Podcasts presented by Sarah Pennells (1) related to Banking - Comparing Accounts

Last month the Co-operative Bank put itself up for sale because it hasn't managed to improve its finances in the way it needs to. There's no immediate threat to the Co-op Bank, and the The Co-operative Bank has been at pains to say that it is not abandoning its principles. It was and is the first - and only - high street bank to have an ethical policy. But what is the future for the bank and what are the alternatives if you want to bank somewhere that does have some principles. Sarah Pennells was joined in the studio by founder of Fairer Finance James Daley, Anthony Elliot from the Fair Banking Foundation and Huw Davies, Head of Retail Banking at Triodos Bank.

This week financial journalists Vix Layton and Lindsay Cook take on the banks charging more on overdrafts than pay day loan companies as well as looking at the use of friend referral offers. Plus why white goods are getting the sucker punch awards this week.

Sarah Pennells is joined in the studio by Kevin Pratt, web editor at MoneySuperMarket.com. Today they discuss the average fall in pay for self-employed workers as well as the growing cost of online fraud. Plus why fashion sales have suffered their worst decline in seven years. All these stories and more on The News Review.

Sarah Pennells is joined in the studio by digital editor of Pensions Insight and Engaged Investor Sara Benwell. Today they discuss the latest league tables of UK energy suppliers as well as the growing popularity of contactless payment. Plus could viewers be fined for using BBC iPlayer without a licence? All these stories and more on The News Review.

As thousands of students prepare to start university in a few weeks' time, Sarah looks at student bank accounts. What are the best accounts, where can you find the best perks and what should you do when you graduate? With Young Money Champion Amelia Murray, Bronni Hughes from Student Money Saver, Andrew Hagger of Moneycomms and David Crawford, head of current accounts at RBS/Natwest.

Sarah Pennells looks at credit card surcharges and why we still have to pay an extra 2.5% interest fee. This week's Young Money Champion, Amelia Murray, explains what the credit card charges are and why they are being changed this year. Helen Saxon, from Moneysavingexpert.com, debates whether credit card rewards are worth considering after cash back offers and loyalty incentives were reduced. Richard Koch, from the UK Cards Association, explains what further changes are being introduced next month.

An increasing number of people are choosing to live together, rather than get married or form a civil partnership. But, while it’s becoming more commonplace, the legal status of cohabiting couples remains something of a mystery to most of us. Sarah Pennells is joined in the studio by Mary Marvel of Advicenow and Law for Life, Paula Myers, a lawyer with Irwin Mitchell, and over the phone by Christine Webber, a writer, broadcaster and psychotherapist, to discuss the various different issues moving in with a partner can have, and how best to deal with them.

If you started university in England in September 2012 or later, you’ll come under the new tuition fees and student loan regime. That means you’re likely to have graduated with tens of thousands of pounds of debt. So how do you start to go about paying that back? Sarah Pennells is joined by our Young Money Champion, James Connington from the Telegraph’s Personal Finance Team, James Seymour from the Complete University Guide and Ani Bailey from NASMA, the National Association of Student Money Advisers, to share tips and advice on how to tackle rising interest rates on hefty student loans.

Sarah Pennells talks about banking and accounts with guests Tashema Jackson of uSwitch, and Hannah Maundrell from money.co.uk, and Matt Saunders from GoCompare. Together they discuss whether it is possible to open a bank account if you have a history of debt, if you can open an account if you’ve moved to the UK from abroad and what the best accounts are if you’re constantly in your overdraft or similarly, always in credit.

Sarah Pennells is joined by this week's Young Money Champion, James Connington, from the Telegraph's personal finance team, as well as Graeme McColgan, an IFA from Million Plus Financial Planning, and also by Anna Bowes, founder of Savings Champion, to talk about the best ways to start saving if you're a student or starting your first job. Sarah and her guests discuss whether you actually need a savings account to start saving, what the basics are when it comes to how much to start saving, and what the best rates are when you're looking into savings accounts and products.