This is Money Podcast

How to invest and save for your child to give them a bumper pot of cash when they turn 18

07 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It might not be on the top of your to-do list when you have a child, but investing and saving for them to build a tidy nest egg for when they reach ad...

What should we do about inheritance tax - and is it time to cut it?

30 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Inheritance tax is a conundrum. Just 5 per cent of estates currently incur it but it’s been voted Britain’s most unfair major tax. Even with the...

The Investing Show special - introducing our new podcast

27 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Hello, I’m Simon Lambert, the editor of This is Money, and I’d like to introduce you to our new podcast the Investing Show. It is not replacing ...

What burst the bitcoin bubble and could it rise again?

23 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A year ago bitcoin could do no wrong – now it has slumped to 79 per cent below its peak. So what went wrong for the much vaunted cryptocurrency? ...

Does an 18 year house price cycle predict a rise? (Podcast cut)

21 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

House prices move in an 18 year cycle. That is the theory of Fred Harrison, who used his cycle to forecast the 2008 slump after the financial crisis. ...

Follow the money: Are bank scammers about to be stopped in their tracks?

16 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This is Money has relentlessly campaigned to fight online fraud – and in a major victory, Britain's biggest banks are now trialling a new system to ...

Steve Webb pensions special: our panel answers 12 of the best questions submitted by readers

09 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Are you trying to save for retirement, make the most of your income in old age, navigate the state pension maze, or just feel baffled by some bit of p...

Was that a good Budget – and is austerity really over?

02 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Is austerity really coming to an end? And are the rich getting richer thanks to the Government? In the This is Money podcast this week, editor Simon...

Stock market turmoil spreads across the globe – what's causing it and how concerned should we be?

26 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As stock market turmoil spreads across the globe, the advice is to keep calm and carry on, folks. In the latest This is Money podcast, editor Simon ...

What can we expect from the Budget and how big a threat are Labour's tax plans?

19 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With this year’s Budget moved to Monday, 29 October, we bring you a pre-Budget special. This is Money editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee B...

Private car park sharks are in our sights as our campaign for justice steps up a gear

12 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, This is Money launched another campaign - and we have the private car parking sharks and the DVLA in our sights. We talk about the horrif...

How a child benefit form can lose you state pension?

05 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Child benefit and state pension - It’s not the most obvious link. But if you are a parent who is looking after a child instead of working, you nee...

What exactly is Help to Buy? (Podcast cut)

03 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

On Budget day, March 2013, Chancellor George Osborne launched a scheme intended to help first-time buyers but was described at the time by This is Mon...

Can you still make money in buy-to-let? A professional's tips

28 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The reports of buy-to-let’s death have been greatly exaggerated. That is the view of one of the few professional residential property fund managers ...

How safe is saving and how risky is investing?

21 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As banks went kaput a decade ago, the safety of our savings was thrust into the limelight. Most had never considered that cash in the bank was at ri...

The tax trap awaiting Millionaire's Row – and how to beat it

14 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What do you do about the looming inheritance tax threat when you live with elderly parents along with your own child and the home is worth nearly £10...

What would you teach a student about money?

07 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What would you teach a student about money? It’s almost time for a fresh year of students to start university and as they find their feet with new...

Would a cashless society work in Britain – or is it a recipe for disaster?

31 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Established banks, challengers, fintech firms and payments providers – they all have one thing in common: none of them are immune to IT problems, gl...

Everything you need to know about buying a home

24 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Buying a home, whether it is your first-time or not, can be a daunting experience. From the initial hunt trawling through property websites, to fina...

Why are smart meters being forced on us and are they a waste of money?

17 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Government's £11billion scheme to install 53million smart meters in homes and small businesses by the end of 2020 has been plagued by problems. ...

Why it’s time to fight back against parking madness (and how to beat a ticket)

10 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

From pubs to hotels and shops to petrol stations, Britain has gone parking mad. Private land owners have been signed up across the country by operat...

Was the interest rate rise a wise move or mistake?

03 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Interest rates have finally risen above 0.5 per cent for the first time in almost a decade. The Bank of England has decided that the UK's economy is...

