This is Money Podcast

Neil Woodford's Equity Income Fund, which has locked in investors' money since June, will never reopen – the star fund manager has seen his empire toppled. Editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost, ask: what is next for investors and what lessons will be learnt? We also talk about where it went wrong and what it could mean for the investment industry. Elsewhere, we r...

If you want a good deal, an undervalued gem, or a fixer-upper to make money on - buy a home at auction. That's the common theory, but does it actually work in practice? There's a chance you might find an underrated home, but there's also the risk that you may get caught up in competition with another buyer and overpay - as many who end up in a bidding war do. On this week's podcast, we switch off...

It’s crunch time for Brexit and things could go one of three ways. Theoretically, a no-deal Brexit shouldn’t be able to happen and the Prime Minister has to ask for an extension instead, but we are faced with the bizarre prospect of the Government saying it might be able to dodge the law… and so maybe no-deal could still happen. And then, of course, there is the possibility that instead of no-deal...

We are regularly told that we aren’t saving enough into a pension, but how much is enough?    A recent report suggested that while auto enrolment has dragged more people into saving for retirement, it has also lulled them into a false sense of security.   Currently, the system means 8 per cent of a worker’s salary must be going into a pension – unless they opt out – but that includes their contrib...

The best time to get a good deal on buying something is when other people don’t want to. That should theoretically make now a decent time to try to buy a property, but will that work in practice? The property market has run out of steam and house prices are rising at a far more moderate rate than in recent years  While the headline figures mask regional differences – London and the South East have...

Entrepreneurs and investors pay less tax on their profits to reflect the risk they take.    That’s the principle that lies behind capital gains tax being lower than the rates charged on employment income.   But the influential think-tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research, wants to rip up that system and charge the same rate on gains from selling shares or property as income tax – and hack...

Savers have been dealt a series of blows over the summer and the latest came this week with an NS&I cut, so was that as good as it gets this time round?   On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Sarah Davidson and Georgie Frost look at why savings rates have started to slip again, and how the mortgage price war, stuttering UK property market and even Donald Trump’s trade spat with China fit in...

This week, This is Money takes a look at a raft of inter-generation financial divide stories that have popped up in August. This includes why those born in the 1980s have less disposable income than those born in the 1970s according to the Office for National Statistics and why the Bank of Mum and Dad is creaking. Assistant editor Lee Boyce, reporter George Nixon and host Georgie Frost run the rul...

It's fair to say environmental issues have moved to the forefront of the agenda in recent times – a large chunk of households in Britain are becoming more eco-conscious. This week, editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost take a look at potential changes you can make to help the pound in your pocket turn a little greener. Simon explains his rallying cry for us to be...

The pound has been battered and bruised of late and it took another blow last week with gloomy news about the UK economy. With a no-deal potentially in the offing, how much more of a pounding will sterling take? Editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost look at what lies behind the decline, why it's fallen so much when jobs, wages and inflation aren't doing badly and...

If you think you're too savvy to fall victim to a pension scam - or any scam for that matter - you might want to think again.  Almost half of 45-65 year olds would potentially fall victim to six common tactics used by fraudsters, Financial Conduct Authority research claims. Editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost take a look, as it's revealed the average victim lose...

Changes in tax rules that will be introduced next year could hit the income of anyone who's self-employed - such as IT experts and business consultants. Editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost look at why it is being called a 'ticking timebomb' for contractors. Elsewhere, as the PPI deadline fast approaches, what will it mean for banks and consumers – and why you sh...

Out go Theresa May and Philip Hammond, in come Boris Johnson and Sajid David – will it result in your finances falling out of top gear, or going on a grand tour? That's the question editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost tackle this week, as we have a new Prime Minister at the helm, and a new Chancellor as his sidekick. Boris has hinted at a stamp duty cut, an inco...

  The threat of no deal is looming larger – just a few months after people had decided a softer Brexit was on the cards.    This week we had the Office of Budget Responsibility’s verdict on what a ‘benign’ no-deal Brexit scenario might look like for the economy. It would cost us £30billion, unemployment would rise to 5%, the pound would fall 10% and house prices would go down by the same amount. ...

It's official: IHT is the country's most hated tax. That's according to the Office of Tax Simplification, who have been looking into the quirks of the system at the request of the Chancellor. What needs to change – and could a Labour plan, bubbling away in the background, really be the answer? Editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost take a look. Whatever happens wit...

t’s been more than a month since Britain’s most high profile fund manager Neil Woodford was embarrassingly forced to close the doors to his flagship fund. Since then, investors have been unable to sell out and this week - after the first 28 days of closure rolled round - Woodford Equity Income locked savers in for another four weeks. Over the past month, Woodford, his business, its associates and...

The bumper fees we pay to estate agents to sell our homes are a common gripe, so what’s not to like about one that offers to do it for free? Yes, free.  Online agent Housesimple says that it will sell your home at no charge, rather than the 1.5 per cent you might pay a traditional High Street agent, or even the £900 or thereabouts that rival fixed fee agents charge. So, what’s the catch and would...

Two-thirds of savers are being told to abandon final salary pensions - and this is despite the Financial Conduct Authority saying that advisers should start with the standpoint this is not a suitable option.   That revelation arrived this week as the FCA said too much advice on valuable pensions is 'still not of an acceptable standard.'   Are people getting the right advice about their gold-plated...

Much is made of the difficulties faced by first-time buyers to get onto the property ladder, but less talked about is the problem facing second steppers and those looking to downsize. As growing families struggle to afford to move up the property ladder could intergenerational house-swaps be the answer?  That's the question editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost ta...

It's been a rocky week to say the least for Britain's most recognisable fund manager Neil Woodford – he suspended trading in his flagship fund, leaving savers unable to access their cash. And we still don't know the future of Sir Philip Green and his Arcadia empire, after a crucial rescue vote was suspended. This is Money assistant editor Lee Boyce, retail reporter Emily Hardy and host Georgie Fro...

We often talk about good retirement planning being key to more secure and happier future – but what happens if the figures you were working on were completely wrong – and it's not your maths to blame… Editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost discuss a string of incorrect state pension forecasts sent out that will result in many facing a poorer retirement than expecte...

The mortgage price war claimed a high profile victim this week as Tesco Bank scrapped lending.   A great adventure into the world of banking - billed as a major challenge to the High Street banking giants with mortgages promoted in the aisles – has come to an end.   Tesco Bank will continue with its other products, but why has it ditched mortgages, why have a string of other smaller players shut t...

There’s an old saying that money doesn’t buy happiness, which is often swiftly countered with the suggestion that while this may be the case, having enough not to worry about it definitely helps. There are no shortage of cautionary tales that tell us it is better to be happy than rich, but does it matter if some people have an awful lot more money than others? And does it matter to both them and s...

Many people say they would like to have a crack at a Grand Design of their own – or even a more modest one – but finding somewhere to build it is a problem. That’s why despite self-builders typically turning an immediate paper profit of 15 to 30%, according to specialist BuildStore, not many of us take the plunge.  Things could be about to change for the better, however, as keen to encourage more...

Social care is a mounting problem for Britain but the issue is a can that has been kicked down the road repeatedly. Rather than tackle the fact that the state can't afford to care for today's elderly - let alone those that our ageing population will deliver in future - politicians have dodged and fudged.  This week a new suggestion emerged involving a hike in National Insurance contributions for o...