Share Sounds from Women & Money presented by Sarah Pennells (1) related to Financial Education - Adult

What do you do if you have large debts or haven’t paid off your mortgage, but retirement is just round the corner? Sarah looks at your options are if you owe money and how mortgage lenders will look at you if you’re heading towards retirement.

Why are women’s products more expensive than men’s? Women pay more for a whole range of items, including razors, some models of pen, perfume compared to aftershave and even for things like dry cleaning. So, is this a premium that's unfairly imposed on female products or is it a justified cost that manufacturers and retailers pass on?

How can you maximise your time away from work? Sarah looks at setting up your own 'kitchen table' business, volunteering and doing courses to improve your career prospects. With Jasmine Birtles of MoneyMagpie, Kristen Stephenson of the NCVO and Yvette Ankrah, CEO of The Kitchen Table & business mentor.

Sarah is joined by Toby Walne, author of '101 Extraordinary Investments - Curious, Unusual and Bizarre Ways to Make Money', professional declutterer Vicky Silverthorn and writer Dan Wilson on how to make the most money from your unwanted stuff.

In 1966, Barclays sent out over a million credit cards to customers. And so began a revolution in the way we shop and pay for goods. None of the customers had asked for these cards - and it was an entirely new product in the UK. Many of those who received these credit cards were women, and it meant that women could get credit without having to get a man to sign for it or act as a guarantor. Sarah Pennells and her guests discuss how credit cards have changed over the past 50 years and look at current rates and deals available.

If your son or daughter is planning to go to university in the autumn, are you planning on how you'll help them pay for it? Are you going to be supporting them with help towards their rental costs or will you be paying some of their bills? And if you're off to university, are you wondering how much debt you'll leave with? Sarah Pennells is joined by Annie O'Leary from the parenting website Netmums, Jane King who's from Ash-ridge financial planning and James Seymour who's from the Complete University Guide.

An increasing number of people are choosing to live together, rather than get married or form a civil partnership. But, while it’s becoming more commonplace, the legal status of cohabiting couples remains something of a mystery to most of us. Sarah Pennells is joined in the studio by Mary Marvel of Advicenow and Law for Life, Paula Myers, a lawyer with Irwin Mitchell, and over the phone by Christine Webber, a writer, broadcaster and psychotherapist, to discuss the various different issues moving in with a partner can have, and how best to deal with them.

This week Sarah looks into weddings and the costs they can accumulate. Although for many couples it is the happiest day of their lives, it is often also one of the most expensive. Joining Sarah are Andy Webb from Be Clever With Your Cash, Charley Beard from The London Bride, Rachael Southwood from Wedding Ideas Magazine, Alison Hargreaves from Guides for Brides and Rosie Ames from Green Union.

Sarah Pennells is joined in the studio by Jane King, an IFA at Ash-Ridge Private Finance, Adam Lake of Turn2Us, Tom Connor of Drewberry Insurance and over the phone by Alistair McQueen of Aviva, to discuss how to best protect your finances if you're self-employed and don't have the security of working for a large company or organisation. What are the benefits and drawbacks of being self-employed? Do the positives outweigh the negatives?

Sarah Pennells is joined in the studio by Laura Whitcombe, deputy editor at Moneywise and Paula Steele of John Lamb, and also on the phone with Cleona Lira of 2plan Wealth Management to discuss how and where to go to get financial advice and their top tips on money management, only on Share Radio.