Original Broadcast: This is Money
There have been some clear winners and losers in the rebound from the stock market crash as coronavirus and lockdown hit. Tech stars, companies with a strong digital presence and those who have seen business increase as a result of lockdown – from B&Q-owner Kingfisher, to cycle and motoring store Halfords, and takeaway deliverer Just Eat - have been the only game in town. But, as news of the most successful Covid-19 vaccine trials yet was revealed by Pfizer on Monday, there was a dramatic reversal of fortune: it was the companies beaten-down by lockdown that soared. From aerospace engineer Rolls-Royce, to cinema operator Cineworld and travel-focussed caterer and retailer SSP, shares that had been languishing at lowly valuations and clouded by pessimism got a sudden dose of optimism. So why did they rise so strongly, is this the much-heralded switch from growth to value investing and what does that even mean? On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost look at the vaccine rally, whether this marks a new chapter for investors and the economy… and what the risk of being disappointed again is. Some investors hoping to take advantage this week couldn’t, however, as DIY investing platforms struggled under the weight of record days of trading from customers. Can those Hargreaves Lansdown, or other platform, clients try to claim any money back for trades missed? Also on this week’s podcast, the potential capital gains tax raid being lined up – with perhaps some unintended consequences – and the surge of Curry’s PC World complains to This is Money. And finally, the Government is soon expected to bring forward its ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, with the favoured alternative being electric. But if you act now and go electric but don’t have a driveway for home charging is it practical – and can you take a lead across the pavement instead?
Guests: Simon Lambert,Lee Boyce
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Original Broadcast: Share Radio Interview with Vicky Sayers
Would you be prepared to pay for the privilege of keeping your money in a bank? National concern arose recently following an announcement by the Bank of England of a potential move to negative interest rates to cope with the ramifications of COVID-19. Even though we narrowly missed that fate, it begs the question: could negative interest rates be on the horizon further down the line, and what would that mean for you? Vicky Sayers is joined by Sarah Waring, Client Director at wealth management company, Quilter.
Guests: Sarah Waring
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
When lockdown arrived in March it sunk the UK economy. The message was clear: Stay home. And people did just that; there was a dramatic shift to either working from home or shutting down businesses entirely. For a couple of weeks pretty much the only place you could go was the supermarket, followed a little while later by the opportunity to head to B&Q to queue for an hour and try to do a click and collect. Now a second lockdown has arrived for England and the message is once again stay home, but things are very different this time: considerably more remains open. As England’s lockdown arrived, Wales and Northern Ireland were already in some form of lockdown and Scotland is running its own tight tiers system. Yet, while rules vary across the nations, more businesses remain open, Britain has got used to working from home, and industries that can’t do that are permitted to keep going. So, what happens now to the economy? How bad will the hit be? And is it just the hospitality sector and leisure sector that will be hammered this time round? On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert look at the economic effects of Lockdown 2 and how things could be better or worse. Meanwhile, the Bank of England responded to the lockdown by keep rates in positive territory, but pumping another £150billion into the financial system through quantitative easing. More QE has been done since March that in all the years after the financial crisis: what does this mean for the economy and normal people? Also on this week’s podcast: is it time to call the end of the property mini-boom, why are some of the self-employed still being left out while furlough is extended – and should Simon bother to try and get his Ryanair flight money back in vouchers?
Guests: Simon Lambert,Lee Boyce
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Original Broadcast: Share Radio Interview with Vicky Sayers
The Coronavirus pandemic has brought about a huge shift in the way we all live our daily lives – not least the fact that since March of this year, whoever has been able to has been working remotely. But what does this mean for the role of the physical office as we know it? Recorded just before the government’s latest announcement of a second lockdown in England (but still extremely pertinent), Vicky Sayers is joined by Brandon Hollihan: co-founder of property management company, Castleforge Partners. He shares his experience of working from home and advocates for the importance of the office within business culture.
