Share Sounds. from This is Money presented by Georgie Frost

Inflation is easing, food prices are coming down from their peak and the energy price cap dropped last weekend. But you are still paying around 10% more for your groceries now than last year, petrol prices are rising, mortgage rates are still high, and you may end up paying more for your gas and electricity this winter too. But how is that possible? Angharad Carrick, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Helen Crane tackle energy bills and look at who might be paying more in the next three months. And when it comes to water bills, some firms are looking at charging 44% more over the next seven years. Why? Crane on the Case tackles a parking charge issued after someone waited too long in a McDonald’s drive-thru queue. Despite that, Helen managed to get a positive result – but why are so many parking charges being dished out every day, and where is the promised government help to stop it happening? Lee gives you a run through of another busy week in the world of savings and banking. NS&I has pulled its best buy one year fix paying 6.2%; NatWest has a secret top 5.2% easy-access deal; Moneybox is offering the top cash ISA of 5%; and Starling Bank is now offering to pay you for having a current account. It’s also been a hairy week for Metro Bank – but we explain why FSCS has you covered. And finally — the list of the UK's 'perfect' retirement locations has been revealed - and there are some surprising names on it, including the Outer Hebrides. Consumer group Which? has taken retirees' wish-lists for their later-life locations to work out its own grouping of the 12 top places to spend your golden years. But does it tally up to what you think is a perfect retirement location?

It’s been called the most hated tax in Britain - but only 4% of people pay it. You could be forgiven for thinking inheritance tax is something only the super-rich need to worry about. But thanks to rising house prices and an increasing desire to transfer wealth between generations, more and more people are being drawn into the net. It happens not only when someone is left property or other assets from someone's estate, but also when they accept a gift from someone who passes away before the 'seven year rule' tax exemption kicks in. The Institute for Fiscal Studies says that that 4% could become 12% within a decade. And many of those who will never pay inheritance tax still hate the idea that the Government is taking a big cut of the wealth people have worked hard to build up over their lifetime. So it might come as welcome news that Rishi Sunak is reported to be considering cutting the tax, or even scrapping it altogether, as a potential vote-winner ahead of the next election. What’s wrong with inheritance tax, how could it be made fairer - and could the Government really just get rid of it? Simon Lambert, Helen Crane and Georgie Frost discuss. That’s not the only plan the Government is said to be hatching for our finances. It’s also reported that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt wants to increase the £20,000 annual allowance for saving into an ISA - but only for those who use it to invest money into companies listed on the ailing London Stock Exchange. The team consider what puts people off stocks and shares ISAs, whether the rules are too restrictive for the way we manage our money today, and whether encouraging people to pour money into a market which has had a bit of a tough time of late is a good idea. Plus, it’s a year since the disastrous mini-Budget which rocked the mortgage market. With a raft of reductions from big lenders this week, could rates on home loans finally be turning a corner now the base rate has been put on ice? And finally, we discuss whether the time might finally have come to commit to a fixed rate on your energy bills.

And suddenly they stopped. After 14 interest rate rises in a row, the Bank of England stalled and kept base rate on hold. A lower than expected inflation number and slew of economic reports indicating the heat was being taken out of the economy were credited with staying the Monetary Policy Committee's hand. So, will 5.25% now be the peak for base rate or could rates once again start to head higher from here? And what does the Bank of England's decision to pause mean for savings rates and mortgage rates? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert discuss why interest rates were held, what nudged inflation down, what could happen next and what all this means for savers, borrowers and investors. Plus, what does the government rowing back on Net Zero plans mean for electric cars, EPCs and how we heat our homes? And finally, if your neighbours can see into your garden and you don't like it, can you just stick up a very tall fence or do you need planning permission (and risk triggering a neighbourly battle)?

If the triple lock is stuck to, the state pension should rise by 8.5% next April. That will be an inflation-busting rise but a promise is a promise - and the triple lock is meant to be a cast iron guarantee that the state pension will rise by either 2.5%, average wages, or inflation. Except it's already been unpicked once and arguing about whether the government can wriggle out of it has become an annual event. It's expensive and paid for by current workers, but the triple lock has improved the state pension - and one day those workers should get that payout themselves. Yet, has it run its course and is it time for a better policy than the triple lock? Georgie Frost, Sam Barker and Simon Lambert debate the triple lock and whether to keep it. Plus, why is Facebook Marketplace such a wild west for consumers and what happened when we tried to set up our own (fake) scam? Santander's cracking 5.2% easy access savings deal was pulled this week. The team discuss whether another account will come close in future and why those who signed up to This is Money's savings alerts didn't miss out. And finally, a reader has viewed 40 homes for sale but not found one they like. What should they do?

