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‘If they could tax the air you breathe they’d do it.’ That age-old moan about taxes going up has sprung to mind over the past week, as rumours about pretty much any tax you can think of being hiked were spread about. So many kites were flown about potential tax rises that even taxing selling your own home and bringing back the 50p rate were floated as potential Autumn Statement ideas troubling Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak’s minds. If all this came to pass it would surely become known as ‘the everything tax raid’. But will it come to pass? Probably not. You get the sense this is a massive exercise in softening up the nation, so that when some but not all taxes go up on Thursday, people breathe a sigh of relief. Yet could this bout of not-officially-encouraged-but-definitely-not-discouraged speculation do lasting harm to the economy? Simon Lambert argues that case, when he says with sentiment already heavily depressed going into a recession, striking the financial fear of God into the population might not be the best move. Simon, Georgie Frost and Tanya Jefferies discuss the tax hikes that have been rumoured and how likely they are to happen: one gets a minus two in five chance of occurring but others seem more likely. Also, will Hunt stage a raid on pension, either via tax relief or the triple lock? Plus, the story of how Tanya helped a podcast listener win back money after paying over the odds for her mother’s care home. And finally — if among all this gloom you’ve still got room to save, should you save or invest the money, or overpay your mortgage?

Several factors in the Big Macro pushed stocks higher at week's end. Jason Moser and Ron Gross discuss how the Consumer Price Index report fueled an historic rise on Thursday, China's potential for pulling back Covid restrictions, the role layoffs will play in the coming months, Disney's parks division being the lone bright spot in an otherwise disappointing 4th-quarter report, and the latest from The Trade Desk, Lyft, and Marqeta. At 19 minutes in, Rachel Warren talks with Anjee Solanki, National Retail Director at Colliers, about the top retail trends this holiday season and how consumer spending continues to change. Then at 32 minutes in, Jason and Ron return to talk about Carnival Cruise's intriguing strategy to battle rising food costs and two stocks on their radar: Outset Medical and Titan International. Stocks mentioned: META, RDFN, AAPL, DIS, TTD, LYFT, MQ, CCL, AMZN, TJX, DLTR, YUM, WMT, OM, TWI. Host - Chris Hill; Guests - Ron Gross, Jason Moser, Rachel Warren, Anjee Solanki

A lower-than-expected CPI number sent stocks soaring. Jim Gillies discusses why he believes the reaction on Wall Street could signal a bottom for stocks, Bumble benefitting from today's market rise, and how, after a "busted IPO, Bumble appears to be a real business trading at a more reasonable price. Plus, at 15 minutes in, Jeremy Bowman talks with GitLab CFO Brian Robins about how his company is helping other companies develop software, and the trade-off between growth and profitability. Companies discussed: BMBL, MTCH, GTLB. Host - Chris Hill; Guests - Jim Gillies, Jeremy Bowman, Brian Robins

Entrenched beliefs about money can be very de-stabilising: that it's the root of all evil and brings guilt with it, that 'good people don't need money', that if you have money it's in some way 'bad' whereas if you don't, you suffer anxiety and stress about where it's going to come from. This episode seeks to change that mindset, to show how having money can be a positive and can provide for others as well as yourself. If you're searching for more empowering beliefs about money, this could be for you.

Adam Cox is joined by the CEO and founder of Octopus Money Coach, Adam Price, to discuss some of the biggest money-related stresses affecting people right now. The look at why people struggle to talk about money, and Adam advises people who are struggling with money. https://octopusmoneycoach.com/

Adam Cox is joined by Karen Gurney from Oxfam, and volunteer Ana Cunha to discuss new research which reveals which cities, and their residence are the most generous with their time. They look at why volunteering can be so rewarding, and Ana explains her experience as a volunteer at Oxfam. https://www.oxfam.org.uk/

Adam Cox is joined by Superintendent Pharmacist at John Bell & Croyden, Reshma Malde, to discuss why more Brits should be utilising their local pharmacies in order to be more proactive in with their health. They look at the services local pharmacies typically provides, and Reshma explains how the 5-minute blood test works. https://johnbellcroyden.co.uk/

Adam Cox is joined by seasoned Pathologist, Professor Runjan Chetty, to discuss the potential pathologist shortages being faced by the UK and why the practice is so vital to the smooth running of the NHS. They look at what can be done to encourage more medical students to enter pathology, and what can be done to improve pathology services in the UK. https://www.diagnexia.com/

Russ Mould of A J Bell looks at the housebuilders, hit by inflation, mortgage problems and dwindling demand with some cutting dividends. Pointing out the dangers of double-digit yielding shares, he wonders if the sector might be worth looking at soon. Although investors often go for growth or income, the Holy Grail, he says is a company that grows its dividend consistently, which will then produce both outcomes. How to find them? Do your homework with proper research.

James Cameron-Wilson laments a box office falling another 34% (ahead of next week's Wakanda Forever). The Banshees of Inisherin is strong at #3 with over £6m while Living, with Bill Nighy, enters at #4. James (and Simon) adore the film and hope Nighy will finally get the Oscar recognition that has eluded him. On Netflix, James thinks the German remake of All Quiet On The Western Front is a masterpiece while he finds Causeway, on Apple+, full of wonderful performances, including that of Jennifer Lawrence.