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Russ Mould of A J Bell looks at the UK's main banks now that we're in the midst of results season. He points out that while the big five account for 11% of the FTSE's market cap, they produce 1/5 of pre-tax profits and 1/5 of total dividends. There remains a good deal of residual scepticism. They may yet be worth a look, despite the many possible adverse factors. Russ notes that cashbacks and dividends will see HSBC on a yield of almost 15% this year, with the others on 10-12%.

With the '50% matured' stage for Child Trust Funds being reached at the end of October, The Share Foundation hopes the Chancellor will announce introduction of its 'Default Withdrawal at 21' plan in the Budget. This would immediately release c. £250 million of accounts to low-income young adults. Meanwhile The Share Foundation's pre-launch announcement of its forthcoming 'Stepping Forward — Performing Arts for Life' course also caught the eye of BBC news with their webpage article of this major life skills initiative for young people in care, building on the success of its Stepladder Plus course. Background music: 'Hopeful Freedom' by Asher Fulero Image source: Particle6

Whether you voted Labour or not, with any new government, there is a sense of optimism. Things can only get better… apparently. But within days, Rachel Reeves and co poured cold water over all that - and the gloom and doom about the economy and what then could be (and crucially not be) in the Budget hasn’t stopped. Well, Simon Lambert is fed up. So he has put forward an alternative budget with less than two weeks to go. Do you agree with him? And what would you do? Alongside Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce, the trio talk about budget pessimism. Did it need to be this way? There has been plenty of speculation that NI paid by employers will rise and they may even have to pay NI on pension contributions. What does that mean? This week CPI fell below the Bank of England's 2% target in September, reaching its lowest point in three years. What does that mean for interest rates? More major lenders have put mortgage rates up - where next for home loan deals? And just what is Sonia, if not an Eastenders character or 80s pop star? Lastly, there has been plenty of pre-budget speculation about inheritance tax. But what about the here and now... can you really get caught out by taking your extended family on an annual holiday?

Amazon is the latest hyperscaler to team up with an energy company to power its AI ambitions. Asit Sharma and Mary Long discuss the collaborations laying the groundwork for the coming “Intelligence Age.” Then, 18 minutes in, Sanmeet Deo and Ricky Mulvey debrief Tesla’s “We, Robot” event and take a look at the humanoid landscape. Companies discussed: AMZN, D, MSFT, GOOG, GOOGL, CEG, EQT, SMR, TSLA. Host - Mary Long; Guests - Asit Sharma, Sanmeet Deo, Ricky Mulvey

When you are the custodian of almost $10 trillion, how much more can you possibly grow? Motley Fool Contributor Matt Frankel joins Ricky Mulvey for a look at bank earnings. They discuss why Charles Schwab is welcoming a rate-cutting cycle, Goldman Sachs’s biggest red flag, and Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan’s outlook on the American economy. Then, 14 minutes in, Motley Fool Senior Analyst Buck Hartzell joins Alison Southwick and Robert Brokamp to kick-off a series on Berkshire Hathaway, and how the conglomerate’s collection of businesses work together. Companies discussed: SCHW, GS, BAC, BRK.A, BRK.B. Host - Ricky Mulvey; Guests: Matt Frankel, Alison Southwick, Robert Brokamp, Buck Hartzell

Adam Cox is joined by Vestergaard's Lead Scientist, Rinki Debb & Regional Manager of Public Health, Emmie Cacace to discuss malaria. Many of us may think that malaria is less of a threat than it used to be and is under control. In fact, nearly 7 in 10 Brits say they hear less about the efforts to combat the disease than they once might have. However, the fight is far from over – with one child dying every single minute. https://vestergaard.com/

Adam Cox is joined by Nick Drouet from Kyndryl. They discuss their new report which has revealed the extent of unpreparedness and readiness of UK and global businesses when it comes to preventing cyber-attacks and minimising the impact of climate disruption, amongst other important issues of our time. https://www.kyndryl.com/gb/en

Adam Cox is joined by Damian Stirrett from ServiceNow. They discuss the International Investment Summit and the big announcement they made at the event. ServiceNow announced a significant investment of $1.5bn into their UK operations and is launching an AI reskilling programme aimed at reaching 240,000 UK learners by 2027. https://www.servicenow.com/uk/

Adam Cox is joined by David Hallett from Exscientia. They discuss AI, in particular how it can help and streamline drug discovery. They also discuss which types of AI technology they're using at Exscientia. https://www.exscientia.com/

You might think that self care sounds somewhat selfish, but it's worth remembering that you can't pour from an empty cup. You need to look after yourself to be able to care for others. So if you're struggling with prioritising self care and to look out for your own interest, it's worth remembering those last two words of the instruction to love your neighbour — as yourself.