Will rates keep rising and are cash Isas a good option again? Savings special podcast
Rising bills and the cost-of-living crisis are forcing many to dip into savings pots, if they have one to begin with. At the same time, with base rate rising to try and curb inflation, savings deals have become far better than they have been in the last decade. This week, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce are joined by a special guest: James Blower, AKA The Savings Guru, who gives his take on where...
59m Aug 12, 2022
59m
Why is the Bank of England raising interest rates into a recession?
The idea of the Bank of England raising base rate by 0.5 percentage points at the same time as warning about a long and painful recession would have been unthinkable a year ago. But things have dramatically changed and central banks are desperately trying to get a grip on runway inflation that just seems to keeo getting worse. Base rate has risen from 0.1 per cent in December to 1.75 per cent...
53m Aug 05, 2022
53m
Out of the holiday loop? Our overseas summer travel special - top tips for a successful trip
This summer has seen travel demand rebound and for many, it could be their first overseas jaunt since before the pandemic. For that reason, there may be some rusty holidaymakers out there. But fear not, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane and Georgie Frost are at hand to help get you in the holiday mood (kind of). They talk about what you need to think about before a trip, from sorting out your passport w...
56m Jul 29, 2022
56m
How I became financially independent: An interview with The Escape Artist
In this special bonus This is Money podcast interview, Simon Lambert speaks to Barney Whiter, whose The Escape Artist blog helps others to try to achieve the same financial independence he has. Barney tells Simon what financial independence means to him, relates how he got there and his successes and mistakes along the way, gives some tips for budding FIRE savers, and explains why he still cho...
11m Jul 25, 2022
11m
Could you save enough to get financial independence?
Financial independence and retiring early sounds great, but could you sacrifice enough of your spending to get there? The so-called Fire movement involves living a frugal live, saving as much of your income as possible – 50 per cent or more – and investing to build a pot to retire early on. Ideally, this needs to be 25 times your annual spending requirements, so that you can follow the 4 per ...
1hr 1m Jul 24, 2022
1hr 1m
What would you teach someone about money?
1hr 1m Jul 15, 2022
1hr 1m
What will Boris's downfall, a new Prime Minister and Chancellor mean for the economy and our finances?
Boris Johnson finally came unstuck this week and resigned as Prime Minister after one scandal too many caught up with him. Whatever you thought of the PM - and he certainly has the ability to divide a room almost as well as he can entertain it - there is no doubt that this ushers in another bout of 'what next?' instability for Britain. The economy is struggling, an inflation crisis is in full...
59m Jul 08, 2022
59m
How to battle unfair charges from private parking firms… and win: The This is Money podcast
In recent times, private parking firms have come under scrutiny from motoring organisations, the Government… and This is Money. Many motorists will have received a dreaded charge in the post and in some cases, unjustifiably so. If that’s you, it’s time to fight back. This week Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce take a look at whether private parking firms are playing fair. It comes a...
1hr 4m Jul 01, 2022
1hr 4m
Is scrapping a mortgage stress test a wise move right now?
A mortgage stress test designed to stop borrowers overstretching themselves will be scrapped, it was revealed this week. The mortgage industry has long bemoaned this supposedly unrealistic test that makes lenders check if borrowers can afford their repayments at a level higher than the fix or tracker deal they may be taking, their lender's standard variable rate plus 3 per cent. Yet, isn't a ...
55m Jun 24, 2022
55m
How will rapidly rising interest rates affect you?
Base rate has gone from 0.1 per cent to 1.25 per cent in the space of six months, in a flurry of rate rising that would have been considered unthinkable a year ago. Yet, as the Bank of England delivered another 0.25 percentage point raise, voices were raised in some corners to demand why it hadn't gone further. Why not a 0.5 per cent jump or even a 0.75 per cent one, as the Fed had delivered ...
59m Jun 20, 2022
59m
Are you saving enough for retirement? (And another state pension blunder)
Women have already been hit by a huge state pension blunder in recent years, but now it seems the DWP is messing up again. After This is Money's Steve Webb and Tanya Jefferies exposed a £1billion women's state pension scandal, which emerged from a reader question sent in to his column, you'd think the Government would be keeping on top of payments. But it has turned out that more women appear...
