Podcasts

Graham Spooner of The Share Centre discusses the changes to the FTSE Index and how they reflect the big changes going on around us. He looks at the market recovery in the face of continuing signs of problems ahead. And he looks at what we might hear from Aveva and Johnson Matthey.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) Good Work Index provides a snapshot of UK working lives, including opportunities for homeworking and job flexibility as we went into lockdown. In this interview, Peter Urwin speaks to Jonny Gifford, Senior Advisor for Organisational Behaviour at the CIPD. He describes how UK job quality indicators compare to those of other countries; arguing that any encouraging headline figures hide concerns over UK job quality inequality. They consider the role of government and employers in tackling such inequality, and flag worrying trends in UK work-life balance. For instance, recent years have seen a decline in reported wellbeing from the UK Working Lives survey – and the latest instalment of the survey allows us to ask how this, and other trends, has been impacted by the pandemic.

Adam Cox is joined by results coach and a mentor behind leaders, Cody Jefferson, discussing the different ways in which business leaders are coping with all of the financial, psychological, and emotional pressures linked to the Coronavirus. Cody shares some of the major challenges being faced and how true leaders can use accountability and perspective to respond positively in chaotic times. He shares some practical tips for leaders to take control, despite the pressures of COVID-19. Find out more about Cody at https://www.codyjefferson.com/.

Saving, spending, planning — you've got money questions and we've got answers. Every week host Alison Southwick and personal finance expert Robert Brokamp challenge the conventional wisdom on life's biggest financial issues to reveal what you really need to know to make smart money moves. In this week's show: The real estate market is bigger than the stock market, yet most people don't invest in it. Fool real estate expert Matt Argersinger of Millionacres.com (a Motley Fool company) joins the team to explain how the typical, non-tycoon person can begin to build their property empire... or at least earn attractive returns with tax benefits. Also, Alison discusses the future of where we'll work.

Want to keep up with the latest earnings updates from the States? Well join Chris Hill and the Motley Fool Radio Show team here on Share Radio, direct from Washington DC, for news, views and analysis of the US stocks that matter. In this week's show: The total number of unemployment claims climbs above 40 million; Costco slips on earnings; Salesforce sells off; Dollar Tree and Dollar General rise on strong growth; Williams-Sonoma serves up a surprise; And Hertz Global files for Chapter 11. Motley Fool analysts Ron Gross and Jason Moser discuss those stories, weigh in on the latest from Ulta Beauty, and share two stocks on their radar: Intercontinental Exchange and Bill.com. And we talk with Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz about Disney World's reopening, HBO Max, and the streaming wars.

It's nearly June, the sun is shining, and right about now people would usually be eagerly anticipating summer breaks they’ve booked, or planning where to go away. Meanwhile, the sunny weather over the past few months would usually have led to thoughts (and lots of features) on a staycation summer. But this isn’t any given year. Coronavirus and the lockdown means we are advised not to travel abroad, don't know when we will be able to, and might have to take an extra two weeks off to quarantine when we get back. That should means it’s Cornwall, Devon, Norfolk, Wales, or a week in Skegness on our minds, instead of France or Spain. Overnight trips are still barred though, the domestic holiday industry is unsure when it will be back up-and-running, and some locals are reportedly not too keen on visitors. So, will we get a holiday this summer and how can you protect yourself when booking and paying? On this podcast, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost talk holidays: where to go, when you might be allowed to, and the all-important financial side involving booking, cancellations and refunds. There is also the thorny question of how travel will look in the future and whether the holiday industry will bounce back while people still have long waits and fights for refunds on cancelled trips fresh in their mind? And finally, what about opting for van life instead? Volkswagen revealed this week that quotes for its California campervans have soared in lockdown – and Simon fill us in on what it’s like to go away on a 2,000 mile road trip in one, having done so the summer before last. He’s also got an idea, involving buying a campervan and renting it out, so that it pays for itself and turns a profit. Classic man maths or solid money-maker, you decide?

Ian Forrest of The Share Centre looks at the improvement in market sentiment and wonders if investors have got ahead of themselves, with big improvements in the fortunes of travel companies and airlines among others. He also examines recent news from British Land, Easyjet, M&G and Boohoo.

Technology editor Steve Caplin looks at some C19-inspired gadgets for keeping customers of Burger King and visitors to Florence's Duomo safe. There are also self-cleaning face masks, 5G underpants, virtual crowds for sporting events, a Wallace & Gromit AR app, crowdfunded game Star Citizen, shareable user interfaces and a very nippy e-bike.

James Cameron-Wilson looks ahead to those films supposedly being released in July and August. He also charts the top 12 comedies at the UK box office. He reviews eccentric star-studded dystopian sci-fi movie Snowpiercer, an earlier film from the maker of Parasite, Terry Gilliam's much-delayed The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and true-life crime drama Just Mercy.

Political commentator Mike Indian looks at the Dominic Cummings' affair, the Government's response to what's happened and what it could mean for the public attitude to lockdown. He discusses the re-rollout of the track and trace scheme, at possible changes to the lockdown rules and at the economic cost of Covid-19.