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With the summer holidays drawing to a close in the next few days, the new team at HM Treasury will be busy looking at fresh ideas for the Budget on 28th October. The challenging economic situation calls for a fresh look at some of the underlying strategies which have driven debt so high over the past half-century. The really big problem is the extent to which 'universal, free-at-the-point-use' health care has caused deep generational unfairness; that, combined with the triple lock and unfunded state pensions, place real burdens on young generations. It's time for a major change in the underlying logic. Background music: 'People Watching' by Sir Cubworth

The week before last, HM Treasury published its annual savings statistics, including their assessment of 827,000 unclaimed Child Trust Funds as at 5th April. Allowing for unilateral transfers into Junior ISAs by account providers and another six months, the current total is now very close to one million — over £2 billion in value. But the big challenge is to get CTF accounts delivered to their low-income owners, whose accounts represent 60% of this value. The Share Foundation has thus far linked over 145,000 applicants, but there's still a long way to go. Please read their annual report, also published last week. Background music: 'Missing Persons' by Jeremy Blake.

The young owners of over two-thirds of all Child Trust Funds reach adulthood at the end of March 2026, but very large numbers of HMRC-allocated accounts remain unknown and unclaimed, including almost three-quarters of the £1 billion belonging to low-income young adults: the position is particularly acute in the north of England and devolved nations. These are accounts for which HM Treasury/HMRC are the 'settlor', and therefore have a duty to deliver these young adults' birthrights. Background music: 'Waiting' by Andrew Langdon 

The triple lock's days appear to be numbered. Prime Minister Andy Burnham revealed bold plans to ditch the pension guarantee from 2030 and replace it with what has been dubbed a 'double lock' at the Labour Party conference this week. Is it the right move? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Helen Crane discuss. Elsewhere, Angela Rayner announced that councils could soon be allowed to take over empty buy-to-let properties, if they had been vacant for as little as six months. Helen explains EDMOs and who could be stung. Fancy working for yourself? We reveal the ten most in-demand self-employed roles ... plus, what to do if you find out a colleague is being paid a lot more than you for doing something similar? Finally, a new vape tax comes into force this week. What's changing, and will it really encourage people to kick the habit? Time stages: 01:17 — Is the triple lock on the way out? 19:21 — State Pension myths busted 22:50 — Could councils take over empty homes? 30:00 — The most in-demand self-employed jobs 34:53 — My colleague earns £20,000 more than me — what can I do? 39:52 — The new vape tax: how much will it cost? 45:17 — Lee’s tip of the week.

Steve Caplin discusses Muse, Meta's "world's first personal AI agent", which you can get in a pendant. However, he also warns of some downsides of AI agents. However, AI is good at spotting diseases, diabetes being the latest which it does by listening to voice recordings. Blood pressure can be lowered by hearing Mozart. As humans prefer robots that have facial expressions, one can now produce emotional responses – including crying. AI has been used to create a Greta Garbo advert for a ball bearing company, apparently without using her likeness. There's a collapsible cargo trailer which sounds useful. Not so the "world's first emotion-aware smart pen". The Bodleian Library is allowing OpenAI to train ChatGPT on its books. And there's a Chinese car that will give Tesla's S model a run for its money.

James Cameron-Wilson is amazed by the buoyancy of the box office, boosted by a mildly-revised ‘Avengers: Endgame’ at #1 which cinemagoers may be mistaken in thinking a new film. He was bored by #3 ‘Heart of the Beast’ starring Brad Pitt, finding it just another wilderness movie, despite some great photography. However, #4 ‘Sense and Sensibility’ is a superlative adaptation. Featuring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles, it excels in every department, particularly cinematography, score and screenplay. He much admired #13, the NT Live showing of ‘The Misanthrope’. He was also surprised to enjoy ‘The Runner’ on Amazon Prime, a thriller set in London with Gal Gadot and Damian Lewis, which he found pulse-quickening and relevant.

We discuss what we’ve learned about the economy and markets through the first three quarters of 2026. Then we turn to Nike’s latest quarter (which was terrible), Netflix’s growth concerns, and we play “Over/Under”. As always, we end with the stocks on our radar. Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Jason Hall discuss what we learned thru' Q3, consumer health, is Nike toast?, over/under, Netflix growth, and stocks on our radar. Companies discussed: Nike (NKE), Netlfix (NFLX), Meta Platforms (META), Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), Accenture (ACN), CareTrust REIT (CTRE). Host — Travis Hoium; Guests — Lou Whiteman, Jason Hall.

