Share Sounds. from This is Money related to Investing in Funds - Bonds

Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Tanya Jefferies discuss a new online service coming next Spring for state pension top-ups. Also, Simon looks at what's going on in the Bond market. There's also comment on premium bond values, and the team pick up a cause of local disputes: cameras in the back garden!

When gilts hit the headlines it’s a clear sign that trouble has not only been brewing but has been unleashed. Government bond yields only tend to break through into the mainstream when things aren’t going well and they have been firmly in the spotlight since Kwasi Kwarteng’s ill-fated mini-budget. But what is a gilt, why does its yield matter, what’s that got to do with prices and why do we worry about such things? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert, take a step back from the maelstrom to explain gilts, why investors worry about government bonds, what’s causing ructions in the pensions industry and what this all means for normal people. Chancellor Kwarteng has now departed – in fact, news of his imminent exit from the job while the team were recording the podcast, triggering a breaking news style interruption – but will Chancellor Jeremy Hunt fare any better (and last longer)? The team discuss why the mortgage market is key to the answer to that and also look at what first-time buyers should do in this scenario. There are some for whom the current rapid rate rises aren’t bad news though and that is savers. We now have a top savings rate above 5% for the first time in many years, but is it worth taking? It requires locking in for five years, but that’s the sort of return knocking on what could reasonably be expected from the stock market, where you also have to take the risk of losing money. And finally, investors are hunkering down at the moment, but when share prices fall the stock market is on sale – and if you look at some investment trusts there is a double sale going on, as discounts have widened to 13% on average. Should you be greedy when others are fearful, as Warren Buffett is often quoted as saying, or exercise some caution rather than having your head turned by knockdown prices?

Mistakes. We all make them, but whether we will admit them freely often depends on what they are and how we made them. Investing mistakes can be among those that are tough to swallow and own up to. Often the easiest thing is to brush them under the carpet and try not to think about it too much. But looking at where we went wrong and learning from it is an important part of long-term investing. On this week’s podcast Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert discuss investing blunders. Simon confesses some of his and what he thinks he’s learnt from them over the years, the team look at new research on why people give up investing and how big a part loss aversion plays in that. And This is Money invites listeners to get in touch and reveal their investing slip-ups to feature in a future show (no names need to be mentioned, of course). Also on this week’s show, is the Bank of England flirting with negative rates or just indulging in Maradona monetary policy? And what on earth is an estate rent charge on a prospective new home and should it put you off?

Stock markets crashing tend to put savers off investing in shares, but there has been a sizeable rise in new investors in Britain during lockdown, reports suggest. That came as savings rates plummeted (again) and people decided to go hunting for a bargain amid the stock market turmoil in March and April. But who are these novice investors and what do you need to think about to get started? On this week's podcast This is Money editor Simon Lambert tells host Georgie Frost what first timers need to know about building an investment portfolio - and gives some tips on easy ways to get started and why British isn't always best for investors. Managers can invest in their own fund or investment trust, but how do you find out if they do - and whether they're buying or selling, and does it matter? Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs backed Marcus Bank has pulled its best buy easy-access savings account – assistant editor Lee Boyce reveals why and how we are set to see rates tumble even further. Should you gamble on taking a European summer holiday in July, August or September and if you are tempted, what do you need to know? Euro 2020 should have been starting today, but at least for sport-starved fans Premier League football returns next week. However, you'll need a major tournament-style wallchart if you plan on catching the action, with Amazon Prime, BBC, BT Sport and Sky Sports all having games on – how do you watch for the cheapest price? And finally, property sales in England have started to edge up but apparently million-pound-plus homes in the country are leading the way. Are buyers really swapping Millionaire's Row for Millionaire's Lane?

Welcome to the This is Money Show on Share Radio, brought to you in partnership with NS&I. After its controversial announcement last week Philip Hammond has finally had to U-turn on national insurance hikes in an attempt to win back public trust. Whilst the Budget provoked considerable backlash less publicised has been changes in road tax coming in April which will see some drivers paying as much as seven times more. Meanwhile across the pond the US Fed has raised interest rates with attention now turning to what the Bank of England will do next. Speculating on where all this leaves our finances Georgie Frost is joined by Editor Simon Lambert and Personal Finance Editor Rachel Rickard Straus. Plus is a castle, a Star Wars themed cinema and beer Fridays really what it takes to be named Britain’s best boss? This is Money is presented by Georgie Frost in partnership with NS&I.

Welcome to the This is Money and Share Radio podcast, presented in partnership with NS&I. This week all eyes have been on the unreliable boyfriend of banking Mark Carney. Just days after committing to another year in the job the Governor of the Bank of England was thrust into the limelight again for Super Thursday. Meanwhile the High Court ruled parliament must be given a vote on triggering Article 50 casting further speculation on Brexit, and indeed Carney’s role in overseeing it. At any rate the Bank of England’s forecasts did not make for easy listening. Despite some hints of future growth interest rates are set to remain at rock bottom whilst inflation is set to soar leaving many to question just where they can safely invest their money. Editor Simon Lambert and Deputy Editor Adrian Lowrey join Georgie Frost this week to work out what’s on offer also weighing up alternatives such as overpaying the mortgage and investing in premium bonds, which celebrate their 60th birthday this week. Also on this week’s show they look at calls for a Government crackdown on cold calling and the prospect of a post-work economy thanks to the rise of robots and automation. This is Money is presented by Georgie Frost in partnership with NS&I.

Once again, it's time for the This is Money podcast. Every week, in partnership with NS&I, Financial Broadcaster of the Year Georgie Frost and Financial Website of the Year This is Money team up to go through all the finance stories you need to know this week. First up: the ARM takeover by Softbank - does this prove that Britain is open for business, or did we just write ourselves out of the Internet of Things? Then, we take a look at the new cabinet, what would you do if you were in charge of the country? Or pensions? Then, banks are 'named and shamed' for offering loyal savers record low interest rates. All this and more, on This is Money. This is Money is presented in partnership with NS&I