52m Jun 12, 2022
52m
How can you protect against holiday chaos this summer?
Just when you thought it was safe to go back on holiday... Britain descended into holiday chaos this week, as airlines cancelled hundreds of flights, airports struggled to cope and even Eurostar ended up with a day of disruption. For those who suffered at the hands of airline chaos, it was a harsh and unfair experience - with many of those travellers taking their first post-Covid trip abroad ...
56m Jun 04, 2022
56m
What would you do if you suddenly became super-rich?
Sudden Wealth Syndrome. It's a thing apparently and something that many of us probably wouldn't mind suffering from. That's the term used to describe those who suddenly - and perhaps unexpectedly - come into a very large sum of money. And doing so brings plenty of benefits but also its own problems. Over the past week, we have heard about the couple who won £184million on the Euromillions, bu...
45m May 27, 2022
45m
Is a recession inevitable as inflation hammers the UK?
Inflation continues to surge, the Bank of England says there is little it can do to stall it but is raising rates any way, and at the same time is warning of a potential recession looming. It seems safe to say this isn’t the Covid recovery year that many people were hoping for: the longed-for bout of calm and optimism has turned out to be a cost of living crisis instead. So, with inflation no...
46m May 20, 2022
46m
Will rising rates stop the house price boom?
The pandemic house price boom caught almost everyone by surprise and has continued to run for longer that most expected, but is it now about to end. Rising interest rates and the cost of living crunch are putting a serious squeeze on how much buyers can borrow - and that means they can't keep paying ever higher prices for homes. Meanwhile, stories are emerging of banks and building societies ...
43m May 14, 2022
43m
Right to buy home revival: How could a revamped scheme work and is it a good idea?
More than 40 years after Margaret Thatcher introduced Right to Buy, the current Prime Minister is considering plans to revamp the scheme. Could it unleash a home buying revolution and help give a much needed boost to the Government, or is it a bad idea rehashing an old scheme? This week, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss the plans, how it could work and why it may be unleashe...
52m May 06, 2022
52m
What's the point in saving when inflation is so high?
Is there any point trying to save when inflation is so high? Interest rates are rising and savers can now get a far better return than a year ago, but compare those rates to inflation and they are losing even more money. So why bother? That's the question that Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert tackle on this week's podcast. From what the best rates are and where you can get them, to why you sh...
51m Apr 29, 2022
51m
What can we do to tackle soaring energy bills - and are providers playing fair?
Much bigger energy bills are on their way to households for and a warning was sounded this week that there is much worse to come. Energy bosses told MPs that 40 per cent of households could end up in fuel poverty and raised the prospect of a ‘truly horrific’ winter, with the price cap tipped to rise another 30 per cent or more in October just as the heating goes back on. Energy firms are not ...
1hr 6m Apr 23, 2022
1hr 6m
What to do in the mortgage crunch and will rates keep rising?
For many homeowners it's been the case for some years that each time they remortgage, their rate comes down. But with the Bank of England liftng base rate three times in a matter of months, inflation soaring to 7 per cent, and banks and building societies hiking mortgage rates, that is no longer the case. It must be said that mortgage rates are still low by historic standards, but whereas bor...
38m Apr 15, 2022
38m
Key April changes to your personal finances including NI hike and 'no fault' divorces
This week has seen a number of changes to our personal finances in the wake of energy bill and council tax rises, along with a number of key utilities such as broadband and mobile contracts. It also marks the start of a new tax year and with it a National Insurance rise, a meagre state pension hike and the start of new 'no fault' divorce system. Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Helen Crane run th...
50m Apr 08, 2022
50m
Pension, Isa or Lifetime Isa: What's the best tax-friendly investment for you?
It's the time of year when we are urged to put our money into an Isa or pension, but faced with the choice which should you pick? After all, most of us don't have the £52,000 needed to max out both (£20,000 into an Isa and £32,000 into a pension plus the £8,000 tax relief added). So, we must make a decision: take the upfront tax relief of a pension and that lovely boost to the money you pay i...
