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Georgie Frost

This Is Money: Could this be the peak for interest rates - and what will it mean for you?

Georgie Frost
Original Broadcast:

This is Money

This Is Money: Could this be the peak for interest rates - and what will it mean for you?
Are we nearly there yet? The Bank of England hiked interest rates again this week, adding 0.5% to take base rate to 4%. That’s a level that it was almost unthinkable we’d reach so quickly a year ago, but rates have gone up hard and fast. The questions now are will base rate stall and when will it come back down again? But while the Bank of England has sent rates up like a rocket, its forecasts show that they will only fall like a feather. Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert look at how likely those forecasts are to be correct and what this all means for the economy, mortgages, savings and first-time buyers. Also on the show, Tanya explains another potential state pension scandal that she and Steve Webb have uncovered and Steve joins the podcast to talk through it. Sam North, of eToro, gives us a market update and explains why investors have sent stock markets soaring at the start of 2023. The clock is ticking on the tax year and Simon explains why he thinks the next couple of months are vitally important for getting money into an ISA and potentially selling some investments to do so. And finally, do you love your tumble dryer? Many do, but worry they can’t afford to run them. Fear not, help might be at hand.
Guests:

Steve Webb, Sam North


Published:
Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Resolution in need of foundations

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Resolution in need of foundations
The Resolution Foundation's paper 'ISA ISA Baby' released last week drew a scathing response from This Is Money, and understandably so. Their analysis of the inadequate attention given to building savings and investment in low-income families was very much on target, but they chose to accompany it with an ill thought-out and uninformed attack on the most successful long-term savings and investment plan in the United Kingdom, the Individual Savings Account. The route to a more egalitarian form of capitalism is not by attacking aspiration by penalising those who are successful and thrifty. Savings are not just for a rainy day — they bring economic freedom. Background music: 'Resolution' by Wayne Jones

Published:
Georgie Frost

This Is Money: Could an ISA tax raid really cap savings at £100,000? Plus Bank of Dave's Dave Fishwick on his Netflix hit

Georgie Frost
Original Broadcast:

This is Money

This Is Money: Could an ISA tax raid really cap savings at £100,000? Plus Bank of Dave's Dave Fishwick on his Netflix hit
An astonishing idea for an ISA tax raid was outlined by the Resoloution Foundation last week, with the proposal that tax-free savings and investments should be capped at £100,000. No more aspiring to be an ISA millionaire, it would be £100k and out under this plan. It said that the nominal money out toward not taxing ISA interest, gains and dividends should instead go in the direction of encouraging those without savings to build up a pot. Is that a good idea, would it be a fairer way of doing things, and is there any conceivable way this could actually happen? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert discuss the proposal and whether it has any merits. Spoiler alert, Simon strongly disagrees and says this would also perpetuate even greater inter-generational unfairness. Find out why. Also, the team delve into a new American Express and BA card that's been dubbed the best deal ever for Avios points, but are they worth collecting? Sam North of eToro joins us to talk through what's been going on in markets over the past week and why newly confident investors had their confidence shaken. Helen fills us in on a very depressing Crane on the Case where Scottish Widows only offered a reader £250 after they were denied their dying wish by its failure to pay out their pension on time. On a much lighter note, why have we been researching the bleeding obvious this week and testing whether putting a jumper on means you could really save money on your energy bills? And finally, we are joined by long-time friend of This is Money, Dave Fishwick, who talks to Simon about the Netflix movie about Bank of Dave and what it's like to see your life portrayed on screen.
Guest:

Helen Crane


Published:
Georgie Frost

This Is Money: Will 2023 be a better year for our finances... or worse?

