Money Clinic with Claer Barrett

How to invest when you’re cash-strapped? What to do if you think your landlord is unfairly demanding more rent? Could moving out of the city save money? Host Claer Barrett and a panel of personal finance experts field questions at the ‘Young, Gifted and Broke: how to navigate the cost of living crisis’ event, organised by the FT Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign. With expert tips on rentin...

The past 12 months have not been kind to investors — but will the going get rougher or smoother in the year ahead? Presenter Claer Barrett hears from three of the FT’s most experienced investment writers who pass on tips on how to handle volatility, what’s driving change in the markets and where they think the best opportunities could lie in 2023. With Rob Armstrong, the FT’s US financial correspo...

The new year is a perfect time to rethink and reorganise your financial affairs but where should you start? Host Claer Barrett is joined by Iona Bain of Young Money blog, financial educator Timi Merriman-Johnson, aka Mr Money Jar, and Sara Williams of the Debt Camel. They discuss their own new year’s resolutions, whether it’s worth overpaying on your mortgage as interest rates are set to rise, and...

How does one of the UK’s most popular comedians handle his money and investments? In a repeat of one of Money Clinic’s most popular episodes, host Claer Barrett interviews Joe Lycett, the consumer campaigner and TV comedian. Joe shares his own personal money story - including his charity shop thrifting, ESG investments and money rules - and explains why he campaigns on consumer issues. If you woul...

More than a million crypto investors around the world stand to be wiped out by the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. Presenter Claer Barrett is joined by Scott Chipolina, the FT’s digital assets correspondent, and Rob Armstrong, the FT’s US financial commentator, to discuss what the collapse means for the future of crypto. What should people still holding crypto investments do? Will crypto recover?...

With more than 10mn people in the UK set to file their tax returns by January 31, are you dreading the annual nightmare - or have you already got it licked? This week presenter Claer Barrett revisits Money Clinic’s tax return guide from last year, with guests Jacquetta Brown, tax specialist at HMRC, and chartered accountant Deborah Edwards, who runs the money mentoring programme Raised Up Finance...

Thirty-year-old Brooke struggles with a shopping addiction and feels as if no one is taking it seriously. With thousands of dollars of credit card debt spent at thrift stores and bargain clothes sales, shopping is an obsession that leaves her both mentally and financially exhausted. Presenter Claer Barrett speaks to financial therapist Amanda Clayman, and addiction specialist Pamela Roberts about...

UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Budget Statement spelled out gloomy times ahead for the UK economy, but what does it mean for your money? Host Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, is joined by political editor George Parker and Chris Giles, economics editor, to discuss taxes, energy bills, mortgages rates and why this Budget will squeeze the finances of lower and middle earners. Plus, why w...

Should you overpay on your student loan to try and beat rising interest rates? Or are you better off putting your hard-earned salary towards other things? Presenter Claer Barrett hears from recent graduate James who is struggling with these very questions, and speaks to Ben Waltmann, research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Ben explains how student loan repayments work and what the...

Childcare in the UK is among the most expensive in the world, with parents spending an average of two thirds of their salary on nursery costs for children under two. Host Claer Barrett speaks to Joeli Brealey, author and founder of campaign group Pregnant then Screwed, about why the UK childcare system is in crisis. She also hears from Megan Jarvie, the head of Coram Family and Childcare, about ho...

How can you make the most of your savings at a time when inflation is eating into the value of your cash? Host Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, speaks to Iona Bain, personal finance writer and author, and Sarah Coles, senior personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, and sources, for practical advice about how to get the best interest rates on your savings and how to use savings to a...

Pension funds have been the focus of some worrying news over the past few weeks. But don’t panic! Money Clinic host Claer Barrett is joined by the FT’s global pensions correspondent, Josephine Cumbo, and chartered financial planner David Hearne to explain what’s going on, and to offer some reassurance. Whatever type of retirement fund you have, this episode is packed with information to help you u...

Against the backdrop of market turbulence, investors Jonathan Hollow and Robin Powell explain why they believe investing in broad-based index funds is the cheapest way to increase long-term wealth. This investment masterclass breaks investing down into six simple steps, with tips for those just getting started and those further along their investment journey. If you would like to be a future guest...

