Original Broadcast: This is Money
How will the Iranian conflict affect your finances? Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce are joined by Helen Crane to discuss the potential impact on your investments and energy bills, and your price-at-the-pumps and mortgage. And, on a lighter note, Lee looks at rates nudging upwards on Cash ISAs.
Guests: Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
The flying Footsie is on course for the best start to the year since 1998 and driving it are 20 stocks that have risen by 50% or more in the past year. Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss what's going on for the flagship UK index and whether the run can continue. They also zoom in on Rolls Royce — its shares have soared by more than 1000% in five years. Is it too late to join the party? When it comes to Junior ISAs, many parents worry that once their children get access, they'll fritter it away — but is that really the case? New analysis suggests not. And NS&I has cut the underlying rate on its Premium Bonds to 3.3%. Is it time to move your money? The Government is rolling out the next phase of making tax digital which will require some to file quarterly — is expensive chaos on the way? Lastly, can you save money with an EV versus a petrol equivalent? Or does the maths simply not add up?
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Pensions are a topic that dominate the financial landscape and for the past decade This is Money readers have had Sir Steve Webb on hand to answer their questions. A former pensions minister, Steve has been our weekly columnist for ten years and helped guide people through the maze of retirement finances. Steve joins Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert to talk about what's happened over those ten years and discuss what you need to know about pensions. Whether they've been about saving for retirement, turning a pension into income, working out what the quirks of the state pension mean for you and much more, Steve has both helped the readers asking the questions and the millions who have read the answers. Aided by This is Money's pension and investing editor, Tanya Jefferies, Steve has also undertaken campaigning journalism, exposing among other things the underpaid women's state pension scandal, which got us a mention in parliamentary reports. Also, Simon reveals how to strike the best deal on a new car with the help of our industry insiders who know how much the salesman or woman will really knock off. Plus, if you get an inheritance you don't need, can you pass it on with incurring an inheritance tax liability yourself? And finally, just how good is Barclays' seemingly generous offer to pay you £1,000 for switching — and who exactly can get it?
Guests: Sir Steve Webb
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Simon Lambert interviews Marcus and Alexander Blunt, the brothers behind travel firm Heidi, to find out how they turned a start-up into the UK's second biggest ski package holiday firm in eight years — and survived the pandemic's threat to the business along the way. Eight years ago, brothers Marcus and Alexander Blunt were passionate skiers frustrated by the difficulty of trying to organise the mountain holidays that they and their friends really wanted. Deciding on a ski resort, sorting flights, accommodation, transfers and getting friends from different parts of the country to the right place at the right time, had Marcus building complicated spreadsheets to work things out. After one mammoth piece or organisation, they had a lightbulb moment. Maybe it was time for a package holiday firm that allowed people to tailor their ski trips to what they needed, find the best place to go to and put customer service centre stage. With both the brothers working in the travel industry, they decided to figure out how to test their concept and the appetite for it, and then they launched their start-up in 2018, while doing full-time jobs — and both having babies born that year. They made a pact that if they could do £500,000 worth of sales in their first year, they would quit their jobs and go all-in, explains Alexander. From there, in the space of less than eight years, Heidi has grown to become the UK's second biggest package holiday firm. That's no mean feat considering that the pandemic hit just two years in — and halfway through the ski holiday season. Marcus and Alexander tell Simon how they turned their business idea into reality, how they grew Heidi, the lessons they have learnt along the way and share their tips for other aspiring entrepreneurs.
Guests: Marcus Blunt,Alexander Blunt
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
A shake up is happening in the world of DIY investing. Some of the biggest investment platforms are overhauling their fees ahead of Rachel Reeves' big push to get Britain investing — and under pressure from upstarts offering much cheaper services. The biggest name of all, Hargreaves Lansdown, has cut its prices for most investors, yet this seems to have triggered a chunk to jump ship. So, why are some HL investors moving if things are getting cheaper — and is it time we all looked at our investment platform fees? Georgie Frost, Rachel Rickard Straus and Simon Lambert discuss the latest DIY investing battle and what it means for your portfolio — plus, what you should look for if you do want cheaper investing or a helping hand. With nearly £1 trillion in ISAs, how did people build up such big pots and could they end up being a target for a tax raid? What's going on with the civil service pension meltdown? And finally, the most-applied-for jobs and the apprenticeships with which people can dodge a massive student debt.
