Money Clinic with Claer Barrett

The cost of living is rising at its fastest pace for 40 years, and economists warn prices will increase further this autumn — with some fearing annual inflation could hit 15 per cent. On this week’s episode, presenter Claer Barrett hears how the soaring cost of fuel, energy bills and food is causing podcast listeners to cut back in other areas in order to balance their budgets. Chris Giles, the FT...

There’ve been thousands of flight cancellations and scenes of chaos at UK airports, so this Money Clinic episode is packed with advice about your consumer rights if your travel plans go wrong. Host Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, hears from listeners battling to get their money back from airlines and third-party booking sites, including one listener who was forced to wear her husband’s un...

Record numbers of people are falling victim to online fraud attempts, but there are no guarantees that your bank will refund the lost money. Thirty-one-year-old Jenny was distraught when fraudsters impersonating her bank made off with her life savings of £17,000. Money Clinic helped her to take her case to the UK’s Financial Ombudsman, and in this episode host Claer Barrett explains how listeners...

Would you fall for a £17,000 scam? You might think you are too smart, but criminals keep coming up with frighteningly convincing ways of parting us from our hard-earned cash. Figures released last week showed that online fraud hit a new record in 2021, with under-35s increasingly the target of ‘impersonation scams’. Fewer than half of those tricked into transferring cash to criminals ever get thei...

The FT just launched a new podcast on porn, power and profit. When FT reporter Patricia Nilsson started digging into the porn industry, she made a shocking discovery: nobody knew who controlled the biggest porn company in the world. Now, she and her editor, Alex Barker, reveal who is behind it and much more. This eight-part investigative podcast reveals the secret history of the adult business and...

Most people know that you need a good credit score to be able to borrow money, but how to start building one up is a bit of a mystery. Money Clinic listener Emma, 22, has never been in debt before, apart from her student loans. However, she has heard that getting a credit card could increase her chances of being able to take out a mortgage in the future. Before she applies for one, what...

Global stock markets have suffered their biggest weekly drop since the start of the pandemic, and cryptocurrencies have crashed. As younger investors struggle to absorb the losses, they also have the rising cost of living to contend with. This week, Money Clinic host Claer Barrett speaks to Ashley, a 28-year-old investor who has lost thousands of pounds, about how he’s weathering the financial sto...

Who taught you the most about money — your dad, your mum or the internet? Traditionally, parents had the biggest influence on how people managed money in their adult lives. But all that is changing. In an unofficial Money Clinic poll ahead of Father’s Day this Sunday, while 20 per cent of listeners said their dads had been the strongest financial influence in their lives, the vast majority (71 per...

As the cost of living rises, securing a pay rise is likely to be the top item on your financial to-do list. So how can you maximise your chances of getting one?  This week on Money Clinic, we’ve joined forces with the FT’s Working It podcast to return to one of our most popular episodes: “How to ask for a pay rise - and get one!” Back in November, podcast listener Max told presenters Claer Ba...

Introducing Behind the Money. This is part 1 of 2 in a mini-series on crypto. Part 2 is available now here: https://link.chtbl.com/BTMMC First up, we're wondering: is a crypto vibe shift underway? Bitcoin’s price has been dropping for weeks and earlier this month, a popular stablecoin collapsed. FT reporter Ethan Wu explains how the effects of that rippled into other areas of the crypto universe....

Rishi Sunak has just unveiled a £15bn support package to help households as the average UK energy bill is predicted to hit £2,800 a year. Even with the chancellor’s help, plenty of people will still be feeling the pinch - but this episode is packed with practical tips and advice to help you save on your energy bills.  Presenter Claer Barrett hears from Bella who is renting a draughty Victoria...

This month’s crash in the value of cryptocurrencies has wiped out investments for people all over the world. In Bangalore, 29-year-old Subbaiah watched in horror as his $7,000 crypto holdings in luna and terra collapsed. Even investors holding other cryptocurrencies as part of a diversified portfolio are feeling the sting. Scott Chipolina, the FT’s digital assets correspondent, and Ilan Solot, a p...

