Podcasts

Santander is to cut the rate of interest customers can earn with its 123 current account. It will mean one of Britain's most popular accounts will have dropped from a top tier 3 per cent when it launched in 2012 to 1 per cent. Why has the high street banking giant done this and could it result in an exodus of people moving? Does it signal the end of current accounts with benefits? It is also capping the level of cashback customers can earn while putting a blanket 39.9 per cent overdraft rate in place – following a similar move from its banking rivals. Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost take a look at what it means for the current account market, whether there are other – better – accounts to switch to and how it managed to become so popular. Also on this week's podcast, we look at the rise of the buy now, pay later form of credit and whether it is another debt trap to watch out for. Why have nearly 40,000 people put in retrospective planning applications? And can you really hide a castle behind a haystack… Lastly, the love affair with car buyers and SUVs shows no signs of abating – sales continue to grow at a faster rate than any other group. We list the five reasons, allegedly, not to snap one up and whether you should consider an alternative.

Adam Cox talks to sports hypnotherapist Matthew David Robinson, founder of Boxnosis. Matthew discusses how he helped a local boxer become British champion and how sometimes the biggest opponent in life can be ill health as he talks about how his step daughter Kerri Parker fought an aggressive brain tumour with courage and resilience.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson talk to ... Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha! It’s been a while since we talked about the policy-relevant research that we are currently pursuing both together and individually, so we take some time to find out what is floating our research boats. Matt talks about a couple of research projects looking at the impact of education on labour market and health outcomes – using different “natural experiments” to try to identify how much education actually affects these things. Franz then tells us about his recent research project on the geography of social mobility in the UK, exploring the nuanced story of social mobility differences between, and within, regions. The discussion concludes with consideration of recent developments in data availability and how that can benefit researchers and policymakers going forward.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University discusses ONS figures showing that non-EU exports are growing five times faster than those heading to the EU. He also turns his attention to the Middle East, wondering what might be the result of recent events involving Iran and looks at Oman, broker to the Iran nuclear deal, where the modernising Sultan has just died after ruling for 50 years. Lastly, he assesses the importance of the recently-deceased philosopher Sir Roger Scruton.

The childcare system in England is broken. Our nurseries are among the most expensive in the world, but our childcare professionals are some of the lowest paid workers in society. For a long time, government policy on childcare has been badly thought out and severely underfunded. More recently, big international chains have moved into the sector. So, what should be done? How would we fix the childcare system? And what would it mean for families, and for the country, if we finally got it right? This week Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by Helen Penn, Visiting Professor at the UCL Institute of Education, Amy Martin, Creative Director of Impact Hub Birmingham, and Lucie Stephens, Head of Co-production at NEF.

James Cameron-Wilson examines the UK box office where the new #1 film is the awards-laden 1917 from Sir Sam Mendes. Little Women climbs to #2 while James also highlights Kristen Stewart's new film Seberg at a lowly #19 in the chart. He also reviews Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems although, being a Netflix movie, it has no chart ranking. For home release, he discusses Pedro Almodovar's Pain and Glory starring Antonio Banderas before touching on the staidness of the Oscar nominations.

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: The Motley Fool's VP of People Insights, Kara Chambers, joins the team to talk about what makes us feel fulfilled at work and shares hacks to improve your job situation in 2020.

Ian Forrest of The Share Centre looks at the recent GDP and inflation figures. He also examines company news from Associated British Foods, Whitbread, Boohoo and Persimmon. He then looks ahead to what we might expect from Easyjet, Burberry and Marston's.

Steve Caplin looks at some of the weirdest ideas at the CES, including Segway's 24 mph armchair, augmented reality windscreens, a robotic chef that can't open the fridge and a loo-roll-fetching bear. He also covers a lung kit for snorkelers powered by the swimmer's legs; the Fingerbot for pressing buttons on dumb devices; the headphones that turn into loudspeakers; and how to get a VR theatre experience without leaving home.

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: Costco reports some holiday cheer thanks to the strong trifecta of toys, candy, and alcohol; Bed Bath & Beyond sinks; Lennar raises the roof; And Grubhub delivers a denial. Motley Fool analysts Andy Cross, Emily Flippen, and Ron Gross discuss those stories and weigh in on the latest from Constellation Brands, Luckin Coffee, Pier 1 Imports, Macy’s, Kohl’s, and Taco Bell. Our analysts share three stocks on their radar: Accenture, Livongo, and Meituan Dianping. Plus, The Motley Fool’s Rex Moore shares some insights from CES 2020 and talks 5G, driverless cars, and 3D printing.