Sinopsis
The This is Money show is an entertaining and informative weekly look at the big money stories and investigations from the UK's best and most trusted source of independent financial news, information and advice.
Episodios
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Will you get richer in 2018? From savings to house prices, we look at the forecasts
05/01/2018 Duración: 43minFrom savings rates, to property prices and the prospects for the UK economy, this week we take a look at what will (might) happen to our finances in 2018. Predictions – as we all know – are a mug’s game, but as it is the start of a new year, it’s time to have a look at what could happen in 2018 in the world of money. Inflation is forecast to subside, while interest rates are only tipped to rise very gently. That would be a boost to people’s finances if wage inflation can get back up above the rising cost of living. A further boon could come from savings rates, which it is suggested could continue to rise. In the property market, house prices are predicted to be flat across the UK, but that will mask a continuing divergence in fortunes between regional cities, where sales are buoyant, and London and the commuter belt, where the market has suffered. Elsewhere in the economy, car sales are falling, consumer borrowing is rising but at a slower pace, and there will continue to be worries we aren’t s
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When facts cause friction: Tim Harford joins us for a special This is Money podcast on fake news and why statistics can be emotive
29/12/2017 Duración: 27minFacts are either right or wrong, right? ...wrong? In this special episode of the This is Money podcast Tim Harford, presenter of the BBC series More or Less and all-round Undercover Economist makes a second guest appearance. We talk about facts and stats - checking them, debunking them, reporting them, baffling with them, battling over them. But that's just the start. Tim argues that we think of facts as being either the truth or lies, but that actually factual claims can form part of our identity. We talk about the importance of factual claims made by those in positions of power - but also of trying to keep some facts out of the political domain altogether. We also discuss the impact of social media on the way in which we consume news and facts. And whether we're too dependent on numbers altogether. Don't believe us? You'll have to listen and see.
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Tim Harford special - the things that created our economy
22/12/2017 Duración: 48minHave you ever really thought about what it is that creates the modern economy? These are the things that surround us and we interact with, or depend on, everyday but rarely think about. From credit cards, to shipping containers, batteries and double-entry book-keeping, there are a lot of things that are more interesting than you may think. And for this special Christmas edition of the This is Money podcast we have a treat for you. Tim Harford, author of Fifty Things that Made the Modern Economy, presenter of the podcast of the same name, and Undercover Economist makes a guest appearance. He joins Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost in the studio to talk about what it is that shapes the world around us, why it matters, and how what are commonplace things now were dreamed up and then completely changed the way we live.
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The supermarket Christmas taste and value test (plus inflation, rates and house prices)
15/12/2017 Duración: 57minIt’s time for the annual This is Money Christmas taste test – and our look at how the supermarket business is faring. This year, the contenders are Sainsbury’s for the mass market, Waitrose for the upmarket, and Lidl for the discount challenger. But which will come out on top across a range of Christmas food and who delivered the cheapest bill? Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce take on Georgie Frost’s festive feast to find out in this week’s podcast and discuss whether the big supermarkets are doing better after some difficult years, if the rise of Aldi and Lidl will continue, and how Tesco and Sainsbury’s shares compare. And mingled with the Christmas food is a look at the important money news of this week, including whether higher inflation spells more rate rises, how the property market is suffering due to the reversal of the north south house price rise divide and the worst day ever to go shopping.
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How to get an investing Plan B in case of a crash (Podcast cut)
13/12/2017 Duración: 06minIt's been a decent year for investors and major stock markets around the world are trading near record highs. Things may continue to go up, but it always pays to have a Plan B just in case they don't and stock markets take a tumble. Simon Lambert, of This is Money, explains how you can build a disaster plan into your portfolio.
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Can training your brain make you richer?
08/12/2017 Duración: 35minCould you train your brain to get richer? Behavioural economics tells us that we regularly behave irrationally – and nudge theory has been used by governments and organisations around the world to try to make us better people. But could you take matters into your own hands, tackle your own temptations and make yourself wealthier, or just happier? On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost look at some tricks you can deploy – and whether you can actually turn that old chestnut about not spending money on coffee into hard cash in your bank account, pension or Isa. Also on this week’s show, we discuss why Britain is bottom of the world pension league and whether that is actually as bad as it seems. Plus, we look at why NS&I’s new income bonds are proving such a hit with readers. And finally, just in case all that brain training doesn’t go as planned, Simon outlines how you can prepare an investing plan B for when the market inevitably crashes one day. Enjoy.