Georgie Frost
Original Broadcast:

This is Money

This Is Money: Will 2023 be a better year for our finances... or worse?
The New Year has arrived and with it promises of inflation falling and a ray of hope on energy bills. But even if Rishi Sunak halves inflation, as he claims he will, it would still be running at 5% and his promise to get Britain back to growth may prove harder than the simple maths that sees inflation slow. Meanwhile, a slowdown in the rise of the cost of living doesn't mean things will get cheaper and the better energy price forecasts will still see costs at more than double what they were a year ago. So, will 2023 prove better or tougher for our finances? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert delve into the prospects for the year ahead. Plus, what is on the cards for the property market, for pensions and savers and why is Divorce Day tipped to be even bigger this year? And finally, the year is going to better financially for at least one person: the lucky January £1million Premium Bond winner who bagged the jackpot with less than £5,000 saved. Is it time we all stuck more in Premium Bonds, as the prize find is boosted?
Guest:

Helen Crane


Published:
Adam Cox

Modern Mindset: Kevin Brown on Investing for Children's Future

Adam Cox
Original Broadcast:

Modern Mindset

Modern Mindset: Kevin Brown on Investing for Children's Future
Adam Cox is joined by Kevin Brown, from Scottish Friendly, to discuss new research which reveals parents’ ability to put money away for their children. They look how sensible it is to give children a Junior ISA as part of their Christmas financial gift, and how Junior ISA's can teach children about investing. https://www.scottishfriendly.co.uk/
Guest:

Kevin Brown


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Georgie Frost

This Is Money: Could house prices really fall 20%, and how bad would that be?

Georgie Frost
Original Broadcast:

This is Money

This Is Money: Could house prices really fall 20%, and how bad would that be?
The mortgage crunch has stalled the pandemic property boom and sent house prices down, but could they fall 20%? The risk of a severe house price downturn of that magnitude was flagged by Rightmove founder and property market veteran Harry Hill. Hill’s CV includes setting up property giant Rightmove and selling estate agency group Countrywide for £1 billion a year before the 2008 banking crisis. Hill told the The Mail on Sunday and This is Money: 'My view on the housing market is that it's going down in every direction. Transactions are going to go down. Prices are going to go down.’ He added that a bad recession would mean ‘we could see 20% price reductions’. Could house prices fall 20% from here? Why would it happen? How bad would that be? Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert discuss the prospects for the housing market, how the rapid rise in mortgage rates is affecting it and what prospective home movers or first-time buyers should do. Plus, they are joined by a very special guest: Lee Boyce, now Money Mail editor, is back on the programme to discuss the Wooden Spoon award for the worst customer service of the year. Who are the runners and riders, what did they do wrong, and why does Simon nominate a couple of firms that aren’t even on the shortlist? Savings rates have been a rare bit of good new recently and Simon talks through the attraction of small building societies and how some are offering market beating rates, but you might struggle to secure them. And finally, it’s time for a second special guest, John Mayhead of classic car specialist Hagerty, who is joins Simon to discuss the insurer’s Bull List of ten classics it tips to rise in value next year. How do these classic cars get on the list, what makes them ripe for appreciation and what’s a Citroen BX doing rubbing shoulders with a Lamborghini Diablo?
Guests:

Lee Boyce, John Mayhead


Published:
Georgie Frost

This Is Money: Have savings and mortgage rates already peaked?

Georgie Frost
Original Broadcast:

This is Money

This Is Money: Have savings and mortgage rates already peaked?
Savings and mortgage rates rocketed after what must now always be known as the 'ill-fated mini-Budget', but even as the Bank of England continues to raise rates have they already peaked. The top fixed rate savings deals have edged down from their highest levels - a five-year fix can no longer be had above 5%, for example, while the best two year fix is at 4.75%. So, if you want to lock into a good savings deal, should you grab one now? Or did rates simply race ahead of the Bank of England and the next round of base rate rises will bump them up some more? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert look at the potential future of savings rates and why even if they are slightly off their peak, you should still move your money from old accounts. But if a dip in the top savings rates is bad, the easing of mortgage rates is good news. Average two and five-year fixed rates rocketed all the way to above 6.5%. The best five-year fix is now down to 5.95%. But this is still way higher than it was, so where will mortgage rates settle and is it worth holding off? The team discuss that and the implication for both house prices and first-time buyers. And finally, an energy double header: on a serious note, the energy price cap (which we won't pay due to the energy price guarantee) has jumped again, this time to £4,279 for the average household over a year. If we won't pay that, why does this matter? And on a lighter note, what happened when Harry Wallop (who refuses to let his family turn the heating on) tried out a bunch of oddball devices designed to warm the person not the room, ranging from an odd foot warmer, to a heated gilet, and a wearable sleeping bag that makes you look a bit like a crazy caterpillar?
Guest:

Helen Crane


Published:
Georgie Frost

This Is Money: How bad will the mortgage chaos get and will it sink house prices??

