Original Broadcast: This is Money
How much spare cash do you have to spend? A new index shows we typically have £836 in disposable income each month. That’s the amount of money you have left over to spend or save after taxes and bills have been paid, according to comprehensive research. Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce talk income and ask — does a £100,000 annual salary really not make workers feel wealthy anymore? The annual list of happiest and unhappiest towns to live in Britain has been released, with Slough in Berkshire being labelled the most miserable. Is that a fair tag for any town? Bitcoin topped $100,000 for the first time. It soared in the wake of Donald Trump's election. So, have the crypto evangelists been proved right, can you still make money from bitcoin and what other coins are worth looking into? Lastly, wood stoves are back in the news. What are the rules around them - and are they really a polluting menace?
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
House price predictions for next year have started to roll in, so where do the experts think they are headed next? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Lee Boyce discuss the property market - and delve into figures that attempt to tackle the tricky question: is it harder to buy a home now versus 50 years ago? And sticking with property, Halifax has launched a highly unusual fixed-rate mortgage — should borrowers be tempted? With the weather turning colder, we talk how to stay warm this winter without breaking the bank and whether it is worth getting a fixed tariff with your energy firm. We reveal the amount you should have saved in your pension in every decade of your life to guarantee a golden retirement — and how much notice you should pay to these formulas. And lastly, Lee reveals his top tips for avoiding the out of contract rip-off trap — and how he's saving more than £400 in the next 12 months by doing so.
Guests: Helen Crane
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Inflation's spell below the Bank of England's 2% target has been brief and the latest CPI figure came in at a higher than expected 2.3%. Meanwhile, Bank of England boss Andrew Bailey has joined the Office of Budget Responsibility in stating that the recent Autumn Budget is likely to lift inflation, as employers face higher costs from national insurance and the rising minimum wage. On the other side of the Atlantic, President-elect Donald Trump is seen as bringing his own inflationary pressure, which could spread from the US to the rest of the world. So what does this mean for interest rates? Are cuts about to stall — and what happens next for borrowers and savers? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert, talk inflation, rates, mortgages and savings. The team also look at whether those needing to get a mortgage now should fix for two or five years. Plus, why the row over inheritance tax and farmers is symptomatic of Britain's bad tax system — and Simon's plan for a trade-off on IHT-free land. Crane goes on the case of money refunded for a faulty coffee machine much later to an empty gift voucher that had understandably gone in the bin. And finally, the listener question of the week is up and running, and it's one on sticking it to the man and having enough money to quit work for good.
Guests: Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Rachel Reeves' maiden Budget last week saw the first-ever female chancellor make £40billion of sweeping tax rises in to plug funding gaps in the NHS and schools. While it left many of us with something to be miserable about when it comes to our money, there were also some important dodged bullets, as Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Helen Crane discuss. Among the losers were landlords, investors and those who have stashed wealth in their pension, as stamp duty, capital gains tax and inheritance tax all came under the spotlight. The attack on the middle classes was perhaps to be expected from a Government which has told us those with the broadest shoulders must bear a bigger burden. But aside from a rise in the minimum wage and 1p off a pint, did the Budget give enough of a boost to 'working people' — and will changes to employers' National Insurance Contributions indirectly hit them in the pocket anyway? Given growth was the buzzword of the Labour election campaign, did Reeves miss an opportunity to get people excited about British industry and entrepreneurship? We also dig into what wasn't announced in the speech, including a not-so-fond farewell to the short-lived British ISA, and a child benefit change that could have helped single parents found itself on the scrapheap.
Guests: Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Are private sector retirement plans being put at risk in order to help strengthen public-sector gold-plated pensions? Georgie Frost discusses this and other topics with Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce, including a couple of irritating taxes, where interest rates will be next year and whether you should get a LISA if you already own a home. Plus, they identify some key property hotspots.
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Whether you voted Labour or not, with any new government, there is a sense of optimism. Things can only get better… apparently. But within days, Rachel Reeves and co poured cold water over all that - and the gloom and doom about the economy and what then could be (and crucially not be) in the Budget hasn’t stopped. Well, Simon Lambert is fed up. So he has put forward an alternative budget with less than two weeks to go. Do you agree with him? And what would you do? Alongside Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce, the trio talk about budget pessimism. Did it need to be this way? There has been plenty of speculation that NI paid by employers will rise and they may even have to pay NI on pension contributions. What does that mean? This week CPI fell below the Bank of England's 2% target in September, reaching its lowest point in three years. What does that mean for interest rates? More major lenders have put mortgage rates up - where next for home loan deals? And just what is Sonia, if not an Eastenders character or 80s pop star? Lastly, there has been plenty of pre-budget speculation about inheritance tax. But what about the here and now... can you really get caught out by taking your extended family on an annual holiday?
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Savings plans to help financial resilience — are they any use? New tipping rules, and parents helping as mortgage lenders. Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce discuss (Lee also shares thoughts about his various collections over the years).
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
How well do you manage your money? Where would you rate your budgeting, saving, investing and pension efforts in marks out of ten? It's not often that we think about these things but mulling them over and making improvements where needed and patting yourself on the back when deserved, is a major step on the road to financial success. Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert dial down the noise of the news and dive into how we can manage our money better instead. They discuss tips on how to budget, how to boost your savings and returns, how easy or complicated investing should be, and why a pension is the best and easiest way to get rich. They also share an honest look at their own money management and finances, revealing what they do well, what they just about get by at — and the mistakes they make. Plus, when should you decide to get the professionals in and seek financial advice or financial planning? Simon and Georgie discuss that and the costs. And financial planner Dan Beecroft, of Charles Stanley, joins the show to talk about why people seek financial advice and the questions they ask.
Guests: Dan Beecroft
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
With just one month to go before the Budget, Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce discuss what you might consider doing to prepare for it? Give money away, use allowances (CGT, ISA, pension contributions) to the full, or leave the country? The team reminds us that 'don't panic' is often the best way forward. There's also a couple of interesting readers' questions, about ignoring a father's will and re-marriage to save tax.
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Do you keep savings in your current account? It’s an easy trap to fall into, with a third of people admitting they do it in a recent poll. If you do keep a savings pot in a bank account you are likely to be missing out on a big chunk of interest you could otherwise earn. But even if they don’t do this, there’s two more mistakes people make — using convenient ‘insult’ accounts with their existing bank that pay pitiful interest and not using a Cash ISA and losing out to tax. Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert look at how to make more of your savings and avoid handing over returns to the bank or taxman. Plus, are you playing into the hands of shoulder surfing fraudsters or phone snatchers, why are more larger detached homes hitting the market and how can you get Steve Webb to answer your pension question on next week’s podcast?
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