Podcasts

If you want a good deal, an undervalued gem, or a fixer-upper to make money on - buy a home at auction. That's the common theory, but does it actually work in practice? There's a chance you might find an underrated home, but there's also the risk that you may get caught up in competition with another buyer and overpay - as many who end up in a bidding war do. On this week's episode, we switch off Homes Under the Hammer and go watch some real life homes go under the hammer at a property auction. Reporter Grace Gausden tells us about the auction room atmosphere, and Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and George Nixon discuss tips to make sure you stay on the right side of a bargain hunt. Plus, Simon explains the circular economy and why it's important to get capitalism on side to stop trashing the planet. And finally, buying a brand new car isn't very green, but you could save a lot of money on them at the moment as dealers are pre-registering them to meet sales targets and then selling them at up to 40 per cent off. The team explain why.

Adam Cox talks to animal educator and founder of Creature Courage, Britain Kitten. Britain discusses why so many people fear animals, as well as which animals are most likely to cause a negative reaction in people. She shares how fears, and even phobias, can be eliminated – and how her collection of tarantulas is helping cure arachnophobes across the UK.

Simon Rose is joined by political commentator and author of The Groucho Tendency blog, Mike Indian, to discuss how UK politics has got to where it is today. In this episode, Simon and Mike discuss the history of the Labour Party.

Vicky Sayers is joined by film critic and broadcaster, James Cameron-Wilson, to discuss some of the most influential horror films of all time. Why are audiences so drawn to horror – and where do we draw the line? In this episode: The Birds (1963), The Exorcist (1973), Don’t Look Now (1974), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Alien (1979), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Funny Games (1997), High Tension (2003), Get Out (2017), A Quiet Place (2018).

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. I n this week's show: Jason Moser is back as we talk about investing in gaming companies and esports (and come to the realization that we, too, are gamers).

Steven Van Bellegham is a thought leader, marketer, and keynote speaker. Steven is also an entrepreneur who likes to invest in start-ups, and works in consultancy with organisations of all sizes. He is co-founder of consultancy firm Nexxworks and of content creation company Snackbytes, and he’s a guest marketing professor at Vlerick Business School. He loves Disney, and admires how President Barack Obama used to handle his ‘homework’ at the White House. Listen on to find out more. Published on 10 Oct 19

Helal Miah of The Share Centre looks at recent company news from SIG, Mondi, Dunelm and recruiters Robert Walters and Page Group. He also looks ahead to Hays, in the same field, as well as Unilever, Rio Tinto, BHP, ASOS and W H Smith.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University considers the issue of institutional decline and asks if modern organisations – whether private of public – have lost track of how to assess their reputation in the eyes of their customers, instead using statistics to prove that everything is wonderful. And admitting his obsession with obituaries, Tim looks at the death of a former editor of The Morning Star.

James Cameron-Wilson on the UK box office chart, dominated by a huge £12.6m opening for Joker with Joaquin Phoenix. Judy, with Renee Zellweger, only managed £2.1m at #2. James forecasts that both stars will be Oscar-nominated or, in the case of Judy, "garlanded". For home release James chooses the Mexican film The Chambermaid, which he found compelling in the extreme.

Steve Caplin looks at the new service to choose your own flavour of KitKat - for a price. He has news of how fast our thumbs are getting, of earbuds to help you get the most out of the sound at a concert, of the new warnings on e-scooters, of a clever new suitcase that charges your phone as you wheel it, of why high rooftops are being bought up in London and why workers in the UK are sabotaging robots.