Podcasts related to Economics

Would you rather brave the high streets or shop from the comfort of your own home as the Christmas rush looms. If you are heading out, how can you make a potential headache an enjoyable experience and what makes the perfect shopping trip? UK consumer finance expert Jasmine Birtles tells us how.

Once again it's time for this week's edition of Moneywise. This week writer Tom Wilson and deputy editor Helen Knapman join Georgie Frost to discuss the value of houses. The question is, how can you boost maximum profit in order to get the best sales. Plus, we find out about inheritance tax, where the promise by the government to raise the threshold was hailed as a progressive step, as well as hearing Tom’s product pick of the week and the results of their latest poll.

With Halloween is now just days away. And the fruit most commonly known for the scare fest is the pumpkin. But they are not just getting attention for the night of ghosts and ghouls. Today is national Pumpkin Day where people across the world enjoying cake, pie, cookies, bars, pudding, coffee, smoothies, breads, muffins, soups, cheesecake and more, all made with delicious pumpkin. To find out more, Georgie spoke to Mark Bachelor, from Pick Your Own Pumpkins, who works on Beluncle Farm in Kent.

Despite a housing crisis, over 600,000 homes empty in England, with more than 50,000 in London alone. With average house prices at the level they are that works out at a staggering £132billion worth of property - according to research by charity Empty Homes. To find out more, Georgie spoke to Nick Kalms, co-founder of YouSpotProperty.com.

Georgie Frost is joined in the studio by Financial Advisor David Braithwaite from Citrus Financial. Today they discuss the big story that Vodafone is expected to be hit with a multimillion pound fine for failures in its UK business. Elsewhere, it's not good news for Whitbread, the owner of Costa Coffee, as they face growing competition from independent coffee bars. Plus, men have on average £7,000 more in savings than women. All these stories and more on The News Review.

The countdown to Black Friday has begun. It’s the day when stores offer big discounts, and it has become one of the top shopping events of the year, both in the US and UK. But it's divided opinion, not just among customers but firms too, with many saying the real damage is being done to small businesses. IMRG and Barclaycard have released a new report on how SME's can maximise their Black Friday takings, and Matt Cox has been hearing from Barclaycard's Head of Small Business, Greg Liset.

How are you at organising your finances? Could Ernest help. Ernest is a finance coach that learns about your finances and your outgoings and answers questions about them, such as: "How much did I spend on food last month?" and "How much deposit can I put aside in 9 months?" or "Can I afford a new car?".

What are the costs of being single, cohabiting and being married? A report has found less than a quarter of couples eligible for marriage tax allowance are bothering to claim it, according to HMRC. But why? To find out more, and other money questions on relationship status's, Georgie spoke to Andy Webb, a personal finance journalist and blogger at 'Be Clever With your Cash'.

How long do you spend online? Last year - the average adult spent three hours and nine minutes every day surfing the web - according to the internet advertising bureau. A typical household has more than seven online devices So what are we doing and what effect is it having on our lives? To find out, Georgie was joined by Dr Bernie Hogan, from the Oxford Internet Institute.

This week financial journalists Lindsay Cook and James walker enter the ring to fight for your rights in the financial world. We take a look at cold weather contracts - they are battling for your rights when it come to boiler breakdowns. Also on the agenda, are Black box insurance boxes the right way to go and ask if couples should have joint bank accounts?