This Is Money Show

It's official - we're complaining about our neighbours more, new data shows. When it comes to noise, many appear sick of barking dogs, squeaky trampolines and loud music ruining the enjoyment of our homes. This week, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost talk about neighbour wars - and what we can do about it. And sticking to the property front, does it matter if you're a 'super' nimby? And if you do want to fight back against developments in your area, what's the sensible way to do it? We also look at the danger of pricing your home too high - and the Rightmove data that shows just how risky it can be. Grandparents and parents are digging depper than ever to send children to university. What do young adults need to know before they take out a student loan? Lee goes back to school to talk to kids about money and the working world - but what did HE learn from the experience? And from festivals to sporting events, why has having fun become so expensive?  

Do you feel financially confident? When it comes to budgeting, saving, investing, and building your pension, are you clueless, comfortable, or cracking on? A piece of research this week by Moneybox claimed that being financially confident could add £67,000 to your lifetime wealth – on average those with confidence were worth £145,000 on average, compared to £78,000 for the unconfident. But what does being financially confident actually mean and how can you get there? On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert look at how to boost your financial confidence and whether the tips to do so could work. Plus, a week into a new government and with a planned pensions review looming, the team look at what Labour could mean for our retirement savings. Meanwhile, investors seem to be cheering Labour taking charge and this week investment giant BlackRock flagged Britain’s ‘relative political stability’ and cheap stock market, so does that mean good future returns? Investing a large sum

All change, please. In a radical reshaping of the political landscape, Britain has elected a Labour government for the first time in 14 years. New prime minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have made bold promises of revival, growth and wealth creation. But many fear that Britain’s troubled public finances will also mean that promises not to raise taxes will prove empty. So, what has Labour said it will do, what important things have been left unsaid, what will it mean for the economy and your finances and is there a path to prosperity that doesn’t involve more tax pain? On this special election podcast, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert look at what Labour’s election victory could mean for our money. The team discuss the manifesto promises on the economy and growth and at how robust the no tax rise pledges are. Can Labour’s housebuilding plans and planning shake up deliver more homes? What are its other plans to get growth going? Plus, the team look at the Tories’ 1

You find a decent paying savings account, diligently squirrel away your money, watch it grow… only for the taxman to come along and swipe a chunk. And since savings rates have been much better in recent years, the amount HMRC is taking in in savings tax revenue has gone up significantly It's only going to increase according to estimates, to the tune of £10.37billion in 2024/25, up from £6.6billiion in 2023/24 - and £1.2billion in 2021/22. So, how can you dodge the trap? This week, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Lee Boyce look at this growing revenue spinner. It also means taking advantage of Isas is key - and we're very keen on one tax-free account in particular. And sticking with savings, this week Helen explains the case of a Barclays customer who had a stroke - recovered better than expected - but was then locked out of his account with £100,000 in it for nearly a year.  There is a mobile phone swiping epidemic in the country - but what is it the criminals are really after? Is it the handset, or some

Inflation is back on target at 2 per cent. After the spike into double-digits that triggered talk of a cost of living crisis and sent interest rates spiralling, we are now back at the Bank of England's target level. So, is the great inflation panic over and is life about get easier? Or will we be feeling the after effects of high inflation for years to come? And what's going to happen to interest rates? On this episode of the This is Money podcast, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert look at why inflation as come down and what happens next. Plus, the couple who didn't get a Natiowide fairer share payout despite having £100,000 saved. And finally, would you let your parents pay for you to go on holiday as an adult - or pay for your own adult kids to go with you?  The team look into the family time vs freeloading debate.

It’s manifesto week and Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems have laid out their vision for the country – along with the Green Party, Reform and others. The economy, tax and people’s finances are a cornerstone of the all the manifestos, but what are the main parties proposing and what could it mean for you? On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost, Angharad Carrick and Simon Lambert take a deep dive into the manifestos to see what’s there. If the country votes for a change and we do get the widely predicted Labour government, what will it mean for your money – and does talking about growth mean there’s an actual plan to deliver it? After 14 years in charge, were the Tories bold enough in their manifesto to derail Labour’s run at power? And do the Lib Dems have the policies that could shake things up, including a plan to substantially overhaul capital gains tax? Plus, what did Reform say? All this and more go under the microscope, along with a look at what has really happened to our taxes in a decade

