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From savings rates, to property prices and the prospects for the UK economy, this week we take a look at what will (might) happen to our finances in 2018. Predictions – as we all know – are a mug’s game, but as it is the start of a new year, it’s time to have a look at what could happen in 2018 in the world of money. Inflation is forecast to subside, while interest rates are only tipped to rise very gently. That would be a boost to people’s finances if wage inflation can get back up above the rising cost of living. A further boon could come from savings rates, which it is suggested could continue to rise. In the property market, house prices are predicted to be flat across the UK, but that will mask a continuing divergence in fortunes between regional cities, where sales are buoyant, and London and the commuter belt, where the market has suffered. Elsewhere in the economy, car sales are falling, consumer borrowing is rising but at a slower pace, and there will continue to be worries we aren’t saving enough for retirement. That’s what’s meant to happen. But will it? Simon Lambert, Sarah Davidson and Georgie Frost gaze into their crystal balls.

What more does the environment have to do to become an election issue? Joining our host Ayeisha Thomas-Smith this week are Dave Powell, Subject Lead on Environment at the New Economics Foundation, Fernanda Balata, who leads NEF’s work on coastal economies and Andrew Pendleton, Principal Director of Policy and Advocacy at NEF to discuss the environment, the election and the prospects for saving our planet.

What do Momentum and Moggmentum have in common? Find out in our round-up of 2017, featuring the IEA’s Director General Mark Littlewood and Communications Director Stephanie Lis. Interviewed by the IEA’s News Editor Kate Andrews, the three discuss the state of the Brexit negotiations, the problems in Parliament, Donald Trump’s America, and predictions for 2018.

Have you ever really thought about what it is that creates the modern economy? These are the things that surround us and we interact with, or depend on, everyday but rarely think about. From credit cards, to shipping containers, batteries and double-entry book-keeping, there are a lot of things that are more interesting than you may think. And for this special Christmas edition of the This is Money podcast we have a treat for you. Tim Harford, author of Fifty Things that Made the Modern Economy, presenter of the podcast of the same name, and Undercover Economist makes a guest appearance. He joins Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost in the studio to talk about what it is that shapes the world around us, why it matters, and how what are commonplace things now were dreamed up and then completely changed the way we live.

In this week’s episode of Inside Business, we will be rounding up all the best content from 2017. Featuring Lord Peter Hain of Neath who took HSBC accusations to the House of Lords; BBC World Service reporter Howard Mustoe; and Steve Keen, Professor of Economics at Kingston University and author of Debunking Economics.

In this special Christmas edition, Simon Rose highlights some of his favourite conversations with Tim Evans throughout the year. Discussions range from a Eurosceptic Corbyn, to life inside Theresa May’s Number 10, all the way to the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. Tune in for a comprehensive look at some of the main political events of the year gone by!

In this special Christmas edition, we look back at some of the most interesting topics discussed in 2017. Join the IEA’s News Editor Kate Andrews, along with Head of Education Dr Steve Davies, as they discuss the future of Intellectual Property Rights, how technology could help us feed the world, and the possibility of humans living until 700 years of age.

This week, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost pick apart the Budget to try to find out who the winners and losers will be. Philip Hammond pulled a George Osborne-sized rabbit from the hat at the end with the abolition of stamp duty for first-time buyers, but was that enough to make us to forget the gloomy economic news and the gags? On the plus side, the Budget brought an income tax cut for most, the promise of more homes being built, and no more stamp duty for most first-time buyers. On the negative side, economists say we are due another lost decade, Philip Hammond’s own financial watchdog said he would drive up house prices, and cough sweet jokes might be catching on.

Has the Budget saved Hammond from the sack? Will it make any difference to the prospects of the Conservative Party? Simon Rose is joined by PWC’s senior economist, Andrew Sentance; Tim Evans, professor of business and political economy at Middlesex University; and financial commentator Ed Bowsher.

The Conservative party has swept across Britain making big gains in the local elections. The results confirm analysts expectations that a comfortable Tory win is likely in next month's general election. For more on this and the latest political news, Ed Bowsher spoke to Asa Bennett, Assistant Comment Editor at the Telegraph.