This Is Money Show

We’re still a couple of months away from the Autumn Budget, but already the rumour mill is in overdrive. But while pensions, inheritance and even cash Isas have taken the spotlight in the past year, this week, a new tax target has emerged... property. This week, Helen Crane, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost look at the wild ideas being bandied about when it comes to reform on how we pay tax on homes. The Treasury shut down the idea of a ‘seller tax’ on homes above £500,000, but other plans appear to be on the table. This includes an annual property tax to replace stamp duty, replacing council tax with an annual local tax based on property values and a potential ‘mansion tax’ – AKA, levying a capital gains tax bill on properties sold over a certain value. Elsewhere, we warn over the rise of a sophisticated deepfake scam involving well known investment gurus – and how people were ensnared into a pump and dump ruse. We investigate the airport currency rip-off. Sure, most of us know we’ll get a poorer rate by le

Down valuations are on the rise, so what happens if you and your mortgage lender don't agree on your new home's value? This week, Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce talk through the home valuation process and whether it is a fair system for banks, borrowers and sellers. How much more would you be willing to pay to be in a good school's catchment area?  New data suggests living near a good primary or secondary school is becoming pricier. Are you saving enough for your age? The adage is three to six months' worth of income - but for some age groups, it should be one to three years. Move over Swiftonomics, it's all about the Oasinomics - or as Lee describes it, Rkidinomics. How much have the Gallagher brothers added to the UK economy this year? And finally, supermarket self-checkout cameras - are they legal?  

The Bank of England has cut interest rates again, but this time, the decision wasn’t straightforward.  Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Helen Crane ask what the division in the Monetary Policy Committee tells us about the state of the economy right now, and what the cut means for our money.  We also talk about plans to hit those in wealthier areas with bigger council tax bills. Why is the current system so unequal, and how could your area be affected? Helen discusses a water company who told an elderly couple they needed their pipework replacing at a cost of thousands - when in reality, all they needed was a new water meter (which is given away for free).  Finally, Lee explains who can claim from the car finance scandal - and what to do if you can't find the paperwork.

While the average household pays £16,700 in direct tax on income, our audit shows  this is just the tip of the iceberg. We all pay a multitude of other taxes, from air passenger duty to environmental levies on our energy bills. Lee Boyce, Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost discuss what the total sum is - and that our tax rate is more like 57 per cent. And tax rises don't always bring in more cash for the Treasury coffers. As the Government weighs up introducing yet another tax - this time a wealth tax - we explore why despite the allowance being slashed the capital gains tax take is down and what it means for the Chancellor's plans. How much you need to feel wealthy in different areas of Britain? Does £1million still cut it? The six burning questions everyone is asking financial advisers right now… and their expert answers And we answer a reader query: Could I give £250 gifts to 400 people who then pay them to my daughters to beat inheritance tax on £100,000?

A stark warning has been sounded that the state pension age could have to rise to 74 for those under-30s. The Institute for Fiscal Studies' pronouncement in the same week that the government announced a state pension review set the cat amongst the pensions. But would Labour - or any party - really hike the state pension age that high? Wouldn't it  be political suicide and spark protests in the street? The IFS warning hinged around the triple lock and balancing the books, but it's clear that the risk of the state pension age rising from its current timetable's maximum 68 is high. On this episode of the This is Money podcast, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert, discuss what could happen to the state pension, when we might be able to retire and what we all need to do to get there. Pension saving is also under the spotlight and the team discuss how to make the most of your work scheme or a Sipp. Plus, a double tax hit on inheritances is on the way, as pensions are pulled into the net. Does the governmen

How do you solve a problem like high house prices without sinking the economy? That's a conundrum that's kept politicians and central bankers awake at night for years. Now there's a new plan. Rachel Reeves unveiled a push for bigger mortgages this week, with the backing of the Bank of England, financial watchdogs, banks and building societies? Protections in place since the credit crunch-induced crash will be swept away. Are we forgetting the lessons from the financial crisis or adjusting the rules to meet a world that's different? On this podcast, Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert talk bumper mortgages and what next. Plus, the Chancellor has more plans, to get people investing, support the stock market and fire up the economy, will they work? As the FTSE 100 flirts with a close above 9,000, is it time to buy British? And what do you need to know about paying inheritance tax rather than the usual topic of avoiding it?