Guests: Brandon Hollihan
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New research conducted by SHY Aviation reveals the extent of concern UK travellers have for flying commercial. 57% would be very worried about catching Covid-19 on a plane journey, with an additional 29% unwilling to fly until a vaccine is found. With over half of Brits unwilling to travel, could hiring a private jet, formally reserved for the rich and famous, be the way forward? Adam Cox is joined by chairman and founder of SHY Aviation, Giles Vickers-Jones.
Guests: Giles Vickers-Jones
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Murmurs from HSBC HQ this week warned that an overhaul of its business model could leave customers paying a monthly fee for their current accounts. This week, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost ask whether this is really a possibility, if banking actually is free anyway and what happens next. We also look at who is winning the battle of current account switchers and whether people are just too loyal to their bank. This weekend marks the end of the furlough scheme, replaced by something new – while other financial support is also changing, including free overdrafts and mortgage payment holidays. What impact did the second wave fear and upcoming US election have on the stock market this week? Bitcoin has seen a surge in price this week, what has behind its rise to the highest level since the crazy end of 2017? And boilers – one reader has been told that their 28 year model is too ancient to service. Is this a fair call?
Guests: Simon Lambert,Lee Boyce
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Adam Cox is joined by CEO of Voneus, Steven Leighton, to discuss how those working in rural communities have been affected by lockdown; and how lack of internet access can affect the ability to work remotely or home-school successfully. They delve into the gigabit scheme, how it aims to support those living in rural areas, and the importance of internet access in the modern day.
Guests: Steven Leighton
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Original Broadcast: Policy Matters
In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha talk to Martha Bloom, a researcher at the Science Policy Research Institute at the University of Sussex. Martha recently wrote a report examining the economic returns to creative arts degrees, the types of employment these graduates go on to and the motivations of those who undertake higher level creative education. Franz, Matt and Martha begin by discussing the difficulties facing the creative industries in the post-pandemic world, yet how the crisis has also highlighted the importance of these industries for the wellbeing of the nation. Martha then explains the ways in which creative arts graduates contribute to the economy both within the creative industries and more broadly, what her report reveals about their motivations and the benefits that they enjoy across a range of measures. The discussion then goes on to consider a related report co-authored by Franz and Matt, which examines the earnings and employment returns to different postgraduate degrees. This conversation again highlights the importance of skills and vocations that might not be highly paid but provide vital inputs into the economy and public life, and the danger of judging the value of education purely in terms of earnings.
Guests: Martha Bloom
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Has the V-shaped recovery been put on hold ?Lockdowns across Britain’s major cities, the tier system and more businesses being forced to close their doors or operate far below usual business levels means the direction of travel has shifted dramatically from the summer’s optimistic reopening of the economy. It's likely that the UK will emerge from recession with growth over this quarter, but is it on track to head straight back into another slump? Coronavirus measures, rules that hobble some sectors and a renewed sense of fear will slam the brakes on – and the effect was great enough to make Rishi Sunak upgrade his support for jobs and businesses again this week. On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert look at how bad this winter will be and whether Britain can battle its way out of the slump thanks to the resilience in parts of the economy that has surprised many this year. One element of the economy that is doing much better than expected is the property market and Rishi’s stamp duty holiday has come under fire for driving up house prices, so is it time to make it permanent, ease the need to rush and encourage people to move more often? Also on this week’s podcast, Georgie and Simon look at the latest temperature check of Britain’s retirement prospects and how hard the pandemic has hit them. And finally, buy a new appliance and it comes with a guarantee but do you really need to fill in that little form or go online to register it? Or is that just a swizz to get your personal details?
Guests: Simon Lambert
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Adam Cox is joined by podcaster and property investor, Pete Lonton. They discuss his approach to investing, and what he's learned from interviewing so many people that have fire in their belly. While many people in life value comfort and convenience, a small percent of the population have a relentless desire to grow and achieve. How and why do these people have fire in the belly? Pete offers some tips and advice for anyone to become more motivated and focussed.
Guests: Pete Lonton
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