Podcasts from This is Money related to Pensions & Retirement

More than five years since pension freedom arrived a solution to take the pain out of investing in retirement is being lined up. Before pension freedom many savers were locked into buying an annuity with their personal pensions or defined contribution work schemes – and a lot of them felt they were getting a raw deal. That’s meant that keeping a pension invested and drawing on it as you choose in retirement has proved a very popular option. It is also a very tricky one to navigate – but now some simple help is at hand, so will it crack the conundrum of pension freedom without the pain? Tumbling annuity rates, an industry that failed to make sure people shopped around and the gamble on life expectancy that meant if you died early then you and your family would lose out, made annuities hugely unpopular. So, Chancellor George Osborne came up with a big bang approach that meant nobody had to if they didn’t want to anymore. The problem is that many people had simply opted for a ‘pay money into my pension while working and not think about it’ approach and so had no real idea how to invest for retirement. Now the industry has come up with a solution that involves savers being offered four ready-made investment deals when they first dip into their pension pots, if they do so without financial advice. On this week’s podcast George Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert, discuss whether this is the answer that savers need. They also look at the tsunami of pension and investment scams, what people can do to protect themselves and ask whether it’s the FCA or Google and the social media companies that should be doing more to crack down on it. Simon outlines his theory on why just as we are about to be able to get out and enjoy ourselves again, some big ticket inflation might hit. And the team look at another Santander 123 account rate cut – is it time for customers to finally give up, or is it a deal still worth having?

A large chunk of workers are unaware that their pension savings are invested in the stock market. When asked in a recent survey what they think happens to their cash, the most common answer was that they had 'no idea.' It doesn't make for pretty reading – Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost look at why it matters, and what can be done to get people more interested in their retirement pots. It comes as a reported rift has broken out at the top of government over the state pension triple lock. A key election promise, but there is a problem: With it rising on whichever is highest: inflation, average earnings growth or 2.5 per cent, it could go up a huge 18 per cent in 2021 under those rules. What changes could happen?From next month, your teen could be much richer as the first Child Trust Funds mature. What can your 18 year-old do with the cash? One option is not to buy private flights. Lee puts his weekly Consumer Trends column in the spotlight to reveal how much it costs to charter a flight, after one company reports a surge of interest. And what on earth is a hard seltzer? Sales in the US are booming and they have now come to Britain, will they prove as popular this side of the Atlantic?

A This is Money investigation has revealed a string of women who have been underpaid their state pension, but are they just the tip of an iceberg? On this week’s podcast, our pensions agony uncle Steve Webb and pension and investing editor Tanya Jefferies tell the stories of the women paid thousands less in state pension over the years than they should have been - and discuss their probe into the matter. Steve estimates that there could be tens of thousands of women who have been underpaid state pension. This is Money has called for a full review, but the Department of Work and Pensions is reluctant to act other than on a case-by-case basis. Should more be done? Also, on this week’s podcast Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost discuss the reopening of the property market, who might be brave enough to buy and sell now, and what the forecasts are for sales and house prices. Estate agents Knight Frank predict a 7 per cent drop, while the Bank of England says property prices may fall 16 per cent, but agents claim that lockdown has created pent-up demand. And, as the furlough scheme is extended, we look at the implications of 7.5million people having 80 per cent of their wages picked up by the state and how Britain weans itself off that.

We are regularly told that we aren’t saving enough into a pension, but how much is enough? A recent report suggested that while auto enrolment has dragged more people into saving for retirement, it has also lulled them into a false sense of security. Currently, the system means 8 per cent of a worker’s salary must be going into a pension – unless they opt out – but that includes their contribution, basic rate tax relief and what their employer puts in. Experts suggest that depending on when you start that number needs to be more like a minimum of 12 per cent or even 15 per cent. So how can you make sure you are salting away enough to live in the style you’d like in retirement? On this week’s episode Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost dive into the world of pension saving and the tricks you can use to get more going into your retirement pot. Also this week, they talk Brexit-proofing your pension, wills – and how to get one if you don’t have one, and what you need to think about if you are moving house to try to get your kids into school.

This week, This is Money takes a look at a raft of inter-generation financial divide stories that have popped up in August. This includes why those born in the 1980s have less disposable income than those born in the 1970s according to the Office for National Statistics and why the Bank of Mum and Dad is creaking. Assistant editor Lee Boyce, reporter George Nixon and host Georgie Frost run the rule over these statistics, along with proposals to raise the state pension age to 75. This was from a right-wing think tank The Centre for Social Justice and has left many industry experts irate. We also discuss data showing that two thirds of older people say they feel hurt by the inter-generational financial criticism that they are lording it up at the expense of younger generations. We also talk metal bank cards – why on earth would you want one and who is offering them?

Georgie Frost and Editor Simon Lambert are joined by reporter Will Kirkman to talk property, getting in and moving on; living to 100 and whether your pension will last as long as you; Simon ‘shares’ his top tips that could bag you big and the trio don their flares and go back to the 70s.

Two-thirds of savers are being told to abandon final salary pensions - and this is despite the Financial Conduct Authority saying that advisers should start with the standpoint this is not a suitable option. That revelation arrived this week as the FCA said too much advice on valuable pensions is 'still not of an acceptable standard.' Are people getting the right advice about their gold-plated pensions, or are they right to jump ship? That's the question tackled by editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost this week. Meanwhile, a reader discovers an old Post Office Savings Bank book from the 1960s – but what is it worth now and can you even take the money out. Premium bonds – how do you really find out you've won the jackpot? Britain has a net zero emissions target for 2050, but what are the best electric cars to buy now? And forget fantasy football, we reveal the details of our fantasy share picking game where the winner will scoop a giant £20,000 grand prize.

This is Money …in partnership with NS&I. Host Georgie Frost is joined by editor Simon Lambert and Assistant Editor Lee Boyce. The trio look at the shambles of state pension forecasts which is leaving savers out of pocket; new help for scam victims but will it help and the latest for Tesco bank mortgage holders. And if you haven't lost all your money...they also tell you how to invest like Buffett, to find out if you are a Premium bond winner and which are the top paying companies... Don’t forget you can stay up to date with all the latest, breaking money news, just go to thisismoney.co.uk or download the app.

Georgie Frost is joined by editor Simon Lambert and assistant editor Lee Boyce to talk about going green, giving you some useful tips and tricks that are good for the planet as well as your wallet. Also they'll be looking at why the hybrid car of choice, the Toyota Prius, isn’t just for Uber drivers and eco-conscious celebs. Plus…the team look at where the 40 something year old business owner with no pension should invest; continue to puzzle over the baffling state pension top-up system and ask just how far over the limit CAN you drive in your area before being issued with a ticket?

This is Money in partnership with NS&I. Host Georgie Frost and Editor Simon Lambert are joined by assistant editor Lee Boyce for an ISA special. With the clock ticking on Brexit and the tax year, now is the time to sort your ISA or pension. However, you may already be too late as some banks and building societies have already pulled their market-leaders. Saying that, Lee has still manage to find his top cash picks for 2019. Plus Simon helps you how to get started on investing in an ISA and how to choose the best (and cheapest) SIPP. The team call in the experts to give their last minute fund ideas and they tackle the B-word – Brexit- and it’s potential impact on your money, especially older savers.