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Is Bitcoin in a bubble? (Podcast cut)
05/12/2017 Duración: 05minBitcoin has risen more than tenfold this year and doubled in just seven weeks. But can it keep rising as adoption gets more widespread, does blockchain's promise justify the price, and does any of this matter as to whether it is in a bubble or not? In this excerpt from the This is Money podcast, Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost discuss Bitcoin's astonishing rise.
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Are diesel cars and bitcoin being demonised?
01/12/2017 Duración: 42minBritain’s car industry is crying foul, as not a single new diesel car avoids the Budget tax hike because the test they have to pass hasn’t come in yet. Car makers claim that new diesels are fine, but can we believe them? Meanwhile, campaigners want extra taxes and a serious crackdown on diesel drivers, but it’s ended up with councils leading the way with a piece-meal approach. Who should we believe, has the drive to get rid of diesel gone too far, and is it employing bad science? This week, Simon Lambert, Tanya Jefferies and Georgie Frost drive into the murky world of diesel cars. And also on the show, we look at a victory for those with small annuities and how to invest for income with ETFs. Former hedge fund manager Lars Kroijer explains why you should stop trying to beat the market and just be a passive investor. Or if that’s not for you, how about joining the bitcoin boom? We look at what on earth is going on with the cryptocurrency rollercoaster and the gold Rolls-Royce that you c
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Will cutting stamp duty push up house prices? (Podcast cut)
29/11/2017 Duración: 05minThe Chancellor axed stamp duty for first-time buyers in the Budget up to £300,000, but his own watchdog claimed it would drive up house prices. So is the Office of Budget Responsibility right? Simon Lambert says its logic is flawed and that we need to be even more radical on stamp duty - maybe even making the seller pay.
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Will the Budget help you (or anyone)?
24/11/2017 Duración: 45minIt was billed as a make or break Budget, so did the Chancellor pitch it right? Philip Hammond pulled a George Osborne-sized rabbit from the hat at the end with the abolition of stamp duty for first-time buyers, but was that enough to make us to forget the gloomy economic news and the gags? On the plus side, the Budget brought an income tax cut for most, the promise of more homes being built, and no more stamp duty for most first-time buyers. On the negative side, economists say we are due another lost decade, Philip Hammond’s own financial watchdog said he would drive up house prices, and cough sweet jokes might be catching on. This week, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost pick apart the Budget to try to find out who the winners and losers will be. From an up to £5,000 tax saving on a first home, to railcards for the under-30s, zero mentions of the word saver, and whether Just Eat can really solve the productivity puzzle, they round up what you need to know. Plus, what exactly was Simon’s
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What will be in the Budget (and what should be)?
17/11/2017 Duración: 30minYes, it’s another Budget. On Wednesday, November 22, Philip Hammond will stand up and deliver his second Budget of the year and this is his chance to ride to the Conservatives’ rescue. After the last Budget mess, the snap election that went wrong, the unexpected rise of Corbynism, and the Brexit arguments that just won’t go away, the Chancellor will be hoping that he’s the one to get everything back on track. So what could he deliver – and what should he? From help for younger people, to stamp duty cuts, pension tinkering, building more homes and just fixing the roads, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost take a run through what might come up and what it would mean for you. And they outline what they would like to see. The problem for the Chancellor, as he shifts the Budget to the autumn for the first time, is that there is a tension between his desire to do something and his lack of wriggle room due to Britain’s finances. How will he solve that problem? Listen to the podcast to see what we
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Could you achieve financial independence and retire early?
10/11/2017 Duración: 47minHave you ever dreamed of retiring early, or at least choosing to work on your own terms? There is a niche but growing movement that’s all about financial independence - it’s not necessarily about stopping work completely, but it is about having the choice to do so. So, could you achieve financial independence, how hard would it be and how long would it take? And why would you even want to retire early? On this week’s This is Money podcast, Simon Lambert, Laura Whitcombe and Georgie Frost stick it to The Man and dive into financial independence. They look at a reader’s question on whether he could reinvest profits from his business and property to retire by 50. They also discuss just how much of your income you might need to save to get there and whether that sacrifice is worth it. Also on the show: • How to invest your pension in retirement • We ask NatWest about its dreadful savings rate • The good news on savings rates that are rising And finally, as the UK’s worst places for using a mobile have been reveal
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How fast will UK interest rates rise? (Podcast cut)
08/11/2017 Duración: 03minHow quickly does the Bank of England think that the base rate will rise after its first move up? Simon Lambert looks at the figures and outlines the good, the bad and the awkward, in this excerpt from the This is Money podcast.