Sure, when NVIDIA announced that its board of directors had approved the largest share repurchase authorisation in the market’s history, it was going to make some headlines. But does that number really matter to a $5 trillion company? Lou, Rachel, and Tyler argue that NVDIA’s buyback may have been a little light! Plus, navigating the new reality of the defense & security industry and the mailbag. Tyler Crowe, Lou Whiteman, and Rachel Warren discuss NVIDIA’s $150 billion buy-back plan, the case for a $500 billion buy-back, NVIDIA’s AI safety plan and what the market doesn’t like, what to make of all these new defence companies, and thoughts on Klarna. Companies discussed: NVDA, GOOGL, META, AMZN, BEAG, RKLB, KLAR. Host — Tyler Crowe; Guests — Lou Whiteman, Rachel Warren.

At a biological level, body fat is stored energy: much the same as that portable powerbank or those batteries which energise your mobile phone or tablet when there isn't an electricity socket available; so it may help to use this metaphor when reducing body fat. But while you may feel overfed, there's no sense in leaving yourself under-nourished: those important nutrients still matter. Adam Cox provides a refreshing alternative to taking weight reduction pills!

September was Urology Awareness Month, and new research suggests bladder and bowel health remains one of the topics people still find hardest to talk about. A study of over 2,000 UK adults found people are more comfortable discussing their finances, or even their mental health and their weight. Joining Rory McGowan to discuss the findings, and how people can feel more confident seeking help, is Registered General Nurse Louise Heelan, an incontinence expert from Ontex.

Last week was Small Business Advice Week, a chance to celebrate the thousands of local small businesses and SMEs who are the backbone of the UK economy. It’s a chance to tell the stories of those who have taken that leap and started their own business, and to talk about their journey and the work they do for their community. Rory McGowan is joined by Matthew Wilde from SWIG Finance, a company that supports small businesses across the South West.

In the 95 Years since the UK left the Gold Standard, we’ve seen the highs and lows of an economic system based on governmental trust. There are avenues out there for the 'Average Joe' to beat inflation and get more bang for his buck when saving, but over 2 in 5 Brits admit that they didn’t save a penny last year. So why isn’t the UK investing? Joining Rory McGowan is Laurence Chard, CEO of Chards, one of the oldest and most established family-run bullion and coin dealers in the UK.

Adam Cox joins Greg Bornstein on an episode of Greg's 'Open Loops' podcast series, with Adam discussing how his methodology for hypnotherapy has developed through learning psychology, styles of therapy and different uses of metaphors. It's a bit different from our normal episodes, as Adam Cox is the guest here. Please search for 'Open Loops with Greg Bornstein: Conversations That Bend' to find out more.

National Financial Awareness Day was celebrated last week — and new research from the Money and Pensions Service suggests that millions of people across the UK are still struggling to keep up with their bills. The findings come from MoneyView, MaPS’ flagship annual survey of the nation’s finances, which shows wide variation across different parts of the UK. Joining Rory McGowan to discuss the findings, and where people can turn for help, is Victoria Copeland from the Money and Pensions Service.

For the final Bigger Picture with Simon Rose, Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks back over the past twelve years of the programme. Into the good category, he places the advances in technology in areas like medicine, the digital world and the AI revolution. This will give a huge uplift to developing countries. As to the bad, that would include the polarisation of political life as the state hollows itself out from the inside. with taxes at an all-time high and services getting ever worse. Tim highlights the number of people under 40 abandoning the NHS, who believe they won't get a state pension for them and who see their future not in Britain but abroad. The ugly is the ever increasing indebtedness of the world's most advanced democracies and the rising authoritarianism which threatens the underpinning of our open society.

Professor Tim Evans says that to understand Donald Trump, you need to know that, in the late 80s and early 90s, he was a close friend of Richard Nixon, who told him that he used the persona of an irrational madman to unsettle others. Indeed, Nixon and his wife urged Trump to enter politics. In terms of policy, Trump is also a devotee of Reagan and William McKinley, an advocate of tariffs in America's interests. The Archbishop of Canterbury is one of the most important constitutional positions in Britain. In an increasingly secular age, the new Archbishop will have a challenging task ahead, but Tim feels that she is the right person for the job. The issue of Net Zero has come to the fore in the midst of an energy crisis like the 1970s. Tim ponders the politics of it, wondering if it could become as divisive as Brexit.

Pensions and inheritance are at the forefront of many people's minds ahead of the Budget. In her last Budget, Rachel Reeves announced she will pull pension pots into the inheritance tax net from April 2027. Meanwhile, there are concerns that pension tax-free lump sums and inheritance tax allowances could fall victim to another raid as the Chancellor tries to balance the books again. In this special episode of the This is Money podcast, Simon Lambert is joined by Lisa Caplan, director of Charles Stanley Direct Advice and Guidance. Lisa spends her days helping customers understand how to protect their wealth, make their pension last in retirement and, importantly, enjoy their hard-earned money. She discusses with Simon the questions people are asking right now about pensions and inheritance tax and her answers.

