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This summer has seen travel demand rebound and for many, it could be their first overseas jaunt since before the pandemic. For that reason, there may be some rusty holidaymakers out there. But fear not, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane and Georgie Frost are at hand to help get you in the holiday mood (kind of). They talk about what you need to think about before a trip, from sorting out your passport with plenty of time to why it is imperative to have good quality insurance. It may not be sexy, but it is vital. Then, while you're away, what to think about in terms of spending money and little tips and tricks to save cash. We also ask if the days of cheap flights are over thanks to fuel price rises, whether chickenpox just before you go away means an automatic refund and more pearls of wisdom from decades of travel experience. Elsewhere, there are dire pension warnings linked to inflation. A new study believes that fewer than two in five households will be on course for a decent retirement due to the soaring cost of living. What can be done about it? And a large factor of that soaring cost of living is energy bills. Next month, we'll fully know just how high the price cap will head. Many are facing bill rises that they simply cannot afford. One part of the cost that is a real bugbear for many are standing charges. What are they and why can they not simply be cut?

Microsoft and Alphabet didn't disappoint with their latest quarterly results. Bill Mann discusses Microsoft having tough comps, with the cloud division shining once again, Alphabet proving its resilience, and Chipotle continuing to raise prices and profits. Meanwhile, Ricky Mulvey talks with Jack Caporal about The Motley Fool's latest research into crypto scams and how you can avoid them. Stocks mentioned: WMT, TGT, AMZN, COST, SHOP, ETH, SOL. Host - Chris Hill; Guests - Bill Mann, Jack Capora

The Federal Reserve could hike short-term interest rates to 4%, and that still might not be enough to cool inflation. Rich Lyons is the first Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer for the University of California, Berkeley. Before that, he spent a decade as the dean of Berkley’s Haas School of Business. He joined Motley Fool Contributor Rachel Warren to discuss how the Federal Reserve could hit a “hard break” with higher interest rates, a venture capital view about the future of crypto, and how universities are creating a generational tailwind for the economy. Host - Rachel Warren; Guest - Rich Lyons

Following on from last week's episode, Adam questions the inner dialogue that binds people to unconscious habits like smoking. Using the metaphor of a cage, he asks why people who have experienced a sense of freedom outside the cage should allow any addiction to draw them back within it.

Wondering why our government seems so bereft of ideas and unable to say what it believes in, Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University assesses a list of policies for a future Tory leader suggested by ex-MEP Daniel Hannan. Tim also looks at Keir Starmer's early attempts to hone Labour's platform for the next election. And he explains why China is facing a demographic timebomb which will have massive ramifications for its economy.

Victoria Scholar of Interactive Investor talks to Simon Rose about why markets have been so buoyant despite aggressive monetary tightening from the US Federal Reserve. UK markets are lagging ahead of next week's MPC decision but earnings from commodity companies like Shell and Centrica were buoyant. Not so the reaction to results from either Barclays Bank or challenger Metro. Drinks giant Diagio is weathering the inflationary environment well, showing a bit shift to low- and no-alcohol drinks while ITV pleased investors with how well it is doing.

James Cameron-Wilson tells Simon Rose of a bump in the box office as the weather cools. Minions is the new #1 with Where The Crawdads Sing arriving at #3, taking £1.3m. Based on the best-selling novel, James found it beautiful but ultimately rather disappointing. At #6 is the one NT Live showing of Jodie Comer in her one-woman play Prima Facie. James's DVD of the month is the Japanese award-winner Drive My Car, which he found a mesmerising and genuine original unlike anything else. Not so Netflix's action thrller The Gray Man with Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, which he found OTT and wildly improbable.

Tech maven Steve Caplin tells Simon Rose about the chess robot that broke a 7-year-old opponent's finger. There's also an explanation of why Hammersmith Bridge was wrapped in foil, a hydrofoil creating hydrogen, the privacy dangers of TikTok, why BMW owners need to pay more for heated seats, an e-Jerry can if you run out of charge and serving court papers using non-fungible tokens.

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are both understandably focused on the UK economy, challenged by massive public debt and soaring inflation, but who will tackle the 'elephant in the room' of the gargantuan health and social care budget, which has resulted from seventy years addiction to socialist universality? We update our proposal first made in June 2018, since when the cost per adult of health and social care has doubled. Background music: 'Addicted' by VYEN

Financial independence and retiring early sounds great, but could you sacrifice enough of your spending to get there? The so-called FIRE movement ('Financial Independence Retire Early') involves living a frugal live, saving as much of your income as possible – 50% or more – and investing to build a pot to retire early on. Ideally, this needs to be 25 times your annual spending requirements, so that you can follow the 4% rule on how much of your pot you spend each year. Advocates of financial independence will tell you that this requires giving up much of our modern-day consumer lifestyle but that it’s worth it in the end, as they can then live their lives on their own terms. Could you do this and would Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert be able to stomach the hardcore budgeting and saving it requires? The team discuss financial independence, its attractions and the drawbacks of getting there. And don't miss our second special bonus podcast this week, where Simon speaks Barney Whiter, of The Escape Artist blog, who helps others to try to achieve the same financial independence he has. Also, inheritance tax is catching more people in its net; what can you do about that and is it time for the tax to change? Plus, why inflation is causing problems for the national debt (now £2.4 trillion) and should a reader use a £60,000 sum sitting in a low rate cash Isa to pay off some of their mortgage?