How much do you need in Premium Bonds to win the jackpot? And if you haven’t maxed them out to the full £50,000, is it even worth bothering? This is Money has run some in-depth analysis on all the £1million prizes over the past four years and this week revealed how much those lucky people held. On this week’s podcast episode, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert look at what it takes to win the Premium Bonds. Simon gives us his tax manifesto to get us out of the mess Britain’s tax system is in. Plus, one of our readers is in their mid-40s, would like to semi-retire to work on their own terms, travel and enjoy life in a decade, and wants to know if their £180,000 investments can grow enough to achieve that.  What does someone with those ambitions need to consider? The team take a look. Should you consider buying a cheap electric car? Prospective buyers are worried about batteries but get over that and Simon says it could prove even cheaper to run than you think. And finally, the new King Charles

This is Money's consumer champion Helen Crane celebrated the 100th edition of her Crane on the Case column this week. Helen has won back more than £1.2million for readers over the course of all those columns and learnt a thing or two along the way about how to battle consumer problems and bad customer service. On this podcast, she discusses the big wins, the satisfying victories, the worst cases of bad customer service - and gives her tips on how to get what you want. Also on the show, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert discuss whether working parents could be missing our by not claiming child benefit now that the rules have changed and more can get it. Plus, if you owe tax on savings interest but don't have to do a tax return how will HMRC find out? Is Scottish Mortgage worth backing as shares rebound but remain considerably down on their peak? And finally, Charles Stanley's Dan Beecroft jons the show to explain 50-30-20 budgeting and why people love this rule of thumb for spending and saving.

The Prime Minister put an end to all the speculation this week by giving us the date for the general election: July 4. That comes as the latest inflation reading was 2.3 per cent, a little above forecasts making a base rate cut next month now unlikely. Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce delve into the economic state of affairs and what the upcoming election could mean for your money, when it comes to tax, pensions, property and everything in-between. Nationwide Building Society posted pre-tax profits of £1.77bn this week and as a result, it is dishing out another year of 'Fairer Share' loyalty payouts of £100 – will you qualify? And not only that, it is now offering £200 to switchers and an exclusive 5.5 per cent loyalty savings rate. How does early retirement sound to you? It seems it appeals to a lot of us because searches on Google for 'retire early' have increased threefold in the last decade. But how much would you be willing to sacrifice to achieve it? At the extreme end, we have the FIRE

Supermarket loyalty schemes have become even more of a big thing in recent years as the two giants Tesco and Sainsbury's have rolled out Clubcard and Nectar Prices. But while cards bring lower prices, the points collected still mean prizes for some loyalty scheme fans. So, what happens if a fraudster steals your points? This is Money's Angharad Carrick recently went on the trail of some stolen Nectar points and uncovered a story that delivered as many questions as it did answers. On this podcast, Ang, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert discuss the mystery of the stolen Nectar Points and how our reader got short shrift from Sainsbury's, Action Fraud and the police when they had £230 nicked. Plus, are these loyalty cards any good and worth having anyway and why is the competition watchdog investigating them? Also on this week's show: Many more people are taking mortgages than run past state pension age but with work and retirement blurring and changing does this matter? Simon explains why he thinks it does b

The Bank of England decided to hold the base rate for the sixth time in a row this week – but was it the right decision? Should the MPC have been bold and made a cut? What does it mean for our mortgages and savings? And when will a move come - and in what direction? This week, Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce talk about the base rate decision and what happens next. In the world of property, the number of homes being devalued is on the rise. So, what's going on? And what can you do if it happens to you. Bungalows are having a moment. They're not just for the elderly and downsizers, young families and first time buyers are also increasingly interested - pushing the price of them higher since the pandemic. . Energy firms have been trying to push smart meters on us for years. Have they uncovered a new trick to get us to make the swap? And finally, it's been good news for JD Wetherspoon - the no frills pub chain said it expects annual profits to come in towards the 'top end' of forecasts. Where do

With not one but two mortgage spikes fresh in our minds, a flurry of rate rises have got home owners and potential buyers worried again. A bunch of major mortgage lenders raised their rates this week - and Santander did it twice. So, are we about to see another mortgage spike or is this just what brokers and lenders like to optimistically call a mere 'repricing'? And what does this all mean if you need to remortgage soon or want to buy a home? On this podcast, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert take a look at what's happening in the mortgage market, why rates are rising and whether the Federal Reserve flapping its wings on the other side of the world pushes up our homeowning costs. Plus, Simon explains why you may not want to put all of your savings into your pension as it might dent early retirement chances. The team look at how at the other end of the scale someone with a bigger pension than they need could pass it to their grandchildren. Helen details a worrying Crane on the Case theft and

