Podcasts

This week, This is Money takes a look at a raft of inter-generation financial divide stories that have popped up in August. This includes why those born in the 1980s have less disposable income than those born in the 1970s according to the Office for National Statistics and why the Bank of Mum and Dad is creaking. Assistant editor Lee Boyce, reporter George Nixon and host Georgie Frost run the rule over these statistics, along with proposals to raise the state pension age to 75. This was from a right-wing think tank The Centre for Social Justice and has left many industry experts irate. We also discuss data showing that two thirds of older people say they feel hurt by the inter-generational financial criticism that they are lording it up at the expense of younger generations. We also talk metal bank cards – why on earth would you want one and who is offering them?

Social media use among sports stars has seen some of them become more than just a player – they are icons with a global following of millions who post their life off the pitch, as well as on it. Is Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and the like a good use of time for footballers and other sporting icons – or do they have the potential to damage the reputation of both player and club? That's what broadcaster Georgie Frost and assistant editor Lee Boyce discuss this week, alongside expert Ehsen Shah. He is managing director of B-Engaged Ltd and runs the social media accounts of more than 20 footballers, including Arsenal star Héctor Bellerín - who has 3million Instagram followers and 1.7million Twitter followers. He discusses what makes good social media use, developing four pillars needed to make a difference and why it isn't about the money. We also talk about the abuse players may receive, how much a post can be worth to a brand and the future of technology use with sportspeople.

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: Abi Malin, Motley Fool Analyst, joins us to answer your questions including how to separate the wheat from the chaff on your watchlist, owning a home versus renting, the deal with dividends, and more.

Julian Daizan Skinner is a British Rinzai Zen Buddhist Rōshi master - the first British man to achieve that level. He discovered mindfulness and yoga after an earlier career in engineering, and now teaches and writes prolifically on the subject. He’s the founder of Zenways, which promotes and encourages activities and practices that enhance human wellbeing, balance and awakening in the modern world. Julian also explains how his years in the study of zen have given him an insight into how it can be applied to best effect in the workplace.

Adam Cox talks to international speaker, Shukeel Chohan, about how important it is to have confidence when speaking, in order to influence and generate new clients. Shukeel has transferred his one-to-one sales competence to both the stage and social media, and teaches others to do the same. Together they discuss how the terms “selling” and “influencing” mean the same thing, yet sales is seen as bad while being an influencer is seen in a positive light. Shukeel shares some tips to be more confident on stage and in using social media.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at the political furore over the prorogation of Parliament and asks what it really means. He updates us on the situation in Venezuela where it transpires Nicolas Maduro has been talking to the White House and where Reuters has exposed Cuba's true influence. And he looks at the new age of Surveillance Capitalism, the topic of a new book by Shoshana Zuboff.

Ian Forrest of The Share Centre looks at how the stock market has been reacting to the latest political manoeuvring over Brexit. He looks at recent announcements by Bunzl, Thomas Cook and Micro Focus and looks ahead to what we might expect from D S Smith and Barratt Developments.

James Cameron-Wilson on the UK box office, again hit by hot weather with Gerard Butler thriller Angel Has Fallen in #1 spot and horror films Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark at #5 and Crawl at #7. For his home release, James recommends Wild Rose, about a Glaswegian woman dreaming of being a country singer starring Jessie Buckley.

Steve Caplin looks at the new Hyundai hybrid with a solar panel roof, at a Motorola phone with a 117-degree 12MP wide-angle lens which films in landscape whichever way up you hold it, a weird NatWest voice banking service with Google Home, how to read Brunel's bad handwriting, an upright grand piano and how plastic bottles can be turned into prosthetic limbs.

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: Target shares hit an all-time high; 2nd-quarter profits for both Home Depot and Lowe’s were higher than expected; And sports retailers Foot Locker, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Hibbett Sports continue to struggle. Emily Flippen, Ron Gross, and Jason Moser analyze the retail landscape as they search for market-beating stocks. We discuss the latest with Intuit, Salesforce.com, Nordstrom, Baidu, Hasbro, Entertainment One, American Tower, Lyft, and Bilibili. Plus, a conversation with Dan Albert, author of Are We There Yet? The American Automobile Past, Present, and Driverless.