The world is facing a myriad of Gordian Knots at present — problems so intricate and complex that they need new and very different approaches to solve them. In Greek mythology, it was Alexander the Great who chopped the knot rather than struggling to untie it. If you're facing a raft of complex problems, this episode could help you find novel and creative ways to solve them. So, think of the most challenging things in your life and listen in for inspiration. Maybe Donald Trump should seek Adam Cox's guidance for resolving conflicts across the world, or the UN for dealing with climate change — or Governments across western democracies seeking an answer for intractable debt problems? Image: Wikipedia

For the 500th show, Steve Caplin takes a look back at some of the highlights of ten years of Gadgets & Gizmos. He covers sprayable sleep, cows imitating zebras to ward off mosquitoes, crows collecting cigarette butts, NFTs, self-parking slippers, KFC chicken-tasting nail polish, the first human head transplant, the Skunklock noxious bike lock, Refrigerdating, the robot dog flamethrower, ant populated gin and how to make pain relief pills 10 times more effective.

James Cameron-Wilson reports on box office -13% but still up on 2024, with ‘Wicked’ becoming last year's most successful film with £59.6m. The musical biopic of Bob Dylan, ‘A Complete Unknown’, with Timothy Chalomet and Edward Norton is the new #1. The tedious and unbelievable ‘Wolf Man’ limps in at #7. James found Netflix's spy thriller ‘Back in Action’, the return from retirement of Cameron Diaz, all very silly and over the top, despite some good stunts. The Oscar nominations were coming out during recording, so James gives his first thoughts on who's in and who's out.

Warren Buffett sends us into the season to be thankful with his philanthropic acts and his poignant words, and gives us all a place to start the conversation with family about money. Asit Sharma and Dylan Lewis discuss NBC’s negotiations to extend their rights to broadcast rights to the Macy’s Day Parade, and why holiday live events are turning into an arms race, the expectations for Black Friday through Cyber Monday, and two predictions on the direction of consumer spend and who will be driving it in future years, and Warren Buffett’s plans for passing his wealth on to his family and philanthropic efforts, and the words of wisdom we should all have in mind as we get together with loved ones this week. Companies discussed: CMCSA, M, NFLX, AMZN, BRK.A, BRK.B. Host - Dylan Lewis; Guests - Asit Sharma

The debate on 19th March 2024 was hosted by Sir Jeremy Quin MP to call for the need to simplify family access to Child Trust Funds for disabled young people, and a number of MPs contributed to the debate, including Danny Kruger and Ed Davy. The audio record is provided by Parliament Live, and is an unabridged recording of proceedings, without additional comment. Listeners may notice an adjournment for voting in the House of Commons.

Welcome to a special episode of The Financial Outlook: the investment section of the Managing My Money course. What's the difference between saving and investment? It's all in the risk. We talk about shares, bonds and funds, and which perform best over the long term. The Managing My Money course has 16 sections in total, and is presented by Glen Goodman and Annie Weston. You can enjoy the whole course, produced in association with the Open University via Share Radio's home page. Here's the link to the slides for this episode: https://www.shareradio.co.uk/help-guides/managing-my-money/supporting-slides/mmm-week-5-episode-10-supporting-slides/

It’s the last episode of Answers (but don’t worry, we’re just moving to Motley Fool Money every Tuesday). We’ll reminisce on our biggest lessons learned over the last seven years and answer your questions, some financial, some festive.

Scrooge has made the deal of his life with Chinese investors and must now quickly return to London on Christmas Eve to close the deal. On the flight back, during a fitful sleep, Scrooge confronts his past and present and learns the future consequences of his miserly life to find the true meaning of Christmas. Proscenium Online Theatre is super excited to be bringing you a whole new season of audio dramas in 2022. Starting off with 'The Girl in the Yellow Dress', a dark romance by South African playwright Craig Higginson, and 'Plunder', an original Hong Kong based thriller by American playwright Alan Olejniczak. In the meantime - sit back, close your eyes and enjoy the Proscenium Online Theatre’s production of 'A Christmas Carol'.

https://www.prosceniumonlinetheatre.com

Imagine a world in which everyone has a stake in the great tech firms that serve them each day, and where dividends are gradually replacing wages to provide regular income for everyone, as work becomes scarcer as a result of automation? Imagine a world where every young person not only has a small inheritance with which to start their adult life, but also the opportunity to build its value by learning life skills? Simon Rose is taking a well-earned break this week, so we’re taking the opportunity to bring you a talk given Gavin Oldham in August to the leading City of London think-tank Z/Yen.

Click link for slides for presentation

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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