Original Broadcast: This is Money
Can you do a financial podcast and not mention the Budget right now? No, not really. But you can give it a good shot at keeping Budget chat to the minimum. Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert take breather from talking about Rachel Reeves and the endless cycle of madness that is the Budget 2025 build up to discuss some other stuff. Can they get through it without mentioning the Budget any more than five times? Listen to find out. First up it's interest rates. Why did the Bank of England hold, will there be a cut next month and how far will they fall? Plus, how have rate expectations shifted and where exactly do mortgage borrowers and savers stand now? Next, it's house prices. Leading estate agent Savills says property values are due to rise 22% in five years, but is that a lot or a little — and could homes actually be getting cheaper. Lee explains why savers are stashing so much cash and Simon sounds a clarion call for moving your money out of insult accounts. Then, via a quick diversion avoiding sneaky speed cameras, it is on to the turf war. Is it ever okay to consider artificial grass and what will it do to your house price? Listen to the end for B***** mentions score.
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Rachel Reeves is in a sticky position ahead of the Budget. Forecasts suggest she will need £30 billion to balance the books — and having made such a fuss about the Tory 'black hole' and her fiscal rules, the Chancellor is in a bind. Problematically, the Government also painted itself into a corner with Labour's election pledge not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT — which amount for two-thirds of tax revenue. So what can Rachel Reeves do? Should she fiddle at the edges and try to raise bits here and there, distorting behaviour with tax even more, or should she break that promise and hike one of the big three? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert look at why the Chancellor is in a pickle and what leading economists at the IFS say she could do. And whether just because she could, does it mean she should? Plus, should you doom-prep your finances; why are millennials becoming landlords; and would you ride in a driverless taxi?
Guests: Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
First-time buyers are borrowing big to try to skip the first rungs of the property ladder and buy bigger homes, a new report suggests. That comes alongside a slump in demand for flats, as buyers push for houses instead. So whether you are a first-time buyer or a home mover should you extend as far as you can to buy a home that will last you longer, or do you risk damaging your finaces by overstretching? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert talk property on this episode, from mortgages, to house prices, why buyer tastes have shifted and why flats can be great. Plus, how does this all fit in to the fading buy-to-let dream and can investing in property still work out? Also, why Britain has an inflation problem and what we can do about our sketchy public finances. And finally, there's a new savings account with a prize draw on offer — should you open one?
Guests: Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Britain is suffering from an epidemic of people who are theoretically rich saying that they don't feel flush at all. If you're a higher-rate taxpayer on more than £50,000 then you are up in the top chunk of the country's earners, but chances are that unless you are well into six figures you don't feel particularly wealthy. Even many of those on £100,000-plus complain that they aren't comfortably living the lifestyles they expected when they dreamed of that kind of money. So, what's going on, what income does it take to make someone rich, does wealth matter more, or is it all to do with how much you have going out? As This is Money launches a new calculator that tells you how you compare, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert discuss the state of the nation's incomes. Also, where are the best places to retire to and how does Britain score, how hard is it to take your mortgage with you when you move and are EPCs a swizz. Plus, listen to Lee speak to Ross Kemp for a special 'Me & My Money' interview.
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Dubai is doing its best to draw in disillusioned young Britons, offering cut-price properties, visa incentives for entrepreneurs and of course, the prospect of paying no income tax. Footballer Rio Ferdinand and his family have even announced they are making the move — but two young families This is Money spoke to say it isn't just for sports stars and influencers. They say it's easier to start your own business, they can get petrol for 50p a litre, and send their children to private school. Helen Crane and Georgie Frost are joined by Money Mail editor and This is Money alumna and Money Mail editor Rachel Rickard-Straus to discuss whether the money incentives would ever be enough for them to do the same. It comes as yet another planned tax hike is being rumoured ahead of Labour's Autumn Budget. This time, landlords are being threatened with paying National Insurance on the income they make from rent — but who will the tax hike really hurt? Elsewhere, our savings expert Sylvia Morris is convinced NS&I will slash the rate on its ever-popular Premium Bonds this October. Georgie is ditching hers, but should you do the same — and where can you get a better rate? Finally, Helen discusses helping a reader who was told she couldn't get her money back for an £883 ferry crossing her husband booked, as she had the wrong kind of death certificate.
