This is Money Podcast

It’s almost crunch time for our energy bills, with the new price cap that will kick in from 1 April due to be announced in just over a week. At that point those on variable rate price cap-linked tariffs will know how much their bills will rise by – a figure that’s widely expected to be 50%. But the worst of the bill shock pain will be felt by others, those with fixed rate deals cheaper than the cu...

Steven Bartlett is the latest star of Dragons’ Den – and we recently caught up with him for a special bonus This is Money podcast episode. In this frank interview with This is Money’s Simon Lambert, Steven tells us his story, the challenges he’s faced in his business life, how he got ahead and his tips for anyone else wanting to start a business. At just 29, Steven may be the youngest Dragon the p...

Turning 40 is a milestone birthday – and perhaps the one that gets people thinking most about where they are at in life. It’s an age that involves a lot of looking back and looking forwards and a fair amount of comparing yourself to where others are at. But what do you need to think about in terms of your finances, from pensions, to property, investing and saving? On this podcast – as a certain Ge...

Interest rates went up last month and banks and building societies have been busy upping mortgage rates, with Nationwide revealing a raft of rises this week. But while Britain’s biggest society has got off the mark with mortgage rate rises – reflecting December’s Bank of England hike and money market expectations of another move up potentially as early as February – its savings rates remain on the...

It's safe to say 2021 has been an eventful one for the economy and personal finance – and our podcast has covered it all. Georgie Frost takes a look back at some of the best bits of the show starring Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Tanya Jefferies and Helen Crane. We talk about investing mistakes and what you can learn from them. How much a lifetime will cost? And what is behind the inflation surge that...

There was some good news this week, or at least the absence of more bad news: Christmas isn't cancelled. In England at least, more Covid restrictions have been dodged for now. This Christmas time people can enjoy meeting up with their friends and family without having to break any rules to do so - they just have to use their own judgement, an old-fashioned concept but one many are happy with. But...

They finally did it! The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee raised the base rate from its emergency 0.1% level to 0.25%.    That came the day after inflation rocketed to 5.1 per cent - and is forecast to keep rising - and in the week that the International Monetary Fund warned the Bank of England against 'inaction bias'. Markets were cheered by the rate rise and economists were broadly we...

The greatest hurdle first-time buyers face after years of house prices rocketing far faster than wages is saving for a deposit. A 10 per cent deposit on the average £273,000 home, according to Halifax’s index, would be £27,300 – roughly an entire year’s average salary. That’s a tough gig to save while paying rent, bills, commuting costs, living expenses and trying to at least enjoy your 20s or 30s...

We’ve all felt it, that moment when you look at your bank balance and think ‘I’ve spent how much?’ But what if you looked at an entire lifetime’s worth of spending? What would the damage be and how painful would that number feel? According to a recent piece of research by Atom Bank, the cost of living an entire near 81-year lifetime in 2021 would be a whopping £1,543,834. That includes £169,159 sp...

What makes a good consumer story to take up the cudgel on and fight a reader’s corner – and why don’t companies and organisations just do the right thing? A year ago, This is Money started its Grace on the Case column, where reporter Grace Gausden fights for reader’s rights and tries to solve their problems each week. Over those 12 months, roughly £381,000 worth of victories have been racked up –...

Inflation hit its highest level in a decade this week off the back of soaring energy costs and petrol prices. Why is the cost of living on the rise, when will interest rates go up, and how will all this affect the pound in our pocket? This week, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Mike Sheen take a look at the 4.2 per cent CPI figure and how it is becoming harder to ‘inflation proof’ your finances. It lo...

Is it better to leave the heating on low all the time, or switch it on in smaller bursts? Does an electric heater cost less to heat a room? Is the electric blanket cheaper than a kettle-filled hot water bottle? On this week's podcast, Georgie Frost, Grace Gausden and Simon Lambert, tackle the burning questions of our time (well, the common energy saving ones people often debate at least). The team...