50m Mar 31, 2022
50m
How to invest in an Isa - and become a smarter investor
Investing in the stock market has been proven over time to be the best way to grow your wealth and doing so in an Isa can turbo-charge those returns. There’s no tax to pay on investment profits or dividends and that means the magic of compounding can work that bit harder – and when you draw on your investment Isa in future the money is tax-free. But what are the essential things you need to k...
36m Mar 29, 2022
36m
Why would you cut tax and raise tax at the same time? The Spring Statement and what it means for you
Why would you cut tax and raise the same tax at the same time? That’s been the slightly baffled response from many people to Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement. Effectively, the Chancellor both cut and raised National Insurance – lifting the threshold it is paid at but ignoring calls to 'spike the hike' and ploughing ahead with the 1.25 per cent being added to rates. Bizarrely, the tax rate goes ...
49m Mar 25, 2022
49m
Is raising interest rates the right move and will it slow inflation?
It's a hat trick. After all those years of waiting in vain for a rate rise after the financial crisis, now the Bank of England has the wind in its sails and has raised rates three times since December. The shift up in the base rate to 0.75 per cent hardly takes rates into the stratosphere but moving from 0.1 per cent to here in four months stands at serious odds with the lower for longer mantr...
38m Mar 18, 2022
38m
Could you be an Isa millionaire - and would it get you financial independence?
Do you harbour ambitions of investing your way to a £1million Isa pot – and what would you do with it if you got there? The lure of financial independence has only gotten stronger for many through the Covid pandemic years and a cool million in tax-free savings sounds like a decent way to achieve it. So, it’s no surprise that the idea of becoming an Isa millionaire features regularly in the pe...
49m Mar 13, 2022
49m
Is the runway property market due a reckoning from rising rates and inflation?
House prices have soared in the pandemic boom – with the average home an astonishing £44,000 more expensive at £260,000, according to Nationwide. But mortgage rates are rising, the cost of living crunch is hitting hard, and the idea of a post pandemic Roaring Twenties seems very distant right now, so is a reckoning for Britain’s property market on the way. On this week’s podcast, Georgie Fros...
54m Mar 04, 2022
54m
How will the Ukraine crisis hit your finances and what should investors do?
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has created a tragic situation that goes far beyond worries about our finances but it will have an impact on them. The ins and outs of the conflict are not something that This is Money is qualified to comment on, but the financial impact of events is something that readers and listeners come to us to learn about. On this podcast, Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and S...
45m Feb 25, 2022
45m
What is a 'midlife MOT' and could it help you onto a path for a richer future?
A free 'midlife MOT' course has been launched aimed at people who want to do a stock take of their current finances, career and health. This is an idea championed by the finance industry and government. But is it any good? Investments and pensions editor Tanya Jefferies undertook the course by finance giant Legal & General and the Open University and tells Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce of her e...
43m Feb 21, 2022
43m
Are we too worried about smart meters - or is surge pricing looming?
Where do you stand on smart meters? This seemingly common sense technological advance in how we are billed for energy has proved hugely divisive. From concerns over security and surveillance, to a mistrust of energy companies, and a botched and sometimes accused of bullying rollout, smart meters have not proved the popular success it was hoped they would be. Now things have stepped up a gear,...
53m Feb 11, 2022
53m
Base rate rise, energy cap soars and inflation predicted to surpass 7%
Thursday marked a big day for the pound in our pocket. First of all, it was announced the energy price cap was to rise 54 per cent. Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Helen Crane take a look at what that means, what support has been made available and what happens next. Hot on the heels of that bombshell we had another rate rise from the Bank of England - piling pressure on borrowers. What will it...
48m Feb 04, 2022
48m
Can we do anything to stop our energy bills soaring?
