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How long did you take looking round your home before you put an offer in for it? The average prospective buyer spends just 43 minutes. Surprise, surprise, research suggests that it pays to take your time. Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce talk about what should be on your checklist before you take the plunge and buy a property. Should you go by vibes alone, or do you really need to kick the tyres? And when you do buy, what happens if the seller leaves junk like a mouldy fridge, a grimy washing machine and a stained sofa? We reveal all. Buy-to-let has taken a battering in recent years — but there are still pockets of Britain where investors are finding a decent yield. Cash ISAs are back in the spotlight with a review likely to come in July — how likely is it that they will be tinkered with? And will news-defunct furniture brand MFI will return after twenty years; what stores would you like to see make a comeback?

Major banks are tweaking their rules to allow borrowers to get bigger mortgages, while a new upstart lender is offering seven times salary home loans. Is this a welcome easing of the too tight rules to suit people’s needs or the start of a recipe for financial disaster? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert dive into the world of mortgages and look at whether lenders are coming up with a solution or creating more problems. Is this a repeat of the heady days before the financial crisis, have stress tests helped borrowers avoid the stress of rising rates, and would you even want a seven times income mortgage? Plus, is the Bank of England about to aggressively cut interest rates in the wake of Donald Trump’s tariff chaos. Also, why our retirement expert Sir Steve Webb is loving his new solar panels and how to work out what kind of investor you are and how much risk you should take. And finally, a definitive list of the 50 best British cars of all time has been released, but do you agree with it?

For years, two-year fixes were the mortgage of choice for most homeowners — but borrowers piled into five-year deals in 2022 and 2023 in a bid to lock in super-low rates. Now, UK Finance figures show shorter fixed deals are once again back in vogue. Does that mean people think rates are heading down — and what do you need to think about when choosing yours? This is Money's Helen Crane and Georgie Frost discuss. Elsewhere in the property market, TSB data reveals that the average first-time buyer is now past their 30th birthday in all but one region of Britain. Perhaps more surprisingly, though, the amount people borrowed from family to get on the property ladder went down last year. The team ask why that is, and tips for saving a house deposit. Donald Trump's tariffs have continued to dominate the headlines this week, causing a whirlwind on the global markets. Is this going to bring down savings rates for good, and what can people do with their money instead? On the bright side, though, it means there might be a very short window in which you can buy a cheap TV.

Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Helen Crane consider reducing interest rates — are they opening up a divergence between central banks in the U.S., the UK and Europe? What are the implications for mortgages and savings? They consider how investments fared in the pandemic crash and rebound, and what the implications might be as a result of Trump's trade wars. And they review Nectar's stolen points problem.

There's a spike in 30-year mortgages at present — does this rise in ultra-long mortgages, extending into retirement for many people, just store up problems for the future? Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce discuss this, and: are dazzling LED headlights about to be banned? Also, an iPhone 14 ordered from Tesco is delivered as a toy! Plus, we've all heard about high earners in England suffering excess taxation, but is it worse in Scotland?

How much homeowners are making when they come to sell up is shrinking — new data shows home-selling profits are at its lowest point for nearly a decade. Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce discuss the figures and delve into the pockets of Britain where house asking prices have grown the most in the past year, bucking the trend. With looming stamp duty changes happening in April, what will that do to the property market... and is it a fair system? With billions of pounds worth of cash ISAs maturing in the coming months, is the tax-free season kicking off early? It appears so, with a battle for easy-access cash. Inflation falls — so is the threat of stagflation over? And the Jellycat craze continues to sweep Britain — is it time to invest in the cult soft toys, or have a raid of your house for any rare ones potentially lurking in the loft?

Georgie Frost, Simon and Lee Boyce with their annual review episode: Simon and Lee assess the last twelve months, looking at what's happened to mortgage and savings rates, house prices and investments, and what changes may be to come in 2025. It's been quite an eventful year with changes of government on both sides of the pond ...

House price predictions for next year have started to roll in, so where do the experts think they are headed next? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Lee Boyce discuss the property market - and delve into figures that attempt to tackle the tricky question: is it harder to buy a home now versus 50 years ago? And sticking with property, Halifax has launched a highly unusual fixed-rate mortgage — should borrowers be tempted? With the weather turning colder, we talk how to stay warm this winter without breaking the bank and whether it is worth getting a fixed tariff with your energy firm. We reveal the amount you should have saved in your pension in every decade of your life to guarantee a golden retirement — and how much notice you should pay to these formulas. And lastly, Lee reveals his top tips for avoiding the out of contract rip-off trap — and how he's saving more than £400 in the next 12 months by doing so.

Inflation's spell below the Bank of England's 2% target has been brief and the latest CPI figure came in at a higher than expected 2.3%. Meanwhile, Bank of England boss Andrew Bailey has joined the Office of Budget Responsibility in stating that the recent Autumn Budget is likely to lift inflation, as employers face higher costs from national insurance and the rising minimum wage. On the other side of the Atlantic, President-elect Donald Trump is seen as bringing his own inflationary pressure, which could spread from the US to the rest of the world. So what does this mean for interest rates? Are cuts about to stall — and what happens next for borrowers and savers? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert, talk inflation, rates, mortgages and savings. The team also look at whether those needing to get a mortgage now should fix for two or five years. Plus, why the row over inheritance tax and farmers is symptomatic of Britain's bad tax system — and Simon's plan for a trade-off on IHT-free land. Crane goes on the case of money refunded for a faulty coffee machine much later to an empty gift voucher that had understandably gone in the bin. And finally, the listener question of the week is up and running, and it's one on sticking it to the man and having enough money to quit work for good.

As winter approaches and heating use increases, it's crucial to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, otherwise known as the "silent killer". Despite the threat, almost one in three UK households still don’t have a CO detector, putting many at risk. Joining Adam Cox to discuss this is SGN’s Social Impact Programme Lead, Dan Edwards.