Money Clinic with Claer Barrett

If I take a job outside the UK, what are the options for my investments, property and pension?  After months spent in lockdown, 31-year-old finance professional Viktoria is longing for a change of scene, and is planning to relocate overseas. She talks to Claer about her desire to escape the corporate lifestyle in London and her concerns about what would happen to her property, pensions and in...

Anne Boden spent over three decades in the traditional banking sector, watching the world around her being transformed by technology. In 2014, she decided that the time had come for banking to undergo the same shift, and quit her job to found Starling Bank. Since then, Anne has built Starling from an idea into a digital bank with 2m customers.  Claer talks to her about making the leap into fi...

Making the ‘greener choice’ comes naturally to listener Ros. As more people become increasingly aware of how their daily decisions affect the environment, Ros is wondering if she can make a difference to the planet - and her pocket - through her bank account, pensions and plans for investing. Claer talks to the FT’s Alice Ross, author of 'Investing to Save the Planet' and Bevis Watts, chief execut...

Jenny and her partner are planning to have a baby but, beyond forking out for nappies and a pushchair, she has no idea how much becoming a parent will cost. How big a budget will the couple need to cover parental leave, childcare costs, and other unexpected expenses? Claer talks to Tobi Asare, founder of parental finance blog My Bump Pay, and Maike Currie, FT columnist and investment director at F...

Last October Claer spoke to listener Lucy who was on the cusp of buying a shared ownership flat with her partner — but was getting cold feet. The shared ownership model enables buyers to take out a mortgage on part of the property, and pay rent on the rest. Lucy was hoping that this would be her first step towards being able to afford to own 100 per cent of her home, but worried about how much it...

In this special ‘What happened next’ Money Clinic episode, Claer catches up with US financial services worker Josh. When they spoke last October, he was hiding thousands of dollars in credit card debt from his wife. Under lockdown, the couple had managed to save up enough money to pay them off - but she wanted to use this cash for a deposit on their first home. The podcast experts had plenty of ad...

Claer catches up with 30-year-old jewellery designer Roseanna Croft. When they spoke last October, her small business was reeling from the impact of coronavirus and cancelled weddings. Money Clinic experts advised Roseanna on accessing financial support, and finding a new direction for her business under lockdown. Five months on, has she managed to hammer out her financial issues? The experts were...

Young investors have rushed to open day trading accounts under lockdown, using tips gleaned from chat rooms and social media as they attempt to make a fast buck. But betting on short-term market movements carries a high risk of losing money — something that 19-year-old Ross has found out the hard way trading stocks like GameStop and AMC. If he invested his money for a matter of years instead of a...

Gina Miller’s campaigning spirit has made her front-page news — but what’s less well known is the personal story behind her own financial journey. As one of the highest profile women working in the City of London, the anti-Brexit campaigner has raised awareness of unfair investment charges , the impact of the gender pay gap and the need for women to embrace investing. Her latest fear? That the pan...

Have you ever dreamt of starting your own business? It might sound more fulfilling — but being an employee has some perks you might miss. 33-year old Rhiannon set up her first business three years ago, offering virtual PA services.  Even though she’s making a profit, Rhiannon is struggling to find a mortgage lender who will help her buy a property. Plus, she’s unsure about whether to leave he...

Many people would like to move to a life with less or no debt, but taking the first step requires great courage. This week Claer hears from a couple in their 30s who have each run up large credit card debts. Duncan and his partner found that the pandemic made their debt problems worse. How can they get their finances back on track? Could a debt adviser help? Chris Browning, presenter of US podcast...

With “Isa season” fast approaching in the UK, Claer explores how young people can use the popular tax-free accounts to invest or buy their first property. This week, she meets Ryan, a 22 year old graduate who confesses he has three Isa accounts, but doesn’t know how best to use them — or how to unlock savings bonuses potentially worth tens of thousands of pounds. Expert and practical help is on ha...