The slashing of the cash Isa was considered a nailed on certainty in next week's Mansion House speech, but now it seems Rachel Reeves has had a change of heart. So, has the cash Isa allowance been saved for good, or is this just a victory for now - before the axe falls in the Budget? On this episode of the This is Money Podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce discuss what next for the cash Isa and whether there was any merit in plans to cut the allowance. Plus, why has Nvidia become the world's first $4trillion company, is it still worth investing in and have you got any chance of finding the next stock market superstar before it takes off? Should you combine your finances with your partner's and reveal all to them. And finally, it's the polarising question of our times: are you for or against Ring and other video doorbells?

The nation's favourite savings product has just got a little less generous. The prize rate on NS&I's supremely popular Premium Bonds will be slashed from 3.8 per cent to 3.6 per cent from the August draw - the fifth cut since March 2024. On this week's podcast, Helen Crane, Tanya Jefferies and Georgie Frost discuss why Premium Bonds are the Marmite of the savings world, and ask whether the latest cut will prompt devotees to jump ship.  We also look at where else they could stash their rainy day fund - and keep the tax-free benefits.  Elsewhere, the team ask why a Lloyds Bank customer was turned away from the counter when they asked to withdraw £600 in cash - and told they could only do it at the machine outside.  We also hear from a reader who has a moral dilemma. They are having £40,000 of work done on their home, and the builder has asked them to pay in cash.  It seems there may be some creative accounting at work - but our reader hasn't been told that in so many words, and it could of course be p

What would you do with £208million? Ahead of another Euromillions rollover, This is Money spoke to an adviser to those fortunate few who have scooped a jackpot to get some practical tips on what to do if you win big…just in case! Would friends and family be top of your list when it comes to how to spend it... or something else? Lee Boyce, Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost discuss. Simon turns his focus on The Big Winter Fuel u-turn and the spending review – 'pray for Rachel and all of us,' he says. We borrowed too much to buy our home - what can we do about our huge mortgage? And an auction expert revealed the four types of property that savvy buyers are snapping up right now.

Tax is an increasingly taxing subject for many people who feel hard done by as Britain’s complicated system catches them out. From quirks of the system, such as the 60 per cent tax trap and child benefit removal, to the childcare cliff edge, frozen thresholds, and pensions soon to be dragged into inheritance tax, there’s a whole host of things to drive us mad. And, it’s getting worse. The Tories and now Labour have both chosen to ratchet up the things that trip people up to raise money, rather than sort out a tax system that most economists say is a total mess. So how far would you go to avoid your personal tax raid? And is tax changing people’s behaviour? Lee highlights how. On this podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert dive into how the British tax tail is wagging the dog. Plus, as the Switch 2 arrives and the video game industry goes from strength to strength, should you invest in video game firms? How much do you need for a comfortable retirement – and what does that get you? And fina

Banks have many tricks up their sleeves to try to attract customers and reward loyalty but Britain's biggest building society Nationwide appears to have hit upon a winning formula. Its Fairer Share payments are back for a third year, with a £100 bonus for qualifying members. Fairer Share has been credited with helping boost Nationwide's already strong position in the current account market. The payments were announced as Nationwide posted bumper pre-tax profits of £2.3billion in the year to April, up from £1.77billion last year, after recording its highest ever year for growth in mortgage lending and current account balances. But not all members are getting a Fairer Share payment and some aren't happy about that. Should they complain? After all, the criteria has been the same for three years now. On this episode of the This is Money Podcast, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert discuss Fairer Share and Nationwide's success. Plus, what are rival banks offering customers to tempt them in - and how shoul

