Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
“Give your grace abundantly to our European Union Leaders, that they may lead with wisdom and insight”, prayed Archbishop John Sentamu in early 2019. But it only became possible to knock sense into Brexit negotiations with the EU once Boris, armed with his very direct slogan ‘Get Brexit Done’ and with his impressive parliamentary majority following the December 2019 general election, took the EU bull by the horns. We all knew then it couldn't be the end of the story and, sure enough, we now have the Windsor Framework: but let's give credit where credit's due. Background music: 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home' - Cooper Cannell
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
There's not long left until the end of the tax year - and that means it is time to sort your ISA if you haven't already. This year's Isa allowance runs out as the tax year ticks over on 6th April and it pays to get everything you can into the tax-free shelter for savings and investments. But what are the important things you need to know, the tips for making the most of your ISA - and why does it matter more this year than it has done before. On this ISA saving and investing special episode, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert talk all things ISAs - from finding the best saving rates, to how to invest and how to boost your chance of investment success if you already have a stocks and shares ISA.
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Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
Just as Nicola Sturgeon steps out of Scottish politics and Rishi Sunak struggles with the Brexit Protocol for Northern Ireland, my attention was drawn to some world-leading legislation passed by the Welsh Government in 2015: 'The Well-being of Future Generations Act'. Recognising the degree to which modern society impacts the future so much more than any of the generations which have preceded us, this Act is of constitutional significance — requiring public bodies to think about the long-term impact of their decisions, to work better with people, communities and each other, and to prevent persistent problems such as poverty, health inequalities and climate change. No wonder that it is attracting interest from countries across the world, offering a huge opportunity to make a long-lasting, positive change for future generations. Background music: Celtic Impulse by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
The huge take-up of ChatGPT over recent weeks has brought the challenge of Artificial Intelligence into sharp relief. As the Chief Executive of its creator, OpenAI, said in one of his blogs, 'Artificial Intelligence will bring unimaginable wealth but, unless something changes, most of us will get none of it. We need a radical solution'. Conventional wisdom sees Universal Basic Income as the way through this dilemma, but this will only bring us more state intermediation and human subservience. We can put forward a better solution, by enabling all to share in the wealth that technology brings and to play their part in its future governance. Background music: 'Digital Solitude' by Silent Partner
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Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
The Resolution Foundation's paper 'ISA ISA Baby' released last week drew a scathing response from This Is Money, and understandably so. Their analysis of the inadequate attention given to building savings and investment in low-income families was very much on target, but they chose to accompany it with an ill thought-out and uninformed attack on the most successful long-term savings and investment plan in the United Kingdom, the Individual Savings Account. The route to a more egalitarian form of capitalism is not by attacking aspiration by penalising those who are successful and thrifty. Savings are not just for a rainy day — they bring economic freedom. Background music: 'Resolution' by Wayne Jones
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
An astonishing idea for an ISA tax raid was outlined by the Resoloution Foundation last week, with the proposal that tax-free savings and investments should be capped at £100,000. No more aspiring to be an ISA millionaire, it would be £100k and out under this plan. It said that the nominal money out toward not taxing ISA interest, gains and dividends should instead go in the direction of encouraging those without savings to build up a pot. Is that a good idea, would it be a fairer way of doing things, and is there any conceivable way this could actually happen? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert discuss the proposal and whether it has any merits. Spoiler alert, Simon strongly disagrees and says this would also perpetuate even greater inter-generational unfairness. Find out why. Also, the team delve into a new American Express and BA card that's been dubbed the best deal ever for Avios points, but are they worth collecting? Sam North of eToro joins us to talk through what's been going on in markets over the past week and why newly confident investors had their confidence shaken. Helen fills us in on a very depressing Crane on the Case where Scottish Widows only offered a reader £250 after they were denied their dying wish by its failure to pay out their pension on time. On a much lighter note, why have we been researching the bleeding obvious this week and testing whether putting a jumper on means you could really save money on your energy bills? And finally, we are joined by long-time friend of This is Money, Dave Fishwick, who talks to Simon about the Netflix movie about Bank of Dave and what it's like to see your life portrayed on screen.
Guests: Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
With Simon Rose taking a well-earned break and with continuing debate swirling around the merits of Brexit, we bring you one of our interviews recorded at a critical point, with just a week to go until the public voted in what was the most important 'once in a generation' referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union. Juliette Foster, then host of Investment Perspectives, was joined on the line by the then Secretary of State for Justice and prominent Leave campaigner, Michael Gove, who is now Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations.
Guests: Michael Gove
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Simon Rose takes a well-earned break this week, so we bring you his interview with Lord Lee, author of 'How to Make a Million Slowly', as recorded nearly six years ago. At that time, 1 February 2017, it had been an intriguing start to the year for investors with sterling hitting new lows, driving the stockmarket to a record high. Lord Lee cautioned that forecasting the future direction of markets is a tricky business but for investors who maintain a long term view, the importance of growing dividends and hard assets continues to stand out.
Guests: Lord Lee
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Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
New Year resolutions are in the air, and both Sunak and Starmer set out theirs in speeches on 4th and 5th January respectively. Much of the media reporting was drowned out by Harry's book and associated interviews, and headline objectives such as halving inflation and restoring growth were somewhat 'motherhood and apple pie'. But dig deeper (there are links to the full texts in the webpage commentary) and there are some gems to be found, although they still merit some close scrutiny. However George Bush's 1988 quote seems to encapsulate their performance: 'What's wrong with being a boring kind of guy?' Background music: 'Resolution' by Wayne Jones
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
The New Year has arrived and with it promises of inflation falling and a ray of hope on energy bills. But even if Rishi Sunak halves inflation, as he claims he will, it would still be running at 5% and his promise to get Britain back to growth may prove harder than the simple maths that sees inflation slow. Meanwhile, a slowdown in the rise of the cost of living doesn't mean things will get cheaper and the better energy price forecasts will still see costs at more than double what they were a year ago. So, will 2023 prove better or tougher for our finances? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert delve into the prospects for the year ahead. Plus, what is on the cards for the property market, for pensions and savers and why is Divorce Day tipped to be even bigger this year? And finally, the year is going to better financially for at least one person: the lucky January £1million Premium Bond winner who bagged the jackpot with less than £5,000 saved. Is it time we all stuck more in Premium Bonds, as the prize find is boosted?
Guests: Helen Crane
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