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What the interest rate rise means for you
03/11/2017 Duración: 53minIt finally happened. The Bank of England raised interest rates for the first time in more than a decade this week. But what was the point of that rate rise? It was certainly a curiosity, coming alongside a decidedly downbeat Inflation Report. Was it to dampen inflation, to send a warning sign to borrowers, or just to put a tiny smile on beleaguered savers’ faces? On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost look at why the Bank raised rates and what it means for you. They also dive into the really crucial question: how high will the base rate go from here and how fast will it rise? There’s also some ideas to get richer whatever happens next with interest rates, a jargon-busting look at what on earth is the bank of England talking about in its reports, and tips on how to find the best savings account… while one of the worst is shamed. And it’s not all interest rates, we’ve also got the state pension trap for those trying to boost payouts and the intriguing question of whether
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What you need to know about your will
27/10/2017 Duración: 46minDo you have a will? If not you should probably get one. But if you do have one, do you understand what’s in it? According to Will Aid, MORE THAN HALF (54%) of parents with children under the age of 18 don’t have a will. That’s 54 per cent minus one person now, however, after This is Money editor Simon Lambert finally got his act together and sorted his out. So what do you need to know about getting a will, what’s easy, what’s complicated and what are the things you don’t want to think about but have to? Simon explains what he found out when he got his. Also on this week’s show, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce discuss the best way to help bank fraud victims – and whether enough is being done to get people’s money back and warn potential victims. Plus, we find out how to invest like one of the most successful investors ever, Warren Buffett, from the Buffettology fund manager who has spent the past five years beating the UK market by doing just that. The cars most people want to ditch through scrappage a
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How to beat inheritance tax
20/10/2017 Duración: 46minInheritance tax is one of the most hated around. Despite the fact that most people will never leave enough wealth to have it charged on their estates, we really don't like the idea of 40% above a certain amount going to the taxman. But IHT is also a tax that can be avoided. How? Listen to this week's podcast to find out, as Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Sarah Davidson discuss all things inheritance. They look at how it works, ways to avoid it and the traps you could fall into. They also have some ideas about what we should do about it. If Chancellor Philip Hammond is listening - and we sincerely hope he does tune in – then he can get some feedback on an idea he was credited with this week: taking some money off the old, to give to the young. What started out as rumours of a lower tax rate for the under-30s, ended up as an apparent Budget plan to cut pension tax relief for older savers and somehow boost what’s on offer to younger people. Our story on this has been the most read of the week and the i
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Can a nudge make you richer?
13/10/2017 Duración: 47minBehavioural economists believe a gentle nudge in the right direction can make you richer and over recent years they have managed to win the ears of governments around the world – including the UK’s. This week one of the thinkers who helped spread the word on behavioural economics, Professor Richard Thaler, won a Nobel Prize for economics. In the old world of economics textbooks, people behaved perfectly rationally and made the right choices. In the real world, of course, we don’t. We make irrational decisions that fly in the face of economic theory all the time. Yet, our irrational behaviour can be an asset. It means that we can be nudged into making the best choices. Professor Thaler’s catch-all advice is whether you’re a business or a government, if you want people to do something, make it easy. In Britain, one example adopted by the Government has been pensions. Instead of getting people to opt into a pension, we’re now automatically enrolled and then offered the chance to opt out. It’s now easier t
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The problem with smart meters (Podcast cut)
11/10/2017 Duración: 02minHouseholds are being pushed into having smart meters fitted by energy giants trying to meet their own targets. But despite delivering accurate billing many are unhappy at having the meters fitted. So what's the problem with them? Lee Boyce, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert, discuss smart meters on this excerpt from the This is Money podcast.
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Can the Tories really fix student loans, housebuilding and energy bills?
06/10/2017 Duración: 47minForget coughing fits, pranksters and tumbling letters for a minute. Along with a car crash speech for Theresa May, the Tory party conference also brought a few policies that might make a difference to our financial lives. Student fees, housebuilding and an energy price cap all came up on the agenda. But was this just tinkering around the edges, or a solid plan to improve three highly controversial areas? Last week, the This is Money Podcast asked what Labour would do to the UK economy and your finances, so this week it seems only fair to ask the question of the Conservatives. Listen to the podcast to join Simon Lambert, Laura Whitcombe and Georgie Frost on a tour through those Tory policies – and whether they have any chance of working – alongside the rest of the money news you need to know about this week. Also on the agenda this week, we talk pensions, discussing why a reader’s state pension has been cut even for the years they were contracted in and whether we need to be worried about final salary schemes
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How to get a good deal on a car scrappage scheme (Podcast cut)
04/10/2017 Duración: 05minIn this excerpt from the This is Money Podcast, Simon Lambert, Rob Hull and Georgie Frost discuss how new car buyers can get the best deal from the car scrappage schemes being offered by dealers. The This is Money Podcast brings you everything you need to know about money each week, in partnership with NS&I