Podcasts

We’re living in a world fascinated with the future and what it might bring. But with technology and AI improving all the time, could a “Terminator situation” be on the horizon? Vicky Sayers speaks to Futurologist, Dr Ian Pearson, who says the only way to make sure artificial intelligence doesn’t eventually overtake our own, is for humans to become more like the machines we’re creating. But how realistic is a bionic future for Britain, and the world at large?

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: Get on the bus, kiddos! We're going to combat the summer slide with our biggest mailbag yet. We're answering your questions about selling grandpa's stocks, stop-loss orders, retiring on $1.5 million, and more.

We are regularly told that we aren’t saving enough into a pension, but how much is enough? A recent report suggested that while auto enrolment has dragged more people into saving for retirement, it has also lulled them into a false sense of security. Currently, the system means 8 per cent of a worker’s salary must be going into a pension – unless they opt out – but that includes their contribution, basic rate tax relief and what their employer puts in. Experts suggest that depending on when you start that number needs to be more like a minimum of 12 per cent or even 15 per cent. So how can you make sure you are salting away enough to live in the style you’d like in retirement? On this week’s episode Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost dive into the world of pension saving and the tricks you can use to get more going into your retirement pot. Also this week, they talk Brexit-proofing your pension, wills – and how to get one if you don’t have one, and what you need to think about if you are moving house to try to get your kids into school.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University considers the many twists and turns at Labour's Party Conference in Brighton and wonders if Momentum is turning into phut. He looks at a pollster's analysis of the concerns of regional Conservative voters which appear to confound popular thought. And he looks at the long-term implications of the Supreme Court Decision and whether the UK should have a written constitution.

James Cameron-Wilson casts his eye over the UK box office where, as in the US, the new Brad Pitt sci-fi film Ad Astra takes second place to Downton Abbey, still at #1. Rambo: Last Blood comes in at #4 while the new Melissa McCarthy enters at #14. On DVD is the Austrian/German detective series The Pass while James recommends the Blu-Ray release of the Elton John biopic musical Rocketman, for which Taron Egerton is being tipped for an Oscar nomination.

Graham Spooner of The Share Centre looks at recent news from Pearson, Imperial Brands, Boohoo and Sainsbury's. He then casts his eye ahead to consider what we might expect from Tesco, Gregg's and Ferguson.

Steve Caplin wonders about the merits of Facebook's planned dating platform, with the company trying to trademark the word "book". He slavers over a beautiful orange juice kiosk which uses peel to make 3D cups. There's a clever new laser projector, a pen that will draw in any colour, a Skoda e bike and life-saving news about the preservation time for liver donations.

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: Microsoft hikes its dividend and buys back stock; Apple launches its subscription gaming service; Airbnb announces plans for an IPO; And FedEx delivers disappointment. Analysts Aaron Bush, Emily Flippen, and Ron Gross discuss these stories and the latest from Datadog, General Mills, WeWork, and YUM! Brands. Plus, we dip into the Fool Mailbag to discuss AI’s future. And Motley Fool auto analyst John Rosevear weighs in on GM’s strike, Ford’s future, and Amazon’s electrifying buy.

Adam Cox talks to John-Paul Savant, CEO of ATG (Auction Technology Group) about the latest research revealing that unlike with other commodities, people don’t understand the environmental consequences of buying brand new furniture. He discusses that second-hand items can have a dramatic impact on the planet and that auctions can be the driver to making the world a more sustainable place.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha talk to Sam Friedman, Associate Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics and a member of the Social Mobility Commission. Sam explains his recent research highlighting how those from working class backgrounds find themselves earning less than colleagues from more privileged families, even when they have the same qualifications and work in the same elite professions. Going beyond the numbers to understand this ‘class pay gap’, Sam describes the numerous interviews he undertook with elite professionals from different backgrounds and what this revealed about the hidden mechanisms that operate, often rewarding privilege rather than merit or ability. The discussion then moves on to the dominance of private schools – and especially a particular group of private schools – in the elite strata of society and considers the sorts of policies that might help to make Britain a more meritocratic society.