Podcasts

On our podcast this week, we’re joined by Sophie Sandor, an independent filmmaker and education expert, and Madeline Grant, Editorial Manager at the Institute of Economic Affairs. Interviewed by the IEA’s Digital Manager Darren Grimes, Sophie and Madeline take a look at state education in Britain – which currently operates in a near monopoly for all but the wealthiest. They look at why there has historically been so little room for innovation and disruption in the sector – and why educational outcomes vary greatly dependent on your household income. Finally, Sophie outlines policies which could invigorate education in Britain by promoting parental choice.

With the Prime Minister under fire from many quarters, Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at the role of the Prime Minister and whether she is doing the right thing. He also examines the rather scary future of warfare and looks at why South Africa's new policy of land expropriation will lead to disaster.

Helal Miah of The Share Centre looks back at company news from Compass, Easyjet, Johnson Matthew, Kingfisher and Centrica and looks at what we might hear after a difficult year for Thomas Cook.

James Cameron-Wilson looks at the eruption of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald into the UK box office chart and hopes somebody can explain what it was about to him. He also reviews a couple of character study movies for home release which he recommends, Columbus, from first time director Kogonada and Leave No Trace, from Debra Granik, director of Winter's Bone.

Steve Caplin on the company implanting chips into its workers (and then the world), the mind-reading TV remote, the cranes producing 90% efficient energy by hauling up concrete blocks, hologram lecturers and a smart computer for aquariums.

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: 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: Home Depot and Walmart report big earnings but fail to impress Wall Street; Nvidia nosedives on a crypto slowdown; And Eventbrite gets a chilly reception; Analysts Aaron Bush, Matt Argersinger, and Jason Moser discuss these stories and review Apple’s budding film career; Plus, corporate governance expert and film critic Nell Minow talks shareholder rights, Stan Lee, and must-see holiday movies.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson are joined by Dr George MacKerron, senior lecturer in economics at the University of Sussex. George is an expert in the economics of happiness and wellbeing and the man behind the ‘mappiness’ project. George explains the importance of looking beyond financial measures of individual and national wellbeing and discusses the extent to which the cliché that ‘money can’t buy happiness’ holds true. Franz, Matt and George then discuss the findings from the ‘mappiness’ project which collects real-time data on individual’s self-reported happiness, allowing detailed analysis of the activities that have the greatest impact on how we feel and the way this also depends on where we are and who we’re with. George goes on to explain a number of ways in which public policy can have real impact on individual’s happiness and wellbeing.

Whether preparing a meal that takes 15 minutes or 50, home cooks can be forgiven for taking a moment to applaud their own efforts after plating up. Social data from HelloFresh shows that nearly 30,000 customers paused before eating their home-cooked meals and shared photos demonstrating feelings of pride and a sense of achievement. Dr Christy Ferguson discusses how taking time to appreciate the food that we have made can be beneficial to our mental wellbeing.

The high street, once a popular choice for shoppers, has faced many changes in recent years. The increase of online shopping is a clear indicator, as 1 in 3 of us will exclusively use the internet to shop this Christmas. Annette Picardo, Managing Director in the UK for Etsy, explains how people are moving towards a more mindful and conscious way of shopping. New independent research finds that people feel happier when supporting their local community and local businesses.

This is Money has relentlessly campaigned to fight online fraud – and in a major victory, Britain's biggest banks are now trialling a new system to trace stolen money. Is the end nigh for scammers? Editor Simon Lambert and host Georgie Frost talk about bank fraud and our long-running campaign to help protect our readers from the growing crime. We also talk through new rules to come in early next year that will spell out exactly what banks have to do to help prevent customers falling victim of bank transfer scams and why we launched our Beat the Scammers section in 2016. Elsewhere, if you are in the market for a credit card, one of the more eye catching is Virgin Money's offering which could get you a trip to New York with its new bumper sign-up offer – but what's the catch? We also talk about the property market and how estate agents – especially across London and the South East - have come under pressure since the Brexit vote, which has triggered a considerable slowdown. This has seen Foxtons announcing branch closures this week. And rather than the gloom and doom predictions of a potential house price crash, Simon asks: are house prices preparing to go on something of a run?