The summer holiday special: How to get more to spend and be safe

27 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We’re all going on a summer holiday! Don’t worry, podcast fans, we aren’t really, but we are dedicating this week’s show to the lucky among yo...

What would you do with a life-changing sum of money?

20 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Working out what to do with a life-changing sum of money is a nice problem to have but that doesn’t mean it’s not tricky.  We’ve all read t...

What I learnt when I wrote my will (Podcast cut)

18 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this five minute guide to what you need to think about when writing your will, This is Money editor Simon Lambert explains what he discovered when ...

How soon will you be driving an electric car?

13 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How soon will you be driving an electric car? The Government laid out its Road to Zero plan this week, adding some detail to previous announcements on...

Are we seeing a shake-up in the savings world?

06 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The world of savings could be set for a shake-up when a new player comes to town – Marcus. Marcus is an online challenger bank and an offshoot of ...

Tips to make your home look good and get it sold (Podcast cut)

04 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you are selling your home you need to make it look as good as possible. And that starts before you welcome any potential buyers through the door,...

Would you pay more tax to save the NHS?

22 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The National Health Service is 70 years old this year and most of us are proud of the British institution, leaning on it in our times of need. Howev...

How to sell your home and get the best price

15 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What's the most important thing when you want to move home? Should you worry more about getting the best price or simply about getting your home sol...

Whatever happened to bitcoin?

08 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Whatever happened to bitcoin? After the mania at the end of last year when the price spiked to almost $20,000, the cryptocurrency took a tumble but mo...

What on earth has been going on in Italy and what does it mean for your money?

01 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Global financial markets have been flying up and down and all over the place this week and it’s all got to do with one boot-shaped country in the Me...

What did Charles Ponzi do - and is money flipping the dumbest scheme yet?

25 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ever heard of money flipping? It’s a new scheme doing the rounds on Facebook and social media that promises to turn your £50 into potentially thous...

How to buy a home with less than £10,000 - but is a small deposit mortgage wise?

18 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

High house prices mean that the biggest barrier to buying a home in Britain is raising a deposit. With mortgage interest rates at near record low le...

Have you got a pension sorted and are you saving enough?

11 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You don’t need to spend long reading the news to find a warning that Britain isn’t saving enough for retirement. But with a little bit of effort...

What are 'money mules' and how can we halt this scam in its tracks?

04 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A top bank has formed a 'money mule hunting squad' and is planning to share its secrets with rivals. How does this scam work and what is being done ...

Should people cash in on their homes to enjoy life or help their kids?

27 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Should you cash in on your home to help yourself or your kids? As a generation retires with more money in their houses than the bank, this question ...

As inflation falls will the base rate now finally rise?

20 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What has Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, got to do with long-forgotten television soap Eldorado? Find out in the latest This is Mo...

Big energy firms including British Gas to bump up prices for millions - it's time to fight back!

13 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

British Gas have revealed this week that more than four million households face a 5.5 per cent bill increase from the end of May thanks to changes to ...

Will you be a tax winner or loser this year?

06 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Good news. Chances are you just got a tax cut. Well an income tax cut at least, problem is your council tax is likely to be rising and if you are an...

How to save enough for a richer retirement

30 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Building up a pension was once relatively simple, for each year you worked for a company it promised to pay you some money in retirement. The death ...

Property vs pensions: Does buy-to-let still stack up?

23 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

My property is my pension. That was the popular saying when buy-to-let was all the rage and every other person you met fancied their chances as a mino...

Everything you need to know about Isas

16 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It’s not long before the door slams shut on your chance to use this year’s Isa allowance. It’s always best not to leave Isa saving or investin...

Will building more homes make house prices cheaper?

09 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We have a housing crisis. That’s the message, loud and clear, and it was reiterated by the Prime Minister this week. What’s the answer? Build mo...

Why it's time to raise interest rates (Podcast cut)

07 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this excerpt from the This is Money podcast, Simon Lambert outlines why he thinks interest rates should rise and Rachel Rickard Straus explains why...

The slow motion crash on the High Street - and what Buffett learnt from his bet

02 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Toys R Us and Maplin were sunk this week, investors are nervously watching Carpetright and Mothercare, and restaurants from Jamie Oliver’s, to Byron...