Georgie Frost
Original Broadcast:

This is Money

This Is Money: How bad will the mortgage chaos get and will it sink house prices??
Rocketing rates have sent the average two and five-year fixed rate mortgage through the 6% barrier. This is a level that would have been considered unthinkable a year ago, when there were fifty mortgage deals on the market at below 1%. The Bank of England belatedly playing catching up with inflation has sent base rate from 0.1% last December to 2.25% now - and with inflation far from tamed and the US Federal Reserve going in all guns blazing on monetary policy, rates are likely to keep going up from here. But the catalyst for the past month's big jump in mortgage rates has been the turmoil triggered by the Chancellor's ill-received mini-Budget and the flurry of borrowing Britain will have to do to fund it. So, what happens next to mortgage rates, what should people who need to fix now do, and will this send house prices sinking? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert dive into the mortgage market to look at what is happening and why - and what borrowers can do about it. Are expensive fixes now worth taking, what should you do if you are buying a home and is a variable rate mortgage really now the answer? They answer these questions and more. Plus, while rate rises are bad for mortgage borrowers they are proving good news for savers, who have been starved of decent deals for many years. The top fixed rate savings are knocking on the door of 5%, but how high will savings rates go and should you fix and risk losing out on better ones in future? The ill-fated mini-Budget also brought about the abolition of the 45p tax rate, except that's now been abolished itself as Kwasi Kwarteng staged a screeching U-turn this week. Nonetheless, Simon has some middle-class tax cutting ideas that he reckons make more sense and could be popular. And finally, a reader wrote to This is Money telling us they had some letters written to them in the 1960s by a rock star who then died young and they could be worth £20,000... but will they have to pay tax if they sell? More to the point, who could the mystery rock star be?
Guest:

Helen Crane


Published:
Adam Cox

Modern Mindset: Lawrence Chard on the Surge in Online Sales of Coins

Adam Cox
Original Broadcast:

Modern Mindset

Modern Mindset: Lawrence Chard on the Surge in Online Sales of Coins
Adam Cox is joined by Lawrence Chard, Coin Expert from Chards, a UK Coin and Bullion Dealer, to discuss the increase in demand for Elizabeth II coins. He explains how you can tell if a coin in valuable, in addition to providing advice to those interesting in coin investing, or the bullion market. https://www.chards.co.uk
Guest:

Lawrence Chard


Published:
Georgie Frost

This Is Money: Will rates keep rising and are cash ISAs a good option again? Savings special

Georgie Frost
Original Broadcast:

This is Money

This Is Money: Will rates keep rising and are cash ISAs a good option again? Savings special
Rising bills and the cost-of-living crisis are forcing many to dip into savings pots, if they have one to begin with. At the same time, with base rate rising to try and curb inflation, savings deals have become far better than they have been in the last decade. Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce are joined by a special guest: James Blower, AKA The Savings Guru, who gives his take on where savings rates are heading next. With lesser known challengers paying the best rates, how do you know they’re any good? And should you fix now or wait? He explains how savings rates set, why big banks are slow to pass on base rate movements and with savings deals improving, James explains why a cash ISA might be a good home for your money once more. Elsewhere, times are tough with plenty of misery on the horizon thanks to rising energy bills. Latest predictions suggest the price cap could land somewhere between £4,000 and £5,000 a year. Much has been said this week about households, but what about businesses which are slowly being crushed under the weight of rising costs? Not protected by an energy cap, some hospitality bosses are said to be considering closing down due to unprecedented energy bills while three quarters are thinking about reduced opening hours. And with household prices set to soar, a 'Don’t Pay' UK movement has grown suggesting cancelling direct debits – but is that a wise idea?
Guest:

James Blower


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