How long did you take looking round your home before you put an offer in for it? The average prospective buyer spends just 43 minutes.  Surprise, surprise, research suggests that it pays to take your time. This is week, Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce talk about what should be on your checklist before you take the plunge and buy a property. Should you go by vibes alone, or do you really need to kick the tyres?  And when you do buy, what happens if the seller leaves junk like a mouldy fridge, grimy washing machine and a stained sofa? We reveal all. Buy-to-let has taken a battering in recent years – but there are still pockets of Britain where investors are finding a decent yield.  Cash Isas are back in the spotlight with a review likely to come in July – how likely is it that they will be tinkered with?  And with news defunct furniture brand MFI will return after 20 years, what stores would you like to see make a comeback? 

When it comes to investing, it's stock markets that regularly hog the headlines but it's government bond markets that really matter. Share prices taking a prolonged tumble is one thing but if bonds take a hammering, the financial world starts to really the notice. A textbook example occurred a few weeks ago when in the aftermath of Donald Trump's introduction of US tariffs, stock markets took a dive and the President refused to budge. But when bond market ructions started to get investors and even central bankers worried, Trump appeared to take heed and introduced his 90 day pause. On this podcast episode, Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert discuss government bonds, the basics of how they work, why they matter and what impact they have on ordinary investors and our finances. Plus, the state pension top-up mess that refuses to go away, how to find the best Sipp to invest for retirement, and is a care annuity the answer to our care costs problems or just a treatment for the symptoms? And fina

Major banks are tweaking their rules to allow borrowers to get bigger mortgages, while a new upstart lender is offering seven times salary home loans. Is this a welcome easing of the too tight rules to suit people’s needs or the start of a recipe for financial disaster? On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert dive into the world of mortgages and look at whether lenders are coming up with a solution or creating more problems. Is this a repeat of the heady days before the financial crisis, have stress tests helped borrowers avoid the stress of rising rates, and would you even want a seven times income mortgage? Plus, is the Bank of England about to aggressively cut interest rates in the wake of Donald Trump’s tariff chaos. Also on this episode, why our retirement expert Sir Steve Webb is loving his new solar panels and how to work out what kind of investor you are and how much risk you should take. And finally, a definitive list of the 50 best British cars of all time has been r

Amid Donald Trump's tariff madness, there may be a silver lining for British investors. With American exceptionalism swiftly being replaced with American erraticism, the UK is attracting the eye of international investors. They see the FTSE - and its European counterparts - as a relative bastion of sanity and somewhere that a rules-based trading system can ride out the storm away from a US government seemingly intent on tearing up the rulebook and throwing the pieces in the air to see where they land. But this isn't the first occasion that investors have heard the siren call of a revived UK stockmarket, only to have their hopes dashed on the rocks, so will it be different this time? On this week's podcast, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert discuss whether UK shares will be a tariff winner - and where else investors can turn to make a profit. Plus, how much should you have in savings at different ages and are NS&I's new bonds or cash Isa table-topping rates from savings apps a way to get there. And fin

For years, two-year fixes were the mortgage of choice for most homeowners - but borrowers piled into five-year deals in 2022 and 2023 in a bid to lock in super-low rates. Now, UK Finance figures show shorter fixed deals are once again back in vogue. Does that mean people think rates are heading down - and what do you need to think about when choosing yours? This is Money's Helen Crane and Georgie Frost discuss.  Elsewhere in the property market, TSB data reveals that the average first-time buyer is now past their 30th birthday in all but one region of Britain. Perhaps more surprisingly, though, the amount people borrowed from family to get on the property ladder went down last year.  The team ask why that is, and tips for saving a house deposit.  Donald Trump's tariffs have continued to dominate the headlines this week, causing a whirlwind on the global markets.  Is this going to bring down savings rates for good, and what can people do with their money instead?  On the bright side, though, it mean