Every child could receive a pot of £1,000 at birth to be channelled into long-term investments in UK growth under proposals to give the young a leg up and revive a ‘stagnant’ economy. The idea of a ‘New Generation Trust’ is part of a package of reforms that could add £225billion to the economy, says a report by the City of London Corporation. A £1,000 payment to all newborn children would need to be invested - and it is claimed this could provide long-term capital for UK PLC. It revives memories of the Child Trust Fund scheme launched by Gordon Brown two decades ago, and later scrapped by George Osborne – and that hasn’t exactly been a roaring success. Lee Boyce, Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost discuss the merits of the idea – and why whether this happens or not parents should start building a pot for children as early as possible. It’s been another exciting week for savings – Santander has a new best buy easy-access deal, Moneybox has launched a top cash Isa and First Direct is offering five prizes of £12,500 for those who switch current account – including a £175 bonus for doing so. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has been speaking in front of MPs at the Treasury Select Committee about base rate – are we close to the peak? House prices saw their biggest slump since 2009 according to Halifax, with the average home falls £14,000 in a year – chiming with similar data from Nationwide. And finally, electric cars are slumping in value – many models have lost 30% or more in a year. Is now the time to buy, and what on earth is going on?

Inflation has been ravaging our finances, but it is also threatening our future. According to new research, if you want a comfortable retirement, you need to build a pot of nearly £600,000. The rising cost of living requires an extra £4,200 a year to maintain the same lifestyle as in spring last year - which means you have to save another £69,000 in all. Tanya Jefferies, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Helen Crane delve into pensions, as separate research shows more than half of people saving into one believe they will never put away enough to stop working when they get older. What can you do? Tanya reveals how to invest your pension and live off it in retirement. One thing that isn’t going to help your retirement funds is forking out to help your kids get on the property ladder. But that is exactly what is happening at the moment and in huge numbers. Financial aid is expected to support almost half of all homes purchased by buyers under the age of 55 this year - totalling £8.1billion. Is tapping into the Bank of Mum and Dad fair? People who spent big sums on state pension top-ups are angry their cash has gone missing and they can't get answers out of HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions – Tanya gives an important update. Lee runs the rule over the new 6.2% one-year fixed-rate from National Savings and Investments, alongside four savings trends gleaned from a new Bank of England report. Helen reveals the four pressures landlords are facing as more of them opt to sell up. And lastly, are you suffering from dogflation, catflation or any kind of petflation? And how can you bite back?

Many people may be feeling in a state of financial flux at the moment and wondering where to put their money, and it's not an easy choice. Savings rates have improved, gold is holding steady, but property prices are slipping and stocks are sticky. That's just some of the myriad of options Britons are contemplating right now, alongside other areas such as overpaying the mortgage or saving for retirement. So, where would you put your money for the next five years? That’s the question the This is Money team put to the experts – and our readers – with a mixed response. Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce reveal what they told us, the results of a reader poll and how they’re grappling with these big financial decisions. Could unloved and cheap investment trusts be the answer? Simon runs the rule. Premium Bonds have been boosted again – Lee reveals why they are giving them a headache. And NS&I have boosted its green savings deal to 5.7%: is it a good deal now? Elsewhere, Ofgem has announced the new energy price cap for October 2023 will be £1,923. What does it mean for households – and why are many still facing higher bills this wint regardless? Loyal listeners may might remember predictions from a chap called Fred Harrison a few years ago, for a housing market crash in 2026: the British author and economic commentator identified the 18-year property cycle and believes it can accurately predict the next house price crash. But have today's inflation and high mortgage rates thrown the cycle off track? And property prices have become less expensive relative to average earnings, according to new data – but there’s a sting in the tail: higher mortgage rates mean homes are now LESS affordable. Finally, would you pay £25 million for a car?

Inflation falling, wages rising, mortgage rates fall back a bit and fixed savings rates seem to be peaking at 6% - all without a recession (yet)! Is the oasis in sight, or is this a mirage? Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Helen Crane review the prospects looking forward. Also, Rishi Sunak vows to keep the 'triple lock' on pensions, but can we afford it?

After months of mortgage mayhem some better news finally arrived this week with major lenders delivering a slew of hefty rate cuts. Halifax, Nationwide, and NatWest have all delivered big chops to their home loans, with analysts saying that we may be past the moment of peak panic in the mortgage market. That’s the silver lining to a very dark cloud though, as mortgage rates are far higher than they have been in recent years and almost all of those whose fixes come up for renewal will face paying much more. So if this is the end of Mortgage Mayhem Part 2 (the uncalled for sequel to Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s original instalment), what happens next? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert survey the wreckage of the past few months and look at what could come next for mortgage rates and homeowners? With higher rates here for the foreseeable future, they also discuss what this means for people’s finances and how mortgage hikes are likely to eat most people’s pay rises and then some. Simon explains why after such a long period of stagnant real wages, this is a major problem. In cheerier news, Premium Bonds have had another big bump up in the prize rate, so are they now a no-brainer? (For those listening to the podcast and looking for it, here is the link to our Premium Bonds winning stats piece Simon mentions: https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/saving/article-12161769/Premium-Bonds-likely-win-1m.html). Plus, what is the tale of good customer service that Simon has returned from holiday with? And finally — how did Helen go viral with an old carrier bag?

Join the latest episode from Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce, Tanya Jefferies and guest Angharad Carrick: business owners experience difficulties with HMRC service — the challenge of being an executor — interest rates rise again, but is it the right call? Plus, the team discuss fake lawns.