Podcasts

For better or worse the internal combustion engined car has shaped economies and the way we live over the past century. Now Britain has been told that new petrol and diesel engine cars will not be allowed to be sold in just nine years’ time. But the car itself isn’t going anywhere – just the way it is propelled and hybrids will still be allowed – so how much difference will the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars make? Is the rise of the electric car inevitable anyway and even with Brexit is it more important what Germany, France and the rest of Europe choose to do, than what the UK decides? On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert talk electric cars: from what the shift to them means, to what they are like to drive, charge and live with. Simon explains his experiences of charging electric cars without a home wallbox and why he thinks the Government needs to buck its ideas up on public charging and stop making policy only for those with a drive. He also talks through what three popular electric cars, the Renault Zoe, Peugeot 208 and Tesla Model 3 are like to drive and why the Porsche Cayenne with a conscience shows the way forward for those who feel they need a big, fast, luxury SUV. Also on this week’s podcast, the team discuss yet more pain for savers and the chaos at major port Felixstowe and why it matters to businesses and consumers. And finally, Bitcoin’s back… but as it climbs towards its previous peak, is it different this time?

This month we launched The WealthiHer 2020 report “The Changing Faces of Women’s Wealth” which gives valuable insights into women’s and men’s financial confidence, attitudes to and needs around money, workplaces and equality, both in the UK and Asia. It is clear Covid-19 has had a major impact and nowhere was this truer, than for women and their responsibilities to family, job security and financial prosperity. Women are 1.8 times more likely to have lost their jobs or quit, compared to men. The Institute of Fiscal Studies found that women in the UK are working 156 more hours a month than their partners in support of care of the family or the household; and the gender pay gap has shifted back 60 years as a result of the crisis. In this episode, Tamara Gillan is joined by Michelle King: world-renowned equality expert who has led the charge on strategy for UN Women and Netflix Inclusion. Michelle is armed with more than 16 years’ research and a deep understanding of the invisible barriers that hold women back at work, and how we need to face up to these and collaboratively fix workplaces, not women. Michelle has also just joined us as the MD of WealthiHer female leadership Academy.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University takes a look at what is going on in No. 10 Downing Street, what it could mean for government policy and why a "narrative" is desperately needed. Casting his eyes across the Atlantic, he explains why Joe Biden will rule as a Purple President. And he takes a look at Big Pharma, much reviled in many quarters but a great scientific success during the pandemic.

James Cameron-Wilson looks at the UK box office (operational only in Scotland) before turning his attention to the Blu-Ray release of The Painted Bird, a much-garlanded Czech film set in World War II. On Netflix, he looks at The Life Ahead, Sophia Loren's first film for 16 years, for which she's already being tipped for an Oscar nomination. And on various platforms, there is the documentary Totally Under Control, about the US response to the Covid pandemic.

Share Radio's technology editor Steve Caplin looks at the latest news. £5m worth of Apple products were stolen, even though Apple will be able to track them if they're ever used. Harley-Davidson moves into e-bikes. There's the first electric wing suit, a concept phone with a rollout screen, a virtual Santa's grotto, an amazing VR piano app, a camera strap with incorporated tripod, a claw to clear up space junk and Japanese robot Covid monitors and robot wolves.

Ian Forrest of The Share Centre looks at the market reaction to the good news on various C-19 vaccines. He examines recent reports from Royal Mail, Easyjet, SSE and Halford's and how their fortunes have been affected by the pandemic. Looking ahead, he tells us what we might expect when we hear from Compass, Pennon and Aviva.

Adam was working with a lady from California who was suffering from extreme anxiety and depression as a result of suicides and other bereavements in her family. She was often reluctant to leave her home, and it was a minor miracle that she'd been able to get to London, although that was also causing feelings of overwhelm. In this session, Adam uses hypnosis to help her deal with some of the emotional baggage of her past and to help her access more resourceful states. Adam allows her to perceive the possibility of hope in her future so that she could be more optimistic and positive. Ideal for those that are highly anxious or feel sad most of the time.

Adam Cox is joined by life coach and founder of Elite Coaching Breaks, Saadia Valasarie Sultan. Saadia was a guest on the show 2 years ago and shares her own development since she discussed Mind Flow Surfer. Saadia explains why it made sense to launch a coaching breaks company in locations such as Ireland in the middle of a global pandemic, and why some things can't be done properly online. She also shares some tips to help enable people to tap into their full potential, as well as discussing the nature of learning to the point of mastery.

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, what's so good about consumer goods? Emily Flippen joins the team from the Motley Fool Industry Focus podcast to talk about the companies that sell us the stuff.

There have been some clear winners and losers in the rebound from the stock market crash as coronavirus and lockdown hit. Tech stars, companies with a strong digital presence and those who have seen business increase as a result of lockdown – from B&Q-owner Kingfisher, to cycle and motoring store Halfords, and takeaway deliverer Just Eat - have been the only game in town. But, as news of the most successful Covid-19 vaccine trials yet was revealed by Pfizer on Monday, there was a dramatic reversal of fortune: it was the companies beaten-down by lockdown that soared. From aerospace engineer Rolls-Royce, to cinema operator Cineworld and travel-focussed caterer and retailer SSP, shares that had been languishing at lowly valuations and clouded by pessimism got a sudden dose of optimism. So why did they rise so strongly, is this the much-heralded switch from growth to value investing and what does that even mean? On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost look at the vaccine rally, whether this marks a new chapter for investors and the economy… and what the risk of being disappointed again is. Some investors hoping to take advantage this week couldn’t, however, as DIY investing platforms struggled under the weight of record days of trading from customers. Can those Hargreaves Lansdown, or other platform, clients try to claim any money back for trades missed? Also on this week’s podcast, the potential capital gains tax raid being lined up – with perhaps some unintended consequences – and the surge of Curry’s PC World complains to This is Money. And finally, the Government is soon expected to bring forward its ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, with the favoured alternative being electric. But if you act now and go electric but don’t have a driveway for home charging is it practical – and can you take a lead across the pavement instead?