Secret world of the credit ratings unmasked – and why it could be Isa, Isa baby this year

23 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Just how does the mythical and bizarre world of credit ratings really work? How can you improve your score and what does the figure even mean? On th...

Will a world of rising interest rates make you richer?

16 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Interest rates are going to rise in May, if you believe economists, but will things get better or worse for you if they do? A few years ago, Mark Ca...

Buy, sell, or hold? What to do when stock markets tumble

09 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Buy, sell, or hold? When stock markets take a tumble, it's decision time. Investors got a shock this week, when the prolonged period without a stock...

Is it time to cut inheritance tax… or raise it?

02 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Chancellor asked for ideas for inheritance tax to be simplified this week, but should we even have a death tax at all? It is highly unpopular, a...

Could a fraudster con you into handing over money?

26 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Could you get duped into sending a fraudster thousands of pounds? Many people think of course they wouldn’t, but then it happens to them. In thi...

What protects your pension when a company like Carillion collapses?

19 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The collapse of Carillion this week brought how Britain runs itself into the spotlight, but it also left many workers wondering about their money. A...

Are the state pension's days numbered?

12 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Planning on relying on the state pension to keep you afloat in retirement? After listening to this week’s podcast, you might want to have a rethink....

Will house prices rise or fall in 2018? (Podcast cut)

08 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

House prices are coming off the boil, but it is London and the South East that are suffering, while some regional cities do well. But what happens n...

Will you get richer in 2018? From savings to house prices, we look at the forecasts

05 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

From 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 2...

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 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Facts are either right or wrong, right? ...wrong? In this special episode of the This is Money podcast Tim Harford, presenter of the BBC series Mo...

Tim Harford special - the things that created our economy

22 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Have 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 depen...

The supermarket Christmas taste and value test (plus inflation, rates and house prices)

15 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It’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 ...

How to get an investing Plan B in case of a crash (Podcast cut)

13 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It'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 alw...

Can training your brain make you richer?

08 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Could you train your brain to get richer? Behavioural economics tells us that we regularly behave irrationally – and nudge theory has been used b...

Is Bitcoin in a bubble? (Podcast cut)

05 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Bitcoin has risen more than tenfold this year and doubled in just seven weeks. But can it keep rising as adoption gets more widespread, does blockcha...

Are diesel cars and bitcoin being demonised?

01 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Britain’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...

Will cutting stamp duty push up house prices? (Podcast cut)

29 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The 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 ...

Will the Budget help you (or anyone)?

24 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It 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 th...

What will be in the Budget (and what should be)?

17 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Yes, 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 t...

Could you achieve financial independence and retire early?

10 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Have 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 fina...

How fast will UK interest rates rise? (Podcast cut)

08 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How 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 g...

What the interest rate rise means for you

03 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It 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...

What you need to know about your will

27 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Do 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 THA...

How to beat inheritance tax

20 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Inheritance 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 estate...

Can a nudge make you richer?

13 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Behavioural 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 go...

The problem with smart meters (Podcast cut)

11 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Households are being pushed into having smart meters fitted by energy giants trying to meet their own targets. But despite delivering accurate billin...

Can the Tories really fix student loans, housebuilding and energy bills?

06 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Forget coughing fits, pranksters and tumbling letters for a minute. Along with a car crash speech for Theresa May, the Tory party conference also brou...

How to get a good deal on a car scrappage scheme (Podcast cut)

04 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In 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 ca...

What would a Labour Government do to the UK economy?

29 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Labour didn’t win the last General Election but leader Jeremy Corbyn believes it could do next time. In case that comes around anytime soon, the par...

Are interest rates really about to rise - and should you fix your mortgage long-term?

22 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week the team ask the million dollar question: are interest rates really about to rise before the end of 2017? Are house buyers in property 'para...

Can you give money away and still control what happens to it?

14 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This is Money has had a string of questions from readers looking to give their cash to children or grandchildren but who also wish to protect it from ...

Are scrappage schemes a good deal and could your next car be electric?

08 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Car scrappage schemes are back. After waiting in vain for the government to launch an official scrappage scheme to get dirty diesels off the road, car...