This week, Claer meets Lowri, who runs a small events business. She’s had no work for nearly a year, and as a director of her own limited company is one of an estimated 3m people in the UK who has fallen through the cracks of government support. Living on state benefits and reliant on her local food bank, Lowri’s previous experiences of business failure have prepared her for what she fears is...

Disruption from the pandemic has created plenty of ‘accidental landlords’ - homeowners with an empty property they could potentially let out. This week’s guest, Jeremy, has relocated for work - he’s renting a room in a shared house, but wants to make some cash renting out his former home. He asks Claer what taxes he’d have to pay, the rules he’d have to comply with, whether or not to use a letting...

Putting all of your pension savings in one place to make it easier to manage your retirement plans sounds like a sensible idea — but it’s not necessarily the right solution for everyone. Claer Barrett meets 51-year-old Tina who has spent lockdown searching for all of her old pensions: some have performed better than hoped, but others have had high charges, and she has a gap in her UK state pension...

2020 was a turbulent year for most people’s finances, but the new year provides the perfect opportunity to set some ‘financial resolutions’. The guests on the first podcast of the New Year, couple Toby and Siobhan, are looking for some ‘fin-spiration’ to get their money working harder in 2021. They’ve paid off their credit cards under lockdown, and are wondering where to direct their spare cash: o...

Money Clinic is taking a break until December 31st, so why not delve into our back catalogue of podcasts to find useful discussions on how to manage your money during the pandemic, from starting in investing and shared ownership to the dangers of 'money mules' and moving into a second career. Our next episode focuses on how best to plan your finances in the New Year while Covid-19 continues to aff...

She earns a six-figure salary working an 80-hour week on Wall Street but 20-something Anna spends her spare moments dreaming about starting her own business. She chats to presenter Claer Barrett about the challenge of resisting “lifestyle creep” - the pressure to spend more as you earn more - in New York City. But how much will she need to save up to support herself if she pursues her passion proj...

If you’re offered the chance to make some easy money during the pandemic, what should you do? Money Clinic was emailed by 19-year-old student Henry who, along with many of his friends, had been contacted on Snapchat and Instagram and asked: ‘Do you want to make money working from home?’ To earn a few hundred pounds, students are being asked to open bank accounts, then receive and transfer money. T...

Finding a side hustle that earns you  money alongside your main job is an attractive idea — but it can be hard to achieve as Jonny, this week’s guest, has found out, with his side hustles costing him time rather than earning much extra cash. He’s also looking to volunteer as a side hustle to further his ambition of campaigning on personal finance issues, but how can he find the right balance...

Since they moved in together at the start of the UK lockdown in March, Marijke and Danny’s relationship has gone from strength to strength. Marijke owns the flat they both live in — but Danny has recently come into an inheritance and wants to finance building an extension to their home. How can the cohabiting couple structure this arrangement in a way that will be fair to both of them if they late...

For 61-year old Margaret, and millions of other women, being able to retire with a pension has become an unaffordable dream. She has relied on working as a supply teacher to pay the bills. But she says employers don’t want to hire older workers. After many unsuccessful job applications, Margaret has gone back to university to study creative writing and to seek a new career. Lindsay Cook, the FT’s...

29-year-old jewellery designer Roseanna Croft is having her mettle tested by the pandemic. Wedding cancellations have dented her sales, and now the second UK lockdown threatens Christmas trading. As a limited company director, she has restricted access to government support and must rely on her own efforts to redesign her business plan. Claer finds creative inspiration for Roseanna from Suli Break...

Lucy is on the cusp of buying a shared ownership flat with her partner — but she’s getting cold feet. The shared ownership model enables buyers to take out a mortgage on part of the property, and pay rent on the rest. However, Lucy is worried this could be more expensive than she bargained for, and fears she will never be able to afford to own 100 per cent of her new home. Claer hears from indepen...

Claer Barrett chats to Harri about the challenges of building an ethical investment portfolio. The 29-year old is saving £1,000 a month into his retirement fund, and has noticed a growing array of ESG options (a label applied to investments that address environment, social and governance considerations). Are they genuinely doing good — or have they just done a good job on their marketing? And does...