Podcasts related to Economics

Could high street shops we obsolete by 2050? With more of us going online - is there a need any more for traditional bricks and mortar? Georgie Frost was joined in the studio with Jonathan Chippindale, CEO at Holition to discuss the possibility of our high street disappearing.

This week as Christmas celebrations get going - things can get pretty expensive what with office parties and drinks, dinners out and that's before you include presents and other festive spending. Georgie Frost spoke to blogger Lynn James on how we can keep to a budget, avoid the curse of contactless payments, and find ways to keep things cheap.

A new report claims it’s “frighteningly easy" for cybercriminals to get security details for a Visa debit or credit card. According to research published by Newcastle University, fraudsters used a form of "guesswork", called a Distributed Guessing Attack, to work out expiry dates and security code numbers by making multiple invalid attempts. Share Radio’s Matt Cox spoke to tech consultant Chris Green to understand the research better.

Many commentators have forecast financial market turmoil over Italy. But Italian shares have actually risen in the days since, as investors bet on a new caretaker government and no snap election. So what should investors make of the Italian story so far, and in what way is this a turning point? Chris Hiorns, Manager of the EdenTree Amity European Fund, joined Share Radio Breakfast to discuss.

One of Europe's leading venture capital firms, Balderton Capital, has warned that the UK's dominant position in Europe's tech industry could be at risk if Brexit makes it harder to attract foreign employees. So, what impact will Britain’s exit from the EU have on fintech start-ups? Antoine Baschiera is the CEO of Early Metrics, the first rating agency for start-ups and innovative SMEs, and he joined Share Radio Breakfast to look into this.

In a speech later, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling will announce a plan to take track maintenance responsibilities away from Network Rail, and give them to the train operators. He says it will make things simpler and more accountable to passengers. But not everyone's happy about the changes, with some experts worried it could cause a decline in safety standards. Share Radio’s James Brydges spoke to Lianna Etkind, from the Campaign For Better Transport.

Our rail fares are one of the highest in Europe. A recent study found we spend as much as six times more of our salaries on rail fares than our European counterparts do. We are often overcharged as rail firms do not show the cheapest price on two-thirds of cross-country routes. Well, change might be on the way. Rail firms may now be forced to display its lowest priced ticket on self-service ticket machines. Sarah Pennells spoke to Lianna Etkind about the constant rise of rail fares.

No matter where you work there are office gripes. We all try to ignore them and remain chirpy, but some habits are bound to grate more than others. So what are the top annoying office gripes? Noisy or messy eaters, alongside moaning, were among the top complaints in a new poll. Sarah Pennells talked to Professor Sir Cary Cooper about the worst office gripes.

Official figures released today show that the number of divorces is down. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show there were 111,169 divorces in 2014, a decrease of 3.1% compared with 2013 and a decline of 27% from a recent peak in 2003. The number of divorces in 2014 was highest among men aged 45 to 49 and women aged 40 to 44. So, why are divorce rates falling? For more information Sarah Pennells spoke to Seona Myerscough, Partner and head of the Family team at Gardner Leader solicitors.

Sarah Pennells is joined in the studio by Hannah Maundrell from Money.co.uk . On the agenda they discuss the big story of the day that British consumers will struggle to pay off their credit card bill each month. Elsewhere, Debt advice organisations are advising people to 'act now' to tackle debt, rather than to wait until the problem gets any worse. Plus, Britain's agency workers are underpaid and exploited. All these stories and more on The News Review.