How to boost your finances by claiming free cashback, ditching loyalty and taking heed of a very important deadline…

01 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hasta La Vista PPI! Arnold Schwarzenegger has been drafted in as a last-ditch attempt to get the millions of us who still haven't claimed compensati...

What was the financial crisis, the credit crunch - and will it all happen again?

18 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Ten years ago last week the greatest game of hide and seek was about to come to an end. Banks had been lending money to people who had no way of ev...

Are banks doing enough to track down fraudsters?

11 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Are banks doing everything that they can to track down fraudsters who con you into transferring them money? They repeatedly tell us that they are, b...

Will a diesel and petrol car ban work - and what are electric cars like?

28 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Will a diesel and petrol car ban even work? If you believe the Government, in 23 years’ time new diesel and petrol cars will be banned. From 2040 ...

Is it fair to keep raising the state pension age?

21 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The state pension age will rise once more, it emerged this week - with those in their 40s set to lose out. But is it fair to continue to raise the sta...

Could house prices really crash from here?

14 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Mumblings of potential big house price falls have emerged again recently to delight the crashists. The 40% number was even mentioned - and that's not ...

Elvis has left the building, robots are taking over our investments, bozos are running our savings

11 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

If you pop into the bookies and bung a quid on Elvis Presley still being alive – he died in 1977 - and he shows up as the support act to his heir ap...

The State we’re in: could higher pay for nurses and scrapping university fees boost the economy?

07 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Nurses have had their pay cut every year for the last five years. Students are coming out of our universities with the highest level of debt in the...

Could interest rates really rise this year and do we need to worry about car loans?

30 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

What do you mean you’ve never seen The Big Short? It was nominated for five Oscars, won one and features Brad Pitt, Christian Bale and the part-ti...

What are stocks and shares? Introducing Big Money Questions - and a lot of enlightening answers

23 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

‘If you've ever wondered how you get triangles from a cow,’ sang British music legends Half Man Half Biscuit, ‘you need butter milk and cheese a...

The all new standard of living - and other related problems (and some solutions)

16 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Wherever your heart lies in the debate about Britain’s role in the world, your head cannot escape the fact that we import a lot of what we consume. ...

Election 2017: Young voters changed the economic game plan - and what the DUP can bring to the party

09 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It was meant to be an election about Brexit but it turned into one about new young voters and what they wanted. They wanted change. What they got was ...

The road to our future looks bright if only we were prepared to pay for it

02 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Would you pay more tax for better health, housing, communications, green spaces, roads, social care, railways, education, defence? Or not? The c...

Can you trust pensions, social care or anything else?

26 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

A row that erupted over the Tory manifesto social care plans led to accusations of a dementia tax and a swift U-turn. Voters had previously been told ...

Which party do you trust with the economy? Tories, Labour and Lib Dem head to head

19 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The manifestos are out, but which political party would you trust with the UK economy? We look at Labour's plan to hike taxes, the Tories' plan to dit...

The next financial crisis is inevitable - isn't it?

17 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In part two of this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost, Rich Browning and Simon Lambert discuss the inevitability of another global financial meltdown an...

Is this finally it? Have house prices peaked? Dare we mention that word, crash?

12 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The property data is out and it’s not looking good. House prices fell for the first time in five years. Homes are going for less than asking p...

The supermarket squeeze on the way - and the tax breaks you just lost

05 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Shoppers have enjoyed cheap prices off the back of a supermarket price war, but alarm bells were sounded in Sainsbury’s results this week, showing h...

Should we ditch the pensions triple lock? (Podcast excerpt)

03 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The pensions triple lock means that state pensions rise by wages, inflation or 2.5% - whichever is greatest. This promise has raised pensioner incomes...

How the probate fee hike was dropped (Podcast excerpt)

03 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Plans to massively hike probate fees have been dropped, but was this due to the General Election or the government trying to distance itself from a mo...

The election is about your money - not just leadership battles - find out how

28 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The result of the election on June 8 will determine the financial outcome of Britain possibly more than any other in recent memory. So sit down and...

It's not all Brexit... what does the UK election mean for your money?

21 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Brexit this, Brexit that but what about the other stuff we need to worry about. Britain soon gets to vote in another election and inevitably the ca...