Podcasts

The mortgage price war claimed a high profile victim this week as Tesco Bank scrapped lending. Tesco Bank will continue with its other products, but why has it ditched mortgages, why have a string of other smaller players shut their doors in recent months, and why did building society behemoth Nationwide issue its own caution on home loans this week? On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Sarah Davidson and Georgie Frost dive into what is currently a weird world of mortgages: where a greater supply of money to lend than demand to borrow it means there are some very cheap deals on offer. Also on this week’s show, the team look at a reader’s problem with a neighbour upstairs, who has stripped the floor back to floorboards and is creating noise issues, despite a lease that says there must be carpets. How do you enforce that? Thomas Cook’s troubles and what they mean for holidaymakers are under the spotlight too. And finally, ever wondered why sometimes drivers get a ticket but at others escape with just a warning, or what really drives police officers mad behind the wheel?

Tim Evans, Professor of Business and Political Economy at Middlesex University, looks at a recent study showing that Britons are the most appreciative nation in Europe to the benefits of immigration. He also examines the addiction to conspiracy theories and takes a look at the current state of Cuba and Venezuela and why Donald Trump may be doing more harm than good.

Graham Spooner of The Share Centre looks at recent news from Marks & Spencer, Merlin, utilities including SSE, United Utilities and Severn Trent and Royal Mail. And with results season almost complete, he looks ahead to full year numbers from Johnson Matthey.

Steve Caplin goes automotive, looking at Dyson's plans for an electric off-road car, the Honda e with swift recharge, the electric Jaguar E-type with optional original engine and Hydrogen-powered double-decker buses. He explains why 5G has been stalled by lamppost problems and why Jeff Bezos thinks he can have a moonbase by 2024 while Elon Musk thinks he can get to Mars by then. Australia's $50 note issue was marred by a spelling mistake, Barcelona has a self-charging e bike and there's a very cheap credit-card sized charger to take around with you.

James Cameron-Wilson dissects the UK box office chart, headed by Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, boosted by preview screenings. Without that Pokemon Detective Pikachu would have kept pole position. The only other new entry is a Canadian TV cartoon Paw Patrol Mighty Pups. For his DVD of the week, James extols Burning from South Korea's Chang-dong Lee, termed a "mystery romantic drama".

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: Walmart delivers; Pinterest plummets; Baidu reports a rare loss; And Taco Bell gets into the hotel business. Analysts Andy Cross, Ron Gross, and Jason Moser tackle these stories and weigh in on earnings from Alibaba, NVIDIA, and Wix. Plus, NYU professor and best-selling author Scott Galloway talks about his new book, The Algebra of Happiness: Notes on the Pursuit of Success, Love, and Meaning.

Georgie Frost is joined by editor Simon Lambert and reporter Tanya Jeffries to talk about wealth: are the rich getting richer and should we worry about inequality? How rich are you? Fear not, if the answer is: Not very. This is Money has a plan to help you out. Also there's a focus on the over 60s, what perks you get and what help is available to you, if you are struggling. Plus, what is going on at Metro Bank drama and what you can do if you fancy a house that’s not actually for sale. Don’t worry, it’s all legal!

Adam talks to Rob Lindley, the Managing Director of Mitsubishi Motors about new research that reveals that since only 1% of new cars are fully electric it’s looking unlikely that the government will meet it’s target for zero emissions on the roads by 2050. They discuss how technology such as PHEV (plug-in hybrid vehicles) enable motorists to drive half their miles in fully electric mode while giving them the reassurance that they wont be stranded. Rob highlights that currently the government is giving mixed messages when it comes to PHEVs and that more needs to be done. While incentives encourage some deterrents like Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) can also encourage drivers to seek greener vehicles.

New Economics Foundation ran in 2015 a series where they tell story of neoliberalism, from the beginning. They call it A Beginner’s Guide to Neoliberalism and it is as relevant as ever. It’s presented by the journalist Kirsty Styles alongside James Meadway, who at the time was chief economist at the New Economics Foundation.

Adam talks to relationship psychologist Annabelle Knight about new research that shows that the days of smoking being sexy are long gone, and that in a study on a dating app the same person without cigarettes in the photos got many more matches. She highlights that it can be harmful in relationships and can also negatively affect sex lives. Although smoking is highly addictive it can be stopped and Annabelle discusses a new campaign run by Change Incorporated that is encouraging millennials to quit smoking for good.