Podcasts

Want to keep up with the latest earnings updates from the States? We join Chris Hill and the Motley Fool Radio Show team here on Share Radio - direct from Washington DC - each Monday at 6 o'clock for news, views and analysis of US finance. On today's episode: Kraft Heinz proposed merger with Unilever, the latest filings from Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway and more.

Greece's debt burden is back on the agenda as European finance ministers met today at Eurogroup meeting. The ministers are at loggerheads with the International Monetary Fund over the Greek bailout terms. To preview the meeting, Share Radio's Ed Bowsher spoke with Pieter Cleppe, Head of Open Europe's Brussels Office.

Kraft Heinz's takeover bid for consumer giant Unilever lasted just a few days - but the full value of the post-merger proposal jump is yet to be wiped off Unilever's share price. So what does this mean for future takeovers? And has the swift reversal hurt Kraft Heinz? Share Radio's Ed Bowsher spoke to Thomas Buckley, reporter at Bloomberg, for what's next for both companies.

Opposition parties rarely lose by-elections - so speculation that Labour could lose in the upcoming contests for Stoke-on-Trent Central or Copeland is unusual. For more on how the battle is unfolding, Share Radio's Ed Bowsher spoke with John Curtice, politics professor at the University of Strathclyde and research consultant to NatCen Social Research.

In less than two weeks, on March 1st, the rules on child car seats change. You won't be able to buy a backless booster seat unless your child is at least 125cm tall or weighs at least 22 kg (around three and a half stone). Buying a car seat for your child - and buying things like a buggy or pushchair - can also be something of a minefield. Sarah Pennells was joined in the studio by freelance personal finance journalist Donna Ferguson, Anne-Marie O'Leary, Editor-in-Chief of Netmums and Kevin Clinton, Head of Road Safety at ROSPA.

The UK's economy is gaining momentum despite concerns of uncertainty ahead of Brexit - that's according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's latest indicator. JP Morgan global market analyst Alex Dryden ran through this and the day's other big economic news with Share Radio's senior analyst Ed Bowsher.

Over the last few weeks there's been a lot of focus on housing and older people, with the government's White Paper on housing looking at ways to encourage older people to downsize. But not everyone wants to sell up. Last year people released over £2 billion of equity from their homes. So, how can you make money from your property? What are the options and what do you have to bear in mind? Sarah Pennells was joined in the studio by Jane King who's from Ashridge financial planning and by Ceri Wheeldon who's the founder of the website Fab After Fifty.

For all those planning ahead to their summer holidays think carefully when booking online. Fake holiday websites are on the rise with millions being scammed from unsuspecting tourists. Often the sites are so convincing holidaymakers don't realise anything's up until arriving at their destination to find the villa they've booked doesn't really exist. To find out more about how the scam works and how to protect yourself Share Radio's Tom Hill spoke to Hannah Maundrell, editor-in-chief of money.co.uk.

Last week saw the opening of the National Cyber Security Centre in London. According to the National Crime Agency, companies are now more likely to be a victim of cyber crime than of any other type of crime in the UK. Cyber crime was also included in the national crime survey in England and Wales for the first time last year, showing just how prevalent this type of crime has become. Share Radio's Sara Macham spoke to Sam Hutton from security technology firm Glasswall about the ongoing rise of cybercrime in the UK.

Kraft Heinz has walked away from its £115bn bid for Unilever but that might not be the end of it. For more analysis on why the deal dried up today, and what's next, Share Radio's Ed Bowsher spoke with Ken Odeluga, Market Analyst at City Index.