You can wait a long time for a FTSE 100 record high but for peak-starved British investors this week delivered a bonanza. Four record highs were racked up by the FTSE 100, with only Wednesday's slight dip spoiling what would have been a perfect run over a week. The return to new highs on Thursday came as a mega-mining merger bid arrive from BHP for Anglo American - and that was followed swiftly by one of the UK's few tech stars Darktrace announcing it had accepted a bid on Friday. Are these the catalysts that fund manager Nick Train was talking about when he said it could take a big takeover to shake UK stocks out of their slumber and get the world investing in Footsie companies again? On this week's podcast, Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert look and what's moving the UK market, why it is judged to be cheap and whether you should invest. Plus, the top investment trusts for retirement investing and the latest twist in the state pension top-ups saga. Should we cut inheritance tax - or at l

Older people received another boost to the state pension this week taking the full rate to over £11,000 a year. This year's increase of 8.5 per cent was thanks to the triple lock commitment - a guarantee the state pension will rise each year by the higher of CPI, wages or 2.5 per cent. What does the future hold? While there is plenty of speculation the state pension may become means tested, in reality it could be incredibly hard to implement. This week, Tanya Jefferies, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Lee Boyce talk state pensions – and how they compare to other countries. And sticking on the theme, there is another delay for the Government’s new online state pension top-up service. When will it launch? NS&I has a four day IT meltdown that makes it a struggle for customers to log-in – and it suggests to one that she may have a ‘time drift.’ What does this bizarre explanation mean? Crane is on the Case once more, this time Eon is in the firing line after it insisted a part-time dance teacher used £95,

There's a warning for savers who's fixed term deals are coming to an end - don't take your eye off the ball now or risk having your returns wiped out in a matter of months. A year ago, there was a flurry of savers choosing fixed-rate bonds as they improved drastically. But if you don't act, the chances are it'll rollover into an awful rate. On this week's This is Money podcast, Helen Crane, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost talk savings, just as we head into a new financial year. Also on the savings front, NS&I reveals the rate of the new British Savings Bond - is it worth it? And an Isa millionaire reveals all to This is Money on how he built up a seven-figure pot. Helen tackles another reader problem – this time, it's a case of the unwanted and unneeded Sim card costing a pensioner couple hundreds of pounds. And on the utilities front, Lee reveals how Ofcom saved him from a 75 per cent rise in his monthly broadband costs, and why you should check if you're out of contract with your mobile phone. Mortgag

The row over small deposit mortgage is the gift that keeps on giving. Hot on the heels of the Budget plan that never appeared arrives Yorkshire Building Society's new deal, that's been dubbed a 99 per cent mortgage. But is it really one of those and does it have any redeeming features? And if it's cheaper than you rent, is there anything wrong with taking a 99 per cent mortgage? On this week's This is Money podcast, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert talk tiny deposit mortgages, negative equity and buying vs renting. Plus, gift card draining scammers, can your pension last retirement, and finally, where are the experts investing their Isa and how can you easily sort yours?

There is less than a fortnight to go before the end of the tax year and that means it's time to sort your Isa, pension and finances before it's too late. With another tax raid on the way for investors on capital gains and dividends, this is one of the most important tax year ends in years. On this special bonus episode of the This is Money podcast, Simon Lambert talks to Rob Morgan, of Charles Stanley Direct, to find out what investors need to do and why sorting your pension and Isa can save you a substantial amount in tax.

The Bank of England held interest rates again this week as inflation dropped once more. So, are we out of the woods yet? Will inflation keep coming back down towards target and the Bank of England soon seamlessly switch back to cutting rates? Or will central bankers be keen to hold onto higher rates, even if we get hit by a bout of disinflation? On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert look at what next for inflation and interest rates and what it means for your money. Also on the episode, should the Waspi women who saw their state pension age rise rapidly be compensated for the poor communication and how much of a victory was this week’s Parliamentary Ombudsman Waspi report a victory for them? As that happened, more news emerged on underpaid state pensions – as exposed by our Tanya Jefferies and pension columnist Sir Steve Webb, and the team update us on that. Plus, what’s going on with the chaos at HMRC and who is to blame for the failure to keep up with our increasingly tric