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It's not been a year in the markets that many investors will remember fondly. Graham Spooner of The Share Centre looks back at the year that was 2018, highlighting some of the household names that have fallen out of favour as well as pointing out a surprising winner. Warning of value traps, he highlights some of the main influences on shares, including Brexit, trade wars and interest rates. Whether 2019 starts well or not, the advice is to drip-feed investment rather than try to call a chance in sentiment.

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: The worst December stock market since 1931; Political turmoil; And a Federal Reserve that may be reevaluating. Analysts Matt Argersinger and Ron Gross talk about what it all means for investors and dig into the latest news from Fedex, Nike, Twitter, and Jack in the Box. Plus, our analysts weigh in on the future of FANG stocks and share some stocks on their radar. And author Gillian Zoe Segal shares stories of success from her book, Getting There: A Book of Mentors.

Happy Christmas and welcome to the last This is Money podcast of 2018. Today, we cover the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. For the ghost of Christmas past, we look at what has gone wrong for high street retailers and if that is spilling over to online firms. Ghost of Christmas present& or presents, we give five reasons why you should think twice about giving gift cards this festive period. And for the ghost of Christmas future, how you can give friends and family a gift that will last through 2019 - avoiding the loyalty penalty. As part of our campaign, we reveal the companies stiffing customers and what you can do to combat the problem. Elsewhere, assistant editor Lee Boyce takes the reigns for the infamous This is Money Christmas taste test with editor Simon Lambert and host Georgie Frost tucking into mince pies, crisps and more, then having to guess whether it is from a posh supermarket, or budget one. And like post-Brexit Britain, there are no Brussel(s) in sight. Georgie also throws a bonus fiendish Christmas quiz into the mix how many can you get right? Thanks for listening in 2018 - we hope you enjoy the podcast as much as we do making it. See you next year!

Richard Newman is an expert in communication and founder of corporate communications consultancy Body Talk. He helps coach a diverse range of individuals - celebrities for TV interviews through to political figures. He's won awards for his work, including the Cicero Grand Prize award for Best International Speechwriter - the most coveted award in the world of speech-writing. Two years later, he worked with UCL on scientific research in communication which was published by the Journal of Psychology. He's also the author of new guide 'You Were Born to Speak'. He says he realised the power of communication when he was forced to take part in a debate at an all-girls school when he 'froze on the spot.'

This episode is a special edition of Policy Matters, looking back at some of the highlights from the last year. We revisit our discussions of social mobility in general and the role of vocational education in particular, along with more recent conversations on the economics of crime and the economics of happiness. Franz and Matt will be back with more episodes of Policy Matters in 2019.

Highlights from four of this year’s interviews consider the theme of 'discrimination and disadvantage’. We have some 'Christmas Cheer’, as the interviews show how far we have come to improve the situation of women, people from ethnic minority groups, LGBT communities and young people from poorer backgrounds. However, the first interview with Dr Jo Blanden, shows how hard it is to make further improvements to the early years experiences of young people. In the second interview with Prof. Emma Parry, we see how research investigating generational differences risks stereotyping different age groups. Prof. Lisa Webley sets out the various waves of policy that have attempted to improve the situation of women and other groups facing discrimination, and continuing challenges faced by the Law profession, where improvements have been glacial in recent years. Finally, in the interview with Vicky Pryce, we see where this debate can lead - if things are not getting better with current approaches, Vicky argues that for women we need to consider the 'nuclear option' of quotas. These are the challenges for our New Year!

One underexplored aspect of the global economy in recent decades has been an explosion in the creation, issuing and enforcement of regulations. But is this emerging regulatory state necessary in the modern age, both to protect consumers and adapt to the changing needs of contemporary trade - or is this weight of regulation excessive and harmful to competition? Some even argue that such rules - often issued by unelected officials and removed from the electorate - represent a threat to democracy itself? Britain’s withdrawal from the EU has revived interest in these issues, since the UK may soon be extricating itself from a weight of historic regulatory rules dating back to the Maastricht Treaty. Yet increasing regulation is actually part of a global trend, with the US, China, and to a lesser extent, Japan also defining the trade landscape through their different regimes. Today, the IEA's Head of Education Dr Steve Davies makes the case that the regulatory state, and its push for harmonisation, is damaging competition. Back in 1970s Europe, he argues, you could determine good regulations from the bad by monitoring each country’s individual rules and regulations and learning from best practice. On our podcast today, Steve and the IEA’s Associate Director Kate Andrews discuss these topics and more.

Adam reviews some of Modern Mindset episodes in this Christmas edition of the show.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University takes a look at the government's immigration proposals and reveals that, on the subject of immigration, he himself is to the left of Jeremy Corbyn. He also discusses a Fabian Society paper about extradition rights and the EAW after Brexit and looks ahead to 2019, which will be a massive year for elections around the world.

Ian Forrest of The Share Centre looks back at the shock news from Asos, as well as Boohoo's more encouraging statement. He looks at numbers from Petrofac and GlaxoSmithKline's healthcare merger with Pfizer. He discusses the latest inflation and retail sales numbers and the Bank of England's decision to keep interest rates unchanged, unlike the US Fed.