Guests: Rachel Rickard-Straus
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
We’re still a couple of months away from the Autumn Budget, but already the rumour mill is in overdrive. But while pensions, inheritance and even cash ISAs have taken the spotlight in the past year, this week, a new tax target has emerged ... property. Helen Crane, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost look at the wild ideas being bandied about when it comes to reform on how we pay tax on homes. The Treasury shut down the idea of a ‘seller tax’ on homes above £500,000, but other plans appear to be on the table. This includes an annual property tax to replace stamp duty, replacing council tax with an annual local tax based on property values and a potential ‘mansion tax’ — AKA, levying a capital gains tax bill on properties sold over a certain value. Elsewhere, we warn over the rise of a sophisticated deepfake scam involving well-known investment gurus — and how people were ensnared into a 'pump and dump' ruse. We investigate the airport currency rip-off. Sure, most of us know we’ll get a poorer rate by leaving it until the last minute, but did you know the sneaky tricks being used? And, sticking with the holiday theme, Lee transports you to the brocantes of France… and talks through the stats that show we have no idea how to tip abroad.
Guests: Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Down valuations are on the rise, so what happens if you and your mortgage lender don't agree on your new home's value? Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce talk through the home valuation process and whether it is a fair system for banks, borrowers and sellers. How much more would you be willing to pay to be in a good school's catchment area? New data suggests living near a good primary or secondary school is becoming pricier. Are you saving enough for your age? The adage is three to six months' worth of income — but for some age groups, it should be one to three years. Move over Swiftonomics, it's all about the Oasinomics - or as Lee describes it, Rkidinomics. How much have the Gallagher brothers added to the UK economy this year? And finally, supermarket self-checkout cameras — are they legal?
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
How do you solve a problem like high house prices without sinking the economy? That's a conundrum that's kept politicians and central bankers awake at night for years. Now there's a new plan. Rachel Reeves unveiled a push for bigger mortgages this week, with the backing of the Bank of England, financial watchdogs, banks and building societies. Protections in place since the credit crunch-induced crash will be swept away. Are we forgetting the lessons from the financial crisis or adjusting the rules to meet a world that's different? Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert talk bumper mortgages and what next. Plus, the Chancellor has more plans, to get people investing, support the stock market and fire up the economy — will they work? As the FTSE100 flirts with a close above 9,000, is it time to buy British? And what do you need to know about paying inheritance tax rather than the usual topic of avoiding it?
Guests: Tanya Jefferies
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce consider how your money has been impacted by the first 12 months of the Labour Government: the good, the bad and the ugly. It's now looking almost inevitable that the limits on Cash ISA investment will be cut, and the team look ahead to the prospect of more tax rises on the way. Meanwhile, the IFS plans to sort out the state pension, and they discuss a key question for those looking to move home: what's putting people off buying your house?
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
How long did you take looking round your home before you put an offer in for it? The average prospective buyer spends just 43 minutes. Surprise, surprise, research suggests that it pays to take your time. Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce talk about what should be on your checklist before you take the plunge and buy a property. Should you go by vibes alone, or do you really need to kick the tyres? And when you do buy, what happens if the seller leaves junk like a mouldy fridge, a grimy washing machine and a stained sofa? We reveal all. Buy-to-let has taken a battering in recent years — but there are still pockets of Britain where investors are finding a decent yield. Cash ISAs are back in the spotlight with a review likely to come in July — how likely is it that they will be tinkered with? And will news-defunct furniture brand MFI will return after twenty years; what stores would you like to see make a comeback?
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