Podcasts presented by Sarah Pennells (1)

The start of the new tax year earlier this month didn't only mean changes to taxes and the introduction of a lifetime ISA, it also resulted in some big changes to benefits. Critics say that some of these changes will leave families much worse off. And some of the changes, such as the introduction of the so-called 'rape clause' are pretty controversial.

A lack of skilled workers is increasingly forcing many employers to offer higher wages and lower requirements for candidates. That's according to research from The Recruitment & Employment Confederation which found nearly half of employers struggling to recruit for permanent roles. To find out more about what's causing this Share Radio's Tom Hill spoke to REC Director of Policy and Professional Services Tom Hadley.

SIPPs have become much more popular in recent years - partly because their charges have fallen. But what exactly are they and who are they suitable for?

It seems that in this day and age, no one is immune from their finances and personal information being stolen. Research from Verizon shows that 89% of breaches last year had a financial or espionage motive. Anviksha Patel has been finding out more.

Today on the agenda, Sarah Pennells and David Braithwaite from Citrus Financial Management discussed the cap on household energy bills set to be included in the Conservative manifesto. Plus they look into the new 12-sided pound coin only came into circulation last month, but it has already been forged. All these stories and more on The News Review.

Walking into a car dealership without securing finance first could be costing drivers thousands of pounds. An undercover report by Confused.com has found that car finance interest rates at dealerships are three times more expensive than rates found when shopping online. Sarah speaks to Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com.

The next French president will be either National Front leader Marine Le Pen or the centrist Emmanuel Macron after the first round of election voting. Meanwhile over here, Jeremy Corbyn is going to repeat a promise to scrap the Conservatives' trade union legislation if he gets into Downing Street after the general election. To discuss all these political stories, Sarah spoke to Natasha Clark, Digital Westminster Correspondent at The Sun.

Last week saw the introduction of new gender pay reporting regulations forcing companies employing more than 250 people to publish information about their pay. So, what will this information really tell you, what can you do if you think you're not being paid the same as men in your organisation and what happens if you don't comply with the rules?

According to a survey by job search engine Adzuna men are far more likely than women to ask for the double progression of both promotion and a pay rise. To discuss the findings in more detail, Share Radio's Sara Macham was joined by Becky Barr from Adzuna.

Interest rates are lower than they've been for years, which isn't great news for savers but it does mean you could get a good deal if you have a mortgage. In this week's episode Sarah helps you do just that with her panel of expert guests.