Behind the Money is back with all-new episodes! From hostile takeovers to C-suite intrigue, Behind the Money takes you inside the business and financial stories of the moment with reporting from Financial Times journalists around the world. The podcast returns May 25. You can follow the show now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you hated maths at school, does it follow that you’ll be bad at managing money as an adult? Money Clinic host Claer Barrett hears from Jade, a 21-year-old self-employed graduate, who says even thinking about numbers makes her feel anxious, bringing back memories of not knowing the answer in school maths lessons. In her adult life, it’s affecting Jade’s ability to manage her finances, particular...

A year ago, 24-year-old Evvia, a full-time care assistant in Norwich, started a vintage knitwear business from her bedroom. Today, her Loupy Studio label has more than 40,000 followers on Instagram, and she’s receiving orders from all over the world. Evvia’s creations are in such hot demand she’s going to have to scale back her hours at her day job — but she wonders how this might knit together fi...

Buying your first home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever have to make, so how can you prepare for it? On the Money Clinic podcast this week, presenter Claer Barrett meets a couple  — 29-year-old Alex and her partner 31-year-old Sarah — who are midway through their property buying journey. They have lots of questions: Did they get the right kind of mortgage? Should they pre...

How financially compatible are you as a couple? On Money Clinic podcast this week, presenter Claer Barrett meets newly-weds Sahil and Priya, who have very different attitudes to money. Sahil is a spender and a high-risk investor. Priya is a diehard saver who finds it hard to enjoy spending her hard-earned cash. The couple want to iron out their financial differences, but confess that conversations...

Record inflation! Soaring energy prices! Tax rises! Those are the gloomy economic and financial headlines, but three-quarters of the readers who answered an FT poll said they expected their bonus to be bigger, or substantially bigger, than last year’s.   If you’re lucky enough to be one of those people, this episode is for you, because the squeeze on living standards and turbulent world...

Why does the crew of the world’s biggest rock band have its own financial literacy programme? Well, life in the music industry is rife with financial instability - workers are often on short-term contracts, missing out on employee benefits such as pension savings and health insurance. A tour can stop at the drop of a hat - when a rockstar breaks their leg, or a pandemic hits - and workers are left...

Ashley dreams of owning his own home, but is well aware that the cash he is saving for a deposit is at the mercy of rising inflation. Would he be better off investing his money in his pension, in stocks and shares, or should he stay focused on getting on the property ladder? Expert guests Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and Jason Butler, financial guru and FT columnist,...

With so many investing options out there, getting the right balance for your portfolio can be difficult. So this week presenter Claer Barrett has invited two listeners in for a portfolio makeover. Thirty-seven-year-old James holds UK-focused equities in his stocks and shares Isa. He was doing well, but market movements and rising inflation have made him think he might need to diversify. Thirty-fou...

Investors traditionally turn to gold as a ‘haven investment’ during volatile times so it will come as no surprise that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as rising global inflation, have caused a jump in its price. But there are many ways to invest in gold and in this episode, presenter Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, visits the vault of a gold shop in Mayfair and speaks to FT columnis...

Next month has been dubbed ‘Awful April’ as the cost of pretty much everything is going up — but is your budget ready to withstand the strain? 22-year-old podcast listener Lil is worried about how she’ll cope with higher energy bills, rising rent and bigger food bills at the supermarket — not to mention National Insurance increases and changes to her student loan repayments. She’s already pretty t...

From the highs and lows of crypto, to weathering the cost of living crisis, to your financial compatibility with your partner - Money Clinic is here to help you feel more in control of your finances. New episodes every Tuesday from March 15. Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Met...

REPEAT: This week, Money Clinic is having a pay rise takeover - we’ll be pulling apart that big, scary box labelled ‘Asking for a pay rise’ - and unpacking the dos, the don’ts, the tips and tricks for getting the salary you think you are worth. Visiting our pay-rise clinic today are three podcast listeners with three different financial predicaments: Natalie keeps getting knocked back when she ask...