When former banker Emilie Bellet discovered that an average woman in her twenties would have to work 37 years longer than her male counterparts to accumulate the same pension wealth, she thought it was time to do something about it. She launched Vestpod seven years ago with the ambition of empowering 1mn women financially. In this Money Clinic Investment Masterclass, Emilie talks to host Claer Bar...

What does this mortgage tumult mean for individuals? Will borrowers be able to remortgage? How high could rates go? Will there be a property crash? In this special episode of Money Clinic, host Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer affairs editor, puts listeners’ and readers’ questions to Andrew Montlake, managing director of mortgage broker Coreco, and James Pickford, deputy editor of FT Money. ...

UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget includes what he claims are the biggest tax cuts in a generation . He’s hailing it as a new era for the UK economy and a way of kick starting growth, but what does this mini-budget mean for your wallet? Who gains and who loses out? Host Claer Barret unpicks the details with George Parker, the FT’s political editor, and Mary McDougall, the FT’s acting tax...

How much does the way you cook your meals affect how much you are spending? Host Claer Barrett speaks to Suzanne Mulholland, aka The Batch Lady, about how batch cooking can save both time and money. Plus, Archie Lasseter, sustainability lead at energy company Utilita, reveals which kitchen appliances are the most energy- and cost-efficient. How much could switching from oven cooking to an air frye...

Claer Barrett takes to the supermarket aisles to find the best tips for keeping the cost of the weekly food shop to a minimum. She hears from Laura Gaga aka Reduction Raider on how and where to find bargains, while Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland supermarkets, explains why his chain has introduced interest-free buy-now-pay-later loans for struggling customers. Follow Laura Gaga on ins...

Forget about being a day trader, you need to let the money come in slowly and take a serious, business-like approach if you want to succeed - that’s the advice of Robbie Burns, better known as the Naked Trader. In this repeat of a popular Money Clinic Investment Masterclass from last year, Robbie gives host Claer Barrett his top tips about trading, still relevant now amid uncertain financial and e...

How to match your money to your relationship status. Nearly one in four of us live on our own, but dealing with the financial and emotional strain of handling everything by yourself can be difficult. Jenny, 27, from Leeds, is being hit by the ‘single penalty’ and is exhausted trying to find everyday ways to save money. She’s looking for tips on investing in the stock market, whether to try to buy...

We know that investing in crypto is a popular topic with Money Clinic listeners, so we thought you might like to hear the first episode in the new season of the FT's Tech Tonic podcast. A Sceptic's Guide to Crypto asks whether crypto and its supporting technology - the blockchain - have a future following a market crash. In the first episode of this five-part series, FT columnist and host Jemima K...

Listen and subscribe to Tech Tonic here . Even after the crypto markets crashed this year, there are still a number of people who believe there’s a future for digital assets and blockchain technology. FT columnist and avowed crypto sceptic, Jemima Kelly, isn’t so sure. On this season’s Tech Tonic, she takes a trip deep into cryptoland to hear from critics, converts and hardcore believers to find o...

Are you working to live, or living to work? Followers of the FIRE movement (Financial Independence Retire Early) budget carefully so they can invest a greater proportion of their take-home pay. Is a life of extreme frugality worth the extra years of financial freedom later on - and how could you apply the principles of FIRE to your own finances?  This week, Claer helps listeners Amy and Rory...

Increasing rents, bidding wars and queues to view properties – for 28-year-old Will, finding a place to live is proving very difficult. He moved out of his last flat because the landlord increased the rent, and has just two months to find his next place. Greg Tsuman, president-elect of Propertymark, a trade body for UK estate agents, offers insider tips on how prospective tenants can get ahead of...

Do you ever long for an extended period of time off? Maybe you’d travel the world, try out a new career, or just put your feet up for some proper R&R. While the prospect of taking six months off work to do something completely different may well appeal to you, could you afford to do so?  Thirty-four-year-old podcast listener Ali has reached a crossroads in her career and is keen to plan s...