Did the Bank of England bottle raising interest rates or should a rate rise have never been on the cards in the first place? Inflation is mounting but hiking the base rate will do little to tame soaring energy prices, an oil price spike or the supply crunch. On the other hand, the emergency 0.1 per cent base rate arrived at the start of the coronavirus crisis and the economy looks far better now t...

On Wednesday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered another Budget alongside a Spending Review. Much of what it contained had previously been revealed, including the forthcoming National Insurance hike, frozen income tax bands, triple lock suspension and a flurry of information over the weekend. Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce run the rule on the latest Budget and updated figures on inflatio...

Going green used to be presented as a way of saving money, but the stark reality that dealing with climate change will mean us spending more is dawning. The carrot of £5,000 grants to help people ditch gas boilers and install air source heat pumps or other more eco-friendly heating was dangled by the Prime Minister this week.  There was a hefty caveat though, there is only enough cash for 90,000 b...

Premium Bonds are probably Britain’s best loving savings product but are they worth holding? The savings lottery delivers 100% government-backed protection, a theoretical 1% return – dependent on luck – and relatively easy access to your cash. But a new report this week highlighted just how unlikely people are to win big prizes. In fact, unless you have a sizeable amount in bonds, you should expec...

With inflation on the rise, homeowners nearing the end of their mortgage deal could be tempted to lock in for longer – especially with murmurs of a base rate rise. It comes as rates continue to fall, even on tracker deals. What are the pros and cons on a two, five and even a 10 year fix, and does the flexibility of a tracker mean it could be a worthy option to consider? Lee Boyce, Helen Crane and...

Savings rates are on the rise but even if you do find a best buy, don't get complacent because inflation is running hot too. On this podcast, Lee Boyce, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert look at why savings rates are rising, whether interest rates will follow suit and quitehow long it might be before we get back to a normal situation of a savings account consistently beating inflation. Simon discuss...

The week began with an energy crunch, as households woke up to the problems sending gas prices spiralling - and the impact that could have on their bills. It ended with a needless rush on petrol, as people were told there was no need to panic buy fuel… and some promptly panic bought it. The petrol issue we’re told is to do with a shortage of HGV drivers to deliver fuel, the gas problem is unfortun...

The cost of living jumped by the largest amount on record to hit 3.2 per cent in August – is it set to run out of control and prompt the Bank of England to raise interest rates? Meanwhile, a gloomy report has lead some economists to talk about stagflation once more. What is it, is it a threat and does it matter? This week, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss the 'flations' and what...

If you’re going to break one manifesto promise, then why not break two? Why not distract from telling pensioners they can’t have their potential 8.8 per cent triple lock state pension rise by hiking taxes for everyone. That appeared to be the theory this week, as two pledges to not raise taxes and keep the triple lock went out the window. Boris Johnson has been bold enough to be the Prime Minister...

Are you a mover, a flipper or a forever-homeowner? Among its many surprises, the coronavirus pandemic has delivered a property boom.  In pretty much the exact opposite of what all the experts thought was going to happen the property market has hit fever pitch over the past year and a bit, with more people moving and house prices soaring. But amid all the fuss, which property tribe are you in?  Are...

When it comes to state pensions, there has been plenty of talk in recent weeks about the triple lock and what could mean next month when it comes to an uplift. However, more than 2million receive less than £100 a week in state pension payments – is there a way to boost it? Tanya Jefferies, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss and reveal the common reasons why you might not receive the full state pe...

As Britain's streets are filled with drivers whizzing deliveries around, there's a new top scam in town. Parcel and package delivery scams are the most common type of 'smishing' text messages, a report said this week. Fraudsters are sneaking into people's text messages, pretending to be couriers that missed you while you were out, or need to arrange or rearrange a delivery. Click the link and you...

How low will mortgage rates go? The lowest two-year fixed rate has been cut to 0.83 per cent and five-year fixed rates are available at 0.99 per cent. That’s cheap money – and while these super low rates are only reserved for those with the biggest deposits, it’s clear that the mortgage price war is back on. The question is will rates keep falling and get cheaper still?  Some experts say believe t...