Share Sounds. presented by Georgie Frost related to Personal Finance - Family Finance

‘If they could tax the air you breathe they’d do it.’ That age-old moan about taxes going up has sprung to mind over the past week, as rumours about pretty much any tax you can think of being hiked were spread about. So many kites were flown about potential tax rises that even taxing selling your own home and bringing back the 50p rate were floated as potential Autumn Statement ideas troubling Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak’s minds. If all this came to pass it would surely become known as ‘the everything tax raid’. But will it come to pass? Probably not. You get the sense this is a massive exercise in softening up the nation, so that when some but not all taxes go up on Thursday, people breathe a sigh of relief. Yet could this bout of not-officially-encouraged-but-definitely-not-discouraged speculation do lasting harm to the economy? Simon Lambert argues that case, when he says with sentiment already heavily depressed going into a recession, striking the financial fear of God into the population might not be the best move. Simon, Georgie Frost and Tanya Jefferies discuss the tax hikes that have been rumoured and how likely they are to happen: one gets a minus two in five chance of occurring but others seem more likely. Also, will Hunt stage a raid on pension, either via tax relief or the triple lock? Plus, the story of how Tanya helped a podcast listener win back money after paying over the odds for her mother’s care home. And finally — if among all this gloom you’ve still got room to save, should you save or invest the money, or overpay your mortgage?

Interest rates rise by the highest amount for decades: what does it mean for your money? But despite rising rates, are savers losing out and what can you do about it? Plus 'stealth' taxes — are they more palatable? And gas prices fall, but does it mean lower energy costs? And finally — should you invest in a BTT? Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert help to steer you through the money maze.

With the Chancellor gone, the Prime Minister going and the financial plan torn up - what does it all mean for your money? It looks like the triple lock on pensions is here to stay, but are we approaching a house price crash? And how much energy usage should you budget for? Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Helen Crane discuss.

It has been an incredibly turbulent week for the UK economy as the Bank of England stepped in to protect pension funds, the pound hit a record low against the dollar before rebounding and lenders pulled mortgage deals to re-price them at far higher rates. Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce tackle what has been a truly remarkable one in the world of personal finance with a message of: don't panic. So, is the UK economy in crisis… again? How much is the Chancellor's 'mini' Budget to blame? And what can the Government do now? Simon gives an economics 101 on why the pound fell and why the Bank of England stepped in, seemingly with a u-turn on plans for quantitative tightening. What is happening to mortgages? With lenders pulling deals and replacing them with higher rates, how will that impact first-time buyers, those looking to remortgage and the property market in general? Will base rate continue to head higher and what does that mean? And a chink of light for savers: this week, NS&I boosted Premium Bonds, while savings rates continue to race higher.

The Bank of England is tipped to raise interest rates by at least 0.5 per cent this week, but the pound fell to a 37-year low last week - reaching $1.351, a level not seen since 1985. That comes against a backdrop of inflation edging down slightly to 9.9% - taking Britain out of the double-digit inflation club - with a colossal rescue plan to save households and businesses from spiralling energy prices about to kick in. The details on that energy price guarantee rushed out by new Prime Minister Liz Truss - and how it's potential £150billion cost will be paid for - are still sparse, but are expected to be sketched out in more detail this week. Meanwhile, on Friday a mini-Budget is due to arrive with a rumoured round of tax cuts as Truss and her new Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng go all out for growth. Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert look at the pound, energy bills, inflation and interest rates, how all these issues connect and what could happen next. Also on the agenda are rising savings rates and whether savers should fix or stick with short-term easy access deals, and a question over a life-changing £500,000 early inheritance and where the balance lies between saving, paying off the mortgage or investing. And finally, overshadowing all the financial events of a whirlwind fortnight, Queen Elizabeth II died ending her 70 year reign, and ushering in a period of national mourning that came to a close under the eyes of the entire world with her funeral. But what will happen now to Britain's money and when will we start to see King Charles III on our cash?

Belts are already being tightened but as bills head even higher more people will look to save where they can. But are there some things that you should avoid doing or cutting back on at all costs? Campaigns to get people not to pay their bills have obvious flaws, but what about only paying for the energy you use, diverting your pension saving elsewhere or cutting back on ditching saving or investing. Some are at breaking point and will have little choice but to do some of these things, but what about those who are still heading off on holidays, going ou for dinner and drinks, or getting takeways in - should they hammer down on discretionary spending before stopping saving? In his This Is Money column last week, Simon Lambert came up with his five false economies to avoid, but was he right to pick them? Simon, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce discuss them in this episode. Also, are buy-to-let landlords all bad or a crucial part of the property market, will an electric car still save you money after the energy price cap hike, and how high will savings rates go — as the best buys come in thick and fast.

The idea of the Bank of England raising base rate by 0.5% at the same time as warning about a long and painful recession would have been unthinkable a year ago. But things have dramatically changed and central banks are desperately trying to get a grip on runway inflation that just seems to keeo getting worse. Base rate has risen from 0.1% in December to 1.75% now and is set to keep climbing, but why trigger a recession to get inflation driven by outside forces under control. Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert discuss the rate rise and potential recession and what it means for borrowers, savers, the economy and our financial near future.

Ten money rules from Simon on how to have a richer life — When will the big banks start paying interest? — Re-assuring words for first time buyers — Recovering costs of travel disruption. Listen in to Georgie, Simon and Lee

Boris Johnson finally came unstuck this week and resigned as Prime Minister after one scandal too many caught up with him. Whatever you thought of the PM - and he certainly has the ability to divide a room almost as well as he can entertain it - there is no doubt that this ushers in another bout of 'what next?' instability for Britain. The economy is struggling, an inflation crisis is in full swing and the Bank of England is raising rates into a recession, yet at the end of a tumultuous week we are not just down one Prime Minister but a Chancellor and aren't quite sure if the new man in the job will be sticking around very long. The new Chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, reportedly has designs of his own on the job next door at Number 10 and even if he makes an unsuccessful leadership bid, will a rival want him sticking around? Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert look at what the change in Prime Minister could mean for the UK's economy, businesses and households - and what a new Chancellor might do and the challenges they will face. Also, some big UK name household shares have taken a beating this year, but which would the experts pick as having fallen too far and as ripe for a bounce back? The team look at whether, with rates rising, a ten-year fixed rate mortgage is a good move and Tanya talks us through the latest round of state pension mistakes and what the DWP is doing. And finally, will you end up with a bit more cash when you get paid this month? Yet, another National Insurance change is kicking in, here's what it means.

Base rate has gone from 0.1% to 1.25% in the space of six months, in a flurry of rate rising that would have been considered unthinkable a year ago. Yet, as the Bank of England delivered another 0.25% raise, voices were raised in some corners to demand why it hadn't gone further. Why not a 0.5% jump or even a 0.75% one, as the Fed had delivered in the US? With inflation running at 9% and expected to head north into double digits, the onus is on the Bank of England to show it has a grip and we aren't heading back to the 1970s. But is rapidly raising rates the right thing to do and how will it affect savers, borrowers and investors? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert discuss the case for and against rate rises and what the impact is for the economy and people. Mortgage rates have risen even faster than the base rate, so what can those who need to remortgage do - and will this sink house prices? The team assess the prospects for the property market and offer their tips on what borrowers should do to prepare and protect themselves. Meanwhile, over in the US, it's the stock market that's suffering as rates rise. Why is that, and how bad could this bear market be? And finally, petrol prices keep hitting record highs and we want people to switch to electric cars but the Government has swiped away the £1,500 grant that helps people buy more affordable models. Will that make a difference, or has electric car demand reached a level where ditching a bung to help out is wise?