It’s almost crunch time for our energy bills, with the new price cap that will kick in from 1 April due to be announced in just over a week. At that point those on variable rate price cap-linked tariffs will know how much their bills will rise by – a figure that’s widely expected to be 50%. But the worst of the bill shock pain will be felt by others, those with fixed rate deals cheaper than t...
52m Jan 28, 2022
52m
Steven Bartlett interview: We speak to the new Dragon in the Den for a bonus episode
Steven Bartlett is the latest star of Dragons’ Den – and we recently caught up with him for a special bonus This is Money podcast episode. In this frank interview with This is Money’s Simon Lambert, Steven tells us his story, the challenges he’s faced in his business life, how he got ahead and his tips for anyone else wanting to start a business. At just 29, Steven may be the youngest Dragon ...
26m Jan 20, 2022
26m
How to get your finances on track at 40: From pensions to property, how to get where you want to be
Turning 40 is a milestone birthday – and perhaps the one that gets people thinking most about where they are at in life. It’s an age that involves a lot of looking back and looking forwards and a fair amount of comparing yourself to where others are at. But what do you need to think about in terms of your finances, from pensions, to property, investing and saving? On this podcast – as a cert...
34m Jan 14, 2022
34m
Are building societies and banks playing fair with savers?
Interest rates went up last month and banks and building societies have been busy upping mortgage rates, with Nationwide revealing a raft of rises this week. But while Britain’s biggest society has got off the mark with mortgage rate rises – reflecting December’s Bank of England hike and money market expectations of another move up potentially as early as February – its savings rates remain on...
50m Jan 07, 2022
50m
From inflation to investing mistakes: Best of the This is Money podcast from 2021
It's safe to say 2021 has been an eventful one for the economy and personal finance – and our podcast has covered it all. Georgie Frost takes a look back at some of the best bits of the show starring Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Tanya Jefferies and Helen Crane. We talk about investing mistakes and what you can learn from them. How much a lifetime will cost? And what is behind the inflation surge...
54m Dec 31, 2021
54m
Christmas isn't cancelled but what if your event is?
There was some good news this week, or at least the absence of more bad news: Christmas isn't cancelled. In England at least, more Covid restrictions have been dodged for now. This Christmas time people can enjoy meeting up with their friends and family without having to break any rules to do so - they just have to use their own judgement, an old-fashioned concept but one many are happy with....
1hr 6m Dec 24, 2021
1hr 6m
Was the Bank of England right to raise interest rates?
They finally did it! The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee raised the base rate from its emergency 0.1% level to 0.25%.    That came the day after inflation rocketed to 5.1 per cent - and is forecast to keep rising - and in the week that the International Monetary Fund warned the Bank of England against 'inaction bias'. Markets were cheered by the rate rise and economists were broadl...
42m Dec 17, 2021
42m
How can first-time buyers get on the property ladder as prices soar?
The greatest hurdle first-time buyers face after years of house prices rocketing far faster than wages is saving for a deposit. A 10 per cent deposit on the average £273,000 home, according to Halifax’s index, would be £27,300 – roughly an entire year’s average salary. That’s a tough gig to save while paying rent, bills, commuting costs, living expenses and trying to at least enjoy your 20s o...
52m Dec 12, 2021
52m
How much will a lifetime cost you?
We’ve all felt it, that moment when you look at your bank balance and think ‘I’ve spent how much?’ But what if you looked at an entire lifetime’s worth of spending? What would the damage be and how painful would that number feel? According to a recent piece of research by Atom Bank, the cost of living an entire near 81-year lifetime in 2021 would be a whopping £1,543,834. That includes £169,...
1hr Dec 03, 2021
1hr
How much tax do you really pay - and a year of Grace on the Case
What makes a good consumer story to take up the cudgel on and fight a reader’s corner – and why don’t companies and organisations just do the right thing? A year ago, This is Money started its Grace on the Case column, where reporter Grace Gausden fights for reader’s rights and tries to solve their problems each week. Over those 12 months, roughly £381,000 worth of victories have been racked ...
49m Nov 27, 2021
49m
Is 2022 looking bleak for our finances thanks to soaring inflation?
