their houses than the bank, this question will only become more pressing. And it’s been a topic of much debate on This is Money this week, as we revealed how a new wave of retirement interest-only mortgages could be about to emerge. Homeowners could use one to have a more comfortable retirement, clear some debt, or hand the kids or grandkids an early inheritance – perhaps to buy a home for their own young family. Is that a good idea or a recipe for disaster – and how did we even end up here? In a conversation that tracks all the way back to the mortgage boom of the Thatcher years, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost dive into the homes as a cash machine question on this week’s podcast. Plus, they also take a look at what happens when an inheritance doesn’t materialise as thought – can you contest a will if it’s all left to the dogs’ home. The TSB meltdown is also up for discussio

What has Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, got to do with long-forgotten television soap Eldorado? Find out in the latest This is Money podcast, in which editor Simon Lambert and consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce discuss the inflation figures out this week and whether they have increased the likelihood of a base rate rise. Discover why Simon believes raising interest rates wouldn't be a bad idea but raising rates because the country finally got a pay rise would be. Meanwhile, house prices in London saw their first annual fall in price since 2009 and sellers across the UK are having to accept far less than their asking price. Are values in the capital about to fall even faster? Continuing the property theme, we take a look at new platform Raffle House which gives people the chance to win a home with a fiver – but is it too good to be true? They may be billed as good for the environment but not for our wallets - we look at the hidden costs of electric cars. And lastly, one for the gardeni

British Gas have revealed this week that more than four million households face a 5.5 per cent bill increase from the end of May thanks to changes to its standard variable tariff. Hot on its heels, EDF Energy announced it will be hiking the cost of energy bills by 1.4 per cent for 1.3million customers. In this week’s podcast, Rachel Rickard Straus and Lee Boyce say it is time for people to fight back and switch. Energy: The latest podcast looks at the latest energy price rises - and the furore around smart meters On the energy theme, we talk about our campaign to stop power firms using bullying tactics in order to force households into getting a smart meter – and why it is better to wait until the end of the year. We take a look at some of the methods to make your home more energy efficient, including insulation and wood burning stoves. We also discuss how to give money to charity in a tax efficient way - and whether or not loyalty cards are still worth having. The latter comes as changes to Avios and

Good news. Chances are you just got a tax cut. Well an income tax cut at least, problem is your council tax is likely to be rising and if you are an investor the Government is after more of your dividends, or if you’re a landlord it wants your rental income. So who are the winners and losers of the new tax year that rolled round on 6 April? And what are the candidates for dumbest bits of Britain’s tax code. In this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and George Frost take a look at who is getting the biggest tax cut and who is being hit. They also discuss whether we need a new hypothecated tax to pay for the NHS. Also on this week’s show we look at the best rural places to live in the UK and how to invest in wine without breaking the bank. And finally, Britain’s ten most hated driving moves have been revealed. Parallel parking we get, but why are there so many people who struggle to navigate a roundabout.

Building up a pension was once relatively simple, for each year you worked for a company it promised to pay you some money in retirement. The death of the final salary scheme put paid to that and now most people must invest into a pension instead - with their work helping out. But while it is tempting to put off a pension and think you have more pressing financial matters to deal with, that's a mistake. The earlier you start and the more you pay in, the greater your chance of having a richer retirement. So what do you need to know - and do? On this week's podcast, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost talk pensions. Also on this week's show, some last minute Isa tips, how to share an inheritance if you want to divert it and the energy firm told it can't have any more new customers. And finally, selling used cars that are really new ones. Why on earth would a dealer do that?

My property is my pension. That was the popular saying when buy-to-let was all the rage and every other person you met fancied their chances as a minor property mogul. But life has got much tougher for landlords, with a series of tax grabs and tougher mortgage rules hitting. So does buy-to-let still stack up as a way to build your wealth? It certainly requires a lot of money upfront, even more now than ever before, and while the taxman will take a big chunk of your buy-to-let investment pot in stamp duty, he’ll give you money back if you invest in a pension instead. Simon Lambert, Sarah Davidson and Georgie Frost take a look at buy-to-let and the property market in this week’s podcast, including how it compares to investing in your Isa or a pension. They also look at investing in property without buying it directly yourself, and whether houses are too expensive now for good profits in years to come, or if there are some areas where an investment still makes sense. Also, tackled on this week’s show is wh

It’s not long before the door slams shut on your chance to use this year’s Isa allowance. It’s always best not to leave Isa saving or investing until the last month of the tax year, but many of us will do so. If you do end up fixing your Isa against the deadline, it’s definitely wise not to leave it to the last week – or even the final few days. So, here is our special Isa podcast – with a comfortable three weeks to spare before the 5 April tax year end. In it, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost dive into everything you need to know about Isas, from cash, to stocks and shares, and Innovative to Lifetime. The podcast tackles the basics and also tips for those who are experienced Isa savers or investors. It also looks at why investing is the best way to get inflation-beating returns over the long term, how savers can eke some precious extra interest from accounts, and why an Isa is worth having.

We have a housing crisis. That’s the message, loud and clear, and it was reiterated by the Prime Minister this week. What’s the answer? Build more homes. Or is it? Because once you start digging into the subject, this housing crisis is a pretty ill-defined problem - and it’s not clear that a lack of homes is causing the problem of too high house prices. Many people suspect that actually it’s too much cheap money that made homes so expensive. On this week’s podcast episode, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost get stuck into the housing crisis. They look at what the problem is meant to be, what made homes so expensive, what the plans are to solve the issue, and whether building more homes will make house prices cheaper. And there’s even a defence of the dreaded Nimby in there. Also on this week’s show we discuss why we are calling for action on the state pension top-up fiasco, how your driving licence might get Brexited, and the jobs that desperately need more people. And finally, what should you

In this excerpt from the This is Money podcast, Simon Lambert outlines why he thinks interest rates should rise and Rachel Rickard Straus explains why savers need to switch to better deals and not just rely on rates going up.

Toys R Us and Maplin were sunk this week, investors are nervously watching Carpetright and Mothercare, and restaurants from Jamie Oliver’s, to Byron, and now Prezzo are closing their doors. This week’s shop closures could see more than 5,000 jobs lost. It looks like a slow motion crash on the High Street. But at the same time the economy is doing okay, and sales in the housing market are reasonably buoyant, so why the trouble? In this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Rachel Rickard Straus take a look at Britain’s high street woes and whether it is company debt, consumer confidence, overexpansion gone wrong, or a failure to keep up with the times that is sinking well-known names. Also on the show, we take a look at what Warren Buffett learnt from his ten–year tracker fund bet – and the twist in the tale of how he won it. Plus, how the value of your old £10 note changed through its lifetime and the things most likely to go wrong on a new car.

Just how does the mythical and bizarre world of credit ratings really work? How can you improve your score and what does the figure even mean? On this week's podcast, personal finance editor Rachel Rickard Straus and consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce join presenter Georgie Frost to discuss this and how one unknown fraud marker on a Cifas file left a reader with a 'do not employ' status when looking for job. Rachel describes how she saw a tourist defrauded at a cash point and what it made her realise. Lee explains why he is fed-up with car insurers taking motorists for a ride and how he beat a 67 per cent annual rise. Whisper it: but there could be a cash Isa season this year. For years, banks and building societies scrambled to offer attractive rates – and 2018 could see the tax-free accounts finally en vogue once more. Pensioner bonds – remember them? Well many are seeing the three-year versions of the accounts mature. But there could be a tax sting in the tail.