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Political commentator Mike Indian looks at the politics behind the end of the second lockdown and the transition into a revised tier system, with its Christmas exemption. He delves into Rishi Sunak's Spending Review and the accompanying OBR figures, lamenting the lack of imagination in the directions the money spigot is spraying. And he looks across the Atlantic, where Donald Trump has finally given way and authorised the transition towards President Biden.

Many aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been unprecedented – including the extent to which it has forced the UK population to engage with statistics. This has been a challenge for Government, and it has not always gone well. However, with 190 policies enacted in the first six months of the pandemic - costing around £210 bn - it was never going to be easy. We talk to Vicky Pryce, Chief Economic Adviser and board member at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), on lessons that can be learnt from the last 9 months. This matters enormously, as a recent global survey identifies a clear relationship between individuals’ trust in information from government and the likelihood of engaging with vaccination programmes.

'Be greedy when others are fearful.' Warren Buffett's investment adage was tested this year when the coronavirus crash hit and sent stock markets tumbling in late February and early March. But as nations went into lockdown, economies nosedived and draconian measures surpassing most seen in living memory were introduced, it was hard for most investors to get up too much of an appetite, however many times they may have heard that line. There seemed to be no way that markets would recover for some time and the most likely course was down. Then the rebound came, but still it all looked to good to be true - as if it was just fools and their money being parted in a FOMO rally. Except, it turned out to have legs. The world's dominant stock market, the US, has been on a tear since late March and many other countries have bounced back too. So, has the opportunity to go bargain hunting passed? Could our own humble stock market be one of the last places left where you can do it? Are we missing a trick and ignoring the fact the world has changed and there is no point talking about cheap value investments, just get on the tech train? On this week's podcast, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert discuss investing bargains: what that means and whether there are any left? Also, while the stock market has been on the rise, the economy has been taking another lockdown beating. Chancellor Rishi Sunak updated us this week on the state of the UK economy, so how bad was the news? Also this week, NS&I and Marcus cut rates, so what can savers do now, and finally, is triple glazing worth splashing out on?

With Welsh cinemas open again, as well as some in Scotland, James Cameron-Wilson looks at the latest dismal box office chart for the UK. He reviews the Russell Crowe thriller Unhinged, now out on DVD and Blu-Ray, having missed some of the film in the cinema through the unexpected absence of advertisements. He also looks at the Oscar-tipped Netflix premiere of Hillbilly Elegy, starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams and directed by Ron Howard, as well as black comedy Arkansas, starring Liam Hemsworth.

Steve Caplin discusses the Yardroid, a robotic gardener that can even help yard your property, though he warns that cheap smart doorbells, designed to do just that, can easily give others easy access to your home wifi network. There are more flights to nowhere, this time for Buddhist monks and Taiwanese speed daters. There's a tech game table loaded with board games and Parisian e-bike ambulances. As for the animal kingdom, there's not only talk of pain relief drugs being derived from tarantula venom, but also how camel fur might be used to develop new cooling material.

Adam Cox is joined by Christine Gouldthorp, consumer product expert from independent comparison site: PriceRunner. They discuss whether or not Brits trust the offers they see on Black Friday, and whether the offers out there are really as good as they seem. They explore what consumers should be looking out for when shopping during Black Friday events, and why comparing prices is so important to ensure you really are getting a good deal.

Saving, spending, planning — you've got money questions and we've got answers. Every week host Alison Southwick and personal finance expert Robert Brokamp challenge the conventional wisdom on life's biggest financial issues to reveal what you really need to know to make smart money moves. In this week's show, with the help of Motley Fool Wealth Management financial planner Ross Anderson, the team will answer your questions about tax loss harvesting, life insurance, bond funds, and so much more.

Joe Healey of The Share Centre looks at the recent state of the stock market, both in the UK and the US, where retail investors have been seen again in strength. With markets having to digest the latest news on vaccines and the return of the tier system as well as Rishi Sunak's Spending Review, Joe discussions the rotation into value stocks. Discussing why investors need to consider if the pandemic's effects are just a blip or permanent for individual sectors, he highlights why financials might be worth looking at again.

Adam Cox talks to Terry Elston, the founder of NLP training company: NLP Life. Terry introduces what NLP is, and why it's so powerful. They discuss the core presuppositions of NLP and why they are useful beliefs to deal with the world. Terry explains how NLP can give people more flexibility and tools to change thoughts and emotions to take more control of life in volatile and uncertain times.

Adam Cox is joined by Stephanie Williams, tech expert from Belkin. They discuss the impact the pandemic has had on our tech habits, and how perceptions have changed around the importance it has in our daily lives. Stephanie also shares her tips on how you can optimise your tech usage.

In this episode, Adam has created a hypnosis session to help solve problems inspired by a book he read as a teenager called the 6 Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono. You experience what it's like to think about a specific problem by using different perspectives that are linked to each of the different coloured hats. This is great for anyone struggling with a specific problem or that wants to develop new thinking strategies.

Every child in the UK born between 1 Sept 2002 and 2 Jan 2011 has a Child Trust Fund (CTF). But one child in six has lost contact with the money. Gavin Oldham, Chairman of The Share Foundation – which runs the Junior ISA & Child Trust Fund schemes for children in care for the Department for Education - is trying to re-connect them. He talks through the CTF, how to track an account down, and what a child can and can’t do with the money.

In a new partnership with publishers Harriman House, Share Radio has produced its first audiobook 'Superinvestors', written by Matthew Partridge and read by some of Share Radio's best known presenters. 'Superinvestors' lays bare the investing secrets of legendary investors - from early 20th-century figures such as Benjamin Graham and John Maynard Keynes, through to more modern names such as Anthony Bolton and Warren Buffett.

How you can help young people in care prepare for adult life by supporting The Share Foundation’s ‘Stepladder of Achievement’ programme.

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Share Radio has put together a list of our ‘Top 5 Money Saving Apps’ to help our listeners make the most of their money.  All the apps featured here are free to download on either Apple or Android devices. Read more...