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In the old days we either telephoned someone for a quick answer to a question, or sent a letter which focused the attention of the recipient. Now huge volumes of emails fly across the net, and we're left waiting days for an answer. It may be cheap, but is it productive? Also — People think that debit cards are as safe as credit cards or direct debit authorities — until something goes wrong. And, if it's a continuous payment authority given to an overseas supplier, there's very limited protection available, beyond FCA guidance. Background music: 'Communicator' by Reed Mathis

On Wednesday 22nd November '23 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt delivered his Autumn Statement to the House of Commons, focused on restoring UK economic growth. This is his full, unabridged speech as delivered, without commentary.

Adam Smith set out the foundation building blocks for economic growth in the Wealth of Nations, and capital and labour were the key components — Jeremy Hunt says he is now pursuing growth as his key priority, and there's no doubt that increasing capital availability in both public and private sectors will help: but where is the labour capacity? It's on NHS waiting lists. Background music: 'The Nexus Riddim' by Konrad OldMoney

The Autumn Statement arrives next week and the rumour mill has gone into overdrive. The idea of it being a simple update on the economy seems to have been abandoned and instead there is talk of an ISA overhaul, tax changes, and even inheritance tax being cut from 40% to 20%. But if you were Chancellor for the day, what would you do? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert look at what could be on the cards as Jeremy Hunt stands up and delivers his Autumn Statement next week. On their agenda: Stealth tax - will the income tax thresholds freeze end? Inheritance tax - will the rate be cut to 20%? ISAs - will the allowance be boosted and the system improved? Savings - could the personal savings allowance get a rise?

In a world absorbed with tension and conflict, it says something about the significance of AI that Rishi Sunak was able to host the conference at Bletchley Park, with government representatives from twenty-eight nations and eight leading Artificial Intelligence businesses. Warnings abound both within and outside the AI industry, including for its impact on employment, to which we referred nearly six years ago. However, is the Bletchley Park gathering just evidence of the rich and powerful flexing their muscles yet again to take control? Surely we should be looking for an alternative, offering mass participation in wealth creation and democratisation through distributed governance? Background music: 'Digital Solitude' by Silent Partner

Have interest rates peaked? After an inflation spike rudely awoke them from their slumbers, the Bank of England and the US Federal Reserve have shown us that rate hiking can be a difficult habit to break. But 14 consecutive rate rises into an astonishing run from 0.1% to 5.25% for the base rate, the Bank of England suddenly paused six weeks ago. And then, on Thursday, it did it again. On both of those occasions, the Fed had also just done the same thing across the Atlantic. So, are we finally there? When does a pause become a peak? And if we have reached the top of the interest rate cycle, what happens next? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert look at the decision to hold rates again and what it means for savers, mortgage borrowers and investors. Plus, what are Andrew Bailey’s Bank of England and Jay Powell’s Fed telling us about their respective economies – and how divergent are the paths of the UK and US? Also on this episode, Crane on the Case digs into a how an entirely explainable and obvious error somehow led to a reader facing more than £8,000 of fines and Transport for London refusing to budge until we stepped in. Plus, some previous high-flying investment trusts are going cheap, so is this the time to invest? Simon takes a look. And finally, what have the Premium Bonds and a pop quiz on number one hits in 2000 and 2008 got to do with each other? Listen to the end if you want to find out why you need to know that the UK number one, in February 2008, was Duffy singing Mercy.

Wages are up, but inflation is — the same. What does it all mean for mortgage rates, the state pension, benefits and the economy generally? One thing we know won’t be affected by the latest figure is income tax bands. Just how much is the big freeze – AKA fiscal drag - going to cost us? That’s on the agenda for Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost this week as the latest CPI reading stuck at 6.7%. At the start of the year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set the target to halve inflation by the end of 2023. And it was looking promising. But this latest inflation figures might have thrown a bit of spanner into the works. What’s going on at Royal Mail? Some households say they are only receiving their post once a week. Hospital appointment letters, birthday cards, parcels and important bills have all gone missing in delays caused by a staffing crisis. In Brighton, households say they’re receiving mail as infrequently as just once a fortnight. Picking an estate agent to sell your home is so important. A good agent will make finding your buyer seem like a breeze. Choose the wrong one and it can cause untold stress, drag the whole process out and you could end up being forced to reduce your asking price and ultimately sell for less. So how do you pick a good ‘un? And just what is gazundering – and why is it back with a vengeance? The new Tesla Model 3 arrives on our fair shores in January - but how much will it cost and is it any good? If it proves to be out of your budget range what about Citroen's new e-C3, set to start from around £17,000. And — range anxiety is real: so would you take an EV on a continental road trip? Paul Barker, motoring journalist of decades, gave it a go and diarised it for you.

Every child could receive a pot of £1,000 at birth to be channelled into long-term investments in UK growth under proposals to give the young a leg up and revive a ‘stagnant’ economy. The idea of a ‘New Generation Trust’ is part of a package of reforms that could add £225billion to the economy, says a report by the City of London Corporation. A £1,000 payment to all newborn children would need to be invested - and it is claimed this could provide long-term capital for UK PLC. It revives memories of the Child Trust Fund scheme launched by Gordon Brown two decades ago, and later scrapped by George Osborne – and that hasn’t exactly been a roaring success. Lee Boyce, Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost discuss the merits of the idea – and why whether this happens or not parents should start building a pot for children as early as possible. It’s been another exciting week for savings – Santander has a new best buy easy-access deal, Moneybox has launched a top cash Isa and First Direct is offering five prizes of £12,500 for those who switch current account – including a £175 bonus for doing so. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has been speaking in front of MPs at the Treasury Select Committee about base rate – are we close to the peak? House prices saw their biggest slump since 2009 according to Halifax, with the average home falls £14,000 in a year – chiming with similar data from Nationwide. And finally, electric cars are slumping in value – many models have lost 30% or more in a year. Is now the time to buy, and what on earth is going on?

Enjoy this entertaining romp through capitalist economics from the demise of feudalism to Thomas Picketty’s book ‘Capital in the 21st Century’, but a careful search for any mention of inter-generational rebalancing will leave you disappointed. Welcome to the Black Hole of Economics, the elusive feature which keeps us from integrating free enterprise and individual empowerment with fair provision of opportunity for each new generation to enable them to achieve their potential in adult life. Background music: 'Generations Away' by Unicorn Heads Order 'Capitalism - A Graphic Guide' here: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/capitalism-a-graphic-guide-dan-cryan/1475839?ean=9781785785146

Last week we heard of sixty migrants dying in an attempt to reach Cape Verde across the Atlantic Ocean: young people risking all for a better life. But, as we wrote on 15th May, it's the underlying challenges, including conflict and poverty, that must be addressed. Global problems like these require global solutions: we suggest a combination of inter-generational rebalancing funding a programme of incentivised learning for young people across Africa, providing them with the resources and life skills to start achieving their potential. Background music: 'Six by Eight' by Jimmy Fontanez_Media Right Productions. 15th May Commentary link: https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/comment-wc-2023-05-15/