Share Sounds. related to Economics

Could you get duped into sending a fraudster thousands of pounds? Many people think of course they wouldn’t, but then it happens to them. In this week’s podcast Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost look into the disturbing rise in fraudsters targeting ordinary people’s finances and how you can protect yourself – we also ask if the banks do enough to help. On the other side of the table from those looking to take your money, are the people who promise to make it for you – fund managers. And there has been one name that keeps cropping up in This is Money’s reader comments as someone who doesn’t get his fair dues, Terry Smith. We dive into his Fundsmith fund, why it has been so successful and having had it explained to him first hand by Mr Smith himself, Simon outlines the Fundsmith investing philosophy. Also up on this week’s podcast is the best car of the year as named by What Car? – and it’s a diesel – and Lee’s once in a lifetime trip to the home of Ikea in Sweden, where he learnt some very interest facts about the flatpack furniture store you either love or hate.

Helal Miah from The Share Centre reviews the latest numbers from Sky, Dixons Carphone and Easyjet. He also looks ahead to expected updates from Vodafone, BT and AstraZeneca.

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: Amazon names the finalists for its second headquarters and boosts Prime prices; IBM breaks a losing streak; Lionsgate entertains suitors; Apple brings cash home; And Starbucks goes cashless.

The collapse of Carillion brought how Britain runs itself into the spotlight, but it also left many workers wondering about their money. And it's not just their wages that are a concern, the safety of people's final salary pensions is a major worry when a company collapses. In this week's podcast, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost look at how safe your pension is and what backs it up. They also discuss whether it is wise handing over so much of the UK’s public service and projects to private companies looking to turn a profit for shareholders - and what happens to people's finances when that goes wrong? Alongside that we discuss the continuing madness of the cryptocurrency boom, including the alternatives to bitcoin and how ripple rose 84% in 24 hours. We also reveal the savings rate postcode lottery and ask that all important question, should you spend your money now and enjoy it or save it for the kids' inheritance?

The IEA’s Head of Health and Welfare Dr Kristian Niemietz discusses the UK’s national treasure- also known as the National Health Service. In the wake of yet another winter crisis, Kristian explains how other countries manage to avoid system shutdowns every year, mainly through the use of market mechanisms that lead to better efficiencies, and in turn, better patient outcomes. Interviewed by the IEA’s News Editor Kate Andrews, Kristian also addresses the issue of funding, noting that more cash can lead to a more generous healthcare system, but it is not obvious that it would help to solve the bread-and-butter issues facing the NHS, like A&E waiting times and cancer survival rates. Kristian lays out his ideal healthcare system, which he thinks could be a legitimate contender for ‘envy of the world’.

Rachel Laurence and Annie Quick join Laurie Macfarlane to discuss inequality, democracy and the North/South divide in this episode of the New Economics Foundation podcast from the archive.

Adrian Bua is a researcher at the Centre for Urban Research on Austerity. The Centre develops research into austerity and related concepts and practices, such as crisis, resistance, resilience, renaissance and transformation. It brings together activists, students and academics working on these issues to develop new networks and projects. Wolfgang Streeck is Director of the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies. He is a sociologist working on political economy who analyses the trajectory and future of capitalism, democracy and the state in his recent books "Buying Time" (2013) and "How Will Capitalism End" (2016). This podcast discusses the main arguments he develops in these works.

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: Facebook makes a big change; Walmart boosts pay and closes some Sam’s Club stores; Activision Blizzard bumps up its game. Plus, best-selling author Dan Pink talks about his new book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.

Planning on relying on the state pension to keep you afloat in retirement? After listening to this week’s podcast, you might want to have a rethink. On this episode, presenter Georgie Frost, consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce and personal finance editor Rachel Rickard Straus discuss what’s in store for the state pension. Will it still be around when they come to retire? A report this week suggests something will have to change to make sure it is, whether that be everyone paying more in National Insurance, the retirement age rising again or a means-tested state pension. The team also discuss getting hold of our state pension forecasts – and if they’re at all reliable. And what about those who are already retired? The trio then discuss a growing trend of retirees extracting money from the value of their homes to pay off credit card debts.

Will markets carry on rising this year? Is Gold the best insurance policy against something going wrong? And how will the ETF industry evolve? Will ESG be the big theme of the year? Ed Bowsher finds out from James Butterfill of ETF Securities, Adam Laird of Lyxor, David Stevenson of ETFstream and John Davies of S&P Dow Jones.