Podcasts related to Economics - UK

There are three certainties in life. You know the drill. You’re born, you will die and you will listen to this podcast about tax. As another new tax year is upon us, editor Simon Lambert and host Georgie Frost explain the tax changes that will affect you. There is a nice pay rise for more than 20 million people as the personal allowance is raised. And Simon answers some of the questions on everyone’s lips: What is the lifetime allowance What is inheritance tax? Why do married couples get a tax break? Should families be rewarded when both parents work? How does national insurance work? And why do the cost of stamps and all your bills all go up on the same day? You'll learn an awful lot about things you need to know about tax without having to read about it.

As we fast approach one fifth of the way through the 21st century, the world of finance is modernising in ways that would have been unimaginable a few years ago. And not always in a good way. The language of ‘savings’ has evolved to the point of dishonesty and even fraud. On this week’s podcast editor Simon Lambert and reporter George Nixon join host Georgie Frost to look at fancy new Innovative Finance Isas, at savings products that claim to offer 8% returns and to be protected by the official savings watchdog but are in fact risky investments – and the fraud investigation at London Capital and Finance, where thousands of ‘savers’ lost millions of pounds. Simon guides listeners through the dark side of mini bonds and the complex web of companies that savers’ money was poured into at LC and F before it collapsed owing £236m. The City watchdog supposedly overseeing the company is also now being investigated . On a cheerier note, George explains how teenagers are able to invest on the stock market and how easy it can be to get started, plus a couple of new free share dealing services, an old-fashioned holiday trap and whether insurance companies would pay out if your flash car crash is on video and on social media.

Want to keep up with the latest earnings updates from the States? Well join Chris Hill and the Motley Fool Radio Show team here on Share Radio, direct from Washington DC, for news, views and analysis of the US stocks that matter. In this week's show: Lyft rises in its public markets debut; Wells Fargo makes a change at the top; Lululemon hits a new high. Analysts Aaron Bush, Ron Gross, and Jason Moser discuss those stories and dig into the latest from McCormick, Blackberry, and Restoration Hardware, as well as surprising e-commerce news. Plus, Motley Fool media analyst Tim Beyers reviews Apple’s big event and discusses Google, Microsoft, and the future of gaming.

This is Money in partnership with NS&I. Host Georgie Frost and Editor Simon Lambert are joined by assistant editor Lee Boyce for an ISA special. With the clock ticking on Brexit and the tax year, now is the time to sort your ISA or pension. However, you may already be too late as some banks and building societies have already pulled their market-leaders. Saying that, Lee has still manage to find his top cash picks for 2019. Plus Simon helps you how to get started on investing in an ISA and how to choose the best (and cheapest) SIPP. The team call in the experts to give their last minute fund ideas and they tackle the B-word – Brexit- and it’s potential impact on your money, especially older savers.

Ed Bowsher finds out more about smart beta investing – passive funds that can follow particular investment strategies such as value or momentum. He speaks to Adam Laird, Head of ETF strategy at Lyxor and Steve Goldin, Managing Partner at Parala Capital. Steve gives the rundown on recent Smart Beta performance and also looks at how smart beta ETFs that look similar may actually be very different.

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, they answer questions about tax optimization with asset location, gifting stock, how to help parents catch up for retirement, and more.

The Government wants to scrap gas boilers in new homes by 2025 – but what are the viable alternatives? And how much will they cost? This week, This is Money editor Simon Lambert, reporter Grace Gausden and host Georgie Frost explore the options. And on the energy theme, you can now ask Alexa: when will my electricity bills be cheapest? Energy company Octopus has teamed up with Amazon, the creator of Alexa, and will pay customers to use electricity at off-peak periods. Sound too good to be true? We also talk 'dumb' smart meters and reveal which energy firm we're leaving en masse... Plus the team teach you the tips of the successful haggle as it emerges which telecoms giants are easiest to bargain with.

With all the shenanigans in Westminster last week you could be forgiven for failing to register we had a Spring Statement at all – let alone clocked its finer points. Editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost fill you in on what you may have missed. It includes forecasts from the Office for Budgetary Responsibility on the UK economy, along with income growth, interest rates, the pound and house prices. We also have the true scale of the tax burden on families and businesses, with the overall tax take equivalent to 34.6% of Britain's economy, a level not seen since Harold Wilson was Prime Minister. Income tax receipts will rise nearly £54billion in the next five years, with steep rises forecast for National Insurance, VAT and Corporation Tax. A hike in probate 'fees' was waved through without a vote or debate in parliament by classifying it as a fee not a tax – but the ONS is now calling it a tax. The OBR also reveals that two flagship savings schemes have not been anywhere near as popular as planned, while boilers are out – as are feed-in tariffs from solar panels.

It’s hard to listen to the news at the moment without hearing some kind of warning about economy. Nearly all of those warnings focus on one thing – Brexit. It’s true that lots of people think Brexit is risky – but in the clamour to define what Brexit means, could we be blindsided by something else? Obviously it’s difficult to predict exactly how and when another shock to the economy might happen. But is there more we could be doing to get the economy ready for whatever might be around the corner? Guest host Hanna Wheatley is joined by NEF’s Head of Economics Alfie Stirling and Senior Economist Sarah Arnold.