Guests: Rachel Rickard Straus
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Student loans look like another mess that has reached a tipping point in Britain's shonky financial system. There are three different types of student loan plan that graduates could currently be on and one of them offers a particularly bad deal. Those who took out Plan 2 student loans, between 2012 and 2022, suffered fees being hiked to £9,000, face interest rates of RPI plus 3%, and have seen the repayment threshold above which they lose 9% of their income bounce around at the whim of governments. Meanwhile, lots of graduates are staring down the barrel of decades of a big extra chunk coming out of their wages, but then never actually clearing the debt before it gets written off after 30 years. As the reality bites of the student loans they signed up to at 18 — for an average post university debt of £50,000 — without properly realising the consequences, many late 20- and 30- somethings are increasingly angry. Do they have a point and what can we do? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert talk student loans, what might happen, what we could do — and who should pay for university. Plus, what does the Bank of England holding rates mean for borrowers and savers? For those who aren't losing their spare cash to a student loan and have got on the property ladder, should you overpay your mortgage? The man who got his mortgage paid off in four years — and how he did it. What on earth is happening to bitcoin, and why is it crashing? And finally, what are the rules on flexible ISAs and putting money back in?
Guests: Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
The Government has announced plans for a cap on ground rent — is it a welcome policy that will finally fix a broken system or does it risk creating new problems along the way? Helen Crane, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce discuss the plans first revealed on TikTok by the Prime Minister, what's potentially changing and when. Watch out — HMRC is about: stamp duty investigations are on the rise — is it all Angela Rayner's fault? And how do buyers find themselves in the crosshairs? 'Metal madness' is still in full swing with gold and silver on a tear up with some huge gains this week, but also some hefty falls. What's going on? NS&I has made some cheeky rate cuts but a cash Isa season seems to have erupted early — where can you find the best rates? And lastly: wood burners. Are they an environmental no-no, or can they help save money on your energy bills?
Guests: Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Donald Trump has been hijacking the headlines this week, with his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos a major talking point globally. With plenty of geopolitical drama afoot, what does a weakening US dollar mean for UK investors with money tied up in US and global funds? Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce discuss. One of the world’s biggest investment firms, Vanguard has spurned the Chancellor's efforts to drive up investment in the UK, as it plans to cut its LifeStrategy exposure to the UK — why, and what should you do? Nationwide has bumped up what it will lend on mortgages to six times salary — it means borrowers can potentially borrow £50,000 more. Is this a step in the right direction or the path to trouble? Are you saving enough for retirement? Our analysis shows what you need in your pot at every milestone age to be on track — and what to do if you’re off target. This is Money reporter Harvey Dorset tries out a £5,000 smartphone — so what do you get for such a huge outlay? Lastly, Lee speaks to actress Joanna Page about her finances — the Gavin and Stacey star reveals what her mum and nan taught her about money.
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Life isn't what it once was for star fund managers. The investment industry once thrived on big names but these widely recognisable figures are few and far between nowadays. Two that remain are Terry Smith and Nick Train but their Fundsmith and Finsbury Growth & Income investors have had their patience tested by five years of underperformance compared to just sticking money in a cheap market tracker fund. Both managers defended their approach this week, while offering their investors an apology of sorts. So, is it time to swap your star fund manager for a cheap index fund, or are the stock pickers likely to be proved right in the end? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert discuss the cult of the fund manager and whether it's had its day. Meanwhile, The Chancellor wants to get more of us investing but MPs have looked into her plans to cut the cash ISA limit and said it's unlikely to lead more people to the UK stock market. That's exactly what most investment experts told the Chancellor before the Budget, so is there any chance of change of heart? Parts of the London property market have been having a quiet house price crash; Georgie, Helen and Simon discuss what's going on and what kind of properties are affected. The team also ask if cashback is worth it — and look at the deals that could cost you money. And finally, if you want a cheap electric car runaround, what are your best options and what would it cost you?
Guests: Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
What are the financial foundations you need so that you can then start living a richer life? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert discuss what they think are the essential building blocks for control of your finances. They share what they''ve done right... and what they have done and still regularly do wrong? The new year has seen the row over pubs and business rates blow up, with the Prime Minister and Chancellor rumoured to be about to have to do another U-turn. What went wrong, why didn't they listen straight after the Budget and are publicans right to feel aggrieved? Banks' shares have been on a tear, but is there still time to invest as Lloyds breaks through the symbolic 100p mark for the first time since its financial crisis plummet? And what would it take for you to turn your home into a zero-bills house — and would it be worth the outlay?
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