Inflation hit its highest level in a decade this week off the back of soaring energy costs and petrol prices. Why is the cost of living on the rise, when will interest rates go up, and how will all this affect the pound in our pocket? This week, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Mike Sheen take a look at the 4.2 per cent CPI figure and how it is becoming harder to ‘inflation proof’ your finances. ...
42m Nov 20, 2021
42m
The energy saving battle: Which household tasks use more?
Is it better to leave the heating on low all the time, or switch it on in smaller bursts? Does an electric heater cost less to heat a room? Is the electric blanket cheaper than a kettle-filled hot water bottle? On this week's podcast, Georgie Frost, Grace Gausden and Simon Lambert, tackle the burning questions of our time (well, the common energy saving ones people often debate at least). T...
39m Nov 12, 2021
39m
Should the Bank of England have raised interest rates? Plus Steve Webb on pension delays
Did the Bank of England bottle raising interest rates or should a rate rise have never been on the cards in the first place? Inflation is mounting but hiking the base rate will do little to tame soaring energy prices, an oil price spike or the supply crunch. On the other hand, the emergency 0.1 per cent base rate arrived at the start of the coronavirus crisis and the economy looks far better ...
52m Nov 05, 2021
52m
What you need to know about the 'inflation' Budget – are you set to be far worse off financially next year?
On Wednesday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered another Budget alongside a Spending Review. Much of what it contained had previously been revealed, including the forthcoming National Insurance hike, frozen income tax bands, triple lock suspension and a flurry of information over the weekend. Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce run the rule on the latest Budget and updated figures on inf...
43m Oct 29, 2021
43m
Are you willing to pay the price for going green?
Going green used to be presented as a way of saving money, but the stark reality that dealing with climate change will mean us spending more is dawning. The carrot of £5,000 grants to help people ditch gas boilers and install air source heat pumps or other more eco-friendly heating was dangled by the Prime Minister this week.  There was a hefty caveat though, there is only enough cash for 90,...
56m Oct 22, 2021
56m
Are Premium Bonds worth holding onto - and will rates rise?
Premium Bonds are probably Britain’s best loving savings product but are they worth holding? The savings lottery delivers 100% government-backed protection, a theoretical 1% return – dependent on luck – and relatively easy access to your cash. But a new report this week highlighted just how unlikely people are to win big prizes. In fact, unless you have a sizeable amount in bonds, you should ...
49m Oct 18, 2021
49m
From trackers to 10 year fixes: Mortgage war continues to spell record low rates
With inflation on the rise, homeowners nearing the end of their mortgage deal could be tempted to lock in for longer – especially with murmurs of a base rate rise. It comes as rates continue to fall, even on tracker deals. What are the pros and cons on a two, five and even a 10 year fix, and does the flexibility of a tracker mean it could be a worthy option to consider? Lee Boyce, Helen Crane...
47m Oct 08, 2021
47m
Rates may be on the rise but watch out for inflation
Savings rates are on the rise but even if you do find a best buy, don't get complacent because inflation is running hot too. On this podcast, Lee Boyce, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert look at why savings rates are rising, whether interest rates will follow suit and quitehow long it might be before we get back to a normal situation of a savings account consistently beating inflation. Simon di...
55m Oct 01, 2021
55m
How bad will the energy crunch get? Plus an underpaid state pension update
The week began with an energy crunch, as households woke up to the problems sending gas prices spiralling - and the impact that could have on their bills. It ended with a needless rush on petrol, as people were told there was no need to panic buy fuel… and some promptly panic bought it. The petrol issue we’re told is to do with a shortage of HGV drivers to deliver fuel, the gas problem is unf...
41m Sep 24, 2021
41m
Could the inflation spike lead to stagflation - or is it the start of a growth spurt?
The cost of living jumped by the largest amount on record to hit 3.2 per cent in August – is it set to run out of control and prompt the Bank of England to raise interest rates? Meanwhile, a gloomy report has lead some economists to talk about stagflation once more. What is it, is it a threat and does it matter? This week, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss the 'flations' and ...
44m Sep 17, 2021
44m